History Series / MuppetsTonight

The series introduced several new Muppets who went on to appear in subsequent productions such as ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' and [[Film/TheMuppets the 2011 film]], including lounge singer Johnny Fiama; Sal Manilla, Johnny's chimpanzee bodyguard; Bobo the Bear, the studio's security guard; voracious monster Big Mean Carl; MadScientist Dr. Phil van Neuter; and Pepe the King Prawn, the studio's elevator operator/commissary chef who was desperate to break into showbiz, [[VerbalTic okay]].

* BigEater: Big Mean Carl, Bobo the Bear, Rizzo the Rat and Howard Tubman.

** In Creator/SandraBullock's episode, she complains that the muffin basket left in her room only had one muffin in it. Rizzo points out that it has too--any more, and it would be a muffinS basket.

** One "Tubmans of Porksmith" (a British-only sketch) had Howard Tubman being offered a massive inheritance from his great-aunt if he loses a hundred pounds before noon on Tuesday the twelveth. Given that the telegram announcing this news arrives around 11:45 AM ''on'' Tuesday the twelveth, it doesn't end well (although his great-aunt somehow recovers from death, as she's incredibly stubborn).

* [[ChasteToons Chaste Puppets]]: Miss Piggy mysteriously acquires two nephews, Andy and Randy, who made their debut in ''Film/MuppetClassicTheater''.

* {{Fainting}}: Clifford does this in the start of the first episode when he's told he's going to get the job of hosting a show and he has to be ready in 30 seconds.

* ADayInTheLimelight: The last episode centers around Johnny Fiama moving out of his mother's house and into the studio, while Sal tries to get Johnny to go back.
** The Creator/AndieMacDowell episode prominently focuses on Dr. Bunsen Honeydew going through his midlife crisis.
* AbsenteeActor: Creator/FrankOz was absent from a handful of episodes (mostly during the second season). Kevin Clash [[TheOtherDarrin performed Animal]] in the Creator/SandraBullock episode. Clash also performed Miss Piggy in the Andie [=McDowell=] episode (though Oz [[LoopingLines looped Piggy's voice in post production]]).

* CatchPhrase:

* Metaphorgotten: When Dr. Honeydew asks for help getting a makeover from Johnny Fiala.
-->'''Johnny:'''You know what they say, Bunsen. Clothes make the man, and we're going to make you a new man, so let's... go get some new clothes, man.
-->'''Sal:''' You sure that's what they say, Johnny?
-->'''Johnny:'''Hey, who cares? The man's desperate, let's go shopping.

--->'''Kermit''': This is fun! I never get to play the bad guy.

* WholePlotReference: Creator/SandraBullock's episode has a "Mad Bomber" calling into the studio and warning the cast that if the ratings drop below 50%, the explosives he's packed into the place will go off--that's the basic plot of ''Film/{{Speed}}'' (only it's a bus that needs to stay above 50 miles per hour). Sandra lampshades the trope and gets upset when no one seems to have seen the movie. [[spoiler: It's later revealed as a JustifiedTrope in-universe--Sandra was the Mad Bomber in disguise, so it makes sense that she'd base her scheme on one of her own films.]]

* GameShowGoofballs: A short game show segment titled "Swift Wits" featured contestants who were given a simple secret word to guess or else Big Mean Carl would eat an animal. However, nearly all the contestants were too stupid to have even a remote chance of winning. Two insisted on one answer, one refused to answer at all because they had gotten his name wrong, one (a pair of twins) kept spouting off generic answers and not listening, and in the last sketch, even when the word was given, the contestant mistook it for a clue. By the fourth sketch, even the host was getting tired of having idiots on the show.

*** The Swedish Chef, Zoot, Janice, Lew Zealand, Crazy Harry, Foo-Foo, Louis Kazagger, Pops and Bean Bunny appeared in the first episodes. Zoot, Lew, Bean, and Louis would make more cameos in future episodes, and Lew appears during the theme song.

*** The Newsman, Annie Sue, Angus McGonagle, Chip from ''[[Series/TheJimHensonHour]]'', the Gnu and Armstrong the Chicken Hawk from ''Jim Henson's Animal Show'' are in the audience.

* JerkAss: Big Mean Carl.

** Johnny Fiama, Sal Minella and Dr. Phil van Neuter became core characters in post-Muppets Tonight Muppet productions for a few years, but fell victim to this trope after the mid-2000s, though Johnny and Sal made one final appearance in the "Music/BohemianRhapsody" viral video in 2009. This is largely because Sal and van Neuter were performed by Brian Henson, who stopped performing on a regular basis when the Muppets were sold to Disney. [[note]] Johnny, Sal and Van Neuter would return in the 2021 special ''Film/MuppetsHauntedMansion'', with Brian returning to perform the latter two. [[/note]]

* CallBack: When Bobo flings Sal Monella into the traffic, Johnny Fiama comments that it's a [[Film/TheGreatMuppetCaper nutty way to get a cab.]]

** Johnny Fiama, Sal Minella and Dr. Phil van Neuter became core characters in post-Muppets Tonight Muppet productions for a few years, but fell victim to this trope after the mid-2000s, though Johnny and Sal made one final appearance in the "Music/BohemianRhapsody" viral video in 2009. This is largely because Sal and van Neuter were performed by Brian Henson, who stopped performing on a regular basis when the Muppets were sold to Disney. [[note]] Johnny, Sal and Van Neuter would return in the 2021 special ''Muppets Haunted Mansion'', with Brian returning to perform the latter two. [[/note]]

** Johnny Fiama, Sal Minella and Dr. Phil van Neuter became core characters in post-Muppets Tonight Muppet productions for a few years, but fell victim to this trope after the mid-2000s, though Johnny and Sal made one final appearance in the "Music/BohemianRhapsody" viral video in 2009. This is largely because Sal and van Neuter were performed by Brian Henson, who stopped performing on a regular basis when the Muppets were sold to Disney. [[note]] Plus [[WordOfGod according to Bill Barreta]] the Johnny & Sal puppets have since deteriorated. [[/note]]

The series introduced several new Muppets who went on to appear in subsequent productions such as ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' and [[Film/TheMuppets the 2011 film]], including lounge singer Johnny Fiama; Sal Manilla, Johnny's chimpanzee bodyguard; Bobo the Bear, the studio's security guard; voracious monster Big Mean Carl; MadScientist Dr. Phil van Neuter; and Pepe the King Prawn, the studio's elevator attendant who was desperate to break into showbiz, [[VerbalTic okay]].

The series introduced several new Muppets who went on to appear in subsequent productions such as ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' and [[Film/TheMuppets the 2011 film]], including lounge singer Johnny Fiama; Sal Manilla, Johnny's chimpanzee bodyguard; Bobo the Bear, the studio's security guard; voracious monster Big Mean Carl; and Pepe the King Prawn, the studio's elevator attendant who was desperate to break into showbiz, [[VerbalTic okay]].

* Jerkass: Big Mean Carl.

** Pretty much every Muppet performed by Creator/FrankOz, thanks to Oz being too busy with his own project to perform them full-time. Piggy became a "special guest star" (such as in the Creator/MichellePfeiffer episode) while Fozzie, Sam and Animal were only used in the occasional skit or segment.
** Kermit too had a reduced role compared to his days in ''Series/TheMuppetShow'', since he was no longer the host, but as the "producer" of the show he still appeared in almost every episode and interacted a lot with the guest stars.

* LooneyFan: Creator/GilbertGottfried to Kermit in a season 2 episode.

* ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil: Played straight and inverted with Heather Locklear. When she eats Bunsen Honeydew's chimichangas, she turns into a evil psychotic maniac. Eating the biscottis, however, turns her into the exact opposite: a goody two-shoes sweetheart. The only way to cure either of these symptoms is to [[spoiler:hit her in the noggin with a fish]].

* ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil: Played straight and inverted with Heather Locklear. When she eats Bunsen Honeydew's chimichangas, she turns into a psychotic maniac. Eating the biscottis, however, turned her into the exact opposite. The only way to cure either of the symptoms is to [[spoiler:hit her in the noggin with a fish]].