JHH and Muppets Tonight episode guides?

[Chilly Down]

Hey, all,

Can anyone give me an episode list for The Jim Henson Hour and for Muppets Tonight? There used to be one on this site but I can't find it anymore. I'm not talking about a full-blown guide like what's being done for TMS (though that's great and I'm looking forward to future installments). I'm just looking for a list of guest stars and air dates for each series.

Thanks,

[Phillip Chapman]

Here are what I believe are the Jim Henson Hour episodes that aired in 1989. Twelve are listed here. Originally the special "Sesame Street 20 and Still Counting" was slated to be a part of the Jim Henson Hour, but instead was shown the week before the program premiered. This might explain for the "missing" 13th episode or there could be another one that we don't know about at all.

The 1987 Inner Tub pilot never aired on tv and is 22 minutes long. Since it never aired on tv and isn't a full episode it doesn't count as an episode in my opinion. Episodes with a * didn't air in the US (at least with the Jim Henson Hour bumpers as in the case of Living with Dinosaurs and Monster Maker which were shown on Nick in 1993-1994 and Odyssey 1999-2000).

1. Muppet Television: Louie Anderson, The Storyteller: The Heartless Giant
2. Muppet Television: Ted Danson, Lighthouse Island
3. Muppet Television: The Today Show, The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death
4. Dog City
5. Muppet Television: Bobby McFerrin, Miss Piggy’s Hollywood
6. *Monster Maker
7. Muppet Television: Smokey Robinson, Song of the Cloud Forest
8. Muppet Television: Buster Poindexter, The Storyteller: The True Bride
9. Muppet Television: k. d. lang, The Storyteller: Sapsorrow
10. *Living with Dinosaurs
11. *Muppet Television: Food, The Storyteller: The Three Ravens
12. Secrets of the Muppets

[Daffyfan2003]

There was a website with a detailed episode guide of "Muppet's Tonight," I can't remember the web address. "Yahoo! Search" might help you find that one. Also, try looking under epguides.com.

[the_great_gonzo]

here is a link to a great Muppets Tonight! episode guide. It's got detailed summaries of every episode.

http://tbrowne.best.vwh.net/MuppetsTonight/

I got kind of sad after I read it though because it reminded me of how great this show was and how much I want to see it again. :(

[Chilly Down]

Finally I get a chance to reply to this.

Phil:

Thanks for the info! Just FYI, Monster Maker DID in fact air on NBC with Jim's original intros. I taped it in its original airing. Unfortunately, a friend accidentally recorded over it with Hey Cinderella off of Nick. That's at least one reason that I don't care for Hey Cinderella that much. :(

I looked online and found the airdates for the shows, for anyone who wants to update their records:

JIM HENSON HOUR

13 episodes; 10 aired on NBC

Inner Tube pilot – 1987 (22 min.) Never aired on TV

Sesame Street: 20 Years and Counting (4-7-89)

<sum> Science Fiction w/ Louie Anderson - The Heartless Giant ( 4-14-89)
<sum> Aquatic Life w/ Ted Danson - Lighthouse Island ( 4-21-89)
<sum> Monster Telethon w/ Today Show - The Soldier and Death ( 4-29-89)
<sum> Dog City ( 5- 5-89)
<sum> The Ratings Game w/ Bobby McFerrin - Ms. Piggy's Hollywood ( 5-14-89)
<sum> Health & Fitness w/ S. Robinson - Song of Cloud Forest ( 7-16-89)
<sum> Monster Maker ( 7- 9-89)
<sum> Musicians w/ Buster Poindexter - The True Bride ( 7-23-89)
<sum> Garbage w/ k d lang - Sapsorrow ( 7-30-89)
<sum> Secrets of the Muppets (11-29-92)

I suppose we can assume then that Secrets of the Muppets never aired until it was on Nickelodeon?

Daffyfan and Great Gonzo:

I appreciate all of your help. I checked over 30 websites, and not one of them had a definitive list of when every episode aired. I contacted JHC and -- get this -- not even THEY have all the airdates! Oh, well. I was able to finally get the date for all but one episode. Here's the info I've got so far:

SEASON 1: ABC; 1996
1. Michelle Pfeiffer (3/8)
2. Garth Brooks / Leonard Nimoy (3/15) (filmed episode #5)
3. Billy Crystal / Larry King (3/22)
4. John Goodman (Jerry Nelson appears) (3/29) (filmed episode #6)
5. Cindy Crawford / Mickey Dolenz (4/5) (filmed episode #7)
6. Tony Bennett (4/12) (filmed #9)
7. Sandra Bullock (6/23) (filmed #8)
8. Jason Alexander / Vendela (6/30) (filmed #12)
9. Whoopi Goldberg / Judge Wapner / William Shatner (7/7) (filmed #10)
10. Martin Short (7/14) (filmed #2)

Paula Abdul, Heather Locklear and Pierce Brosnan were leftover episodes from Season One. So 13 episodes were actually completed for Season 1, though only 10 aired on ABC.

SEASON 2: Disney Channel; 1997
11. The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (9/13) – directed by Brian Henson (filmed Season 2, ep. #6)
12. Rick Moranis (9/14) – dir. by Brian Henson (filmed Season 2, ep. #7)
13. Heather Locklear (9/21) (filmed Season 1, episode #11)
14. Pierce Brosnan (10/12) (filmed Season 1, episode #13)
15. Coolio & Don Rickles / Ed McMahon / Bernard Shaw / Fred Willard (10/19) (filmed Season 2, ep. #2)
16. Paula Abdul (11/2) (filmed Season 1, episode #4)
17. Dennis Quaid / Gilbert Gottfried (11/16) (filmed Season 2, ep. #3)
18. Arsenio Hall / Jay Leno / Kevin Eubanks / Little Richard / Kathy Ireland / Christopher Darden (12/7) (filmed as episode #1 of Season 2)
19. The Best of Muppets Tonight (12/21) (filmed S. 2, ep. #9)
20. Gary Cahuenga / Penn & Teller / Evander Holyfield / Lori Fetrick / Raye Hollit (12/28) (filmed S. 2, ep. #5)
21. Andie MacDowell et al. (1/4/98) (filmed S. 2, ep. #4)
22. Daryl Hannah et al. (filmed S. 2, ep. #8. When aired?)

The Daryl Hannah episode is the only one I couldn't find an airdate for. It's also known as the "Johnny Fiama Leaves Show Business" episode. If anyone can help out, please step forward! OK, this stuff isn't the end of the world...but it's the fun kind of stuff we love obsessing about, right? :)

[beaker]

Thanks for this update Tom! Yikes, and I thought I had seen all the MT episodes...*sigh*

[Daffyfan2003]

I got kind of sad after I read it though because it reminded me of how great this show was and how much I want to see it again.

I agree with you there. I think TimeLife or some kind of video company should release some MT! episodes.

People have said that they can't show reruns of MT! because they say in the theme song "guaranteed brand new." Why don't they just edit out that part of the song than? Besides, the theme song for the 1976 Scooby-Doo series also says "brand new show," but those are reruns. I don't see why they make a big deal out of things like that.

[Phillip Chapman]

Tom,

The Daryl Hannah episode aired on Sunday February 8, 1998. It was the last new episode to air. Between "Best Of" (12/21/97) and "Daryl Hannah" (02/08/97), Disney aired re-runs or episodes that had previously been seen on ABC.

[Wozza Fraggle]

If Inner Tube and the Jim Henson Hour Pitch Tape never aired on TV how do some people have it on video ?



Curiouser and Curiouser, is the expression I believe...

[Chilly Down]

Thanks, Phil! You da man! :)

Daffyfan: I agree. The "brand new" part has nothing to do with it. They air Saturday Night Live reruns during the week, though it's neither on Saturday nor is it live. I think your friends must be mistaken about why they aren't showing them. I think the main reason is simply that the show wasn't that popular.

Many people do have episodes for trade, though, for those looking to complete their collection.

[Daffyfan2003]

Actually, somebody mentioned that at imdb.com, so that's where I got that idea. Maybe we should write to the Disney channel and see if we can get reruns of that show on the air.

[Stulz]

Originally posted by Chilly Down
The Daryl Hannah episode is the only one I couldn't find an airdate for. It's also known as the "Johnny Fiama Leaves Show Business" episode. If anyone can help out, please step forward! OK, this stuff isn't the end of the world...but it's the fun kind of stuff we love obsessing about, right? :)

Is "Johnny Fiama Leaves Show Business" The correct title??
I thought it was "Johnny Fiama Leaves Home"..
That would make a LOT more Sence....

[Chilly Down]

Yes, it's Johnny Fiama Leaves Home. I was typing quickly and didn't go back and double-check.

[Drtooth]

Originally posted by Daffyfan2002
I agree with you there. I think TimeLife or some kind of video company should release some MT! episodes.

People have said that they can't show reruns of MT! because they say in the theme song "guaranteed brand new." Why don't they just edit out that part of the song than? Besides, the theme song for the 1976 Scooby-Doo series also says "brand new show," but those are reruns. I don't see why they make a big deal out of things like that.

Not as bad as calling it Brand Spankin' New Doug for like 2 seasons...