The Muppet Show (partially found advertisements for sketch comedy TV series; 1976-1981)

A still from one of those advertisements.

Status: Partially Found

The Muppet Show was a half-hour family television program, created by Jim Henson, which aired on syndication in the U.S. and ITV in the U.K., from 1976 to 1981. The show starred The Muppets, attempting to put on a weekly variety show, while in between acts showing The Muppet's backstage antics. In addition to the numerous characters, a guest celebrity would perform and become intertwined with the plot in each episode.

To draw excitement for each new episode, Jim Henson, along with Miss Piggy/Fozzie Bear performer, Frank Oz (and occasionally Gonzo performer Dave Goelz) would create short, 10-30 second promos. Many of these were improvised on the spot, with main characters Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear announcing that week's guest star and showing a short clip, almost exclusively following this format:

Kermit: This week on The Muppet Show, we're gonna have music and comedy, and our guest star is Mr/Mrs (Insert guest star name)

(Insert Guest Star Clip)

Kermit: Fun for the whole family, on The Muppet Show!

(In the background, Fozzie does a gag, often interrupted by Kermit)

Many of these have been, unfortunately, lost over time. Of the approximately 121 shorts, only 13 have been found, with even less being readily available on the internet. 7 of the shorts used to promote season one were included in the 2005 "The Muppet Show: Complete First Season" box set. These are the Bruce Forsyth, Phyllis Diller, Valerie Harper, Candice Bergen, Paul Williams, Sandy Duncan, and Peter Ustinov promos.

In addition, The Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York presented a screening on November 20th, 2016 of many of the previously lost promos for a 40th anniversary celebration. As of right now, no videos from this panel have been released on YouTube.

Promos

Promo Name	Status	Found By	Notes
Season One Promo	Found	Found by: OscarfanMW	N/A
Episode 101: Juliet Prowse	Found	Found by: [1]	N/A
Episode 102: Connie Stevens	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 103: Joel Grey	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 104: Ruth Buzzi	Found	Found by: Jamie Gee	N/A
Episode 105: Rita Moreno	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 106: Jim Nabors	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 107: Florence Henderson	Found	Found by: FLEMISHDOG	N/A
Episode 108: Paul Williams	Found	Present of The Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 109: Charles Aznavour	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 110: Harvey Korman	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 111: Lena Horne	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 112: Peter Ustinov	Found	Presented on the Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 113: Bruce Forsyth	Found	Presented on the Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 114: Sandy Duncan	Found	Presented on the Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 115: Candice Bergen	Found	Presented on the Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 116: Avery Schreiber	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 117: Ben Vereen	Found	Found by: [2]	N/A
Episode 118: Phyllis Diller	Found	Presented on the Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 119: Vincent Price	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 120: Valerie Harper	Found	Presented on the Season One DVD Box Set	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 121: Twiggy	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 122: Ethel Merman	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 123: Kaye Ballard	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 124: Mummenschanz	Found	Found by: [3]	N/A
Episode 201: Don Knotts	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 202: Zero Mostel	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 203: Milton Berle	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 204: Rich Little	Found	Found by: Chuck D's All-New Classic TV Clubhouse	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 205: Judy Collins	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 206: Nancy Walker	Found	Found by: The TV Museum	N/A
Episode 207: Edgar Bergan	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 208: Steve Martin	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 209: Madeline Kahn	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 210: George Burns	Lost	N/A	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 211: Dom DeLuise	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 212: Bernadette Peters	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 213: Rudolf Nureyev	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 214: Elton John	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 215: Lou Rawls	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 216: Cleo Laine	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 217: Julie Andrews	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 218: Jaye P. Morgan	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 219: Peter Sellers	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 220: Petula Clark	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 221: Bob Hope	Found	Found by: OscarfanMW	N/A
Episode 222: Teresa Brewer	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 223: John Cleese	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 224: Cloris Leachman	Lost	N/A	N/A
Season Three Promo	Found	Found By: [4]	Made only for ITV
Episode 301: Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 302: Leo Sayer	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 303: Roy Clark	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 304: Gilda Radner	Found	Found by: Randy Dunford	N/A
Episode 305: Pearl Bailey	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 306: Jean Stapleton	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 307: Alice Cooper	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 308: Loretta Lynn	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 309: Liberace	Found	Found by: bbctim123	N/A
Episode 310: Marisa Berenson	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 311: Raquel Welch	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 312: James Coco	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 313: Helen Reddy	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 314: Harry Belafonte	Found	Found by: TheBellaBunny	N/A
Episode 315: Lesley Ann Warren	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 316: Danny Kaye	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 317: Spike Milligan	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 318: Leslie Uggams and Big Bird from Sesame Street	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 319: Elke Sommer	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 320: Sylvester Stallone	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 321: Roger Miller	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 322: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 323: Lynn Redgrave	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 324: Cheryl Ladd	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 401: John Denver	Found	Found by: MuppetWiki	N/A
Episode 402: Crystal Gayle	Found	Found by: Sean Mc	N/A
Episode 403: Shields and Yarnell	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 404: Dyan Cannon	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 405: Victor Borge	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 406: Linda Lavin	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 407: Dudley Moore	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 408: Arlo Guthrie	Found	Found by: Daffy Duck	N/A
Episode 409: Beverly Sills	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 410: Kenny Rogers	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 411: Lola Falana	Found	Found by: derbyjunkie	N/A
Episode 412: Phyllis George	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 413: Dizzy Gillespie	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 414: Liza Minnelli	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 415: Anne Murray	Found	Found by: Chuck D's All-New Classic TV Clubhouse	N/A
Episode 416: Jonathan Winters	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 417: Mark Hamill and The Stars of Star Wars	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 418: Christopher Reeve	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 419: Lynda Carter	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 420: Alan Arkin	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 421: Doug Henning	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 422: Andy Williams	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 423: Carol Channing	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 424: Diana Ross	Found	Found by: Sean Mc	N/A
Episode 501: Gene Kelly	Found	Found By: [5]	N/A
Episode 502: Loretta Swit	Found	Found by: MuppetWiki	N/A
Episode 503: Joan Baez	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 504: Shirley Bassey	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 505: James Coburn	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 506: Brooke Shields #1	Found	Found By: [6]	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 506: Brooke Shields #2	Lost	N/A	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 507: Glenda Jackson	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 508: Señor Wences	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 509: Debbie Harry	Found	Found by: Daffy Duck	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 510: Jean-Pierre Rampal	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 511: Paul Simon	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 512: Melissa Manchester	Found	Found by: [7]	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 513: Tony Randall	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 514: Mac Davis	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 515: Carol Burnett	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 516: Gladys Knight	Found	Found by: eyeontv	N/A
Episode 517: Hal Linden	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 518: Marty Feldman and The Cast of Sesame Street	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 519: Chris Langham	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 520: Wally Boag	Lost	N/A	Screened at the Museum of the Moving Image 40th Anniversary Muppetational.
Episode 521: Johnny Cash	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 522: Buddy Rich	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt	Lost	N/A	N/A
Episode 524: Roger Moore	Found	Found by: BTDarchive	N/A

Unaired/Unconfirmed Promos

At the aforementioned Museum of the Moving Image panel, Dave Goelz claimed that there was a promo that was filmed, but never actually used. Goelz said that before filming the spot, he happened to find a Kermit puppet that was not being used at the moment, and decided that that would be a funny prop to use. As such, while Kermit would narrate the promo, Fozzie would be puppeteering a separate Kermit puppet in the background. This promo went unused because, as Frank Oz stated, "The puppet wound up looking so warped and just weird that we couldn't let it go on TV". It is unknown whether or not any copies of this short still exist.

In addition, there are also four speculated lost promos. As there was a promo that highlighted clips from the entirety of Season One, many Muppet Show fans speculate that similar ones must have been produced for the remaining four seasons. While this seems likely, there is no solid evidence to back up these claims.

External Links

• The Muppet wiki article on the promos.