10 most iconic guests on The Muppet Show, from Liza Minnelli to Debbie Harry

The show’s five seasons are now available to stream on Disney+

New York City

Monday 22 February 2021 15:29 GMT

Liza Minnelli with muppets Kermit the Frog and Zoot on the set of The Muppet Show at Elstree Studios, London (Central Press/Getty Images)

The Muppet Show is now streaming on Disney+, meaning subscribers can now view the variety show’s original five seasons.

The episodes aired for the first time between 1976 to 1981 in the UK and on syndication in the US.

“It's #TheMuppetShow, with our very special guest star... YOU! Now you can be part of the Muppet mayhem and stream all five seasons of our classic television series right now, only on @DisneyPlus,” the official Twitter account for The Muppets tweeted on Friday (19 February), the day of the show’s arrival on Disney+.

The programme’s Statler and Waldorf also relayed the news in their trademark cantankerous style, tweeting on Thursday: “It's terrible! Just awful! The worst news you've ever heard! All five seasons of The Muppet Show are coming to #DisneyPlus TOMORROW! Lock yourselves away so you can't watch it – trust us!”

After the show became available to stream on the platform, the duo followed up by rejoicing at their newfound ability to “heckle these weirdos and their terrible show from the comfort of our couch!”

There are currently 118 episodes to choose from on Disney+. The platform has added a warning of “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures” on some of those.

Read on for our selection of the 12 most iconic guests to have visited the show over the years:

Liza Minnelli

There’s something absolutely timeless about the Cabaret legend dancing to “Copacabana” with the Muppets in 1979. The episode scored two Emmy nominations and one win.

Elton John

Sir Elton John was the guest of honour for an episode of The Muppet Show that aired in 1978. It includes this superb performance of “Yellow Brick Road”:

Liberace

The pianist and Las Vegas fixture brought his piano – and his candelabra – to The Muppet Show in 1978. His rendition of Chopin’s “Nocturne No 5” was immediately followed by a cover of the popular song “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue”, demonstrating his range.

Harry Belafonte

Belafonte’s performance of “Turn the World Around” in a 1979 episode of The Muppet Show is among the show’s most celebrated moments.

Sylvester Stallone

His Rocky fame in full swing, Stallone stopped by The Muppet Show in 1979 – and you best believe he sang:

Rita Moreno

In 1976, the actor and singer found a typically disruptive drummer in Animal during a rendition of “Fever”:

Diana Ross

Miss Piggy, Kermit et al rise to the task as singing partners to Ross in this 1980 cover of “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)”, Ross’s debut solo single unveiled a decade prior after she left The Supremes: