Muppetational with Steve Martin, Carol Burnett and Gilda Radner

Every memory I remember as a kid I can trace back to The Muppets. As an adult not much has changed. Sure, there were countless years where I traversed through episodes of The Teenage Mutant Turtles, Duck Tales, The Transformers, repeats of Bugs and Daffy, and other Saturday morning cartoons – but perhaps the one childhood memory I remember the most is those that began with a green puppet exclaiming to a crowd of other puppets – it’s time for the Muppet Show!!!

It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights. It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight. It's time to put on makeup, it's time to dress up right. It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight. And now let's get things started. On the most sensational inspirational celebrational Muppetational - this is what we call the Muppet Show!!!

Slowly, The Muppets are being released on DVD and in honest business practices – they are being released with as little thought about the consumer as possible. In this particular DVD, there are three 30 minute episodes and a few special features. At this time, we all know that DVD’s can record a lot longer than an hour and 30 minutes! There should have been at least four, if not five or six episodes of The Muppet Show on this DVD. But instead, we can only purchase three at time.

This particular disc contains three comedic genius’. One of which I have loved since I have ever known her name. Another who I learned to enjoy more as an adult and even then at times his comedic talents are hit and miss with me. And finally a third that perhaps being not as well known stars in an episode of The Muppets that is funnier than the previous two.

First up is Steve Martin. Both Steve Martin’s and Carol Burnet’s episodes would have themes to them. In Martin’s episode – he finds himself dealing with The Muppets after the show has been canceled. To pass the time Kermit auditions new acts some of which include Steve Martin who brings to the platform his famous and funny balloon animals sketch. After several rather ear splitting performances Steve Martin comes back to sing a song with his banjo. His song is funny especially because he really is playing the banjo and he is not really good at it but he is really good at it when it comes to incorporating it in with his comedy.

Perhaps the number one reason I rented this DVD was to see the sketch by Carol Burnett. Here was the second queen of comedy (the first being Lucille Ball) – and here she was in Muppet-land. If auditions was the theme of the episode with Steve Martin – the episode with Carol Burnett is all about a dance marathon. Apparently Kermit allowed Gonzo to have a dance marathon at the same time Carol Burnett was to be the special guest star. And so, Carol has to do her bit and sing her song all the while countless Muppets including Animal are dancing around and switching tempos to stay in the marathon.

In the episode we get to see classic Muppets sketches like Pigs in Space which includes a special dance number by Miss Piggy. As for Carol Burnett she is a funny trooper throughout the episode especially her design to eliminate as many dance contestants as she can as quickly as possible so she can sing her Asparagus song – something I was really looking forward to.

The final episode is with Gilda Radner. I shall be honest – I don’t know who Gilda Radner is. I can’t think of any movie or comedy bit I remember her in, but from what I saw in her Muppet episode she is very talented when it comes to dealing with a bunch of Muppets. She begins by singing a number with a seven-foot tall carrot. She asked for a seven-foot tall parrot but Kermie misunderstood her letter. Together they sing a piece from the “Pirates of Penzance” (get it, carrot, parrot, pirate!) If that wasn’t funny enough, we get a sketch with the Doctor and Beaker – perhaps my favorite character in the entire Muppet universe. The sketch involved Muppet glue that binds anything it touches to anything that touched it. Listening to Beakers pleas and squeaks is enough to put me on the floor laughing. Now, if that, wasn’t funny enough, along comes the Witch Doctor sketch starring the Muppephones – little bars of fur that cry out when they are struck on the head with a mallet. I almost forgot two humorous sketches involving Miss Piggy. One starring along side Uncle Deadly and another involving a mirror that I cannot explain more than it being pretty darn funny.

All three episodes begin with an introduction by an ancestor to Jim Henson. Although it feels nice to have each episode introduced – the introduction also gives away a lot of the funny moments of the episode that one is about to watch.

Likewise there are some additional special features, but none of them really touch upon the original magic that made up The Muppet Show. Or maybe they have a different take upon the original magic. I know I have mine – one that I won’t forget.

Ever.