I really think Muppets Tonight was an underrated effort by Henson & Co., even if the show was a little weighed down by the attempts to stay "hip." "The Gary Cahuenga Episode" has always been my personal favorite, even if it never lived up to its potential. The basic premise - a '60s Rat Pack era ventriloquist dummy rescued from a long neglected suitcase and adjusting to life with he Muppets in the'90s - is terrific. Unfortunately, the Gary Cahuenga character never got a chance to develop or find a niche within the show. The presence of crooner Johnny Fiama, another swinging '60s character, only made it harder.
This is too bad, because he looks great, a realistic ventriloquist dummy with a retro tux and graying hair. There's also a generally moving moment when he contemplates suicide rather than going it alone without his human partner. This is resolved with just the right balance between humor and drama when guest stars Penn & Teller impersonate the ghost of his partner to lift Gary's spirits.
I think the main reason I like Gary is that he's a tribute to the ventriloquist acts like Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy who helped inspired Henson and his cohorts in their early days. It's nice to know that they aren't forgotten.
This is too bad, because he looks great, a realistic ventriloquist dummy with a retro tux and graying hair. There's also a generally moving moment when he contemplates suicide rather than going it alone without his human partner. This is resolved with just the right balance between humor and drama when guest stars Penn & Teller impersonate the ghost of his partner to lift Gary's spirits.
I think the main reason I like Gary is that he's a tribute to the ventriloquist acts like Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy who helped inspired Henson and his cohorts in their early days. It's nice to know that they aren't forgotten.
