The Muppet Show - Season 2 [DVD]

This is the season when this show really started to hit it's stride. The characters are all developed now and the guests are a lot better quality than the previous year. The full episode guide is as follows: -
EPISODE 1: Don Knotts.
EPISODE 2: Zero Mostel
EPISODE 3: Milton Berle
EPISODE 4: Rich Little
EPISODE 5: Judy Collins
EPISODE 6: Nancy Walker
EPISODE 7: Edgar Bergen
EPISODE 8: Steve Martin
EPISODE 9: Madeline Kahn
EPISODE 10: George Burns
EPISODE 11: Dom DeLuise
EPISODE 12: Bernadette Peters
EPISODE 13: Rudolf Nureyev
EPISODE 14: Elton John
EPISODE 15: Lou Rawls
EPISODE 16: Cleo Laine
EPISODE 17: Julie Andrews
EPISODE 18: Jaye P. Morgan
EPISODE 19: Peter Sellers
EPISODE 20: Petula Clark
EPISODE 21: Bob Hope
EPISODE 22: Teresa Brewer
EPISODE 23: John Cleese
EPISODE 24: Cloris Leachman

The second season of the Muppet Show finds our heroes in fine form as they continue to attempt to put on their weekly show. Once again, the cast is made up of the Muppets with one human guest start each episode. And again, the wackiness is incredible fun.

Not everything is old and the same, however. Beaker, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's assistant in Muppet Labs makes his first appearance here. Poor Beaker is always the guinea pig in the experiments, which always have poor results. This season also introduces us to "Pigs in Space," the Star Trek spoof that is out of this world.

But there is much that is familiar from the first season as well. "At the Dance" may not be in every episode this time around, but you still get to laugh at all the jokes on one topic. "Veterinarian's Hospital" really hits its stride this go around as they milk every topic for as many puns as they possibly can. I was thrilled to see it was the most used recurring sketch.

The writing has gotten sharper. Each episode has some kind of problem going on backstage that plays out between musical numbers and skits. In one episode, the theater is in danger of being sold. In another, Kermit is out sick and needs Fozzie to fill in as host. Then there's the week that a cow is wandering around backstage. Miss Piggy pays the audience to cheer extra loudly for her in an attempt to get star billing. Later, she decides to lose some weight. And we can't forget the week she gets jealous of Kermit doing a duet with Miss Mousy. Finally, there's the show when the pigs completely take over, including new host Kermit the Pig and comedian Fozzie Pig.

And I can't leave out the guest stars. While I once again hadn't heard of many of them, others are familiar. Julie Andrews was charming and funny as she interacted with the Muppets. Her interview segment was especially funny. Watching Milton Berle play straight man to Statler and Waldorf was wonderful. George Burns finds a new side kick in Gonzo in a bit that could have fit on any of his old shows with Gracie Allen. Bernadette Peters gets a very touching song with Kermit's nephew Robin. Some guest stars aren't in as many sketechs, but it all works out. For example, the running gag in Bob Hope's episode was that he was overbooked at charity events. While he hardly shows up, it was funny.

And this set includes the famous Steve Martin episode where they suspend production to audition new acts, including bits from Steve's stand up routines.

The weakest episodes of the season were the first couple. Maybe the writers didn't quite know how to work with the slightly altered format, but I just didn't find them as funny. Additionally, the special features aren't really worth watching more than once.

The same can't be said for the shows themselves. I know I'll be going back to this collection to enjoy the timeless humor for many years to come.

The Muppet Show is hilarious: it is actually nothing for children; the sheer number of puns makes it highly entertaining for an adult audience.
Absolutely worth buying!!!