Salon.com > The Muppet Show http://www.salon.com Fri, 24 May 2013 01:55:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Is “30 Rock” just “The Muppet Show” with humans? http://www.salon.com/2012/10/04/is_30_rock_just_the_muppet_show_with_humans/ http://www.salon.com/2012/10/04/is_30_rock_just_the_muppet_show_with_humans/#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13029584 Over the summer, while on vacation, my partner, Dustin, and I decided to watch the first season of “The Muppet Show.” We marveled at the guest stars — Juliet Prowse, Ruth Buzzi, Joel Grey.  And then we marveled at the way Kermit was troubleshooting an issue with Scooter, whose new dog demanded his own dressing room. And in a later episode, he was ego-massaging Miss Piggy. I realized … I was watching Liz Lemon.

"Liz Lemon is Kermit," I said to Dustin. "The Muppet Show" is "30 Rock"!

I tested my theory on a Facebook thread: Jenna is Miss Piggy. Kenneth is Scooter. Tracy is … possibly Gonzo? That was a tougher one to cast. On the thread, a friend led me to a blog post by comic-book writer Brian Lynch, from 2009. It turns out I was not the first person to have this revelation. Brian had some tough words for "30 Rock" — perhaps in jest (tone on the Internet can be hard to parse). He wrote, “Tina Fey's ‘30 Rock’ is currently the most acclaimed comedy series on television. It's won numerous Emmys and Golden Globes and I think Pulitzers. Critics and audiences alike love the show and its lovable zany characters, and consider it one of the most original comedies in years. And I guess it is original … if you've never seen ‘The Muppet Show.’ Because, my ‘friends’ (in quotes because I don't know or trust you, please don't be offended), Tina Fey's ‘30 Rock’ is quite obviously ripping off Jim Henson's beloved TV show.”

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