Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt

Kermit has a crush on Linda, so Miss Piggy locks him in a trunk filled with Gonzo's fungus collection. Linda finds him, and they share a romantic moment, but Piggy locks him up again and drags the trunk onstage during "Pigs in Space".
==Songs/Sketches==
* "Blue Bayou"
* The Swedish Chef: champagne
* Muppet News Flash
* "The Cat Came Back"
* "I've Got a Crush on You"
* UK Spot: "I'm So Happy"
* "It's in His Kiss"
* Pigs in Space: Battle Robot Monster
* "When I Grow Too Old to Dream"
==Episode==
Picture	Description
 	Cold Open: Kermit the Frog has left Pops with orders to lay out the red carpet for their guest star, Linda Ronstadt. Unfortunately, the carpet is full of holes as they've had a bit of a moth problem.
 	"The Muppet Show Theme": Gonzo's trumpet blows forth popcorn. (The same clip was used for the opening of episode 302. Gonzo's closing line was re-dubbed for this episode.)
 	Kermit introduces Bugsy and his hypnotized horse.
 	Scooter and Gonzo are busy dragging a large trunk in backstage. It contains Gonzo's entire fungus collection. The two race off when they realize that they've forgotten to also bring back the mildew.When Miss Piggy arrives, she discovers Kermit preparing to meet Linda Ronstadt. He's all dressed up and straightening himself out. He's even bought flowers for Linda, which he runs off to retrieve.When Kermit has gone, Linda enters from her dressing room, anxious to meet him. Piggy sends her onstage before she has the chance to do so, then locks Kermit up in Gonzo's trunk to ensure that they do not meet.
 	Onstage, Bugsy's horse has taken over the act, but it is cut short when Miss Piggy sends The Swedish Chef on to introduce "what's-her-face."
 	Linda Ronstadt sings "Blue Bayou" in a set dressed as a swamp. She is backed up by a group of croaking frogs with Floyd Pepper, Janice, Animal and Zeke as her band.
 	The Swedish Chef tries to open a bottle of champagne, but he is unsuccessful until he tries using his mouth to open the bottle. It is then that the bottle opens, and he is rocketed into the air by the cork.
 	Muppet News Flash: The Newsman reports on an unidentified flying object spotted somewhere over the Muppet news room. It is, of course, the Swedish Chef.
 	Rowlf the Dog sings "The Cat Came Back," a song about Benny trying to get rid of his cat.
 	Backstage, Linda finally finds Kermit in Gonzo's fungus trunk. Kermit, excited to see Linda, tries to give her the flowers he'd bought her, but they've been crushed. Linda proceeds to sing "I've Got a Crush on You" to him. After Linda leaves (kissing Kermit as she goes), Piggy locks the frog back in the trunk.
 	UK Spot: Two terribly depressed Whatnots sing "I'm So Happy" while overrun with cobwebs.
 	Linda, still pining over Kermit, sings "It's In His Kiss" with Janice.
 	Scooter comes onstage to announce: "We still don't have Kermit the Frog, but we do have Lola the Fan Dancer!" Unfortunately, Lola takes flight.
 	Linda and Scooter are both still trying to find Kermit, and they discover him locked in the trunk. Kermit tells them that Miss Piggy put him there, and so Linda confronts Piggy. Piggy tries to convince her that the trunk is actually a sauna, and Kermit is loving it in there! Before she has to explain herself further, she's called onstage... and she takes the trunk with her.
 	Pigs in Space: The crew of the Swinetrek have captured a deadly battle robot, and it remains in the custody of First Mate Miss Piggy! The ever observant Dr. Julius Strangepork observes that its appearance is that of a steamer trunk, but it's obviously only a clever disguise. Strangepork has valiantly prepared to neutralize the robot with a Zappo Ray! Though the "trunk" protests, Strangepork "zaps it into the fifth dimension!"
 	Linda has pulled the trunk offstage to take it to a locksmith, but she is stopped when Piggy expresses her undying love for Kermit. They let him out, and Linda realizes she can't take Kermit from Miss Piggy.
 	Onstage, Linda tells Kermit that she knows his heart will always belong to Piggy. Kermit responds, "You may know that, and Piggy may know that, but the vote's not in yet from the frog." Together they sing a duet of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream."
 	At the closing, Kermit tries to get Linda to give him a kiss. Though Linda is concerned about Miss Piggy, Kermit assures her that he's taken care of Piggy. Or, so he thinks.
==Notes==
* The 1981 book Of Muppets and Men features a chapter on the making of the "Blue Bayou" number.
* A clip from "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" was used at the climax of the special The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years.
* Almost fifteen years later, a track on the 1994 Kermit Unpigged CD reprises the plot of this episode. Kermit and Linda sing a duet of "All I Have To Do is Dream," and apparently they still have a crush on each other.
==Cast==
Muppets:
:Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Scooter, Gonzo, Rowlf the Dog, Janice, Statler and Waldorf, The Swedish Chef, Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork, The Newsman, Gaffer, The Female Singers, Pops, Benny, Whatnots, Frogs, Lola the Fan Dancer, Old Skyball Paint, Lyle the Dog, Bugsy
Background Muppets:
:Floyd Pepper, Animal, Zeke, Fozzie Bear, Rizzo the Rat, Beaker, Beauregard, Baskerville the Hound, Rover Joe, Mutt, Afghan Hound, Wolfhound, Muppy, Dogs, Annie Sue, Lew Zealand
==Performers==
:Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, the Newsman, and Link Hogthrob
:Frank Oz as Miss Piggy, Animal, and Dog Bomber
:Jerry Nelson as Pops, Dr. Julius Strangepork, Benny, Floyd Pepper, the Announcer, and "I'm So Happy" Lead Singer
:Richard Hunt as Scooter, Janice, Statler, Lyle the Dog, and "I'm So Happy" Pianist
:Dave Goelz as Gonzo and Wolfhound
:Kathy Mullen as Gaffer and Frogs
:Louise Gold as Annie Sue Pig, Rover Joe, and Frogs
:Steve Whitmire as Rizzo the Rat, and Zeke
:Karen Prell as Frogs
:Bob Payne (uncredited) as Frogs
==Gallery==
File:Ronstadt06.jpg
File:Oz_piggy.jpg
File:TMS523-BlueBayou-Muppets.jpg
File:Ronstadt05.jpg
File:Ronstadt.jpg
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File:088.jpg
Jim TMS 523.jpg
File:Ronstadt04.jpg
File:Ronstadt07.jpg
File:Ronstadt10.jpg
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File:Ronstadt02.jpg
File:Ronstadt03.jpg
==Sources==
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