"The Muppet Show" Season Three really seems like it hits its stride. This season is a lot of fun.

The third season of those crazy Muppets is now on DVD.

This season has all of the goofy gags that made the show such an entertaining staple in syndication. "Pigs in Space" and "Muppet Labs" were always skits that I looked forward to as a kid, and they're still as funny as they were back then. The '70s style of the show, from the use of contemporary songs to the clothes, is sometimes hilarious in its own right. Watching Leo Sayer hoof it up in crazy white pants with that crazy hair made my daughter laugh. What was more striking is how talented the guy actually was. "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" still illicits laughs from me because of the high falsetto. It's difficult to hear the song without thinking of Homer Simpson lampooning it on his own show. But Sayer, like many of the guest stars on this season, is actually quite entertaining.

This season hits its stride on many fronts. It seems as though the Muppets, the writing, the gags, and the overall feeling of the show are firing on all cylinders. The gags usually repeat themselves to stay within the structure, but they're funny. The episode in which a normally dignified Harry Belafonte has to put up with Fozzie Bear screwing up "Day-O" is inspired. And it's always fun to see guest stars or other Muppets make accidental comments on Miss Piggy's weight.

I can only imagine how much work went into mounting each episode. It might've been chaotic like the behind-the-stage scenes on the show. Jim Henson and Frank Oz, just to mention the more well-known Muppeteers, were immensely talented individuals. All of the Muppeteers added so much life and humor to the Muppets. With all of the Muppets present in some scenes, and clever writing of gags and songs, it is impressive how the show was mounted. The show had high production value and it's evident. And credit is due to how the guest stars of the show fit right into the crazy atmosphere.

Watching the DVDs, you lose yourself to being an overly critical adult who watched the show. Instead, you just enjoy them.      
 
Bill Kallay

Special thanks to Click Communications

Photos: © The Muppets Studio and BVHE. All rights reserved.