Five Episodes of "The Muppet Show" to Get You Excited for the 50th Anniversary Special

We're less than a week away from the grand return of The Muppet Show in the form of a 50th anniversary special featuring Sabrina Carpenter. To get you prepared for the exciting special, I thought I'd look at five must-watch episodes of the original Muppet Show that would serve as an excellent introduction to the iconic and chaotic series.

Steve Martin

Early in his career, Steve Martin helmed a memorable episode of The Muppet Show that saw Kermit cancel the show to audition new acts, with Martin himself auditioning with some of his banjo and magic-filled comedy – such as his iconic "Ramblin' Guy" act. Even Kermit is up for potential replacement, with Lenny the Lizard auditioning to replace the emcee. Heck, even Statler and Waldorf audition with a performance of "The Varsity Drag." The episode culminates in a performance by Martin and the Fazoobs and the All Food Glee Club of "Dueling Banjos" taking place in the audience.

Peter Sellers

Comedic legend Peter Sellers really proved how much of a legend he truly was in his appearance on The Muppet Show, where he never appears as himself, but rather always in character. As he so memorably stated, "there is no me. I do not exist. There was a me once, but I had it surgically removed." Sellers' most iconic character, the bumbling Inspector Clouseau makes a brief appearance in the opening moments. Then, it's on to many different character performances – some hilarious and others quite dated. I'm particularly partial to the scene with Link Hogthrob, where Sellers plays a crazed German masseur who tries to get Link to relax in comical ways. The episode also features a down and out Kermit singing one of his most iconic songs, "Bein' Green."

Debbie Harry

Sabrina Carpenter is the it girl in pop music right now, but in the late 80s, Debbie Harry of Blondie fame was just as big in the rock scene. She appeared in her own episode in the show's final season, performing two Blondie songs – "One Way or Another" and "Call Me." The throughline of this episode sees Kermit's nephew Robin and the Frog Scouts in the theater, who are all excited to see Harry. In fact, during the closing moments of the episode, Harry even comes out in a boy scout's costume. For Muppet fans, the highlight of the episode has to be a performance of "The Rainbow Connection," sung by both Kermit and Harry.

John Cleese

Monty Python alum John Cleese perfectly fits into the mold of a Muppet Show guest that really doesn't want to be there, constantly complaining about the number of pigs and monsters on the show. In the opening moments, Cleese is tied to a chair in his dressing room as Scooter says "it's no use struggling, Mr. Cleese. You can't leave until you've done the show." One of the most fun installments of Pigs in Space happens in this episode, where the Swinetrek is invaded by Cleese in hilarious form as Long John Silverstein, who even has a pet parrot. By the end of the episode, Cleese is forced into a musical number of "The Impossible Dream" – which he seems to eventually enjoy, announcing a new album of standards as the show ends.

Mark Hamill and the Stars of Star Wars

If ever a piece of media could tell the future, it might be this truly iconic episode of The Muppet Show – but more on that in a bit. The booked star for the show is Angus McGonagle, the Argyle Gargoyle, who gargles Gershwin gorgeously. But that is not to be, as Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2 blast into the dressing room. Kermit seems to be more interested in meeting Mark Hamill himself, who Luke calls his cousin – prompting him to leave and return dressed in normal clothing. A lengthy Pigs in Space sees the Star Wars crew commandeer the Swinetrek when they're attacked by Dearth Nadir, played by Gonzo the Great. This leads them to a planet where they are joined by Chewbacca and things eventually derail into a performance of "When You Wish Upon a Star" – which would be poetic decades later when both The Muppets and Star Wars came under the Disney umbrella.

All five seasons of the original run of The Muppet Show are now streaming on Disney+. The new Muppet Show special arrives on Disney+ and ABC on Wednesday, February 4.