Friday, March 21, 2014

THE MUPPET SHOW: Every Episode Ranked - The Best Episode of All Time!


THE MUPPET SHOW
EVERY EPISODE RANKED
PART I     PART II     PART III     PART IV
PART V     PART VI     PART VII     PART VIII


AND NOW...
THE BEST EPISODE OF ALL TIME!

1. HARRY BELAFONTE
Season 3, Episode 14 - Fozzie the Writer
Writing is a very hard profession.  It is much harder than most people think it is.  It is difficult even for the most intelligent of minds.  So why the heck does Fozzie Bear think he can be the show's writer and all he needs is a typewriter?!?!?!?  Despite his lacking, Fozzie tries his hand at scripting the show (as its going on!).  And with a guest star like the worldly singer/songwriter Harry Belafonte, he wants to make the show perfect (then maybe he shouldn't be writing it, but I digress!).  Belafonte begins his appearance by singing his most famous tune "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O!)."  It was the first time he sang it on Television and Fozzie worked in his Fozzie Bear-way to make it special.  Watch below as Fozzie and Harry (and other Muppets) try "do this song right" (especially watch Belafonte's reactions to Fozzie!).

The humor in this episode and some of the other numbers are fantastic (including a drum battle between Mr. Belafonte and Animal!).  All of that certainly makes it "Top 10 Worthy," but the episode is sent into the proverbial stratosphere by its finale.  Mr. Belafonte (like Mr. Cleese) wanted to be very much involved in the material he did on the show.  And he wanted to sing a song that he wrote while travelling in Africa.  He played the song for Jim Henson and the Muppet creative team and they were extremely impressed.  Henson himself oversaw the construction of the Muppets used for the number (which are various African Masked Muppets).  The number, entitled "Turn the World Around," is one of the most rousing, inspirational and heartwarming songs ever performed by the Muppets.  And it became a personal favorite of Henson (Belafonte performed the song at Henson's memorial service in 1990).
It is a perfect ending to a perfect episode!

NOW, GO OUT AND SEE MUPPETS MOST WANTED!!!!

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