The Movie

I grew up with Jim Henson's muppets. As a young child I watched Sesame Street every morning, and later graduated to The Muppet Show. At the time, I believed the muppets were real beings, with real feelings and emotions. As I got older, I learned they were just puppets, but were brought to life by real people, with real feelings and emotions. As the years came and went, I became interested in other programs, but unlike most aspects of childhood, I never outgrew the muppets. I found, as an adult I still chuckled when seeing the Swedish Chef mumble unintelligible sentences while frantically chasing down his next meal. I still smiled when Miss Piggy gave a full-hearted karate-chop to one of her companions in 'Pigs In Space.' And I still laughed every time the maniac drummer, Animal, screamed "woman!" and ran after the female guest on that week's show.

If you've never seen The Muppet Show, it is a musical variety show that is run by talking animals, monsters, weirdo's, and anything else you can, or can't think of. The only human to be found here is the "special guest" who appears on every show. You can always expect wonderful songs, fun filled skits, funny action, and wacky scenarios on The Muppet Show. This is a result of the pure magic that all Jim Henson's creations possess. The show appeals to young and old, and is perfectly timeless.

I'm very excited that Columbia/Tri-Star has started releasing the Best of The Muppet Show series. Because now I can relive my childhood while introducing these wonderful shows to my children at the same time.

Best of The Muppet Show - Harry Belafonte/Linda Ronstadt/John Denver

This was a wonderful package of episodes. I enjoyed every one of them, and have already watched them several times each. Each one has something unique to offer, whether it's Ronstadt's voice, Denver's enthusiasm, or Belafonte's spirit. There's something to be gained by watching any one of them.

Harry Belafonte episode: Brian Henson's (Jim Henson's son) intro for the Harry Belafonte episode tells us that Belafonte is a very spiritual man, who cares deeply about all people and their land. He says once you meet him, your life will change forever. After watching this episode, I don't doubt that at all. It's clear that Belafonte loves the human spirit, and this is best demonstrated in the closing musical number "Turn the World Around." This African-style song was indecently played by Belafonte at Jim Henson's memorial ceremony, and had an enormous emotional impact on all those who attended.

You'll also get to see the calypso legend perform his classic hit "Day-O," and see him try to out-drum the insatiable Animal in an African drum-off. This is a classic episode, and I couldn't be happier that it was included in this Best Of series.

Linda Ronstadt episode: This show has a rather funny plot, in that Ronstadt has a crush on Kermit and must compete with Miss Piggy for his affection. The show gives Ronstadt every opportunity imaginable to sing, which is a good thing because she has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. And although her acting ability leaves much to be desired, the musical performances more than made up for it. Overall, this was a very enjoyable episode.

John Denver episode: You can just tell that John Denver loved being on this show. You could see it in every facial expression he made, and hear it in every word he uttered. He loved the muppets, and the muppets loved him. Not surprisingly Denver went on to star in other various muppet specials, and it's clear his death was a disheartening blow to the muppet family. So it's an absolute treat to see him full of enthusiasm and energy in this episode of The Muppet Show.

Here you'll see Denver try to convince the muppet cast to come with him on a camping trip to see Kermit's place of origin, the swamp. Denver also performs two wonderful songs, "Inch by Inch," and "Grandma's Feather Bed." This is a fantastic episode that just screams fun. Denver positively glows throughout the entire episode, and it makes for a outstanding viewing experience.

The DVD

Video: This disc is presented in the original 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratio. The video quality is about as good as I could ever expect from this TV show. The picture is clean and sharp, yet still has that ever so slightly grainy "old show" look to it. The colors are nice and bright, and though edge enhancement is present, it is a non-issue. Actually, the fact that this show looks so fantastic considering its age and quality of the original taping is amazing. The show looks exactly as I remembered it to be, and quiet frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Audio: The audio is presented in Dolby Digital stereo. Since this is such an old TV show, it would be silly and unrealistic to expect a 5.1 audio track. As it is, the dialogue is easily heard, and the numerous musical numbers sound just fine with the stereo track. Sometimes it was hard to hear some of the lyrics in some of the musical numbers, but I believe this is a problem with the original recording of the show, and not the audio transfer.

Extras: This DVD package offers very little in the way of special features. I would have almost preferred that the package not claim to have any, because the end result is rather disappointing. Here you'll find three very short snippets of video footage pertaining to the muppet way of life. They are only slightly enjoyable to watch, and are ultimately way too short to feel satisfied with any of them. I much preferred the opening intros by Brian Henson as a special feature. Although short, the behind-the-scenes information he tells us is always entertaining and enlightening.


Final Thoughts

Again, I'm just so very pleased that this amazing show is being released as a DVD series. Having always been a fan of Jim Henson and his tremendously entertaining muppets, owning these episodes on DVD is somewhat of a small dream come true. Best Of The Muppet Show - staring Harry Belafonte/Linda Ronstadt/John Denver is a well-packaged series of classic episodes that will be greatly enjoyed by all who love the Muppet Show. Highly Recommended