Explosions have always been a Muppet trademark, from the early days of the Wilkins Coffee commercials through The Muppet Show and beyond. In the early days of the Muppets, explosions were made by blowing into a tube attached to a funnel filled with powder.^[1] By the 1970s, Muppet designer Don Sahlin developed new techniques, using pyrotechnics and compressed air. The differences between the two techniques are evident in the sketches themselves, as the powder use resulted in particles floating, while the pyrotechnics were accompanied by greater amounts of smoke and sparks of light.

Dave Goelz described Sahlin's love for explosive practical jokes in a MuppetFest panel. Goelz said that Sahlin would run "squibs" -- little remote-control explosives -- all over the office, wiring them back to a doorbell under his desk. "He would just sit there and choose when you would explode. He would just sit there, talking to you, waiting for the moment -- and then you went."

Commercials

• Wilkins Coffee:
  • Wilkins blows up Wontkins.
  • Wilkins blows up Wontkins' house, with Wontkins in it.
  • Wilkins (as "Snikliw the Swami") predicts that Wontkins will explode, and he does.
  • Wilkins' rocket explodes.
  • Wilkins (as a soldier) blows up Wontkins with a grenade.
  • Wilkins blows up Wontkins' TV.

• C & P Telephone Co. of VA: Suzy warns Mack that people who don't check the telephone directory for dialing info blow up sometimes. Mack scoffs at her, and then blows up.

• Kerns Bakery:
  • Tommy blows up Fred's house, with Fred in it.
  • A loaf of "Brand X" Bread blows up.

• McGarry's Sausage: Mack blows up Kermit.

• Kraml Dairy: Wilkins' rocket explodes.

• Southern Bread: The Southern Colonel's rocket explodes

The Ed Sullivan Show

• The Computer Dinner: The machine blows up the monster at the end of the sketch.

• Sclrap Flyapp: The Sclrap Flyapp creature blasts the other creatures.

• Business Business: The two "Business" creatures are blown up.

• Java: The small creature blasts the larger one.

Sesame Street

• Cookie Monster eats a stick of TNT followed by a lit candle in Julie on Sesame Street resulting in an explosion inside his stomach.

• Episode 0689: While Oscar, Biff, and Sully are knocking down the walls in Oscar's trash can, the wall between the conservatory and den has to be blasted, resulting in Oscar launching out of the can and into a nearby tree.

• Episode 0695: Oscar blows up a rock Biff and Sully place over the opening of Oscar's can with dynamite.

• "Danger": Little Jerry and the Monotones sing part of this song surrounded by blastings, shown as explosions. Of course, they are unscathed, but one leaves looking really freaked.

• Episode 0720: Herry Monster causes multiple explosions to occur inside The Fix-It Shop during his performance of "I Can't Help It."

• Six Dollar Man: A small explosion occurs when the Six Dollar Man destroys the lab.

• Episode 1015: Inside Oscar's can, Oscar has Biff make three explosions (big, bigger, and biggest) to get his bottle of ketchup open.

• Episode 1648: Oscar tells Gordon and Susan to duck from the blasting that occurs in Oscar's can as the ballroom is extended.

• Episode 1650: The Sesame Street Ramblers' rehearsal of "Dance of the Hours" concludes with Oscar causing an explosion in his drawing room.

• "Danger's No Stranger": How Now Brown and the Moo Wave sing surrounded by forms of danger, including blastings.

• Episode 2495: One of Oscar's attempts to get Barkley to disobey includes having Fluffy set off an explosion in the can.

• "Don't Be a Tough Nut to Crack": The Squirrelles, Darlene and Crystal, try various methods of cracking the nut and finally use explosives to get it open.

• Cookie Monster Auditions for Saturday Night Live: Cookie Monster appears in a spoof of Saturday Night Live's sketch "MacGruber" (itself a parody of MacGyver) trying to defuse a bomb inside a microwave oven. He eats the oven and the building blows up.

The Muppets Valentine Show

• Crazy Harry (called Crazy Donald in this, his first appearance) sets off an explosion near the beginning.

• Crazy Donald sets off an explosion as the title song ends.

• Crazy Donald blows up a wall when George the Janitor says "Dynamite."

• Crazy Donald sets off an explosion after George says "Blast."

• Crazy Donald sets off an explosion during the closing song.

The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence

• Crazy Harry sets off an explosion after the title is shown.

• Crazy Harry sets off an explosion when the Seven Deadly Sins are about to attack Nigel.

• Crazy Harry sets off an explosion during the credits.

The Muppet Show

• Episode 101: Juliet Prowse: Gonzo's gong explodes when he hits the O in the theme song, being all blackened; Fozzie's apple explodes after he realizes that the fuse is lit. Following this scene, the cigar that Statler is smoking suddenly explodes. (While Waldorf does a commentary on the Muppets' reliance on explosions for comedy.)

• Episode 102: Connie Stevens: Zoot blasts Mahna Mahna offstage with an explosion from his sax.

• Episode 103: Joel Grey: Crazy Harry sets off explosions during the opening number.

• Episode 105: Rita Moreno: The phone sets off an explosion backstage.

• Episode 107: Florence Henderson: Male and Female Koozebanians explode during the Galley-o-hoop-hoop.

• Episode 110: Harvey Korman: Various explosions occur during "Love Ya to Death." In Veterinarian's Hospital, a Whatnot's stomach explodes.

• Episode 111: Lena Horne: Boppity's head explodes in At the Dance.

• Episode 112: Peter Ustinov: At the end of Muppet Labs, Peter Ustinov as a robot politician explodes. Svengali also explodes at the end of "You Do Something To Me."

• Episode 114: Sandy Duncan: Crazy Harry sets off two explosions during Kermit's introduction to the opening number.

• Episode 115: Candice Bergen: The Swedish Chef's brain explodes.

• Episode 116: Avery Schreiber: Cabinets explode when a gorilla smashes them in Muppet Labs while Bunsen is demonstrating the Gorilla Detector.

• Episode 117: Ben Vereen: Crazy Harry sets off many explosions: three before Ben Vereen's second number, one during the talk spot, once when Ben tells Hilda that he gets a big charge out of being on the show, and at the end when Ben Vereen says that the show was "dynamite." (Although not seen, he also blew up the trunk that Fozzie Bear was locked in) Several of the explosions throw the guest star on the rafters.

• Episode 118: Phyllis Diller: Dr. Bunsen Honeydew gets blown up while showing off his exploding clothes. Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when Gonzo attempts to hit the gong.

• Episode 119: Vincent Price: Wanda's head explodes, turning her into Boppity.

• Episode 120: Valerie Harper: Gloat's head explodes in a backstage scene.

• Episode 122: Ethel Merman: The Smaller Java Creature blows up The Bigger Java Creature.

• Episode 123: Kaye Ballard: Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when Gonzo attempts to hit the gong.

• Episode 124: Mummenschanz: Two Whatnots' heads explode during At the Dance.

• Episode 204: Rich Little: Crazy Harry sets off explosions during the opening number and blows up Animal in At the Dance.

• Episode 205: Judy Collins: Link Hogthrob presses a button and sets off an explosion during Pigs in Space. The Old Lady explodes at the end of "Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly."

• Episode 206: Nancy Walker: Crazy Harry and a troop of Whatnot soldiers blow up houses, trees and airplanes to the tune of "Night Train."

• Episode 207: Edgar Bergen: A chemist blows up at the end of a musical number.

• Episode 209: Madeline Kahn: The Newsman explodes.

• Episode 210: George Burns: The machine blows up Luncheon Counter Monster at the end of the "Monster & Machine" sketch.

• Episode 212: Bernadette Peters: The Swedish Chef tries to prepare an egg. The egg turns out to be a bomb, and the Chef explodes.

• Episode 218: Jaye P. Morgan: Jaye P. gives Scooter a lighted bomb, which explodes when he starts to pick it up. Kermit demonstrates explosions during the Talk Spot. A cake baked by Crazy Harry explodes in Jaye P.'s dressing room. The Swedish Chef explodes after finding a bomb in a coconut. A Whatnot woman's head explodes in At the Dance, turning her into Gloat. A bomb Waldorf holds explodes. Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when he attempts to blow his trumpet.

• Episode 219: Peter Sellers: A bomb explodes in Sellers' dressing room.

• Episode 220: Petula Clark: Phyllis the Merdlidop blows the size of her nose out of proportion in At the Dance.

• Episode 221: Bob Hope: Crazy Harry blows up Gonzo when he attempts to blow his trumpet.

• Episode 304: Gilda Radner: The Witch Doctor blows up Marvin Suggs' head, turning him into a Muppaphone.

• Episode 306: Jean Stapleton: Crazy Harry plays the explodaphone during the closing number. He also makes a few explosions before the credits, whenever somebody says something.

• Episode 307: Alice Cooper: Thog sets off an explosion with a stick of dynamite in the closing number, "School's Out." At the end of that number, the school blows up, unprompted by anyone. In the episode's final moments, Gonzo appears onstage in an explosion, holding a bill from the Special Effects department.

• Episode 314: Harry Belafonte: Crazy Harry sets off an explosion that blows up Scooter in Belafonte's dressing room during the opener.

• Episode 320: Sylvester Stallone: Otto the Automatic Entertainer explodes twice.

• Episode 401: John Denver: Gonzo's head explodes when he blows his trumpet. Whatnot soldiers are blown up during "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

• Episode 407: Dudley Moore: Gonzo gets blown up after trying to defuse a giant bomb.

• Episode 409: Beverly Sills: Beverly causes an explosion to shut up a bunch of pigs.

• Episode 418: Christopher Reeve: Bunsen's milking machine explodes.

• Episode 419: Lynda Carter: Various explosions occur during the closing number.

• Episode 420: Alan Arkin: The Devil blows up at the end of the opening number.

• Episode 424: Diana Ross: Link Hogthrob sets off an explosion by lighting a match while investigating a leak from his gas lighter in "Pigs in Space."

• Episode 503: Joan Baez: A group of gophers blow up an industrial factory.

• Episode 512: Melissa Manchester: Crazy Harry sets off an explosion during the cold opening.

• Episode 518: Marty Feldman: Marty grants himself a wish: which is blowing Fozzie Bear up after interrupting him.

• Episode 520: Wally Boag: During "The Ying Tong Song" the female Whatnot spontaneously explodes while singing, "Take me back to Vienna..."

• Episode 521: Johnny Cash: After the opening number, an explosion happens backstage.

• Episode 522: Buddy Rich: During the Muppet News Flash segment, the Newsman is having trouble reading his news story due to a blackout in the theater. When he asks for a bigger candle, Crazy Harry obliges with a big stick of TNT.

• Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt: A man with a bomb blows up Gaffer and a house during "The Cat Came Back."

• Episode 524: Roger Moore: When Kermit mentions the word "bang", an explosion occurs behind him.

Muppet Movies

• The Muppet Movie: Crazy Harry sets off a few explosions before the movie starts. He later fiddles with the electricity while filming the movie, causing an explosion.

• The Great Muppet Caper: During the "Hey a Movie!" number, a man accidentally drops dynamite into the sewer that Sweetums had fallen into, causing an explosion.

• Muppet Treasure Island: A trail of fire leading into a gunpowder barrel blows up Black Dog.

• Muppets from Space: The stove in the Muppet Boarding House explodes.

• The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: The Wicked Witch of the West sets off a couple of explosions to block Dorothy's escape.

• The Muppets: Gonzo detonates his plumbing company, Gonzo's Royal Flush, to join Kermit, Fozzie, Walter, Gary, Mary, and '80s Robot.

• Muppets Most Wanted: Constantine detonates several explosions when escaping from the gulag.

The Jim Henson Hour

• Episode 103: Power: A story segment ends with a book getting blown up, as a narrator says, "And they all lived happily ever after, until they blew it all up."
• Episode 104: Dog City: Bean Bunny shoots down a helicopter in a preview for one of his upcoming films.

• Episode 105: First Show: In the intro, Kermit tries to show Jim some highlights but the computer he's using short circuits and causes a small explosion. In the nature documentary sketch, several explosions occur.

• Episode 107: Fitness: During the cooking segment, The Swedish Chef blows up Jacques Roach to prove he's not invincible and to get his sketch back.

• Episode 112: Food: The Swedish Chef blows up Jacques Roach as they battle over a cooking segment.

Muppets Tonight

• Episode 102: Garth Brooks: In The Tubmans of Porksmith, Howard Tubman presses the plunger twice when the repair man and Carter say to "press the plunger" (mistaking the mentions for orders).

• Episode 103: Billy Crystal: A nurse blows up Statler after calling for his nitroglycerine.

• Episode 104: John Goodman: A grenade he left from the previous sketch. The grenade goes off and blows John into the ceiling.

• Episode 105: Cindy Crawford: Donnie and Art C. Shell mistake a World War II mine for a beach ball and toss it back and forth. When Champ tries to intervene, he drops the mine and is incinerated.

• Episode 203: Heather Locklear: Steve's head explodes after drinking too much coffee in the opening number.

• Episode 204: Pierce Brosnan: Muppet Labs' microphone has a button that makes Beaker's pants explode.

Muppet Meeting Films

• Wilson's Meats: In Meeting Film #2, explosions occur near the beginning and at the end of the "pop art" commercial. Later, the "Smoke-o-Meter" machine explodes.

• Explosion: Leo blows up Grump after he complains about the meeting.

• The Sky's The Limit: One of the balloon heads explodes.

• Coffee Break Machine: The coffee machine blows up Luncheon Counter Monster.

• IBM Training Film: The machine blows up the monster.

Other Explosions

• The Muppet Show Promos: In the Sandy Duncan promo, Fozzie sets off an explosion after Kermit says "bang."

• The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years: Crazy Harry sets off an explosion after the montage of Muppet monsters, eatings and explosions.

• Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration: Gonzo's nose explodes.

• Rock Music with the Muppets: Beaker accidentally sets off a few explosions throughout the video. These occur at the beginning of the video, during the introductions to "Don't Blame the Dynamite" and "One Way or Another", and throughout the end credits.

• Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets: A running gag involves Gonzo or Scooter delivering a cartoon-style bomb, which Rowlf throws away (often after trying to give it to one of the others) before it explodes.

• Muppet Moments: A bomb explodes after Fozzie Bear realizes that the bomb he's holding is lit.

• Good Morning America: A Whatnot blows up a VCR.

• Muppetisms: Gonzo (the artiste's) daredevil act involves rollerblading across the contiguous United States being pulled by a jet-fueled funny car attached only to his nose while balancing a teacup filled with nitroglycerin on his head, backwards. The explosive result is inevitable.

• Keep Fishin': Beaker's head (unseen) explodes.

• Muppets Party Cruise: In "Lights Out," the "bomb light" explodes if caught by players. In "Chemical Imbalance," if you mess up the formula, it explodes. In "Aeroplane Island," your plane explodes if you crash.

• Muppets.com: In the "FX Generator 9000 Game," Beaker's head explodes, but instantly grows back.

• From the Balcony: Loni Dunne blows up on Episode 17.

• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa: Crazy Harry causes an explosion after Claire's mother asks if anybody wants to help her blow up an inflatable Santa.

• The Muppet viral video "Stars and Stripes Forever" features Crazy Harry, setting off fireworks for the finale.

• In the first teaser trailer for The Muppets, Crazy Harry blows up the logo after it appears.

Sources