The Muppets -- The Muppet Show Theme

 

It's safe to say that generations of people have grown up with "Sesame Street" including yours truly. Since 1969, I got to know about the safest and friendliest inner city neighbourhood in existence and its mix of human and Muppet residents ranging from Gordon and Susan to Ernie and Bert. But arguably, it can be said that one of those characters made it big outside of the area and that would be Kermit the Frog.

In fact, I think Kermit was able to inherit a huge if somewhat dilapidated playhouse and a new cast of characters (Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Fozzie, etc.) along with some famous human guests to create "The Muppet Show" in 1976. Of the many guests that appeared on the show, I remember Roger Moore, Elton John and Mark Hamill. I can't quite remember when on the weekly TV slate it appeared on CBC but it was must-see TV for me for a good long while during those five years.

Strangely enough, this is where I first got to know Gilda Radner. Gilda WHO was what I'd thought when I saw her in the above sketch. I hadn't started watching "Saturday Night Live" back then since I simply wasn't allowed to stay up past 10 back then so it would be a few years before realizing that she'd been part of the Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Players. Also one other interesting observation is that I think this sketch with the snobby carrot was perhaps the only time that I'd ever seen Gilda sing.

Of course, there were the regular segments on the show such as "At the Dance" where the participants got to crack wise while tripping the light fantastic on the ballroom floor. I think it may have been inspired by a similar segment from the American comedy-variety show "Laugh-In". 

But one thing that was the constant (although it also evolved throughout the years) was the theme song. Matching its Vaudevillian setting, the "Muppet Show" theme by Jim Henson and Sam Pottle was good ol' smacking jazz. It just welcomed all of us in like the friendliest usher in the house and I'm sure the kids loved to hum and sing to it. I have to admit hearing and seeing the intro again in that recent "Muppet Show" redux special brought some thrills back to me.

I kinda wonder what it must have been like to work with Peter Sellers. Anyways, the show premiered on September 5th 1976, so what was at the top of the Oricon chart on the 6th? We have the Top 3.

1. Teruhiko Aoi -- Anata dake wo (あなただけを)

2. Momoe Yamaguchi -- Yokosuka Story （横須賀ストーリー）

3. Kozue Saito -- Yamaguchi Sanchi no Tsutomu-kun（山口さんちのツトム君）