The Muppet Show marks its 50th anniversary

tvSep 5, 2026351,487

The Muppet Show premiered on ITV on 5 September 1976, the brainchild of Jim Henson produced for ATV by Lew Grade. By December 1976 the series drew 14 million UK viewers on a Sunday evening, and about a month later more than 100 countries had acquired the series or were in talks to buy it. By the third season in 1978 the show reached a weekly worldwide audience of 235 million. The series was filmed at ATV’s Borehamwood studios about 14 miles north of London and employed substantial British production crews, including four camera crews of seven people each. Production moved on a tight weekly rhythm: an episode read-through with that week’s guest on Sunday, orchestra sound recording on Monday, then taping over Thursday and Friday. American guest stars sometimes clashed with the show’s heavily scripted format because they expected to improvise. Although The Muppet Show only ran for five series, its characters later appeared in animation and feature films, and efforts to recapture the original series’ tone for the streaming era have so far not matched the original impact.

Tom Reagan’s Hat

@rufustsuperfly.bsky.social

The Muppets are 50. Muppet Reservoir Dogs (1992) is a classic.

5617h ago

Tom Reagan’s Hat52

Muppet Gangs of New York went hard when Gonzo the Butcher killed Priest Kermit at the start

Tom Reagan’s Hat15

Mr Green, Mr Brown & er, Mr Purplish Blue

Jar Jarmusch5

Fozzie - “Ker…. mit…. I’m a cop. I’m sorry, Kermit. WAKA-WAKA-WAKA!”

ToughPigs

@toughpigs.com

50 years ago today it was time to play the music, it was time to light the lights. Happy birthday to the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational MUPPET SHOW!

1407h ago

Quoting this

The Haunted Drive-in5

One of the greatest television shows ever made, and a cornerstone to my sense of humor. Frog 99, Chaos 98.

Primarily Colourful2

Disney should celebrate by finally making the Muppet Show cast albums available for streaming

Muppet GIF of the Day

@gifs-of-puppets.bsky.social

Happy 50th Anniversary to The Muppet Show! Jim Henson's groundbreaking puppet variety show began airing on the United Kingdom's ATV Network on this date in 1976 ahead of its US debut later that month.

14610h ago

Quoting this

Chris Gomm4

Earliest memory of it is my aunt angrily demanding I leave the dinner table when I was about two because I was singing the theme tune...

Steve Oliver2

Morecambe and Wise would have been ideal guests on The Muppet Show. TV savvy but also true to the show's music hall/vaudeville ethos, and well known in America (more so than Brucie and Spike Milligan who appeared), even thought Grade didn't interfere he could have suggested them to Jim Henson.

Rich2

I was six and I found it weird and a bit frightening and pigs don't talk

Ross McKay2

All of* the Muppet Show episodes are on Disney+ and are glorious 25-minute chunks of fun and silly with a load of guest stars clearly having a ball. *with a couple of exceptions because 1970s reasons

The Emperor's New Podcast

@podcasttenp.bsky.social

Disney. The Muppet Show is 50 years old. The special has won so many awards. there's no reason not to greenlight a revival.

717h ago

Quoting this

VGAfanatic (COMMISSIONS ON SALE)6

Is Muppets to Disney what Banjo-Kazooie is to Microsoft?

archivetvmusings

@archivetvmusings.bsky.social

The first edition of The Muppet Show was broadcast in selected ITV regions on this day in 1976. It ran for 120 episodes between 1976 and 1981.

618h ago

Quoting this

Gustav Gnahler 5

Just struck me - the 'technical' verse "play the music, light the lights" is sung by the female Muppets and the "put on make-up, dress up right" verse by the male Muppets, was Henson having a subversive pop at gender roles or am i just having some sort of breakdown..?

Fake Muppet Show Guests

@fakemuppetguests.bsky.social

It's The Muppet Show with our very special guest star Max Headroom!

756h ago

Quoting this

Trish3

They joke but, again, this would've been a crossover for the ages.

Shammy Gatt2

wait why does gonzo have a fly swatter

Gummy Arts

@gummyarts.bsky.social

The first season of “The Muppet Show” began 50 years ago today.

Colored-pencil card drawing of Fozzie Bear

557h ago

Sarah Primate

@langurlover.bsky.social

Today in History: September 5th 1976: The first episode of The Muppet Show, which was cocreated by Jim Henson, aired, and the TV series became hugely popular, known for a cast of puppet characters that included Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

359h ago

Sarah Primate4

1972: Palestinian terrorists attacked the Olympic Village in Munich, West Germany, during the Summer Olympic Games, taking hostages and eventually killing 11 members of the Israeli team.

Bootowl2

Muppets 50th birthday! Surprised I haven’t seen this celebrated elsewhere. Muppets are one of humanity’s greatest creations!

There is no Dana only Zuul 🇨🇦1

I just watched the Treasure Island movie with Tim Curry… ❤️💔❤️

Brian Jay Jones

@brianjayjones.com

A nice article in @smithsonianmag.bsky.social on the 50th anniversary of The Muppet Show, marking its premier UK episode in 1976. I may be quoted in here once, twice, or thrice.

32Yesterday

Brian Jay Jones14

The Muppet Show wouldn't air in the US for another two and a half weeks. I'll do a long thread on September 20, the day it premiered on US television.

American Damsels

@jonwoodsad.bsky.social

Historical TV Show of the Day - On this day 50 years ago "The Muppet Show" premiered in the UK on ITV. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSX0...

359h ago

We Geek Girls

@wegeekgirls.bsky.social

'The Muppet Show' premiered on this day 50 years ago in the UK! (September 5, 1976) Created by Jim Henson. Performers: Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Fran Brill, Eren Özker, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, Karen Prell, Brian Muehl, & more. #OTD #OnThisDay

315h ago

Elizabeth Boyle

@thecelticist.bsky.social

Happy 50th birthday to The Muppet Show! One of the all-time greats. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

2815h ago

Ben Siemon

@benjaminjs.bsky.social

I was so certain "The Muppet Show" was going to get a pickup I filmed a cringy video pitching myself as a writer which would have accomplished nothing but I'm still sad every day Disney didn't greenlight it.

224h ago

Andy Bass

@andybassny.bsky.social

50 years ago today, September 5, 1976: THE MUPPET SHOW aired for the first time on ITV in the United Kingdom with guest star Joel Grey. The episode, which was the third produced in the series, made its American debut in syndication on WCBS-TV New York 43 days later, October 18, 1976.

A promotional photo for THE MUPPET SHOW episode number 103 is signed by guest star Joel Grey. The still shows the scene in which the Tony and Oscar winner sings "Willkommen" from CABARET with an ensemble of Muppets. The photo was distributed by the Independent Television Corporation, a British company. (Andy Bass collection)

1015h ago

Why Don't YouTube?

@whydontyoutube.bsky.social

50 YEARS AGO TODAY: it's The Muppet Show! Though the theatre doesn't quite open everywhere - it wouldn't reach London until October 24th when LWT were finally convinced it wasn't a kids' show - and starts with the US' fifth episode, with Joel Grey. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmRs...

97h ago

3 sources

tvbeurope.comThis is how we made The Muppet Show - TVBEurope spiegel.de»Muppet Show«: 50 Jahre Kermit, Miss Piggy & Co in Bildern sojo.netTrump’s ‘Law and Order’ V. The Muppets’ Holy Chaos

The Muppet Show marks its 50th anniversarytv

The Muppet Show marks its 50th anniversary

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