Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37878 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-03-04
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 80 minutes

Amazon.com
This delightful collection of episodes from The Muppet Show celebrates three British comic giants who rose to fame in the 1960s and early '70s. Peter Sellers is right at home immersing himself in layers of costumes and accents, portraying a gypsy violinist getting heckled by his kin and a sadistic orthopedist (with Hitler mustache) tying patients into knots. (During Kermit's ritual interview with a guest, Sellers says, "I do not exist. I had myself surgically removed.") While actor-musician Dudley Moore's guest shot never quite gets traction--the script is dominated by lame jokes about a music-making machine threatening the jobs of the Muppets' house band--there's a funny jam session featuring Moore on piano in a crumbling set. The John Cleese show is best, with the lanky Monty Python genius outraged about having to work with pigs and refusing to participate in cheesy Wagnerian opera. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Peter Sellers Right At Home With the Muppets.
It's astonishing to see Peter Sellers, arguably one of the best actors of all time, working so gamely with the Muppets. Like the chameleon that he is, Sellers throws himself into each sketch that he performs, be it as Boris the beleaguered gypsy musician, a Strangelove-esque masseuse who leaves Link Hogthrob tied up in knots, or even as himself, whispering quietly to Kermit that he has had the real himself surgically removed, then playing a pair of tuned chickens under his armpits while reciting the "winter of discontent" speech from Richard III. Positively fascinating.

Cleese, too, is a scream, especially as a sea pirate who has lost his way on "Pigs In Space."

Moore's show is apparently trying to send a message that was crucial at the time, but those not in on the joke are not going to get it as well. It's fun to watch Dudley at odds with Animal, though.

And in "Muppet Extras," be sure to click on "Movie Mania," for a [take-off] of "The Godfather" that is a sight to behold.

Pretty good shows, but a skimpy, cheap dvd.
I hadn't seen the muppet show in years when I came across this ... I thought I'd give it a try. The shows are pleasantly off-beat and so 70's. In this volume you get to see two fantastic british comic actors at totally opposite ends of the spectrum, and once you adjust to the mood of the show, although not laugh out loud funny, its really intriguing to watch these actors, more intimate and disarmed by the muppets. You also get to see another british comic actor, dudley moore, in a far more personal interesting guise. His copious musical numbers are SO cool.
My problem with this DVD is the production values. First and foremost, there is barely anything ON this disc. I couldn't remember how long the shows were, since I hadn't seen them in so long, but much to my dismay, I found that they are only about 25 minutes long, and that is INCLUDING the ONLY real bonus feature on this disc, which are small scenes that were cut for tv. The only other thing on this disc are some 2 or 3 minute introductions to each episode by brian henson, which aren't very interesting, and in one spot I think he said something that wasn't even in the show, I don't think they even watched these shows before filming the intros, they just shoved a cue card in his face and rolled tape. So the total running time of this disc is approx 80 minutes, shorter than just about any feature length film.
Besides the lack of bonus material, and the short running time, the audio is pretty bad. I don't know if they had to work with decrepit recordings or what, but I would assume with a little restoration work and some decent mixing, these episodes would sound pretty good. What you get here is some inconsistent sound, often muddled, especially when there is music involved.
This disc is fine, but you don't get much more than you would if you just recorded them off of television (if any station still runs these).
When I can get lots of really great brand new feature films, often films that include a second bonus disc of material for the same price as I bought this DVD, I would have expected one more episode, or some substantial bonus material. The studios are just rolling in money for stuff that is twenty years old, without even bothering to do some restoration or scratch up some bonus stuff, oh well, its just the muppet show right? :-p Still definately worth watching if you can get it used/cheaper or if you have money to burn.

Another 2 our of 3 Disk
It seems that most of the Muppets disks are 2 out of 3 affairs- 2 good or great episodes, and one mediocre one. Sellers and Cleese are fabulous- the Sellers episode alone is worth getting the disk- but the Moore episode is just kind of flat, and his numbers aren't very interesting.

I have not had the disk problems that other reviewers seem to have. The audio on my disks is fine, and they play fine.

It is a shame that there isn't more "bonus material" on these disks, considering the price; they could be great ads for modern Muppet projects.