‘Muppets’ Much The Same But Still Good For Laughs
It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights. It’s time to raise the curtain on “Muppets Tonight.”
If my refrain sounds familiar, it’s because ABC’s new “Muppets Tonight” at 8:30 is the very same Muppet show that ran in syndication for 120 original episodes from 1976-81 and for years thereafter in reruns. And guess what? It’s as funny now as it was then.
There are a few differences. This time around the foam-and-felt critters are putting on a television show at KMUP-TV rather than a theatrical review. And while Kermit the Frog remains a prominent character, the Muppet star of the ‘90s is Clifford, the show’s hip, though somewhat spacey, host.
The enduring charm of the original “The Muppet Show” was that it drew guest appearances from some of entertainment’s biggest stars.
In keeping with that, Michelle Pfeiffer shows up for the “Muppets Tonight” debut. The trouble is, Pfeiffer and Miss Piggy have been cast in the same role in a sketch adapted from “The Sound of Music.”
The original “Muppets” played in 100 countries, where it was watched by 235 million people each week. ABC hopes it’s a new era for the merry band from Jim Henson Productions.
As the “TGIF” shows begins to cycle out, the network is looking for fresh replacements. If it takes going back two decades to find something fresh … what the heck.
Highlights
“Sliders,” FOX at 8: The men are treated rather kindly when they slide into a parallel world where a virus has rendered impotent all the males of the species. Let’s just say its a place where they’d never go dateless.
“Step By Step,” ABC at 9: JT (Brandon Call) decides against using a cheat-sheet provided by a fellow student (Jason Marsden), but he still gets accused of cheating. Also, Al (Christine Lakin) contemplates getting a tattoo.
“Diagnosis Murder,” CBS at 9: There were times this could have happened on “Chicago Hope.” After two surgeons clash in the operating room, one of them turns up dead. Sloan’s efforts to affirm the innocence of the accused lead to shocking revelations about the dead doc.
“Dateline NBC,” NBC at 9: A scheduled segment updates a story on a Northwest Airlines employee who died after complaining she was the victim of sexual harassment.
“The X-Files,” FOX at 9: Is it a curse or coincidence? After a rare artifact is unearthed in South America and brought to Boston, people start dropping like flies. Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson) go digging for clues pointing to a psychic explanation.
“Walker: Behind the Scenes with TV’s Toughest Cop,” CBS at 10: Fans of Chuck Norris’ rough-and-tumble “Walker: Texas Ranger” will enjoy this unique look at what goes into producing the series, which is shot outside Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas.
It’s a thorough study of how television comes to life, beginning with the development of stories and scripts to the final stage of production. Of particular interest will be an insider’s view of how producers, actors and stunt specialists execute the actionadventure’s elaborate stunts.
Cable Calls
“To Sir, With Love” (1967), TMC at 7:10: One of several good reasons for revisiting this touching tale of an American teacher (Sidney Poitier) thrust into a tough London school is that you’ll be hearing a lot about “To Sir” in the next four weeks. On April 7 CBS will air a sequel that will feature Poitier reprising his role, with cameos by Lulu and Judy Geeson.
“Debate,” CNN at 6: Talk about a wild west shootout. The GOP presidential candidates will be in Dallas for a debate with less than a week to go before next week’s “Super Tuesday” primaries.