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The following is a list of Muppet characters associated with the The Muppet Show franchise and its related media. The characters have been owned by the Walt Disney Company since 2004, when Disney acquired them from the Jim Henson Company, and formed The Muppets Studio division to manage the franchise. The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television program Sesame Street.^[1] Henson was initially reluctant to become involved with Sesame Street because he feared being pigeon-holed as a children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals.^[2] The first Muppet characters appeared as early as 1955, in Sam and Friends, a Washington, D.C.-based show that was on the air for six years. Kermit the Frog was one of the show's regulars, and thus was one of Henson's first Muppet creations.^[1]

By the early 1970s, Henson began to think seriously about the possibility of a network series for adults featuring the Muppets.^[3] The characters appeared on the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live (namely The Land of Gorch segments) in 1975, and by 1976, The Muppet Show (which was produced in London) began to air in syndication. Jim Henson and his associates created additional characters for subsequent projects which included television shows, movies, commercials, and programs for the Internet.

Main characters

Kermit the Frog

• Performed by Jim Henson (1955–1990), Steve Whitmire (1990–present)

Kermit the Frog is the straight man protagonist of the franchise. Created by Jim Henson and introduced in 1955 in Sam and Friends, Kermit is portrayed as the de facto leader of the Muppet ensemble. In The Muppet Show, Kermit starred as the showrunner, responsible for managing the show's production.

Since his debut in 1955, Kermit was performed by Henson until his death in 1990. Steve Whitmire was asked to assume Henson's role and has continued to perform Kermit since then.

Miss Piggy

• Performed by Frank Oz (1976—2000), Eric Jacobson (2001—present)

Miss Piggy is a temperamental diva pig who is the Muppets' break-out and "authentic superstar"^[4] and Oz's most well-known character.^[5] Until 2015, she was the romantic significant other of Kermit's. Authors Maryanne Fisher and Anthony Cox call Piggy "uniquely strong and feminine", but "domineering and demanding." She was designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. Debuted in a 1974 Herb Alpert television special, where she was performed by Jerry Nelson.^[6]

Fozzie Bear

• Performed by Frank Oz (1976—2002), Eric Jacobson (2002—present)

Fozzie Bear is a naive, comically-disinclined bear introduced in The Muppet Show. Designed by Michael K. Frith, Fozzie's characterization was created by Frank Oz, who performed the character from his debut in 1976 until Oz's retirement in 2002. Eric Jacobson has performed the character since then. Finch calls Fozzie "a sweetly insecure and absolutely terrible comedian". According to Oz, Fozzie is such a bad comedian that he "can't afford good joke writers, and he can't write good jokes himself". He was designed by Michael K. Frith.^[7]

The Great Gonzo

• Performed by Dave Goelz

Gonzo is a bird-like stuntman enthusiast who debuted on The Muppet Show. Gonzo has often been considered as "whatever", as his exact species has always been kept ambiguous, ranging from a Frackle in his early years, to avian in subsequent portrayals, and even alien in Muppets from Space. He was created by Dave Goelz, who has performed Gonzo since his inception.

Rowlf the Dog

• Performed by Jim Henson (1962—1990), Bill Barretta (1996—present)

A pianist dog who was first used in Purina Dog Chow commercials. He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin.^[8] He then appeared in The Jimmy Dean Show. Finch calls Rowlf "the first fully rounded character performed by Jim Henson", and also calls him "wonderfully down-to-earth, with a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor" and "a master of the double take." He was built by Don Sahlin^[9]

Scooter

• Performed by Richard Hunt (1976–1992), Brian Henson (2002), David Rudman (2008–present)

The stage manager and gofer of the Muppet Theater and nephew of its owner J.P. Grosse. Richard Hunt based Scooter's voice and personality on how he remembered himself when he was younger. He was designed by Michael K. Frith. Debuted in the first season of The Muppet Show.^[10]

Pepe the King Prawn

• Performed by Bill Barretta

A "scheming and sassy" Latino king prawn.^[11] Introduced in Muppets Tonight He and Seymour would often work as elevator operator and commissary cooks. His first theatrical film appearance was in Muppets from Space. Pepe became the spokesman of restaurant chain Long John Silver's in 2002.

Rizzo the Rat

• Performed by Steve Whitmire

An inner-city rat, that Whitmire describes as "a sarcastic kind of New York City character." Debuted in season 4.^[12]

Animal

• Performed by Frank Oz (1976—2000), Eric Jacobson (2002—present)

A savage, frenzied monster and drummer for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. Author Christopher Finch calls Animal "the ultimate representation of a long line of Muppets who personify unbridled appetite",^[5] both "carnivorous beast" and "physical manifestation of pure libido." He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Dave Goelz. Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence. ^[13]

Walter

• Performed by Peter Linz

A shy, soft-voiced human-like Muppet who is a avid fan of the Muppets. Introduced in The Muppets, Walter is the younger brother of Gary (Jason Segel) in the film.

Supporting characters

Bunsen Honeydew

• Performed by Dave Goelz

An aloof scientist, often paired with and serves as a foil for Beaker,^[14] who performs science experiments that usually go wrong and has an "affable cluelessness" whenever Beaker is a victim of these experiments. Bunsen debuted during the first season of The Muppet Show, and was joined by Beaker during the second season.^[15]

Beaker

• Performed by Richard Hunt (1977–1992), Steve Whitmire (1992–present)

Bunsen's lab assistant who performs ill-fated experiments which often results in him getting seriously injured. He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin. Beaker debuted in the second season of The Muppet Show.^[15]

Sam Eagle

• Performed by Frank Oz (1975–2001), Kevin Clash (2002–03), Eric Jacobson (2005–present)

A bald eagle who is the Muppet Theater's patriotic and self-proclaimed delegator. Critic Jordan Schildcrout describes Sam as "a cross between Uncle Sam and the bald eagle (which is the U.S. national bird and symbol) with a dash of Richard Nixon, [who] represents a conservative, nationalist Puritanism that makes him a snob and a prude." He was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin. Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.^[16]

The Swedish Chef

• Performed by Jim Henson (1975–1990), David Rudman (1992), Bill Barretta (1996–present)

A chef that speaks in mock Swedish. Based on the "standard finger puppet",^[17] the Swedish Chef was originally a dual collaboration between Jim Henson and Frank Oz, who provided the hands. Oz would deliberately do unexpected things, like tossing chickens and juggling meat cleavers, that Henson would have to improvise through. He was designed by Michael K. Frith and built by Henson and Bonnie Erickson. Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence^[7]

Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem

A rock house band consisting of Dr. Teeth, the gravelly-voiced leader and keyboard player and of the band; Floyd Pepper, the cynical "hippie" bass player; Janice, the lead guitar player with a flower child personality; Zoot, the laid-back saxophone player; and Animal. Since their debut on The Muppet Show, additional members have included Lips, the silent trumpet player and Clifford.

Statler and Waldorf

• Statler: Performed by Richard Hunt (1976–1990), Jerry Nelson (1975, 1992–2003), Steve Whitmire (2005–present)
• Waldorf: Performed by Jim Henson (1975–1990), Dave Goelz (1992–present),

Two grouchy but dapper^[18] gentlemen who heckle the Muppets (especially Fozzie) from the upper balcony box. Statler and Waldorf were named after the late-18th/early-19th century robber barons E.M. Statler and William Waldorf Astor. They were designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.^[19]

Camilla the Chicken

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1978—2003), Matt Vogel (2008—present)

Camilla the Chicken is the female chicken that is Gonzo's love interest on The Muppet Show. This chicken with hay fever was performed by veteran Muppet performer, Jerry Nelson, and is seen frequently on The Muppet Show, but also makes appearances on the various full-length Muppet movies such as The Muppets Take Manhattan where she hyperventilates after attacking a villain and needs "mouth-to-beak resuscitation", and The Muppet Movie as Gonzo's plumber girl and is in back of the car the whole movie. She also appeared in TV specials such as A Muppet Family Christmas where she is seduced by the turkey who was invited to the family gathering by the Swedish Chef. On Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, Camilla was Baby Gonzo's stuffed yellow chicken doll. She was voiced by Frank Welker, and subsequently Dave Coulier and Russi Taylor when she came to life in Gonzo's imagination. Camilla appears as Gonzo's business partner in the 2011 film The Muppets, where she and her chicken companions also perform "Forget You" in the big Muppet reunion show. In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Gonzo mentions that he and Camilla are engaged, but this is never elaborated.

Bobo the Bear

• Performed by Bill Barretta

Bobo the Bear first appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan (performed by Jerry Nelson), but as a different puppet from the current one. Bobo is now performed by Bill Barretta. He is notable as a more realistic (but still anthropomorphic) portrayal of the animal on which he is based, compared to the stylized appearance of Muppet mainstay Fozzie Bear. He is easily amused yet often dry, sarcastic, and slightly befuddled.

Bobo has been in several Muppet films as a major character and others as just a background character. One of his appearances was on Muppets Tonight as the security guard, where he had an encounter with Prince, who at the time was using his symbol moniker as a name. Prince lacked the proper identification to get into the theatre, and when he referred to himself as "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince", Bobo refers to himself as "The Bear Currently Known as Not Amused". Bobo has a seemingly clever and lovable character, with his tagline of "Have a good day, sir!". His character in Muppets from Space was named Renfro. The character appeared in the television special A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, appearing alongside Nathan Lane as a pair of airport security personnel.

In the 2011 film The Muppets, Bobo appears as a henchman of oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theater and drill for oil on the site. Along with fellow henchman Uncle Deadly, Bobo is not fully aware of the scheme which Richman is doing at one point, turning to the other of Richman's henchmen and asking, "Hey... you think we're with the bad guys?".

Clifford

• Performed by Kevin Clash (1989-2005)

Clifford is violet-colored with multi-colored dreadlocks^[20] and big lips. He was created to be the bass guitar player for the Solid Foam band on The Jim Henson Hour. In that series, Clifford usually wore Hawaiian shirts and always wore sunglasses. When The Jim Henson Hour was canceled, Clifford was one of its few characters to reappear. In 1990, he appeared as a member of the Electric Mayhem band in The Muppets at Walt Disney World television special. In that special, Clifford did not play bass guitar; he did, however, play glockenspiel, tambourine and cowbells. Clifford also made appearances on The Arsenio Hall Show and VH1.

In 1996, Clifford became the host of Muppets Tonight, but with a redesigned look.^[20] This new Clifford had eyes and wore a sweater and neck tie instead of a Hawaiian shirt. The puppet's head was also built slightly differently. When Muppets Tonight ended in 1998 Clifford continued to appear in Muppet productions though to date he has only appeared in Muppets from Space (1999) and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) after Muppets Tonight. Both film roles had little to do with the actual story and can be listed as cameos, though he did have lines of dialogue in both. He had a supporting part in Muppets from Space, wearing sunglasses again, but now wearing a brown leather jacket and striped shirt. While he was treated as a part of the Muppet family in the movie, his screen time was minimal and he was not part of the movie's main plot. At MuppetFest, a Muppet fan convention held in 2001, Kevin Clash revealed that he disliked the eyes of the Muppets Tonight redesign and was happy to see the revert to sunglasses. Clifford's most recent appearance was a brief cameo in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz as the manager of the nightclub Poppyfields.

Minor characters

'80s Robot

File:'80sRobot.png

• Performed by Matt Vogel

'80s Robot, created by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, debuted in the 2011 film The Muppets. In the film, he lives in Kermit the Frog's mansion, working as a valet or manservant to Kermit after the breakup of the Muppets. '80s Robot also functions as a chauffeur, and uses his databanks and search engine to locate the Muppet troupe. As his name implies, the character resembles the many robots who dominated the toy, novelty, and pop culture landscape in the 1980s. He uses slang from the era, and offers such beverages as Tab and New Coke. '80s Robot is said to bear an uncanny resemblance to Omnibot 2000, a robot toy made by Tomy in the 1980s.^[21] '80s Robot was designed and built by Legacy Effects. He subsequently reappears in Muppets Most Wanted (2014)^[22]

Beauregard

• Performed by Dave Goelz

Beauregard (commonly referred to as Beau or Bo), debuting in episode 310 of the The Muppet Show. He is a backstage janitor and stagehand of indeterminate species. Beauregard originally wore a gray jacket over his plaid shirt, but in the fourth season he stopped wearing the jacket. It is revealed in The Muppet Show On Tour that he calls his mop "Belleregard." Beaker occasionally assists Beauregard with stagehand duties. He tries to be helpful, but his dimwitted efforts frequently result in disaster. His slow wit is often preyed upon by other characters who use him to their own purposes. He has a characteristic blink and often turns to the camera and says, "Right." Bo has superhuman strength, which is illustrated by his ability to effortlessly lift and carry around objects that are far too heavy to carry, such as an anvil, couch or piano. Bo appeared on the stage in various sketches and skits, including an appearance in the Veterinarian's Hospital sketch in Episode 501 with Gene Kelly. Other times, Beauregard appears accidentally on stage during productions, still working on the props until he realizes he is intruding and must either rush out of sight or attempt to blend in with the action. However, Bo was more comfortable backstage. It was here that a bunch of rats convinced him that he was an honorary rat, so that he would let them eat food out of the refrigerator. To his delight, they even elected him president. When Kermit the Frog delivered an ultimatum—either the rats go or Beau does—Beau heroically took the burden upon himself, offering to leave. However, Miss Piggy helped him realize how the rats were taking advantage of him, so he stayed.

Beauregard also appeared in The Great Muppet Caper in 1981, where he played a taxi driver. He brought Kermit, Fozzie Bear and Gonzo the Great to the Happiness Hotel, and right through the front door, into the lobby. Bo makes an oft-quoted joke in The Great Muppet Caper—when Kermit says that they'll catch the thieves red-handed, Bo asks, "What color are their hands now?" Bo's other major role was in the 1990 special The Muppets at Walt Disney World, where he dragged Miss Piggy onto a series of thrill rides.

He has also made occasional cameo appearances in other Henson projects, including The Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets Tonight, and The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years. He also appeared in a brief, non-speaking cameo in the 2002 TV-movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. Beauregard also starred in a book, Bo Saves the Show. In the book Of Muppets and Men, Dave Goelz explains that Beauregard was based on the clumsy Wendell Porcupine from Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas. The main reason why Bo never became a star was because the writers thought he was too passive; he didn't desire anything. This made Beauregard difficult to write for. In 2011's The Muppets, Beauregard is found by Scooter living in the janitor's closet of the old Muppet Theater, seemingly unaware that the Muppet Show is no longer on the air, although strangely enough, Beauregard was seen briefly on the Sandra Bullock episode of Muppets Tonight. In 2014's Muppets Most Wanted, Beauregard is the Engineer of the train that is used for the World Tour.

Beautiful Day Monster

• Performed by Caroll Spinney, Dan Redican (1989), Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Jim Henson, Kevin Clash, and Richard Hunt

Beautiful Day Monster debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show. Originally conceived by Henson as one of three monsters for a series of never-aired ads for a General Foods snack product called "Wheels, Crowns and Flutes" in 1966, the characters were aptly named the Wheel-Stealer, Crown-Grabber and Flute-Snatcher. Although the commercials were never shown, the characters were kept by Henson. The Flute-Snatcher became Snake Frackle, a background monster from The Great Santa Claus Switch and The Muppet Show. Wheel-Stealer eventually evolved into Cookie Monster, and Crown-Grabber became Beautiful Day Monster.

The Beautiful Day Monster was so named because of his very first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. The sketch featured a little girl walking along and enjoying a beautiful day. The monster slowly appears behind her and goes to extreme lengths to ruin the girl's fun. He causes it to rain, but stops when the girl says that rain can be refreshing. When the little girl tries to look at a flower, the monster eats it, along with the flowerpot. Trying to keep her spirits up, the girl comments that sounds can be beautiful, too-like those of a nearby singing bird. The monster takes out a gun and shoots the bird. Finally acknowledging the monster's existence, the girl begins to compliment him on his "perfect awfulness." This kindess causes the monster to shrink to a much smaller size, whereupon the girl destroys it with a flyswatter, saying, "You've gotta talk your troubles down to a size where you can handle 'em!" In this first appearance he was performed by Jim Henson himself.

Beautiful Day Monster then appeared numerous times during Season 1 of Sesame Street. His appearance changed slightly over the episodes, but he was always rather frightening looking, and not just in terms of a kid's show. First having small, narrow eyes (as he did on the original Sullivan sketch) he was soon given large, bulging eyes and hairy eyelashes, then articulated eyelids. In one early appearance with Ernie & Bert he was even shown having four eyes. For his Sesame Street appearances, he was performed by Frank Oz.

The Beautiful Day Monster made one last appearance on The Muppet Show. By this time, he had been rebuilt to look slightly less scary. He appeared in a sketch with guest host Paul Williams. Williams played a travel agent, and the Beautiful Day Monster was a customer who wanted to go to Pittsburgh. He asked for a first-class ticket; upon hearing of the price, he asked, "Ya got anything cheaper?" Though Williams kept lowering the price (along with the quality of transportation), the Beautiful Day Monster would not stop repeating his question. In the end Williams pulled a lever which dropped a 5000-pound weight, squishing the monster flat. Williams picks him up and says, "Mail this to Pittsburgh". For this appearance he was performed by Richard Hunt. Since then he has only had minor appearances, including a cameo in the 2011 film The Muppets.^{[citation needed]}

Bubba the Rat

• Performed by Bill Barretta

Bubba the Rat first appeared in the movie Muppets from Space. Although Bubba doesn't officially appear until Muppets from Space, other unnamed rats with a similar design appear as early as The Muppets Take Manhattan in 1984. He has a supporting role in Muppets From Space, and brief roles in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz and The Muppets.Bubba also is shown in the Entertainment Weekly Reunion feature, along with the cast of The Muppet Show, despite him not appearing until 17 years after The Muppet Show ended.^[23] Bubba is the tough-talking leader of the lab rats who Rizzo befriended in Muppets from Space. In the movie, Rizzo helps Bubba to escape, and later Bubba helps Rizzo to save his friend Gonzo. He also appeared with Rizzo and the other rats in The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.

Crazy Harry

• Performed by John Lovelady (1974-1977), Jerry Nelson (1977—2003), Matt Vogel (2008— present)

Crazy Harry is a pyrotechnician with an explosives fixation, who appeared in The Muppet Show. Crazy Harry has black scruffy hair, an uncombed chin curtain beard and huge, egg-shaped baggy eyes. Early in season one, he played triangle with the pit band. He usually carried a plunger box which would activate a hidden charge, often to his victim's chagrin. Once he assisted Gonzo the Great in a cannonball-catching act, but perhaps overdid it on the powder, which resulted in an absurdly-stretched right arm for Gonzo. In episode #28 he provided the "Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!" chorus of "Chanson d'Amour", happily blowing the stage and performers to smithereens with his little plunger and cackling. Harry also played solo backup for Jean Stapleton's performance of "I'm Just Wild About Harry", with a collection of plunger boxes forming an "explodaphone", providing explosions at the end of every verse of the song.In the show's first couple of seasons, Harry's appearances were a regular running gag. After those first seasons, the gag was shelved along with Crazy Harry for the remainder of the show's run.

Crazy Harry also appeared in The Muppet Movie, complete with his explosive equipment, as one of the many Muppets in the audience to whom Kermit the Frog screened the film. He appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan as a wedding guest. In 2009, he appeared in The Muppets music video "Bohemian Rhapsody". In 2011, he appeared in The Muppets, most notably blasting his likeness onto Mount Rushmore—destroying Abraham Lincoln's face in the process—before being yanked off-stage by a cane.In 2014, he appeared in Toyota Highlander commercial, blasting Gonzo the Great from a cannon, like a human cannonball, through the sunroof. In 2014 he appeared in Muppets Most Wanted. A criminal uses the noise of Harry's explosions to cover the sounds of a break-in.

For the commercials for the then new TNT cable channel, Crazy Harry would be featured at the end of the commercials, prefixing his use of his plunger with the question "Did someone say TNT?" - followed by a maniacal laugh after the explosion. In the Dresden Files novel Blood Rites, several references are made to the "Bolshevik Muppet who liked to blow everything up". The phrase "Bolshevik Muppet" was then used as a warning by Harry Dresden to his allies just prior to setting off a large explosion.

Frackles

Frackles are a classification of Muppet monsters. They first appeared in a television special called The Great Santa Claus Switch. They would then appear in later franchises, such as The Muppet Show. Characteristics of a Frackle include fur and toothy beaks. They are normally small in stature, but there are exceptions. The Frackles became nameless, utility characters without personalities. They often changed appearance, performer, name and gender depending on the sketch and show. Gonzo, one of the most well known Muppets, originated as a Frackle. He appeared as a Frackle living in a cigar box in The Great Santa Claus Switch.

George the Janitor

• Performed by Frank Oz (1974-1996)

George the Janitor is a fictional character in The Muppet Show. He is a crusty old custodian who cleans up after the Muppets on He seems to have no affection for anyone or anything except his trusty mop. The single exception is an act where a vocal group of singing mops perform "Rag Mop." George would appear regularly on the first couple of seasons of The Muppet Show until the custodian's job was taken over by Beauregard, played by Dave Goelz, in Season 3 of the show. George would make a cameo appearance, though, in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Johnny Fiama

• Performed by Bill Barretta

Johnny Fiama is modeled after Frank Sinatra. He has a monkey bodyguard named Sal Minella. Performed by Bill Barretta, he made his first appearance in Muppets Tonight. Palisades Toys produced three different Johnny Fiama action figures: silver, brown and classic pin-stripe suit. Johnny Fiama's surname is an anagram of Mafia. His name suggests Johnny Fontane, the Sinatra-like character in The Godfather. Johnny appears in Muppets from Space (1999), after the cancellation of Muppets Tonight where he is seen roommates with Sal Minella, he has a quick scene with a few lines of dialogue at Gonzo's party, when Sal cuts the cake meant for Gonzo's family, and Gonzo gets mad, they pretend not to have done so and go around asking who cut the cake. Johnny was a part of the main cast for It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002) where he is seen exchanging gifts with Sal Minella in the opening while singing Jingle Bells. He is also seen trying to cheer Kermit up, along with some of the more prominent Muppets. Johnny's next film role was The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) with Sal Minella yet again. The two have quite a large role (though not as large as the previous film) as one of the many of The Wicked Witch's (Miss Piggy) flying monkeys, though they appear multiple other times as well.

Lew Zealand

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1978-2003), Matt Vogel (2008-present)

Lew Zealand is a tan humanoid Muppet with dark hair, a mustache, a red knobby nose, a ruff and a red suit. His name is a play on the Pacific country of New Zealand as well as Lew Grade, the distributor of The Muppet Show. Lew Zealand started out as a Whatnot before a permanent puppet was made of him. Lew has an obsession for throwing fish, which are unique in that they return to him once thrown - hence the term "boomerang fish". His catchphrase is: "I throw the fish away, and it comes back to me!" Lew appears on The Muppet Show from the third season onwards trying to promote his Boomerang Fish act. He is also able to play a fish organ (a line of fish that, when squeezed, each gargle a different note). The sketches he appears in usually end with the entire stage in an uproar. In the "Marisa Berenson" episode, he played a major part in that episode by using his timely boomerang fish to prevent Kermit the Frog from being tricked into a real marriage during Miss Piggy's "wedding sketch." In the "Leslie Uggams" episode, Lew Zealand told Leslie how to be a great boomerang fish thrower by saying that "Well, you've got to have sole. And if you can't get sole, get halibut." In the "Lynn Redgrave" episode, he played a member of the Merry Men in the Robin Hood sketch.

In The Great Muppet Caper, Lew Zealand gave paper towels to the Muppets. In the 1984 film The Muppets Take Manhattan, he appears at Scooter's job at a theater in Cleveland, Ohio. He shows Scooter his boomerang fish while the audience is watching Attack of The Killer Fish, a 3-D movie partly seen in the movie. Lew Zealand makes a cameo in The Muppet Christmas Carol. Lew Zealand appears in Muppet Treasure Island. He is among the pirates on Long John Silver's side and was seen knitting a Jolly Roger. Lew Zealand appeared in Muppets from Space where he was seen as an inhabitant of the Muppet Boarding House. Lew Zealand appears in The Muppets where he rejoins the group to help save the Muppet Theater where it is scheduled to be razed for oil by Tex Richman. Lew also played a part in helping Miss Piggy to capture Jack Black to be the telethon's celebrity host and also helped to encourage Kermit not to give up on the Muppet Theater. Lew Zealand was among the Muppets that appeared in Lady Gaga and the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular. When helping to plan a finale, Lew Zealand suggested that he does his boomerang fish act. The Whatnot head construction for Lew Zealand was done by Dave Goelz and Lew Zealand's character finishing was done by Amy van Gilder.

Jerry Nelson later spoke about Lew Zealand:^[24]

I think Lew was my tribute to Frankie Fontaine. He had that dopey voice, but he could sing beautifully. We never did that part of it on the show, but just the idea of this guy who had a boomerang fish act. There were some really ridiculous acts on the show, and that was one of the all-time dopey ones.

Link Hogthrob

• Performed by Jim Henson (1977—1990), Steve Whitmire (2000—present)

Link Hogthrob is a pig that originated on The Muppet Show, performed by Jim Henson. The character possesses traits of a stereotypical leading man, with wavy blond hair, a manly cleft chin, and a high opinion of himself, but not much between the ears. Link is best known as the captain of the Swinetrek on the recurring sketch Pigs in Space where his unbridled machismo is often a source of conflict with his co-star, First Mate Piggy. Unlike Dr. Julius Strangepork, whose role on The Muppet Show would be primarily relegated to the Pigs in Space sketches including Wonder Pig, Link would feature regularly both in the show's onstage acts and backstage mayhem. Hogthrob's singing talents featured a number of times in solos ("I Talk to the Trees", "Sonny Boy"), duets ("La Ci Darem La Mano"), and group numbers ("Sea Chantey," "The Rhyming Song"). Starting in the show's third season, Link was also featured as the police chief in the recurring Bear on Patrol sketches, where his dimwittedness was often the source of physical trauma to patrol officer Fozzie Bear. Jim Henson's son, Brian Henson, recalled that his father often used Link's deep-throated, pompous voice when performing some stereotypically-manly chore, such as carving the Thanksgiving turkey.

Link was later one of the few classic Muppet Show characters to be used regularly in the Muppet Central control room on The Jim Henson Hour. His most notable appearance was in Episode 107, in which he believes that he has a disease called Canadian Snout Fever, after reading a book of silly diseases and by coincidentally encountering a number of things related to the book's symptoms. Other notable appearances include Episode 105 (in which he tests the Response-O-Matic, a device used to change television programs based on what the viewers want), and Episode 112 (in which he appears in a sketch as a food critic at a restaurant). Since Henson's death, Link has mostly remained a non-speaking Muppet, although he has since appeared occasionally in silent cameos in such productions as The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, and Muppets Tonight. His only speaking roles from 1990–2011 were in the video games Muppet RaceMania and Muppets Party Cruise, as voiced by Steve Whitmire. Whitmire performed Hogthrob for the 2011 movie The Muppets. The appearance featured the first speaking appearance of the puppet ever since Henson's death. Hogthrob appears in several scenes in the background and gets a moment in the spotlight as part of a barbershop quartet, singing "Smells Like Teen Spirit". In Muppets Most Wanted, Link returned to prominence for the first time in decades, having several lines of dialogue and his own scene with Usher.

An animated version of Link was seen in Pigs in Space segments in Little Muppet Monsters and an episode of Muppet Babies. A walk-around version of Link was created for The Muppet Show on Tour. An action figure of Link was produced in 2003 as part of Series 4 of Palisades Toys' line of Muppet action figures.

Marvin Suggs

• Performed by Frank Oz (1976-1996), Eric Jacobson (2011-present)

Marvin Suggs usually appears during musical acts, starting with The Muppet Show, and most recently in the 2011's The Muppets. Marvin is a blue "whatnot" Muppet that wears a frilly, multicolored shirt. He is best known for "playing" an instrument known as a muppephone^[25] or Muppaphone,^[26] a group of small, round, furry pink and orange Muppets that emit a tonal "ow" (voiced by Henson and Jerry Nelson^[27]) when Marvin strikes them on the head with his mallet. During the third season of The Muppet Show, Suggs and the Muppaphone were part of an "explicit criticism of violence" with Suggs being explicitly punished for his violence in an episode where a witchdoctor turns Suggs into a Muppaphone.^[26] On the The Muppet Show 25th Anniversary Collection, Oz stated, "I don't recall where Marvin Suggs came from... probably from one of the writer's meetings. But the accent came from my French friend Phillippe Gentry - I just exaggerated it and made it really annoying. I've always felt Marvin lived in a scuzzy trailer park with his put-upon wife, and he kept the Muppaphones in a cage and would beat them regularly."^{[citation needed]} The act has been compared to the sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus called "Arthur Ewing and His Musical Mice".^[27] He was designed by Rollie Krewson.^[5]

Mildred Huxtetter

• Performed by Richard Hunt, Frank Oz (Season 1), Dave Goelz, Louise Gold

Mildred Huxtetter is a character from The Muppet Show, a purple, beak-nosed woman who carries herself with a haughty, aristocratic air. She is highly educated, as evidenced by her many appellations, which include BA, MA, PhD, OBE, and RSVP. Mildred made her debut on The Muppets Valentine Show, where she was performed by Richard Hunt, and had the largest role of her career. In that special, Mildred serves as the piano accompanist. She also offers tea to Mia Farrow, mourns over the lack of romance in her own life, and is pursued by Brewster, who mistakes her for his old flame Grace. When Mildred appeared on The Muppet Show, however, she was one of the few main characters whose performer was inconsistent. Although both Mildred's Featured Creature bio at henson.com and the Muppet Morsels on The Muppet Show: Season One DVDs list Eren Ozker as her regular performer, there are no known instances of her vocalizing in the role.

During the first season of The Muppet Show, all of Mildred's appearances were onstage, most frequently with George the Janitor in At the Dance sketches, where she was performed by Frank Oz. She also danced with Charles Aznavour to "The Old Fashioned Way" in episode 109 and appeared in two panel discussions: in episode 109, where she was performed by Richard Hunt, and in episode 115, where she was performed by Dave Goelz. Because Mildred was never featured in the first season's backstage plots, no context was given for her appearances on The Muppet Show. Unlike George the Janitor or Hilda (the seamstress), Mildred did not appear to have a position with the Muppet Theater. Nor did she appear to be a performer like Wanda. In episode 204, her first appearance on the second season of The Muppet Show, she appeared as a reporter (voiced by Louise Gold, who would also perform Mildred in episode 305). Although she would appear in the background on The Muppet Show, The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight and several Muppet movies, Mildred would have no further speaking roles. She did, however, serve as the receptionist for Muppet Magazine in the 1980s. Mildred reappears for the first time in decades as a background character in Muppets Most Wanted. She first appears in the train while the Muppets are on world tour, and is later seen backstage during several sketches.

Mr. Poodlepants

• Performed by Steve Whitmire

Mr. Poodlepants is a fictional character who first appeared on Muppets Tonight. He is a jolly fellow, with an eccentric fashion style and an off-the wall sensibility. His most prominent appearance was in the Eagle's Nest sketch in Episode 103: Billy Crystal, in which an exasperated Sam Eagle served as his comic foil. Poodlepants also appeared in the "Cirque du So Lamé" sequence in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie. In Muppets from Space, Mr. Poodlepants could be seen in the role of Captain Alphabet on the box of "Captain Alphabet Cereal". Apparently, there was going to be a scene with Mr. Poodlepants as Captain Alphabet which was not in the final version of the film, as Steve Whitmire once stated in a pre-Muppets from Space interview that he was going to perform this role in the movie.^[28]

The Muppet Newsman

• Performed by Jim Henson (1976-1989), Jerry Nelson (1996), Brian Henson (2001-2003), Steve Whitmire (2008-present)

The Muppet Newsman is the regular news reporter for The Muppet Show. Originally performed by Jim Henson, the Newsman always tried to deliver the news with accuracy, but was visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of the News Flash in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he had a streak of bad luck that usually culminated in some person or object - somehow related to the day's story - falling on his head.

Pops

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1976-2002), Matt Vogel (2011-present)

Pops is an elderly doorkeeper at the theater in The Muppet Show. He greeted the week's guest star in every episode of the fifth series. He also had a major part as the innkeeper of the Happiness Hotel in The Great Muppet Caper. Since then, he has only made a couple of cameo appearances.

Robin the Frog

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1971—2003), Matt Vogel (2008—present)

Robin the Frog is Kermit the Frog's young nephew. He has appeared in most Muppet productions since The Muppet Show (but is notably absent in Muppets Tonight). He loves to spend time with his Uncle Kermit, his best friend Sweetums, and his boys' club, the Frog Scouts. Robin first appeared in The Frog Prince as Sir Robin the Brave. One of his most famous moments was singing "Halfway Down the Stairs", a song based on a poem by Winnie the Pooh creator A. A. Milne. He also has an important role in Episode 212 of The Muppet Show, when he was feeling sad for being so small, until the guest star Bernadette Peters and all Robin's Muppet friends sing the song "Just One Person" to cheer him up. In the animated Muppet Babies series, Robin appeared as a tadpole in a fish bowl, as all the characters were younger versions of their live-action selves.

Robin's roles in the Muppet movies varied from cameos to large roles, though he significantly hasn't appeared in a large amount of Muppet movies. In The Muppet Movie (1979), he had a small role at the beginning of the movie at the film screening where he asks Kermit if the movie is about how the Muppets got started. He also had a few other quick scenes and is with the other Muppets in the finale. In The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), he only appeared in the background at the wedding. Robin played the role of Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), his largest role to date. His next appearance was in the direct-to-video Muppet Classic Theater (1994) where he appeared in The Emperor's New Clothes sketch in a minimal role, realizing Fozzie (the emperor) wasn't wearing clothes. He had a quick cameo (with dialogue) in Muppets From Space (1999) in the boarding house. His final role with Jerry Nelson as the muppeteer was in 2002's It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, which was arguably his second largest role to date; he appears in the Muppet Theater in a few scenes and in the Moulin Scrooge scene as the green fairy. After a five-year absence, Robin returned in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, performed by Matt Vogel. He wore his Tiny Tim attire in a 2009 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the film The Muppets. Robin, along with his Uncle Kermit, appeared again on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to sing "When the River Meets the Sea" on December 23, 2011, once again, performed by Matt Vogel. He also made a brief speaking cameo in Muppets Most Wanted, again, performed by Vogel.

Sweetums

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1971), Richard Hunt (1976—1991), John Henson (1990, 1996–2005), Matt Vogel (2009—present)

Sweetums is a very large, imposing and hairy ogre about nine feet tall. Despite appearing menacing, he is often depicted as friendly and harmless. Sweetums has very thick blondish-brown hair all over his body. He has a very large lower jaw, similar to a bulldog, which juts out, revealing two pointy teeth. He has thick, brown eyebrows over his large yellow eyes, and large nose. He often wears a shabby, burlap-like brown shirt. Many are fooled by his menacing appearance, but he is very nice and humble, hence his name, "Sweetums".

Sweetums first appeared on the television special The Frog Prince (based on the story of the same name) in 1971 as the henchman of a full-bodied Taminella Ginderfall (who was previously seen in the pilots to Tales of the Tinkerdee and The Land of Tinkerdee). There he tried to eat the hero, played by Kermit's nephew Robin. He later performed a duet with Robin and the two appeared together on merchandise as best friends. During his first appearance, Sweetums was performed by Muppeteer Jerry Nelson and voiced by voice veteran Carl Banas, but soon after, Richard Hunt made the character his own. Hunt gave life to Sweetums throughout the run of The Muppet Show and the first two Muppet movies. During the making of Muppet*Vision 3D, when Hunt's health deteriorated, Muppet creator Jim Henson's son, John Henson, did the puppetry, while Hunt did the voice. After Richard Hunt died, John Henson eventually took over both voice and puppetry.

Sweetums also played a car jack in a used-car lot in The Muppet Movie where a salesman introduced him as his Jack. When called "Jack" by Kermit, he replied "Jack not name; Jack job!" . After Kermit and his friends ask him if he wants to go to Hollywood with them, he shouts "Hollywood!" repeatedly and runs away, only to come back with his suitcase shortly after the group has left. He pursues the group for the duration of the movie, finally making it to Hollywood, bursting through the movie screen, shouting "I made it!!". There is an homage to this gag in The Muppets. He can also be seen in The Great Muppet Caper, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets from Space and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, and other various Muppet specials. Sweetums was performed by Matt Vogel in 2011's The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. The character also appears at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios and the Disneyland Resort's Disney California Adventure Park in Muppet*Vision 3D. He is the only Muppet to appear "live" in the show. All other Muppets that appear in the theater are audio-animatronics. The character was seen in an episode of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony. His most recent appearances were in the Muppets' Toyota ads.

Thog

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1970-1980), Tyler Bunch (2011-present)

Thog is a large Muppet Monster who is one of the Full-Bodied Muppets. Thog is a 9 1/2 ft. monster whose size may make him imposing, but he has a sweet and gentle disposition.^[29] Thog was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin. When it came to his reappearance in The Muppets, Thog was rebuilt by James Kroupa. Thog first appeared in The Great Santa Claus Switch where he is one of the henchmen of Cosmo Scam and is paired with a smaller similar green monster named Thig. Thog and Thig are first seen where they are sent to abduct Santa Claus so that Cosmo Scam can impersonate him. During the credits, Thog comes out of Santa Claus' workshop and gives Cosmo a present before bringing him into joining the rest of Cosmo Scam's henchmen at Santa Claus' party. When Jim Henson appeared on The Dick Cavett Show, he referred to Thog as a large Frackle, though Thog is not generally considered part of that group of monsters. Thog appeared on The Muppet Show where he was seen in the Season 2-5 intro going under the arches with Sweetums, Timmy Monster, and two Mutations. Thog would often appear in different episodes where some of them have Thog performing with the other Full-Bodied Muppets.

In The Muppet Movie, Thog was present in The Rainbow Connection finale. In The Muppets, Thog was shown to have become large enough to not be able to fit between the arches as seen when two of the Mutations try to get Thog through during the rehearsal. Thus, he had to walk in front of the arches while Sweetums and two of the Mutations went under them. Thog's other appearances in the film included joining Kermit the Frog into pitching the telethon to CDE Executive Veronica, helping to refurbish the Muppet Theater, and being seen with Dr. Julius Strangepork, Link Hogthrob, and Wayne and Wanda during the "Life's a Happy Song" finale. In Muppets Most Wanted, Thog was with the Muppets when it came to the Muppets going on a world tour.

Uncle Deadly

• Performed by Jerry Nelson (1976-1979), Matt Vogel (2011-present)

Uncle Deadly is a dragon originally performed by Jerry Nelson on The Muppet Show. He was also intended to be featured in the unproduced Muppets spin off television series Uncle Deadly's House of Badness. His appearance is as a blue, dragon-like monster. In his first full part on the show, in episode 121, he was known as the "Phantom of The Muppet Show." Although he made his first appearance alongside Vincent Price on episode 119 of The Muppet Show, Uncle Deadly did not receive his proper introduction until episode 121. One by one, the Muppets tell Kermit the Frog that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at the Muppet Theater, where he played Othello until he was killed... by the critics. Uncle Deadly sang a handful of songs on the show, including singing a bar of "You're Just in Love" with Ethel Merman and "Sheik of Araby", and performed in the Muppet Melodrama sketches with Miss Piggy and Wayne in the third season. Although he did not have a major role in any of the Henson helmed Muppet movies, Uncle Deadly did appear in the final group scenes at the end of The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan. He also appeared on The Tonight Show in 1979 when Kermit hosted.

In the December 2000 issue of the Writers Guild magazine Written By, which featured interviews with Muppet writers Jim Lewis, Kirk Thatcher and John Derevlany, it was mentioned that one of the projects Thatcher had in development was a silly Goosebumps-type TV show called Uncle Deadly's House of Badness.^{[30][full citation needed]} The project never got off the ground, and it's unknown if a pilot was filmed or if a script was even completed. Uncle Deadly makes his first appearance in over 20 years in The Muppets, in which he is voiced by Matt Vogel. He and Bobo the Bear are the henchmen of oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theater and drill for oil on the site. As Richman tries repeatedly to stop the Muppets from raising the funds to buy the theater, Deadly realizes his mistake and decides he too is a Muppet and not a Moopet. He forces Richman off the theater roof before he can cut the wires on the transmission tower and joins the group. Uncle Deadly is seen during the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song" and seen during the credits as he watches the Moopets run towards Tex Richman for their payment. Uncle Deadly later appears in Muppets Most Wanted as the organist at Miss Piggy's wedding.

Whatnots

Whatnots are Muppets extras designed with blank heads and customizable faces, clothes, and hair that can be customized for different roles.^[31][32] Similar generic puppets used for Sesame Street are known as Anything Muppets. The characters of Scooter, Lew Zealand and Marvin Suggs were originally created using Whatnot puppets. The Muppet Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz opened in 2008,^[33] which allowed people to purchase a custom Whatnot with chosen clothes and facial features.^{[34][35][36][37]} Whatnot kits were later sold through Toys 'R' Us after the chain acquired FAO Schwarz.^[38][39]

See also

• List of Sesame Street Muppets
• List of Fraggle Rock characters

Notes

References

• Davis, Michael. (2008). Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. New York: Viking Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-01996-0
• Eastman, Ben. (1999). Jim Henson's Muppets from Space: The Making of Muppet Movie Magic. New York: Grosset and Dunlap. ISBN 0-448-42055-4
• Finch, Christopher. (1981). Of Muppets and Men. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ISBN 0-394-52085-8
• Finch, Christopher (1993). Jim Henson: The Works: the Art, the Magic, the Imagination. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780679412038
• Garlen, Jennifer C. and Anissa M. Graham, eds. (2009). Kermit Culture: Critical Perspectives on Jim Henson's Muppets. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 9780786442591
  • Davis, Hugh H. "The Muppets and Shakespeare". pp. 81–91.
  • Garlen, Jennifer C. and Annisa M. Graham. "Appendix: The Muppet Show", pp. 217–222.
  • Haberkorn, Gideon. "The Muppets as a Metaphor for the Self", pp. 25–39.
  • Schneider, Lynne D. "Stuffed Suits and Hog-Wild Desire", pp. 40–53.
  • Stelle, Ginger. "Starring Kermit the Frog as Bob Crachit: Muppets as Actors", pp. 92–102.
  • Stoessner, Jennifer. "From Puppetry to Muppetry," pp. 71–80.