The Muppet Show

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Classic Muppet series mixes stars and kid-friendly content.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this vibrant mix of live action and puppetry was created to entertain both parents and kids, which means the content is family-friendly to a fault. The series does serve to promote the Muppet brand, but that's not really the point. There's also some cartoonish violence in the form of explosions, falls, and other shenanigans, but no one gets seriously injured.

  • The show exposes kids to a variety of artistic elements -- from pop songs to poetry -- though education is not the explicit purpose of the show.
  • The show targets parents and kids with the express purpose of trying to make them laugh. But in between sketches, Kermit stresses the importance of teamwork and delivering high-quality family entertainment.
  • Some Muppets, like Kermit, are exemplary when it comes to behavior, while others are less than perfect -- but negative actions rarely go unchecked.The two grumpy guys in the box seats regularly make fun of the show and its performers, but their comments will go over the heads of younger kids.
  • Some cartoonish violence in the form of bonks to the head, laboratory explosions, or the audience throwing tomatoes.
  • Miss Piggy has an ongoing crush on Kermit the Frog and will occasionally pepper him with kisses or try to make him jealous.
  • Not applicable.
  • The show doesn't tout specific brands, but popular artists of the day -- including Elton John and Julie Andrews -- appeared to perform their music. The Muppets themselves are also big business in the form of DVDs, books, dolls, etc.

What's the story?

Taking their cues from harried host Kermit the Frog (voiced by Jim Henson), Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and the rest of the Muppet gang put on a star-studded variety show in THE MUPPET SHOW, a family-friendly series that mixes puppetry with celebrity appearances and clever pop-culture parodies. The show premiered in 1976 and lasted for five seasons, winning four Emmy Awards and a slew of other honors.


Is it any good?

 

Most kids would be entertained by merely looking at the Muppets, even if they never opened their mouths. So it goes without saying that the skit-driven Muppet Show still succeeds at serving up laughs for all ages, even though some of the celebrity guest stars -- and their era-specific hairstyles -- are a little dated. (Songstress Anne Murray and illusionist Doug Henning come to mind.)

There's just something about Muppet humor that's inherently timeless, whether it's the Swedish Chef's spirited "bort-bort-bort!" or Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's accident-prone experiments with Beaker in the Muppet Labs. But the series' real genius lies in its tip-of-the-hat to parents at home with clever parodies of pop-culture touchstones, including the Lost in Space-inspired sci-fi spoof "Pigs in Space." It kind of makes you wish The Muppet Show was still on the air...can you imagine the fun they'd have now?


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about cartoonish violence and the role it plays in creating comedy. Why do we laugh when a science experiment blows up Beaker's face, for example? Does the fact that puppets are getting hurt -- rather than people -- make a difference?

  • Do you think The Muppet Show and Sesame Street -- both of which feature Muppets -- were designed for different audiences? How can you tell?

  • How does The Muppet Show compare with other family shows that are on television today? Kids: Do you like it, and do the Muppets make you laugh? Parents: Is the show as good as you remember?


This review was written by Kari Croop
Teen, 16 years old
May 27, 2011
 
The Most Sensational Inspirational Celbration Muppetational Show Ever!
The Muppets often show that even the weirdest problems can be solved easily. The biggest treat is mild cartoon violence, but nothing fans of some Looney Tunes or Tom and Jerry haven't seen.

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Kid, 13 years old
December 22, 2010
 
Violent, but funny!
I LOVE Muppets, I even liked in was 2-years old. When I was 4 I saw a VERY scary episode with Alice Cooper in it. He popped out of a coffin with his face painted like a zombie singing "Welcome to My Nightmare". That had scared me into not liking it for 4-years. I also wouldn't even mention Alice Cooper's name until the 2nd Grade. Then, when I was in the 3rd grade, I watched the episode and liked it. That's right the whole thing. Here is what parents should look for about the Alice Cooper one : The opening sketch is him singing "Welcome To My Nightmare" in a haunted house, the next sketch is stalagmites (spheleothems) saying that their teeth hurt, the next one isn't scary at all it is just Robin The Frog singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", then it is Muppet monsters (Frackles) singing a spooky song called "Once A Year Day", next, it is Alice and a creepy Muppet named Beakie Bird singing a song called "You and Me", and the last one is Alice Cooper and a ton of giant Muppet monsters dancing to his hit song "School's Out". There is also some bad role models, like one episode that involves prairie dogs stealing from Kermit and Miss Piggy, another one that involves a pirate crew almost blowing up the Muppet theatre, and yet another one that shows a three-legged creature hitting a wall and screaming, :). Also, in the episode with Mac Davis he sings a song that says "When your being a h*** of a man!".

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Kid, 11 years old
July 26, 2011
 
The most Muppetational show of all time!!!!!!!
i love the Muppet show.I watched season one of the Muppet show and it was hilarious!!! My dad showed my the episode with Luke skywalker and it was funny,i liked the part when Miss.piggy dress ups as the princess and Gonzo is Darth Vader.

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Kid, 11 years old
April 26, 2011
 
Great show!
Finally a show for kids of all ages which is funny and classic!

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Kid, 10 years old
August 22, 2011
 
!!!
BEST SHOW EVER!!!

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Teen, 14 years old
April 10, 2012
 
TOMATOES
The audience throws tomatoes (GASP)

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This review was written by Kari Croop
This review was written by Kari Croop
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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