Sinister goings-on on the Muppet Show. Am I making this up?

February 2, 2006 7:23 PM

I have a memory of some rather sinister goings-on on the Muppet Show. Am I making this up? I recall a guest on the show (possibly Liza Minelli) being attacked in his/her dressing room by something called a "clanger". It happened in the dark and there was possibly more than one. My memory of the clanger itself is of a tall piece of wire bent at the top, something like an upside-down letter "L". Were these actually characters on the show or did I just have an overactive imagination as a child?
posted by anonymous78 to media & arts (21 comments total)

Oh dear. First post and I've already goofed. The show was the Muppet Show.
posted by anonymous78 at 7:35 PM on February 2, 2006

[fixed it, should read correctly now]
posted by jessamyn at 7:41 PM on February 2, 2006

Google is showing that Liza Minelli was on a Muppets Show episode that was a murder-mystery, where eventually the entire cast was killed. Maybe that's it?
posted by occhiblu at 8:02 PM on February 2, 2006

I don't remember the clanger specifically, though I do remember the Liza mystery episode being one of my favorites--different from the others. I haven't seen it in a loooong time, unfortunately.

I can say that sinister goings-on were pretty common on the Muppet Show...it was quite dark at times...

And that Jim Henson often made very simple Muppets out of wire...

I am pretty sure that one hasn't come out on DVD yet (though I'm shocked that out of the 18 chosen for the "best of" DVDs, the Liza episode isn't one!), but maybe there's a best-of video you can rent to see? For general sinister muppet stuff, you might want to seek out an out-of-print video called "Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff," from Playhouse Video. It had some weird crap on it.
posted by lampoil at 8:08 PM on February 2, 2006

No, Clangers live on the moon and collect soup from the Soup Dragon. I don't think they've ever appeared on the Muppet Show and attacked Liza Minelli.
posted by tellurian at 8:20 PM on February 2, 2006

Sorry, not the moon - a small, hollow planet far far away.
posted by tellurian at 8:29 PM on February 2, 2006

Can't verify clangers, but there was lots of killing in that episode.
posted by mediareport at 8:35 PM on February 2, 2006

I bought my wife the 45 episode collection of The Muppet Show for her 30th birthday. Just pulled out the Liza Minnelli DVD. Gimme a few minutes to watch it.
posted by ColdChef at 8:51 PM on February 2, 2006

Good lord. She's doing a spoken-word version of "Copacabana." Ick

Okay, Kermit was knocked over the head while skulking through a dark dressing room. No "clangers" yet, though.

Animal takes a hatchet to the head.

Swedish Chef is poisoned.

Gonzo keeps breaking into song.

Liza pronounces "heinous" as "hee-nee-yus." I can't tell if she's joking. During her death scene, Liza says, "Goodnight Sweet Prince, Hello Death."

Hmmp. Turns out that Statler and Waldorf were the murderers.

God. Now Liza (who faked her death) is singing an awful version of "Everything's Coming Up Roses."

Sorry. Watched the whole thing and there were no "clangers." You must be crazy.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go watch the "Mummenschanz" episode. Sorry.
posted by ColdChef at 9:18 PM on February 2, 2006

Clangers were apparently on Dr. Who though.
posted by tellurian at 9:32 PM on February 2, 2006

Oooh, Mummenschanz was teh trippy!

Guests were attacked several times in their dressing room. Once by the wardrobe. Another time by a falling something. Once by the vanity accoutrèments (sp?). So on and so forth.

I don't remember the upside-down wire L, though.

It would be altogether too easy to conflate episodes, and come up with what you describe.

My Muppet Keepers include: Mummenschanz, Gilda Radner, Pearl Bailey, Liberace, Raquel Welch, Spike Milligan, Leslie Uggams, Eike Sommer, Roger Miller, Lynn Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Tony Randall, Mac Davis, Marty Feldman, Chris Langham, and Roger Moore. Superb episodes, all.
posted by five fresh fish at 11:10 PM on February 2, 2006

My Muppet Keepers include: Mummenschanz, Gilda Radner, Pearl Bailey, Liberace, Raquel Welch, Spike Milligan, Leslie Uggams, Eike Sommer, Roger Miller, Lynn Redgrave, Glenda Jackson, Tony Randall, Mac Davis, Marty Feldman, Chris Langham, and Roger Moore. Superb episodes, all.

Don't forget Vincent Price, Alice Cooper, and the one with the Arabian Nights theme (could be Marty Feldman, in which case you've already mentioned this one). Whoever decided that the Swedish Chef should be the Prince was totally inspired.
posted by ancamp at 3:00 AM on February 3, 2006

I'll have to throw in Candace Bergen and Rita Moreno as a couple of my favorite episodes. Second the Vincent Price one--hilarious.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 4:35 AM on February 3, 2006

Yeah, the Mac Davis, and especially the Spike Milligan, where the Sam the Eagle appeared and instructed him to "Leave the stage." We Yanks didn't get enough Spike Milligan (and I've gotta review those DVDs).
posted by Rash at 10:04 AM on February 3, 2006

I distinctly remember being traumatized by the episode in which Elton John was eaten by the crocs after singing Crocodile Rock. Watching it after I got the DVD I realized that he wasn't eaten at all, just fell in a gator pit. I was definitely scared to death when I watched it when I was little, though - I always hid behind the couch.
So I guess you're not alone in strange sinister remembrances of the Muppet Show. :)
posted by denimflavored at 10:35 AM on February 3, 2006

I loved it when Alice Cooper leased Miss Piggy's soul...
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:10 AM on February 3, 2006

Hmmp. Turns out that Statler and Waldorf were the murderers.

Spoilers, please! Dang. It's only 27 years old -- some of us haven't seen it yet, you know.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:13 PM on February 3, 2006

Chef, put a shirt on--you made the Morning News!
posted by whatnot at 8:15 AM on February 6, 2006

So I guess you're not alone in strange sinister remembrances of the Muppet Show.

Argh, I remember watching one Muppets episode where they had a bunch of random Muppets eating each other. Traumatized me to the point that I can't listen to the 1812 Overture (the background music they used for that bit) without freaking out.
posted by divabat at 12:01 AM on February 9, 2006

In other "Muppet Related" news, on the Diana Ross episode, while she's singing "Love Hangover", you can totally see Diana's nipples through her shirt.

Also, Beaker sings "Feelings."
posted by ColdChef at 5:38 PM on February 20, 2006

The muppet show...a classic, and one of my favorites. I loved the old guys, and Beaker, and...well, mostly all of them. Now I've got to get the collections, and look again at some of those episodes! ( I still have arguments with a friend over the tunes to the Muppet song).
posted by annieb at 5:48 PM on February 24, 2006