×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Saturday
07
Feb 2026
weather symbol
Athens 17°C
  • Home
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • World
  • Diaspora
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Mediterranean Cooking
  • Weather
Contact follow Protothema:
Powered by Cloudevo
> Culture

How a 1980 episode of “The Muppet Show” nearly spoiled “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”

That was close...

Newsroom April 23 03:57

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a bunch of Muppets showed up on television screens across America and enchanted an entire generation of kids (and adults, and kids who are now adults). Then, the original 1978 show all but disappeared from public view.

But as of Feb. 19, “The Muppet Show” is back on screens across the country — as long as you’ve got a Disney+ subscription.

In its heyday, “The Muppet Show” was broadcast in more than 100 countries, according to the Television Academy Foundation. It’s hard to imagine another platform so powerful that it could convince a 67-year-old Gene Kelly to recreate his iconic “Singin’ in the Rain” dance, let alone with puppets.

But there’s one episode that stands out, not just because it combined two of the most popular cultural phenomena into one super phenomenon, but because it managed to unknowingly showcase spoilers for one of the biggest film releases of the century.

I am, of course, talking about the “Star Wars” episode.

In season four of “The Muppet Show,” there’s a February 1980 episode that opens on a puppet named Angus McGonagle, the Scottish “argyle gargoyle,” who is hosting the show. Out of nowhere, Luke Skywalker, C-3PO and R2-D2 burst through the wall. “They’d make much better hosts than McGonagle!” Scooter says, pushing McGonagle out the dressing room door.

“It seems we’ve landed on some sort of comedy variety show planet,” says Skywalker, on a quest to rescue a kidnapped Chewbacca. “Help,” the SOS telegram from the Wookiee reads. “I am being held prisoner by a bunch of weird turkeys”.

See Also:

EU blasts Turkey about provocations against Greece and Cyprus in report

FBI “aware” of pilot UFO sighting in New Mexico, however, FAA shoots it down (audio)

“It does rather sound like your show,” C-3PO says.

“Yeah, it does,” Kermit responds.

>Related articles

The Commission targets TikTok for its addictive design that harms children

“True friend, fighter & winner”: Trump openly supports Orban ahead of the Hungarian elections

What qualities does a good astronaut have for the mission to the Moon? The requirements of NASA

Luke’s busy searching for Chewie, so he can’t host the episode, but offers up his “cousin” Mark Hamill to handle the hosting duties. What follows is what official Disney fan club D23 calls “comedic chaos,” boasting “some of the only new Star Wars material created between the first movie in 1977 and the release of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ on May 21, 1980”.

“The Empire Strikes Back,” of course, features the first appearance of Yoda, who is himself a Henson Company puppet. Jim Henson and George Lucas were friends — Lucas actually offered the role of Yoda to Henson, who was too busy working on “The Great Muppet Caper,” and passed the offer along to Frank Oz, who voiced many of the original Muppets like Miss Piggy. But beyond that, timing and circumstance made the crossover possible.

Read more: sfgate

Ask me anything

Explore related questions

#art#cinema#culture#Disney#film#movies#muppet show#spoiler#Star Wars#TV#world
> More Culture

Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news

See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr

> Latest Stories

Thessaloniki’s Flyover: Greece’s largest bridge project nears completion, set to revolutionize urban mobility

February 7, 2026

What kind of tourism do we want – Experts from around the world speak out: “Stop issuing permits that will turn Greece into Costa del Sol

February 7, 2026

Vinyl records make a comeback: Record stores return as an aesthetic choice, not just nostalgia

February 7, 2026

Winter Olympics: As a tribute to Giorgio Armani, Mariah Carey rocked San Siro

February 7, 2026

Weather: Spring in winter with temperatures up to 22 degrees at the weekend

February 7, 2026

Boos for Israel and JD Vance at Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

February 7, 2026

Ministry of Finance: Six privatisations and five tax cuts in focus for 2026

February 7, 2026

US Ambassador begins tours across Greece: From Zappeion to Washington, the vertical corridor

February 7, 2026
All News

> World

Boos for Israel and JD Vance at Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

The Israeli delegation entered the stadium amid strong boos from parts of the crowd during the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday evening (February 6). The event highlighted the heavy geopolitical shadow cast over the Games

February 7, 2026

The Commission targets TikTok for its addictive design that harms children

February 6, 2026

“True friend, fighter & winner”: Trump openly supports Orban ahead of the Hungarian elections

February 6, 2026

The WSJ on the negotiations in Oman: Iran rejects the US demand to halt uranium enrichment

February 6, 2026

What qualities does a good astronaut have for the mission to the Moon? The requirements of NASA

February 6, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα