The final disc of the four-disc set collecting the first season of The Muppet Show contains a true oddity: a 1975 pilot, subtitled "Sex And Violence," that helps shed some light on what made The Muppet Show so special, simply by what it does differently. Creator Jim Henson set out to make a program that would appeal to kids and grown-ups alike, bridging the gap between Sesame Street fans and the hip audience he picked up by appearing on Saturday Night Live. With "Sex And Violence," the show leans too far toward the latter end of the continuum. The stiff Sam The Eagle is engaged in a virtual culture war with the longhaired (and, as later, clearly stoned) members of the Muppet orchestra. Kermit is seen only briefly, trying to use his Sesame Street fame to pick up a female Muppet. (Some nobody named Nigel hosts.) And over the closing credits, the camera pulls back to capture Henson and the Muppet crew performing the act, as if the show were too cool not to reveal the illusion.
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