Muppet Fan Podcasts with ToughPigs.com

This week, I'm joined by the longtime Muppet staff writer Craig Shemin, to talk about what it was like writing Miss Piggy scripts for Frank Oz. Craig explains Frank's rules for how to treat Piggy, and we go behind the scenes of some of the Pig's most outrageous appearances with Matt Lauer, Martha Stewart, Jay Leno, and Regis and Kathie Lee. Plus: CD-Rom games, Project Runway, how Piggy became a diva, and why Kermit and Miss Piggy are still broken up! Don't miss this one!

This week, Danny is joined by Jim Henson biographer Brian Jay Jones, to talk about Miss Piggy's development, Frank Oz's acting skills, and how hard it was to get Piggy underwater!

She's the star of eight movies, wrote a best-selling book, and performed at the Hollywood Bowl. This week on the podcast, we ask the question: Is Miss Piggy famous? Join Danny and the insouciant Ryan Roe as we compare two TV specials — The Muppets Go Hollywood, and Miss Piggy's Hollywood — to calculate just how high a pig can fly in Tinseltown.

A block of foam, a pair of scissors, and destiny: all you need to create a legend. This week, Danny and fellow Piggy enthusiast Peter Savieri are talking to the original creator of Miss Piggy: designer Bonnie Erickson! We're going to learn all about how the Miss Piggy puppet was made, what it was like working in the Muppet Workshop, and how very close Miss Piggy came to stealing the Hope Diamond.

Visit ToughPigs.com for more, including images mentioned in this podcast episode.

In her early years, Miss Piggy was redesigned and rebuilt half a dozen times, in a long-term effort to refine her look and create the perfect Pig. This week, Danny is joined by the spectacular Peter Savieri and the divine Jamie Carroll for an unbelievably detailed discussion of the right way and the many wrong ways to build a Miss Piggy puppet. This episode contains the most hardcore Miss Piggy fan discussion on this or any other podcast. You will laugh, and you will learn, and you will never be the same.

We've talked a lot so far about how Miss Piggy's character developed on The Muppet Show, but to truly understand how she became a superstar, you have to see what happened when she broke out of the confines of the Muppet Theater, and took over other people's programs. This week, the extraordinary Becca Petunia from the Muppet fan quiz show Hubba-Wha!? joins Danny to talk about four late-70s Miss Piggy appearances that set the screen on fire.

Much to everyone's surprise, glamorous gal singer Miss Piggy managed to talk her way into a starring role in the first season of The Muppet Show. The show wanted to feature her more in the second season, so they stuck her in a tin can and shot her out into space, testing the limits of her acting ability and her patience. This week, the sensational Jarrod Fairclough from ToughPigs.com joins Danny to talk about Pigs in Space, and examine how First Mate Piggy dealt with new situations, new problems, and new insults from a crew of male chauvinist pigs.

The first thing that we learn about Miss Piggy is that she's hopelessly in love with Kermit. But love is a mysterious thing, and sometimes it involves karate-chopping your boyfriend, biting a guest star, and flirting with a lot of other guys. This week, the adorable Anthony Strand from Movin' Right Along: A Muppet Movie Podcast joins Danny to talk about how Miss Piggy develops in season 1 of The Muppet Show, as she kissys her way from a one-joke character to a fully fleshed-out three-joke character.

In 1974, a beautiful, talented and headstrong young starlet got her big break on The Tonight Show, launching a decades-long career as the most glamorous pig in the world. And now, finally, there's a podcast devoted to telling her amazing story — The Fantastic Miss Piggy Podcast! This labor of love is a history, an analysis and a celebration of Miss Piggy as a pop culture phenomenon, created by her devoted fan, Tough Pigs founder Danny Horn. This first episode is a solo Danny effort, as he delves into a crucial mystery: Is Miss Piggy's name really "Piggy Lee"? Coming up in the following weeks, Danny will be joined by Tough Pigs favorites as well as incredible special guests like Bonnie Erickson, Calista Hendrickson, Craig Shemin, Brian Jay Jones and more, as we discuss everything there is to know about this fascinating, fictional femme fatale. Is this too much fuss to make about a single Muppet character? Absolutely! But where Miss Piggy is concerned, "too far" is actually the appropriate amount of far. Join Danny as he begins this love story for the ages. Kissy-kissy, and welcome to the show!

Kermitment’s Matthew Gaydos and ToughPigs writers Jarrod Fairclough, Beth Cook, and Anthony Strand join J.D. for another report on the state of The Muppets! They weigh in on the challenging topics of Muppet violence and Muppet fandom conflicts, and also the much lighter topic of a Disney World holiday show.

Also discussed: our final thoughts on The Muppets Mayhem, excitement for Back to the Rock, and uncertainty about Faeries.

Hosted by: J.D. Hansel

Panelists: Beth Cook, Anthony Strand, Matthew Gaydos, and Jarrod Fairclough

Artwork by: Kenny Durkin

Editing, writing, opening theme music and “Slappy Feet” arrangement by: J.D. Hansel

ToughPigs Muppet Fan Podcast Executive Producer: Joe Hennes

Well, we’re at the end of a Hubba-Wha?! season, and the end of Hubba-Wha?! for a while, so it’s time for another grueling gauntlet of some of the toughest Muppet trivia questions around. But this time, Becca’s celebrating with all the friends she’s made along the way. Not only does Becca have three guests–Muppet Wiki admins Scott, Shane, and Tony–but almost every former Hubba-Wha?! contestant returns in some way or another. It’s a wild finale that can only be called “The Magic Store!” Do you remember all your Hubba-Wha?! friends? Or Mother Goose Stories and Farscape and Coldplay’s recent musical career? Everyone’s going to have to try if they want to be the ultimate, toughest pig of all. Play along at home and let us know how you do! PLUS: an awful lot of dwarfs.

Two Skeskis enter, one Skeksis leaves… it’s TRIAL BY MUPPET GAME SHOW! That’s right, welcome back to the second half of the third season of Hubba-Wha?!  In this episode, Becca is challenging the assumption that The Dark Crystal is boring with an exciting ride through the legends of the Skeksis, Mystics, and all of Thra. Along for the quest are two legends of Muppet fandom: ToughPigs’ own Katilyn Miller and our pal Ren Goetz. If they want to win fabulous prizes, they’ll need to brave dangerous creatures, a behind-the-scenes tour, and…spicy peppers? Play along and let us know how you do! PLUS: A twist ending you’ll have to hear to believe!

ToughPigs' latest podcast series, The Worst of the Muppets: Holiday Edition, is put out of its misery as we review the near-unwatchable Christmas special Lady Gaga and the Muppets Holiday Spectacular!

Highlights include Lady Gaga's Sweetums-style wig, an especially incoherent Electric Mayhem, and an awkward encounter with Kermit the Frog.

Our special guest is ToughPigs co-owner Jarrod Fairclough!

Welcome to the latest episode of The Worst of the Muppets: Holiday Edition! This week, we're cutting into "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," in which we discover the world in which Kermit was never born. And if this movie doesn't exist in that timeline, maybe we should just stay there...

Joining us for this sinkhole of a special is actor and writer Sarah Elizabeth Grace!

Join ToughPigs.com for a deep dive into what might be the WORST Muppet holiday special ever made! It's Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree, featuring an unfortunate performance by Robert Downey Jr., terrible Swedish accents, and the infamous Honey Pot Dance!

With special guest: Puppeteer, puppet builder, and artist Noah Ginex!

We're excited to premiere a brand new ToughPigs podcast series: The Worst of the Muppets! We'll be covering some of the most painful and cringe-worthy productions the Muppets have ever been a part of. And because 'tis the season, we'll be kicking it off with a miniseries all about Muppet holiday specials!

For our premiere episode, we'll be tackling the truly terribly A Special Sesame Street Christmas, in which Oscar sings "Yakkety Yak," Michael Jackson reads a book about ghosts, and Imogene Coca looks like an idiot.

Our special guest is actor, director, puppeteer, and Muppet fan Fergie Phillipe! (To whom we apologize profusely.)

Join us over the next four weeks for some coal in our stockings, bah humbugs, and Christmas jeers!

And don't worry - Hubba-Wha?! will return in January.

We’re back with a new Great Muppet Fandom Panel, hosted by ToughPigs’ own J.D. Hansel. Join Muppet fans Richard Michael Gomez, Joe Hennes, Tori Schmidt, and the mysterious mononym “gav” for a conversation about this year’s Muppet events, Muppet merchandise, and Muppet more!

Also discussed: surprising DVD bonus features, the many ways to celebrate Dave Goelz, and swoopfoomers.

Hit me like a hurricane! If you’ve got both electricity and Muppet trivia in your brain, you’ve come to the right place. That’s right: it’s a Hubba-Wha?! Episode all about the Electric Mayhem! Becca is joined by Muppet artist and trumpet aficionado Dave Hulteen and ToughPigs’ own Joe Hennes in an episode all about the Muppets’ legendary house band. These dedicated Mayheads will have to picture that, stop blaming the dynamite, and refuse to take no for an answer if they want to prove they’ve got what it takes to be our Moog and win fabulous prizes. Plus: a correction of a fact from another ToughPigs podcast??? Play along at home and let us know how you do!

Everyone knows the real happiest place on Earth is right here on ToughPigs, with a brand new episode of Hubba-Wha?!! This week, Becca Petunia is joined by former PizzeRizzo employee Melia Schnef and ToughPigs’ own Matthew Soberman for trivia challenges about the Muppets’ appearances in Disney theme parks! They’ll have to master their cheap 3D tricks, rock and roll around the world, and meet 999 Muppet ghosts if they want to win a fabulous souvenir! Plus: what professional swimmer does Big Bird admire, and what does that have to do with anything anyway? Play along at home and let us know how you do!

ToughPigs’ own Matthew Soberman and Becca Petunia are joined by artist/designer Jamie Carroll and Broadway actor Fergie L. Philippe (Hamilton, Camelot) for our summertime summit on the state of The Muppets! Topics include the latest Muppet merchandise, surprise concert appearances, and, in our main segment, this year’s hit Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem.

Also discussed: TV specials we don’t know exist, the whereabouts of Clifford, and our shared desire to get drunk with Bunsen and Beaker.

Over the past ten weeks, we've been proud to bring you an exclusive sneak peek behind the Muppets' latest series, The Muppets Mayhem. We have now arrived at the first season finale, which means this is also the season finale of The Muppets Mayhem: Backstage Pass. But shed not a tear, fellow Mayheads! Because this episode is a doozy.

We are extremely excited to welcome Muppet legend and longtime performer of Zoot - Dave Goelz - as our very special guest! And joining us as always are Co-creators and Executive Producers Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta.

Plus! Zoot's secret origin! Not filming at the Hollywood Bowl! Dave's very special soap dispenser!

The penultimate episode of THE MUPPETS MAYHEM: BACKSTAGE PASS is upon us! So of course, we have to discuss the penultimate episode of The Muppets Mayhem - "Drift Away," in which the band splits up to pursue their own solo careers. Heartbreaking!

Joining us for this special episode is the Muppet performer who gives groove to guitar player Janice - it's David Rudman! And joining us as always are Co-creators and Executive Producers Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta!

Plus! How David met Richard Hunt! Soup jingles! How "culty" can Janice's cult get?

Welcome back to THE MUPPETS MAYHEM: BACKSTAGE PASS - your one and only podcast peek behind the curtain of the Muppets' latest Mayhem-filled series! This week, we're going digital with "Virtual Insanity", in which the band manages to make enemies of every musical fandom, and then get sucked into the world of Minecraft.

Joining us for this episode is the Muppet performer responsible for keeping bass player Floyd Pepper on beat - it's Matt Vogel! And as always, Executive Producers and Co-Creators Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta are along for the fun.

Plus! Emmet Otter references! How to get rid of a van! And was Matt actually there or not??

Welcome to another thrilling chapter in the saga we call THE MUPPETS MAYHEM: BACKSTAGE PASS! Our tour through The Muppets Mayhem has brought us to the Muppets' big spoof of The Beatles' Get Back as they're featured in their very own mockumentary.

Our extremely special guest is the performer who helped usher the brand new Muppet character Penny Waxman to life - Leslie Carrara-Rudolph! And returning to the show are The Muppets Mayhem Co-creators and Executive Producers Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta!

Plus! Every single Beatles reference! New female Muppet characters! How the Muppets met the Feebles!

Our hit podcast series (The Muppets Mayhem: Backstage Pass) celebrating the hit Disney+ series (The Muppets Mayhem) continues! This week, we're chatting about Track 6: "Fortunate Son", in which we meet Dr. Teeth's parents!

And who better as guests for this episode than the Muppet performers behind the Teeth family? We're thrilled to welcome Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Dr. Tina Teeth) and David Bizzaro (Gerald Teeth)! And as always, Co-creators and Executive Producers Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta are joining for their annual cleanings.

Plus! New Orleans accents! The Adventures of Young Teeth and Young Floyd! A perfect Jerry Nelson homage!

Good news! We've got a brand new episode of The Electric Mayhem's official unofficial podcast The Muppets Mayhem: Backstage Pass ready for your earbuds! Bad news, we're already halfway through the series. But you'll forget all about that once you hear our riveting conversation about Track 5: "Break On Through."

Joining us for this trip is our very special guest: Peter Linz! Peter's the Muppet performer who brings new life and new vocabulary to The Electric Mayhem's resident trumpet player, Lips! And as always, we've got color commentary from The Muppets Mayhem's Co-Creators and Executive Producers Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta.

Plus! How a new Lips is born! Improving on drug humor! The majesty of Weird Al!

Aw yeah, we're back with another episode of THE MUPPETS MAYHEM: BACKSTAGE PASS, uncovering all the juiciest gossip about our newest favorite show The Muppets Mayhem! This week, we're covering Track 4, "The Times They Are A-Changin'", and we've got some extra special guests.

Joining us for this chat are two of the human stars of the show - Lilly Singh, who plays budding record exec Nora, and Saara Chaudry, who plays Nora's influential sister Hannah! And of course, Co-Creators and Executive Producers Bill Barretta and Jeff Yorkes are also along for the ride.

Plus! What was Karamo's big advice to Saara? What did Cheech and Chong leave behind? And what's up with Janice's sister???

Our companion series to The Muppets Mayhem is drumming along! This week, we're discussing Track 3: "Exile on Main Street", in which Animal searches for a new job and we get a glimpse at his secret origin story.

Joining us is the Muppet performer behind The Electric Mayhem's madman drummer Animal - Eric Jacobson! Also along for the ride are Executive Producers and Co-Creators Jeff Yorkes and Bill Barretta.

Plus! The improv genius of Ben Schwartz, how Animal learned to do those hibachi tricks, and Eric's approach to performing the latest version of Baby Animal.

In our latest episode of THE MUPPETS MAYHEM: BACKSTAGE PASS, we're diving deep into Track #2: "True Colors". Joining us is Tahj Mowry, who stars as the Electric Mayhem's biggest fan Moog!

PLUS! Is Tahj as big a Muppet fan as Moog? How hard is it to work with a goat? Is Moog real, or just very convincing CGI?

Welcome to THE MUPPETS MAYHEM: BACKSTAGE PASS - a brand-new podcast from ToughPigs.com!

This is the podcast where we tour through every episode of The Muppets Mayhem to uncover behind-the-scenes stories, easter eggs, and more, with the talented cast and crew who helped put the series together.

In our premiere episode, we're talking about Track 1: Can You Picture That. Joining us are Executive Producers and Co-Creators Adam Goldberg, Jeff Yorkes, and Bill Barretta!

Welcome to the newest ToughPigs podcast: FRAGGLE TALK: CLASSIC! Hosts Beth, Julia, and Adam will be reviewing every episode of the classic Jim Henson series Fraggle Rock, starting here with "Beginnings".

If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe to the FRAGGLE TALK podcast on your favorite podcatcher service!

It's the third installment of The Great Muppet Fandom Panel – ToughPigs’ recurring podcast featuring Muppet fans chatting about the Muppet news in the silliest ways they can.

This time, "Muppet Fans Talking" hosts Mary, Maria, and Sprout join J.D. in trying to assess the state of Sesame Workshop and what we can expect from Muppets Mayhem.

Also discussed: tall Count von Count, unwearable T-shirts, and which Muppets should play which Fraggles.

Joe and Jarrod get together for one last episode to discuss Season 2!

Which episode had audio recorded 12 months after the interview? Which guest forgot to show up? Which guest had the worst audio imaginable?

Listen as we answer all those questions and tell you which talk show hosts were contacted, which legendary director could have appeared (kinda), and find out just how close Jarrod came to getting a certified Dame on the show!

We also have an important announcement about the future of To Introduce Our Guest Star.

Thanks for listening to Season 2!

In our final interview for Season 2, Joe pulls out the big guns and surprises Jarrod with none other than the legendary Frank Oz!

Frank needs no introduction, but let's give him one anyway. Frank was the original performer of Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal and Sam on The Muppet Show, as well as Bert, Grover and Cookie Monster on Sesame Street.  He directed The Muppets Take Manhattan, before going on to direct films like Bowfinger and Death At A Funeral.  A few years ago he released the incredible documentary Muppet Guys Talking, where he teamed up with Jerry Nelson and previous To Introduce Our Guest Star guests Fran Brill, Bill Barretta and Dave Goelz!

Listen as we discuss Frank's ideas for The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made, teaming up with Dave Goelz for voice overs and drinking with Joan Rivers.  Plus Muppets From Space wasn't great, Jarrod's getting surgery, and Frank thinks we're terrible at our jobs.

Today Jarrod surprises Joe with comedian, actor and massive Muppet fan Bobby Moynihan!

Bobby has had an incredible career with nine seasons on Saturday Night Live and has worked on shows like DuckTales and 30 Rock, as well as films like Monsters University and Sisters.

But us Muppet fans love him for his guest appearance on Sesame Street as the Quacker Duck Oates Man and for being the guest star for both The Muppets Take The Hollywood Bowl and The Muppets Take The O2 live shows!

Listen as we discuss performing Happy Feet with Kermit, the props Bobby wishes he could have stolen, and the various times SNL parodied the Muppets.  Plus Bobby doesn't want to sing, Paul Williams asks everyone to play golf, and Mel Brooks is at an airport.

This week Joe makes Jarrod go :O as he brings on actor and all round delight Yvette Nicole Brown!

Yvette has appeared on shows like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Drake & Josh and The Odd Couple, as well as films like (500) Days of Summer, Tropic Thunder and Avengers: Endgame, but we love her best for her role as Shirley Bennett on the cult favorite sitcom Community.

Yvette is an outspoken Muppet fan in her own right, and in 2021 played the role of the Hearse Driver in Disney Plus' Muppets Haunted Mansion.

Listen as we discuss being proud of your fandom, being kind to strangers and all the times Community intersected the Muppets.  Plus we want to call the Russo Brothers, we all love Paul Williams, and Yvette should be on Sesame Street!

This week Jarrod surprises Joe with director Ken Kwapis!

Ken has had a remarkable career directing shows like 'Malcolm In The Middle', 'The Bernie Mac Show' and 'Parks and Recreation', as well as movies like 'He's Just Not That Into You', 'The Beautician and the Beast' and 'License to Wed'.  He also helped create the US adaption of 'The Office'.

But before any of that, his feature directorial debut was the 1985 Sesame Street film 'Follow That Bird'!

Listen as we discuss felt on tables, complicated shots with planes, and who could have worked at the Grouch Cafe! Plus the Count drives by himself, blue Big Bird is devestating, and chaotic preview screenings!

We're extremely honored to present this new episode recorded with the late Bob McGrath, just a few months before he passed.

Bob was a fixture on Sesame Street since Episode 0001 back in 1969, and spent over 40 years singing and teaching and entertaining generations of kids.

Listen as Bob discusses some of his favorite lesser known songs, skydiving and why the characters of Bob and Linda never got married.  Plus being recognised at the urinal, Bob's wife pops in, and Bob muses on the meaning of life.

Stick around after the interview as Joe and Jarrod take a few moments to remember Bob and their time with him.  And thanks for joining us, Bob.

This week Jarrod surprises Joe with legendary Muppet performer Fran Brill. Fran was the first female puppeteer hired by Jim Henson back in 1970 and spent over 40 years on Sesame Street playing beloved characters like Prairie Dawn, Little Bird and Zoe.

 Listen as we chat Saturday Night Live, the Jim Henson Hour Zondra stans, little tiny Season 40 Zoe and a heck of a lot more!

This week Joe surprises Jarrod with long time Sesame Street Muppet performer Martin Robinson!  Marty is the man under and inside some of your favorite characters like Telly Monster, Slimey and Snuffy, plus a whole tonne more.

Join us as we discuss the busted up microphone that helps voice Snuffy, Marty's work on Helpsters, and why it's important for kids to see anxious characters like Telly.  Plus Muppet Babies, weddings on the set of Sesame Street and the world's creepiest clown puppet.

To Introduce Our Guest Star is back! We're kicking off Season 2 with the brilliant puppeteer Alice Dinnean, who has worked on projects like Sesame Street, Muppets Haunted Mansion and... oh yeah, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance!

Plus we talk elephants and Britta Perry, then some guy gate crashes.

Welcome back to the second episode of The Great Muppet Fandom Panel - ToughPigs' recurring podcast featuring Muppet fans chatting about the latest in Muppet news!

ToughPigs writers Julia Gaskill, Louie Pearlman, and Joe Hennes join J.D. for a winter wonderland of Muppet news and discussion. Did we like Best in Snow? “Night of the Lights”? Fraggle NFTs? Results may vary.

Also discussed: Bob McGrath, imaginary Muppet theme park attractions, and Disco Kermit.

Surprise!  There's a brand new episode of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock available to watch right now on Apple TV+!  Double surprise!  There's also a new episode of Fraggle Talk - the unofficial Fraggle Rock podcast - available to listen to as well!

After having completed our entire series of Back to the Rock reviews and recaps with the cast and crew of the show, we couldn't leave the project incomplete.  So with more from the show, we knew we just had to record an extra episode of our podcast.  It's a holiday miracle!

A special episode requires some special guests, so we're excited to welcome ToughPigs' Fraggle expert Beth Cook and ToughPigs' Christmas expert Anthony Strand!  We're talking about the Fraggles' newest holiday, sabre-toothed Inkspots, and the possibility that Fraggles don't have the concept of the number 3.