×
GreekEnglish

×
  • Politics
  • Diaspora
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Cooking
Friday
16
Jan 2026
weather symbol
Athens 10°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

Ballistic missile strike hits pier in Ukraine

The ordeal of a 28-year-old Greek man in Australia: He went on holiday to visit relatives, was injured at a beach, and is at risk of quadriplegia

“A Picasso for 100 euros” — Christie’s for a million-euro painting

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

Sophie Turner’s first photo as Lara Croft released for Tomb Raider series

January 15, 2026

Obst sealed the win at the end against Panathinaikos as Bayern defeated them 85–78 in Munich

January 15, 2026

“You think you are descendants of Plato and Aristotle, but you’re not” – Rama’s tirade against Greek journalist, watch video

January 15, 2026

“Aunt Pecu,” who lived outside all protocol: Who the unconventional and eccentric princess Irene was

January 15, 2026

High-tech fraud – SMS blaster attack: Bank data stolen using special equipment installed in a car’s trunk

January 15, 2026

Ballistic missile strike hits pier in Ukraine

January 15, 2026

Ursula von der Leyen from the Green Line: Pushing for a solution to the Cyprus issue is a priority

January 15, 2026

The ordeal of a 28-year-old Greek man in Australia: He went on holiday to visit relatives, was injured at a beach, and is at risk of quadriplegia

January 15, 2026
All News

> Greece

“Aunt Pecu,” who lived outside all protocol: Who the unconventional and eccentric princess Irene was

Princess Irene, the younger sister of Queen Sofía of Spain, will be laid to rest at Tatoi on a date to be announced by the Spanish royal household

January 15, 2026

High-tech fraud – SMS blaster attack: Bank data stolen using special equipment installed in a car’s trunk

January 15, 2026

Ursula von der Leyen from the Green Line: Pushing for a solution to the Cyprus issue is a priority

January 15, 2026

Princess Irene dies at the age of 83

January 15, 2026

Commander Ioannis Kizanis leads Greece’s newest Frigate “Kimon”

January 15, 2026
Homepage
PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY COOKIES POLICY TERM OF USE
Powered by Cloudevo
Copyright © 2026 Πρώτο Θέμα