Tonight's special guest star is country singer-songwriter Roger Miller. The problem is, the theatre is suffering an outbreak of cluckitis, transforming various Muppets into chickens.
Segments and songs:
- Song: "Alabamy Bound" - The Pilgrim Penguins
- Backstage - One of the penguins transforms into a chicken (as well as the Swedish Chef).
- Song: "You Don't Want My Love In The Summertime" - Roger Miller and Watermelon Muppets
- Backstage - Scooter is transformed into a chicken
- Bear on Patrol - Patrol Bear ends up getting cluckitis
- Backstage - Robin turns into a chicken
- Song: "Hats" with Roger Miller and some Whatknot Muppet chaps (who end up turning into chickens)
- Song: "Down at the Old Bull and Bush" - Group of Muppets in a bar
- Guest Star's dressing room: Roger Miller with Lew Zealand the Chicken
- Song: "Pop Goes the Weasel" - Rowlf the Dog
- Backstage - Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy the chicken
- Veterinarian's Hospital - The entire cast has cluckitis
- Song: "Medley: You Had A Do Wacka Do / Dang Me / My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died / You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd" - Roger Miller and a group of chickens
Extra notes:
- The band is replaced by a bunch of chickens during the credits.
- Statler and Waldorf are replaced with prairie dogs.
This episode provides the examples of:
- Actor Allusion: At the end of the Roger Miller episode, Roger reveals that he knows all about cluckitis because he had it once. Six years earlier he voiced the singing rooster Alan-a-Dale in Disney's Robin Hood (1973) –- maybe that was when he had it.
- Amusing Injuries: Fozzie gets bludgeoned senseless in "Bear on Patrol", thanks to the crook demonstrating the assault Fozzie tried to collar him for in the first place.
- Bait-and-Switch: Over the course of the episode, cluckitis causes the cast to transform into chickens one by one. When Statler and Waldorf appear for the stinger at the end of the credits, are they also transformed? Yes — into prairie dogs.
- Big "WHAT?!": Fozzie gives an aghast one when Sergeant Link lets the perp who beat him senseless go.
- Credits Gag: Due to the cluckitis outbreak the end credits theme is played by the band who've all turned into chickens.
- Fetish: Gonzo's chicken fondness means he's naturally hog-wild at the outbreak, pretty much regardless of who or what the victim previously was (except for penguins). He even hits on Kermit once he's transformed.
- Forced Transformation: Anyone who contracts Cluckitis turns into a chicken.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Kermit tries asking a chicken how long it's been a chicken. Turns out this one actually is a chicken, as she clucks angrily and storms off.
- Overly Pre-Prepared Gag: "Alabamy Bound" has the penguin pilgrims discovering Plymouth Rock... as well as Ford Rock and Chevrolet Rock!
- Police Are Useless: Sergeant Link lets the perp Patrol Bear busted go for being helpful, even when he's beaten Fozzie senseless. Then he dresses Patrol Bear down for looking like a mess, which happened because of the perp.
- Re-Cut: "Down At The Old Bull And Bush" was shown in Europe only. It was never shown in North American until it was reran on The Disney Channel.
- Sick Episode: Most of the Muppets get Cluckitis and are transformed into chickens.
- Sting: Lampshaded when Gonzo asks for a "dramatic sting" when he announces an outbreak of cluckitis... and gets it. Later, when Scooter mentions the disease, the sting happens again... and he and Kermit react to it. It also happens during the Bear on Patrol sketch when Fozzie announces that the pig he arrested is charged with assaulting an officer, and once again, Fozzie, Link, and the perp can all hear it.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Kermit asks Robin not to tell Roger that the cast is turning into chickens, so when Roger passes by, the first thing Robin says is, "We're not turning into chickens!"
- [Verb] This!: Piggy, having turned into a chicken, hits Kermit for mistaking her for one. "Chicken this!"
- [Statler and Waldorf have turned into prairie dogs]
Waldorf: [to the viewer] I bet you were expecting chickens!
Statler: Woof, woof, woof!
[both laugh]
Waldorf: Woof, woof!
Statler: Woof, woof!
