Episode 104: Ruth Buzzi

Scooter's uncle sends a mechanical, wind-up TV show host, an exact duplicate of Kermit. The robot harasses Kermit and flirts with Miss Piggy.
==Songs/Sketches==
* "Sunny"
* At the Dance
* "Row, Row, Row"
* Muppet News Flash: Kidnapped Ocean
* "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"
* UK Spot: "I Never Harmed an Onion"
* Talk Spot: Kermit and Ruth "chew the fat."
* Fozzie's Comedy Act: The Greatest Straight Man in the Business
* Talking Houses: The Monastery
* "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd"
* Panel Discussion: Is The Human Body Obsolete?
==Episode==
Picture	Description
 	"The Muppet Show Theme": The Muppet Show logo is pulled into the rafters just as Gonzo is about to hit the gong.
 	Floyd leads The Electric Mayhem in "Sunny." Animal increases the tempo after every verse, and the band follows suit.
 	Backstage, Scooter drags in a crate approved by his uncle (he owns the theater, after all). The crate is opened to reveal a Mechanical Wind-up TV Show Host, and a dead-ringer to Kermit the Frog. Kermit is against the robot's arrival, and so the Mechanical Wind-up TV Show Host stuffs him into the crate.
 	At the Dance: A Blue Frackle reveals to his dancing partner that he has three feet.
 	Statler tells Waldorf that he's going out to stretch his legs, but Animal agrees to stretch them for him.
 	In preparation for his next introduction, Kermit unexpectedly faces his robotic doppelgänger via a mirror. (This comedy routine originated with The Marx Brothers film Duck Soup.)
 	Wayne and Wanda sing "Row, Row, Row." They get much farther in the song than they typically might, but their boat sinks as soon as they reach the chorus.
 	Muppet News Flash: The Newsman reports on the Atlantic Ocean being kidnapped and how the kidnappers demand two Christmases every year and a hug from their mommy every night.
 	Ruth Buzzi sings "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" as a duet with Sweetums, a duet which turns into a fight.
 	UK Spot: Rowlf sings "I Never Harmed an Onion."
 	Talk Spot: Kermit and Ruth talk about her diet. They then discuss what "tickles" them.
 	Fozzie's Comedy Acts: Fozzie finds himself playing the straight man to Statler and Waldorf.
 	Ruth plays a prisoner who is interrogated by a Blue Frackle and a Whatnot and gives them more information than they could possibly want.
 	The Mechanical Wind-up TV Show Host finds Miss Piggy in her dressing room, and tries to woo her. It seems like a dream come true to Piggy. The robot offers to take her away, telling her they'd be a match made in heaven and could have bouncing baby figs. But his advances soon turn rather inappropriate when he tries whispering "sweet nothings" to her. Kermit enters just in time, and tries to explain things to Miss Piggy. But, just as she has mistaken the robot for Kermit, she mistakes Kermit for the robot and knocks him to the floor.
 	Talking Houses: One House's son, a hotel, is thinking of becoming a monastery.
center 	The Gogolala Jubilee Jugband sings "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd."
 	Panel Discussion: Is the Human Body Obsolete? Amid the discussion, Gloria Goodbody and Sam the Eagle talk about yoga (not the sour milk stuff).
 	The Mechanical Wind-up TV Show Host thanks the guest star, "Miss Buth Ruzzi." He breaks down, and Kermit's job is secure.
==Notes==
* This is Jerry Nelson's first credited episode.
* Ruth Buzzi introduces the closing number as the jugband act, though the episode actually has the panel discussion after it.
* The Muppet ball that bounces during the goodnights (who also appeared in a deleted sketch) was originally created by Dave Goelz for a industrial video for the Raychem corporation. 
* The original UK broadcasts of The Muppet Show do not fade to black after the intro, or before the curtain call. Here, a wipe is used after the intro, and a positive reaction from Statler and Waldorf appears before the curtain call (this was also done for Joel Grey).
* As originally aired in the UK, the intro to "I Never Harmed An Onion" is longer, showing Rowlf entering the frame.
==Original script==
An early draft of the script for the episode contains many sketches and scenes that are not present in the aired episode.
*Scooter interrupts Kermit's first introduction, weaseling his way into performing tonight. He cues the orchestra to play a few bars of "Three Coins in the Fountain" before Kermit shoos him offstage.
*Dr. Teeth was originally intended to sing "Sunny" instead of Floyd.
*A Veterinarian's Hospital sketch, which would later be used in episode 110.
*Kermit and the Robot Kermit's mirror routine involved the robot double donning a hat at one point.
*A Muppet News Flash where Buzzi plays a bank teller involved in a robbery by a heavy-set woman with hundreds of radishes taped to her forehead.
*A Whatnot athlete invites Buzzi to play "Fredball," called such because the ball itself is named Fred.
*Backstage, the Robot Kermit causes trouble as Fozzie gets conflicting information as to when he's performing.
*A Muppet Labs sketch wherein Dr. Bunsen Honeydew invents Freeze Dried Sofa Pillows.
*The Talk Spot was to have the Robot Kermit attempt to take over and Buzzi struggles to tell the two frogs apart. Eventually, it's revealed the two were conversing with Buzzi's own robotic double.
*Before the jugband's number, Kermit ushers them onstage and wonders if he's the real Kermit or not, sputtering as he talks.
==Edits==
* Nickelodeon: This episode's Muppet News Flash segment was cut.
==Cast==
Muppets:
:Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Scooter, Rowlf the Dog, Statler and Waldorf, Floyd Pepper, Zoot, Animal, Janice, Dr. Teeth, The Houses, Paul, Gogolala Jubilee Jugband, Sweetums, The Newsman, Wayne, Wanda, Sam the Eagle, George the Janitor, Mildred Huxtetter, Blue Frackle, Dancers, Robot Kermit, Whatnot, Pigs
Background Muppets:
:Green Frackle, Mary Louise, Hilda, Fred the Ball
==Performers==
:Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Robot Kermit, Rowlf, Waldorf, The Newsman, and Rowlf's dancing partner
:Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, George the Janitor, Janice, Blue Frackle (Prisoner sketch), Mildred, and Clyde
:Jerry Nelson as Floyd Pepper, Jake, Pig, Whatnot and one of the Houses
:Richard Hunt as Scooter, Statler, Sweetums, Wayne, Miss Piggy, Miss Piggy's Dancing Partner, and Zeke
:Dave Goelz as Blue Frackle (At the Dance), Zoot, and Eben
:Eren Ozker as Blue Frackle's Dancing Partner, Wanda, and Annie
:John Lovelady as one of the Houses
==Gallery==
File:Buzzi02.jpg
File:Buzzi01.jpg
Sweetums.jpg
Sweetumstms.jpg
File:Buzzi08.jpg
File:Buzzi09.jpg
Tmsruth.jpg
File:Buzzi06.jpg
File:kermit mirror wind-up gag.jpg
File:Buzzi04.jpg
Kermit piggy 1976.jpg
TMS104-Gogolala1.jpg
TMS104-Gogolala2.jpg
TMS104-Gogolala3.jpg
TMS104-Gogolala4.jpg
TMS104-Gogolala5.jpg
TMS104-Gogolala6.jpg
File:Jugband_muppeteers.jpg
File:Buzzi05.jpg
File:Buzzi07.jpg
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