Elke Sommer guest stars, while Beauregard recruits Beaker to help build the set for the final number. What could go wrong?
Songs and Sketches
- "Pennsylvania 6-5000," performed by Bobby Benson's Baby Band.
- "Animal Crackers in My Soup," sung by Elke Sommer.
- Pigs in Space: First Pigs on Koozebane
- UK Spot: The Baby Band plays "Tuxedo Junction."
- Muppet Sports (Goldfish Shooting): Contender 980116 tries to shoot a goldfish in a bowl.
- "Row, Row, Row," sung by Elke.
This episode has examples of
- Amusingly Awful Aim: Contender 980116 aims his rifle at a goldfish in a bowl at point-blank range and misses.
- Bait-and-Switch: At the start of the episode, Elke complains to Scooter that a muppet guy is eating her makeup table. Scooter tells the guy, Fred, that he's supposed to be eating the wardrobe. Elke notes, "That makes more sense... I guess."
- Dangerously Close Shave: Bunsen plans to give Beaker one with his latest invention: a diesel-powered shaver. Fortunately for Beaker, he manages to hide from Bunsen by putting a lampshade over his head.
- Failed a Spot Check:
- Bunsen, standing next to Beaker while talking to Kermit, fails to notice that a nearby lamp is really Beaker in disguise.
- Moments after Bunsen leaves, Beauregard also mistakes Beaker for an actual lamp.Beauregard: Hey, this is a new one! I'll plug it in and see if it's working.
[He plugs in Beaker, whose eyes light up. Beaker runs off, frantically meep-meeping.]
Beauregard: It's working!
- Is That Cute Kid Yours?: Statler is seen with a baby in the theater box; Waldorf is the one to ask the trope question.Waldorf: Is that your kid?
Statler: Of course not. I'm just babysitting. This is my grandson. - Mouthy Kid: Statler brings his grandson to the show, and the toddler proves to be just as big a heckler as his grandfather.
- Musicalis Interruptus: Elke performs "Animal Crackers in My Soup," a song performed by Shirley Temple in Curly Top about, well, eating animal crackers. She starts to perform it in a cutesy, sugary way, while dressed as Shirley Temple, but Kermit interrupts to inform her that the show tries to cater to sophisticated adults. Elke obliges by dressing as Marlene Dietrich and performing the song as a slow, sultry lounge number, without changing the lyrics. Kermit again interrupts to admit it's sophisticated, but it's not the way they would do it. Elke says she'd be happy to do it their way... and this time, the curtain opens on her with her head on the body of a wiry Muppet, dancing between two giant Muppets called Bossmen.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Bunsen had planned for Beaker to demonstrate a new diesel shaver on Muppet Labs. Beaker decides to hide from Bunsen by putting a lampshade over his head. Despite the fact that he's occasionally making noises and that his mint-green lab coat is still visible, Bunsen, Kermit, and Beauregard are completely fooled.
- Shout-Out: To Shirley Temple and Marlene Dietrich.
- Slave Galley: The closing number has Elke, as Cleopatra VII, singing "Row, Row, Row" from her royal barge, with the galley slaves as the backing chorus. Animal plays the role of the guy beating time on a big drum, which causes problems when he gets bored halfway through the song and starts upping the tempo, leading to a Sinking Ship Scenario.
- Third Time's The Charm: It takes Elke three tries to perform "Animal Crackers in My Soup" the way the Muppets like it.
- Waldorf: Is he a bouncing baby boy?
Statler: I don't know, but we're high enough up to find out.
[They chuckle. The baby hits Statler with his rattle.]
