The Muppet Show Theme " The Muppet Show Theme " was played at the beginning and end of every episode of " The Muppet Show " . Although it evolved visually over the course of the show ' s five seasons , the musical composition remained substantially the same . Openings . Season One . Each episode of " The Muppet Show " opened on a shot of the title card , which in the first season was less ornate than the one that would replace it the following year . As the camera zoomed in , a spotlight immediately lit up the " O " , the center of which swung back to reveal Kermit , who introduced the " very special guest star " from this position before retreating behind the sign . The title card then lifted up to reveal the curtains and the camera pulled back to reveal the Muppet orchestra , including close - ups of Crazy Harry on the triangle , Zoot on sax , an uncharacteristically calm Animal on the drums , and Rowlf at the piano . Trumpet Girl and conductor Nigel could be also be seen in the pit in the long shot . Two kicklines , one of four chorus girls ( a bewigged Janice , Miss Piggy , the Trumpet Girl , and a female Whatnot ) and one of four chorus boys ( a horned Whatnot monster , Blue Frackle , a pig , and Green Frackle ) then took turns crossing the stage , the former group entering from stage right and the latter from stage left . The curtains then parted to reveal Fozzie Bear , who attempted a different joke each week , even though he was often cut off . As the curtains closed on Fozzie , Kermit appeared in front of them to introduce the guest star who , to much applause , was usually shown among an assortment of Muppets he or she would appear with later in the episode . In first season ' s earliest episodes , after the presentation verse by Kermit , the guest stars used to appear in a position announcing their performance : Juliet Prowse teased by the Green Gazelles , Connie Stevens and the Mutations bumping each others as they do at the end of " A Teenager in Love " , Ruth Buzzi in her medieval dress hugging Sweetums , Rita Moreno attacked by Animal . . . Jim Nabors was the first guest star surrounded by casual Muppets in the opening theme , as it will be usual in the next episodes of the season , with some exceptions ( Florence Henderson shown with the Frackles , Harvey Korman flirting with Miss Piggy , Sandy Duncan alone , Avery Schreiber and Ben Vereen with weird creatures , and Vincent Price with his gruesome team ) . The last verse of the theme song was then performed from a set of cake - like risers . Kermit and the chorus of Muppets , which also include Wayne , Wanda , and Snake Frackle , raised their arms as the song finished and the logo was once again lowered into place . From his perch on the topmost layer of the risers , Gonzo finished the theme each week by trying to hit the " O " like a gong , with a different result each week . Even when he managed to make contact , the results were never quite what he expected . The original , unaired pilot episodes for and featured a longer version of the theme . This earliest version had different shots of the chorus girls and boys , an additional verse sung by a kickline of monsters and creatures , and T . R . ( performed by Frank Oz instead of Jerry Nelson ) introducing Kermit . The frog then showcased both a song by Wayne and Wanda and a dance , in addition to Fozzie ' s joke , before introducing the guest , who sang a verse of the theme . The opening can be currently found at the beginning of the unaired pilot version of episode 101 , seen at the Paley Center for Media . Beginning in the 1980s , when episodes from Season One were played in syndication and on home video , the original opening was replaced with the Season Two opening , except for , , and , which were paired with the Season Five opening . The original openings were restored on " " DVD set . This version is featured on most album releases of the song , including " The Muppet Show " , " Favorite Songs From Jim Henson ' s Muppets " , " Muppet Hits " , " Best of the Muppets " , and " Music , Mayhem , And More " . Kermit says , " Ladies and gentlemen , it ' s the Muppet Show " at the beginning , and Fozzie ' s joke comes from , followed by a new verse from Kermit , who introduces the " first original , genuine , no - money - back guaranteed Muppet Show cast album ! " Music , Mayhem , And More and Muppet Hits cut out the joke and album introduction , going straight from the men ' s verse to the final verse . Season Two . This was the only version of the theme to be completely different from a previous version . A new title card was used with a border and more detail . This time Kermit stayed perched in the sign as it was lifted into the rafters . The orchestra members have been repositioned , as they would be for the rest of the show ' s run . The curtain was then raised , revealing a series of arches that would become strongly associated with the show . The shots of Animal and Crazy Harry are replaced with Rowlf playing a bit of music on the piano , then Zoot , who blew a note on his saxophone . Next , a group of full - bodied monsters ( including Sweetums , Timmy Monster , Thog , and two Mutations ) walked on - stage , followed by a group of females and then males each group singing its own verse . The characters for the women ' s line are from right to left , Miss Mousey , Chicken , Whatnot , Chicken , Janice , Whatnot , Mildred Huxtetter , and Lydia . The men characters include Dr . Julius Strangepork , the Swedish Chef , Sam , Whatnot , George the Janitor , whatnot , Blue Frackle , Link Hogthrob , Green Frackle , and the Jim Henson Muppet . The male ' s verse was slightly shorter than in the previous season . For most episodes , Statler and Waldorf followed with a new wisecrack each week in place of Fozzie ' s jokes . Instead of finishing the song on the risers , Kermit was shown seated in the arches with the rest of the cast . Gonzo is inside the circle , and plays a note on his bugle , with a different ( often disastrous ) outcome each week . The arch positions for the group , including both regulars , supporting players , and background characters , were as follows : Row # 1 : Row # 2 : Row # 3 : Row # 4 : Row # 5 : This version is featured on the albums of The Muppet Show 2 and Muppet Hits Take 2 . At the beginning , Kermit says , " It ' s the Muppet Show , and this is the one and only , very first second " Muppet Show " cast album ! " Also , there is no Statler and Waldorf comment . This opening also replaced the original first season opening during syndication until the season DVD sets were released . Season Three . The third season ' s opening was similar to the second season , the only differences being a slight change to the initial shots of Zoot and Rowlf and an additional shot in which the audience asked " Why don ' t you get things started ? " Starting this season , some episodes had a special scene during the opening that took place either backstage or in the orchestra , in place of a comment by Statler and Waldorf . The special scenes from this and the fourth season include the following : On the " It ' s the Muppets ! " video releases from 1993 , this version was used with a compliation of clips from various episodes , cutting out Kermit ' s introduction and Gonzo ' s trumpet gag . Season Four . This is the shortest opening from the show ' s run . The shots of the women and men singing in the arches were replaced by a single shot of men ( on a top row of arches ) and women ( on a bottom row of arches ) singing one short verse . The rest of the opening remained unchanged from the third season ' s opening , albeit with rerecorded vocals when the chorus sings the final verse . Season Five . This time , the shot of Rowlf and Zoot was replaced again in the fifth season , featuring a new Zoot puppet . This opening also reverted to having the women and men sing two different verses , although the shot was changed from the second and third season ' s openings . The arches were slightly thicker and wider than the previous openings . The characters for the women ' s line are from right to left , Miss Mousey , Chicken , Lydia , Chicken , Janice , and Mildred Huxtetter , though she is barely seen at the end of the line . The men ' s characters are Dr . Julius Strangepork , Whatnot , George the Janitor , Blue Frackle ( Boppity ) , Green Frackle ( Gloat ) , and a Whatnot . Statler and Waldorf then sang a verse about their hatred of The Muppet Show , which was the same in each fifth season episode , and had the same melody as Kermit ' s guest star verse from Season One . This was followed by a shot of the orchestra that showed Animal on drums , and Lips , the Electric Mayhem ' s new trumpeter , soloing with Trumpet Girl on trombone . This was followed by a shot of a few rows of arches filled with characters saying " Right now let ' s get things started " , before the audience says , " Why don ' t you get things started ? " The top row features a Whatnot , George the Janitor , Blue Frackle , and Link . The bottom row features Mildred , a Whatnot , Janice , and a Chicken . The rest of the opening remained the same from previous versions , albeit with rerecorded vocals when everyone sings the final verse . However , in this opening , there is a bit of a continuity error , because Lips is supposedly in the orchestra pit as the song goes on , however the opening shot of the orchestra and more evidently the " Why Don ' t You Get Things Started ? " shot remained the same from previous versions so Trumpet Girl is seen playing the trumpet in these shots . This version is featured on television soundracks like 50 All - Time Favorite TV Themes and All - Time Top 100 TV Themes . Unlike the soundtrack openings from Seasons 1 and 2 , a laugh track is heard twice and Kermit just simply says , " It ' s the Muppet Show ! " at the beginning . It also replaced the original first season opening for episodes 103 , 106 , and 114 during the 1980s . The beginning half of this opening appears in when Digit puts on the wrong opening . Extended Album Version . An extended version of the Muppet Show theme was recorded between season 1 and 2 for a 45RPM record . The arrangements are similar to the season 2 opening , but it still features a joke from Fozzie and Kermit ' s introduction verse . Kermit introduces Miss Piggy , who karatechops him . This is followed by an instrumental break ( in which Kermit introduces Animal as a " record breaking drummer " ; Animal then attempts to break the record album ) . The theme then modulates to a piano solo performed by Rowlf and then to the final verse . The second half of this version of the theme ( without kazoo solo and dialogue ) was used as the theme for the " Muppet Show Music Album " . " The Muppets " . A recreation of the opening appeared in the 2011 film " The Muppets " to open the Muppets ' live telethon show . While the film ' s rendition closely resembles the most common elements of the previous openings ( with the lyrics being those from season 3 ' s opening ) , there are some changes - Timmy Monster is not present , a few of the arches on the top level are empty , there are four rows of arches instead of five , and the character selection and placement in the arches are different . With a very small audience in attendance , the " why don ' t you get things started ? " line is sung by Hobo Joe ( with the actual vocals provided by Joanna Newsom ) . Gonzo ' s trumpet gag consists of the trumpet making the Tarzan yell . The Muppets are shown rehearsing for the opening earlier in the film . Muppets Most Wanted . Two international versions of the opening are performed by the Muppets during their world tour shows in Berlin , Germany ( " Die Muppet Show " ) and Madrid , Spain ( " El Muppet Show " ) in " Muppets Most Wanted " . An extended version of the Spanish theme ( including Statler and Waldorf ' s season 5 verse sung by Pepe the King Prawn ) was included on the film ' s soundtrack album . In the " El Muppet Show " version of the intro , Gonzo ' s trumpet gag consists of the trumpet inflating a soccer ball and Gonzo subsequentally shooting it towards the audience . Closings . Seasons One and Two . The closing theme was an instrumental version of the opening theme . The closing featured The Muppet Orchestra , and various shots of each musician were seen . From left to right were Zoot , Floyd Pepper , Trumpet Girl , Crazy Harry ( with no triangle bell ) , Nigel , Animal , and Rowlf . At the very end of the sequence , Statler and Waldorf would make a comment , which changes per episode ( while some of their opening comments were re - used in various episodes , these comments were only included in one episode each ) . A handful of episodes had something else happening instead of Statler and Waldorf making a comment ( see The Muppet Show Alternate Closings ) . Their comments were followed by a wide shot of the orchestra and then a shot of Zoot blowing a final bum note out of his saxophone . The closing sequence remained the same for season 2 , with the only difference being a replaced shot of the updated Floyd Pepper puppet . This time , he is shown wearing his hat and blinking his eyes ( despite that two shots of the closing sequence still use the season 1 " Hatless Floyd " puppet and were never re - filmed ) . On " The Muppet Show Live " and " " ( with the latter using an edited version of " Happy Feet " for the ending credits ) , Zoot had a longer saxophone note . The entire sequence originally begun with a pan - out shot of the orchestra , as seen in the pilot episodes and . The German dub of the series uses this version at the end of every episode , instead of using the updated ( and alternate ) closings for later seasons . This closing is also shown at the end of the " It ' s the Muppets ! " video releases ( with part of the third season ' s theme music playing during the pan - out shot ) , heard during the end credits for " I Love Muppets " , and released on the albums The Muppet Show 2 , Muppet Hits , Muppet Hits Take 2 , and Music , Mayhem , And More . Seasons Three and Four . In season 3 , the entire closing was re - shot . Crazy Harry is no longer in the orchestra , Animal wears his regular clothes instead of a tuxedo , and Floyd and Zoot both wear their hats ( for the entire sequence ) . The music was also completely replaced with a slightly slower rendition , including a piano solo from Rowlf replacing Zoot ' s previous solo . Like the season 1 closing , there are solo shots of each member , with the exception of Trumpet Girl . The characters rearrange themselves as well , so from left to right we see : Trumpet Girl , Floyd Pepper , Nigel , Animal , Zoot , and Rowlf , as is in the opening credits . Starting this season , Zoot stands next to Rowlf ' s piano in both the opening and closing credits . In , Nigel is replaced with a train conductor , and Rowlf ' s piano solo is replaced by a trumpet solo performed by a chicken . Like the first season , the entire sequence opened up with a pan - out shot of the orchestra , as seen in episodes , , and . This version of the closing theme was heard during the closing credits for " Of Muppets and Men " , ending after Rowlf ' s solo . It was also used in the end credits for " Rowlf ' s Rhapsodies with the Muppets " . Season Five . The closing was re - shot again for the fifth season . This time , Lips is in the orchestra , and Trumpet Girl plays the trombone . There is also a new trumpet and trombone solo featuring these characters , however the rest of the music remained the same as the third season ' s closing . Animal is back in his tuxedo instead of his normal clothes and the updated Zoot puppet ( introduced late into the fourth season ) is featured ( despite the original ITC airings re - using the third season ' s " bum note " shot with the season 2 Zoot puppet ) . In , the same scene of Lips ' and the Trumpet Girl ' s solos was re - used as the opening shot at the beginning of the closing credits . ( Although this closing never used a pan - out shot , one was filmed for the beginning of the UK spot " After You ' ve Gone " in , which had the same orchestra member positions with the addition of Janice on the banjo . ) In episodes and , Lips ' trumpet solo is absent from the music . Most of the compilation videos from ended with the fifth season closing theme music playing over the credits . However , on " Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff " , the final bars of the first season ' s closing theme ( along with Zoot ' s " moo " sound effect from the ) is used instead . The fifth season ' s closing music was also used for a Nickelodeon " Muppet Show " promo . OK Go cover . American rock group OK Go performed a cover of the song for " The Green Album " . The song was later made into a music video featuring the Muppets . The video , directed by Kirk Thatcher , was released on August 23 , 2011 . The video has also been shown on Disney Channel and the song has been heard on Radio Disney . Cast . OK Go : The Muppets : Elio cover . Italian singer and musician Elio ( Stefano Belisari ) performed a cover of the song in a music video featuring the Muppets to promote the release of " The Muppets " in Italy ( " I Muppet " ) . The video uses stock footage from the Muppets ' own viral videos , Disney Xtreme Digital shorts , film promotional pieces and the OK Go " Muppet Show Theme Song " music video . The video was accompanied with a series of web videos showing Elio being kidnapped by the Muppets to host " The Muppet Show " . A capella cover . An a capella version of the theme song was released in 2016 as part of the promotion for " The Muppets " mid - season return . A 30 - second version of the video was released on January 26th by Entertainment Weekly and an extended 75 - second version was released the following day on ABC and the Muppets ' various social media channels . The video features 65 Muppets . Cast . The Muppets : " Up Late with Miss Piggy " production staff cover . The production staff of " Up Late with Miss Piggy " sang an impromptu rendition of the song by scatting and using office supplies as instruments in " The Muppets " episode " . " The off - handed musical expression inspired Kermit to realize that what the show needs to for Kermit and Piggy to make their friends more a part of the show . The Muppets performing the song in the office included : Fozzie Bear , Animal , Bobo the Bear , Floyd Pepper , Gonzo , Rizzo the Rat , Yolanda Rat , Dr . Bunsen Honeydew , Beaker , Sweetums , Zoot , Janice , Lew Zealand , Chip , Lips , Dr . Teeth , Pepe the King Prawn , The Swedish Chef and Big Mean Carl . Sources . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _