Something about the Muppets entranced a nation, perhaps even more than Sesame Street. Adults and children alike enjoyed the show and most of that was likely due to the high-profile guests that frequented the show. Jim Henson and his crew attracted stars like Elton John, Vincent Price, Orson Welles, Roger Moore, and others in their 5-year run. Everyone wanted to work with the Muppets and that feeling is still around today.

Several years ago an ill-fated revival attracted the likes of Garth Brooks and Sandra Bullock. Their multiple movies also attract similar stars and it's a trend that will likely continue. Thanks to Time Life, parents that remember the show can now introduce it to their own children and enjoy it once again.

The following episodes are on disc 12:

Liberace: The famously flamboyant piano player makes a unique appearance on the Muppet show in this episode. Liberace's performance is held until the end of the show and lasts for several minutes. There are a few skits that lead to his performance and they are: Piggy does a Greek skit that has her smashing plates and singing and dancing. The Swedish chef attempts to make coffee and is followed by an episode of Vet's Hospital. Getting ready for Liberace's act, he auditions birds and Gonzo desperately wants his chickens in the act. This is followed by the UK skit, She Wants to Sing Opera, in which Piggy sings so badly it hurts. Liberace is finally up next and his lengthy performance includes "Chopstick's Medley", "Misty", "Nocturne # 5", "Has Anybody Seen My Bird", where Liberace dances with the birds he auditioned. Quite a strange episode.

Rita Moreno: Star Rita Moreno (who won an Emmy for this episode) starts the episode off with a skit in a café with a full size Muppet that takes quite a beating. This is followed by an episode of Vet's Hospital (the first episode, which features a strange looking Miss Piggy). The Swedish Chef attempts to make flapjacks only to be thwarted by a sticky ceiling. The familiar skit, At the Dance, is followed by the UK song by the Hillbilly band that features a Jim Henson Muppet. It's a great, plain musical number that's funny and eloquent. Marvin Suggs & the Muppetphones is a classic skit that many will remember. Suggs plays the Muppetphones by hitting them on the head and their responding cries and yelps make up the music. A short skit on conversation is followed by a hilarious conversation between Kermit and Rita where we find Kermit is quite ticklish. Sam the Eagle introduces Wayne and Wanda and Fozzie has to take their place after the act doesn't quite go as planned. Rita finishes the show with a scorching rendition of "Fever" that brings the house down and includes the Muppet Band in perhaps their finest performance.

Lynda Carter: From the successful television adaptation of DC Comics' Wonder Woman, guest Lynda Carter works through a super-hero themed episode. The show starts with a odd Indian sacrifice version of "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends" by hippie Muppet Janice. The gang studies to be super-heroes as Lynda does a disco version of "Rubber Band Man." Another Muppet New Flash skit is the story of Rezal- Evad-Gib (make sure to say it aloud). The UK exclusive in this is a Floyd doing a touching rendition of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," again showing the pure talent in this show. Wonder Pig is a hilarious take-off on Wonder Woman where Piggy takes on a giant chicken. Sheep Song is a funny version of the "Wolf in Sheep's clothing" with an unexpected twist. Finishing up the show, all the Muppet super-heroes make an appearance in closing song "Flash! Bam! Alacazam!"

Video: Time has produced a great disc that presents the material in its original 4:3 aspect ratio with few problems. The video looks slightly aged, but the colors and contrast are sharp and bright. There are no real flaws in the transfer and overall the video is clean and has only a few spots of grain and pattern that were likely on the original source.

Audio: A nice stereo mix is all that is available. While a re-mastered Dolby track would have been nice, the stereo mix works fine. It's a well-balanced mix that sounds great on the vocals and music numbers.

Extras: Each disc in the set has several extras. Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, introduces each episode and reveals a few facts about the process involved in filming each episode. Each show also includes previously unaired skits from the UK (see episode description). There are a few short features and skits that have been added but they aren't anything outstanding. The best things are the extra skits and intros.

Overall: This is a neat perfect set of a perfect show. The only thing that keeps this set from getting a Collector's Set rating is the packaging and release status. The episodes are mixed together instead of the order they aired or by season. A season-by-season set would be perfect, but this will have to do for Muppet fans. There little excuse not to get these as they are released. The price may seem a little high, but what's better than getting a new Muppet disc in the mail each month by subscription?