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The Muppet Show was broadcast from 1976 to 1981 in first-run syndication. This means that, unlike a TV show produced by a network, the series was made and then sold to local television stations. Without a corporate entity keeping a consistent schedule, broadcast dates varied greatly depending on the market, and were dictated by regional demographics.
As such, the broadcast debut of any given episode of The Muppet Show depends on the viewer's locality. The two most commonly cited dates used are those catalogued for New York City in the United States, and the Midlands region in England.[1][2]
The numbers ascribed to episodes of The Muppet Show originate with their production code.[3] However, it should be noted that the sequential order of these episode numbers does not denote the order in which they were produced.[4] Production numbers were assigned according to factors outside of the dates in which each episode entered production. Additionally, the production of many episodes would overlap, with the crew filming material for two separate episodes concurrently. In some cases, episodes were recorded out of their original production sequence due to the availability of the guest stars or other production factors.
This table serves to organize a list of all 120 episodes that can be sorted by episode number, production start date, US premiere, and UK premiere. This may help in assessing a number of firsts that took place over the course of the series' five-year run. For example, simply stating that Beauregard made his "debut" in episode 310 is a slight misconception. Episode 310 is the first episode in which he appears according to the production codes, but it aired in NYC after the character had already appeared on screen in episode 312. Thus, a character's "debut" is open to some interpretation depending on what region the episode was first seen in, when it was written, and when it was taped.
Note: dates are formatted year-month-day to accommodate an automatic ordering structure.
Guest Star | Prod no. | Prod date | UK | NY | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Juliet Prowse | 1x01 | 1976-01-29 | 1977-01-16 | 1977-04-23 | |
Connie Stevens | 1x02 | 1976-01-19 | 1977-04-16 | 1977-02-28 | |
Joel Grey | 1x03 | 1976-05-18 | 1976-09-05 | 1976-10-18 | |
Ruth Buzzi | 1x04 | 1976-05-25 | 1976-10-03 | 1976-10-11 | |
Rita Moreno | 1x05 | 1976-06-03 | 1976-09-12 | 1976-09-20 | |
Jim Nabors | 1x06 | 1976-06-08 | 1976-09-26 | 1976-09-27 | |
Florence Henderson | 1x07 | 1976-06-15 | 1976-10-17 | 1976-11-15 | |
Paul Williams | 1x08 | 1976-06-22 | 1976-10-10 | 1976-10-25 | |
Charles Aznavour | 1x09 | 1976-06-29 | 1976-11-28 | 1977-01-17 | |
Harvey Korman | 1x10 | 1976-05-27 | 1976-11-07 | 1976-12-13 | |
Lena Horne | 1x11 | 1976-07-13 | 1976-10-31 | 1976-11-01 | |
Peter Ustinov | 1x12 | 1976-07-20 | 1976-10-24 | 1976-11-08 | |
Bruce Forsyth | 1x13 | 1976-07-27 | 1977-01-30 | 1976-12-06 | |
Sandy Duncan | 1x14 | 1976-08-03 | 1976-09-19 | 1976-10-04 | |
Candice Bergen | 1x15 | 1976-08-10 | 1976-11-14 | 1976-11-29 | |
Avery Schreiber | 1x16 | 1976-09-28 | 1976-12-12 | 1977-04-18 | |
Ben Vereen | 1x17 | 1976-10-04 | 1976-11-21 | 1977-01-24 | |
Phyllis Diller | 1x18 | 1976-10-11 | 1976-12-05 | 1977-02-14 | |
Vincent Price | 1x19 | 1976-10-19 | 1977-04-23 | 1977-01-31 | |
Valerie Harper | 1x20 | 1976-10-26 | 1977-01-02 | 1976-11-22 | |
Twiggy | 1x21 | 1976-11-09 | 1976-12-19 | 1977-02-07 | |
Ethel Merman | 1x22 | 1976-11-16 | 1977-04-09 | 1977-02-21 | |
Kaye Ballard | 1x23 | 1976-11-23 | 1977-01-23 | 1977-03-07 | |
Mummenschanz | 1x24 | 1976-11-23 | 1977-01-09 | 1977-03-21 | |
Don Knotts | 2x01 | 1977-05-23 | 1978-02-05 | 1977-11-28 | |
Zero Mostel | 2x02 | 1977-05-31 | 1978-03-05 | 1977-12-12 | |
Milton Berle | 2x03 | 1977-06-09 | 1977-10-14 | 1977-11-14 | |
Rich Little | 2x04 | 1977-06-14 | 1977-11-04 | 1977-09-26 | |
Judy Collins | 2x05 | 1977-06-21 | 1978-01-29 | 1978-01-30 | |
Nancy Walker | 2x06 | 1977-06-28 | 1977-10-28 | 1977-10-24 | |
Edgar Bergen | 2x07 | 1977-07-12 | 1977-11-11 | 1977-10-10 | |
Steve Martin | 2x08 | 1977-07-19 | 1977-12-09 | 1977-10-31 | |
Madeline Kahn | 2x09 | 1977-07-26 | 1977-10-07 | 1977-10-03 | |
George Burns | 2x10 | 1977-08-02 | 1977-09-30 | 1977-09-19 | |
Dom DeLuise | 2x11 | 1977-08-09 | 1977-11-25 | 1977-10-17 | |
Bernadette Peters | 2x12 | 1977-08-16 | 1977-11-18 | 1977-11-07 | |
Rudolf Nureyev | 2x13 | 1977-10-18 | 1978-01-22 | 1978-01-23 | |
Elton John | 2x14 | 1977-10-25 | 1978-01-08 | 1978-02-06 | |
Lou Rawls | 2x15 | 1977-11-01 | 1977-12-16 | 1978-03-13 | |
Cleo Laine | 2x16 | 1977-11-08 | 1978-01-15 | 1978-05-15 | |
Julie Andrews | 2x17 | 1977-11-23 | 1977-12-25 | 1978-02-20 | |
Jaye P. Morgan | 2x18 | 1977-11-29 | 1978-02-26 | 1978-03-06 | |
Peter Sellers | 2x19 | 1977-12-06 | 1978-01-01 | 1978-02-27 | |
Petula Clark | 2x20 | 1977-12-13 | 1978-03-12 | 1978-05-08 | |
Bob Hope | 2x21 | 1977-11-22 | 1978-02-19 | 1978-02-13 | |
Teresa Brewer | 2x22 | 1977-07-12 | 1977-12-02 | 1977-11-21 | |
John Cleese | 2x23 | 1977-08-09 | 1977-10-21 | 1977-12-05 | |
Cloris Leachman | 2x24 | 1977-12-06 | 1978-02-12 | 1978-05-22 | |
Kris Kristofferson & Rita Coolidge | 3x01 | 1978-02-14 | 1978-12-22 | 1978-11-20 | |
Leo Sayer | 3x02 | 1978-02-21 | 1978-03-26 | 1978-12-04 | |
Roy Clark | 3x03 | 1978-02-28 | 1978-03-19 | 1978-09-25 | |
Gilda Radner | 3x04 | 1978-03-07 | 1978-04-02 | 1978-12-11 | |
Pearl Bailey | 3x05 | 1978-03-14 | 1978-04-09 | 1978-11-13 | |
Jean Stapleton | 3x06 | 1978-03-21 | 1978-04-16 | 1978-10-02 | |
Alice Cooper | 3x07 | 1978-03-28 | 1978-11-24 | 1978-10-30 | |
Loretta Lynn | 3x08 | 1978-04-04 | 1978-04-23 | 1978-10-23 | |
Liberace | 3x09 | 1978-04-11 | 1979-01-19 | 1978-10-16 | |
Marisa Berenson | 3x10 | 1978-04-18 | 1978-12-15 | 1978-12-18 | |
Raquel Welch | 3x11 | 1978-04-25 | 1978-11-17 | 1978-11-27 | |
James Coco | 3x12 | 1978-05-02 | 1978-12-08 | 1978-10-09 | |
Helen Reddy | 3x13 | 1978-05-09 | 1978-12-01 | 1978-09-18 | |
Harry Belafonte | 3x14 | 1978-11-08 | 1979-01-05 | 1979-02-19 | |
Lesley Ann Warren | 3x15 | 1978-11-14 | 1979-01-12 | 1979-05-07 | |
Danny Kaye | 3x16 | 1978-11-21 | 1978-12-25 | 1979-02-05 | |
Spike Milligan | 3x17 | 1978-12-12 | 1979-03-02 | 1979-01-22 | |
Leslie Uggams | 3x18 | 1978-12-05 | 1979-01-26 | 1979-02-12 | |
Elke Sommer | 3x19 | 1978-12-12 | 1979-02-02 | 1979-01-29 | |
Sylvester Stallone | 3x20 | 1979-01-09 | 1979-02-09 | 1979-02-26 | |
Roger Miller | 3x21 | 1979-01-16 | 1979-02-16 | 1979-05-14 | |
Roy Rogers & Dale Evans | 3x22 | 1979-01-23 | 1979-02-23 | 1979-05-21 | |
Lynn Redgrave | 3x23 | 1979-01-30 | 1979-03-09 | 1979-05-28 | |
Cheryl Ladd | 3x24 | 1978-05-09 | 1978-12-29 | 1978-11-06 | |
John Denver | 4x01 | 1979-04-24 | 1979-12-14 | 1979-09-17 | |
Crystal Gayle | 4x02 | 1979-05-01 | 1979-11-02 | 1979-12-31 | |
Shields & Yarnell | 4x03 | 1979-05-08 | 1979-11-23 | 1979-10-01 | |
Dyan Cannon | 4x04 | 1979-05-15 | 1980-01-25 | 1980-02-04 | |
Victor Borge | 4x05 | 1979-05-22 | 1979-11-09 | 1979-11-05 | |
Linda Lavin | 4x06 | 1979-05-29 | 1979-12-07 | 1979-09-24 | |
Dudley Moore | 4x07 | 1979-06-12 | 1979-10-24 | 1979-10-22 | |
Arlo Guthrie | 4x08 | 1979-06-19 | 1979-12-21 | 1979-10-29 | |
Beverly Sills | 4x09 | 1979-06-26 | 1979-11-16 | 1979-11-12 | |
Kenny Rogers | 4x10 | 1979-07-03 | 1979-11-30 | 1979-10-15 | |
Lola Falana | 4x11 | 1979-07-10 | 1980-01-18 | 1979-11-26 | |
Phyllis George | 4x12 | 1979-07-17 | 1980-01-11 | 1979-12-03 | |
Dizzy Gillespie | 4x13 | 1979-07-24 | 1980-01-04 | 1980-03-03 | |
Liza Minnelli | 4x14 | 1979-07-30 | 1979-12-28 | 1979-11-19 | |
Anne Murray | 4x15 | 1980-01-08 | 1980-02-01 | 1980-03-10 | |
Jonathan Winters | 4x16 | 1980-01-15 | 1980-02-08 | 1980-03-17 | |
Mark Hamill | 4x17 | 1980-01-15 | 1980-02-29 | 1980-02-25 | |
Christopher Reeve | 4x18 | 1980-01-22 | 1980-02-15 | 1980-02-11 | |
Lynda Carter | 4x19 | 1980-01-29 | 1980-02-22 | 1980-02-18 | |
Alan Arkin | 4x20 | 1980-02-11 | 1980-03-07 | 1980-03-24 | |
Doug Henning | 4x21 | 1980-02-04 | 1980-03-14 | 1980-04-07 | |
Andy Williams | 4x22 | 1980-01-29 | 1980-03-21 | 1980-05-26 | |
Carol Channing | 4x23 | 1980-02-11 | 1980-03-28 | 1980-04-14 | |
Diana Ross | 4x24 | 1980-02-18 | 1980-04-04 | 1980-05-19 | |
Gene Kelly | 5x01 | 1980-08-19 | 1981-01-04 | 1981-02-28 | |
Loretta Swit | 5x02 | 1980-03-10 | 1980-10-12 | 1980-11-15 | |
Joan Baez | 5x03 | 1980-03-17 | 1980-12-14 | 1980-12-06 | |
Shirley Bassey | 5x04 | 1980-03-24 | 1981-03-15 | 1980-10-04 | |
James Coburn | 5x05 | 1980-04-01 | 1980-10-19 | 1980-10-11 | |
Brooke Shields | 5x06 | 1980-04-07 | 1980-11-09 | 1980-10-18 | |
Glenda Jackson | 5x07 | 1980-04-21 | 1980-12-28 | 1980-11-08 | |
Señor Wences | 5x08 | 1980-04-28 | 1980-11-23 | 1981-05-30 | |
Debbie Harry | 5x09 | 1980-08-04 | 1981-01-25 | 1981-02-21 | |
Jean-Pierre Rampal | 5x10 | 1980-05-12 | 1980-11-30 | 1981-01-17 | |
Paul Simon | 5x11 | 1980-05-19 | 1981-02-22 | 1981-04-25 | |
Melissa Manchester | 5x12 | 1980-07-01 | 1980-11-16 | 1981-06-08 | |
Tony Randall | 5x13 | 1980-06-03 | 1980-11-02 | 1980-10-25 | |
Mac Davis | 5x14 | 1980-06-16 | 1981-03-08 | 1980-11-22 | |
Carol Burnett | 5x15 | 1980-06-23 | 1981-02-08 | 1980-09-20 | |
Gladys Knight | 5x16 | 1980-07-03 | 1980-12-07 | 1981-05-02 | |
Hal Linden | 5x17 | 1980-07-08 | 1981-01-11 | 1981-02-07 | |
Marty Feldman | 5x18 | 1980-07-14 | 1980-12-21 | 1981-05-23 | |
Chris Langham | 5x19 | 1980-08-05 | 1981-03-01 | 1981-01-31 | |
Wally Boag | 5x20 | 1980-07-28 | 1981-01-18 | 1981-05-09 | |
Johnny Cash | 5x21 | 1980-08-11 | 1981-02-01 | 1981-02-14 | |
Buddy Rich | 5x22 | 1980-08-14 | 1981-02-15 | 1981-05-16 | |
Linda Ronstadt | 5x23 | 1980-05-27 | 1980-10-26 | 1980-11-01 | |
Roger Moore | 5x24 | 1980-04-29 | 1980-10-05 | 1980-09-27 |
Sources[]
- ↑ The Muppet Show broadcast dates for ATV Midlands region come from John Lavalie and Alex Taylor.
- ↑ The Muppet Show broadcast dates for WCBS-TV New York for seasons 1 and 5 come from The Paley Center for Media online database. For Seasons 2-4, WCBS-TV broadcast dates come from The New York Times "Times Machine" archive TV listings.
- ↑ production numbers are sourced to Henson.com
- ↑ Production dates were originally sourced to Kermitage.com and have since been confirmed via correspondence between Muppet Wiki and The Jim Henson Company Archives