Top 50 Muppets! (LoC #80)

[anais.butterfly]

Number 36 (tie)
 

Meteora
  24 Points, 1 of 13 lists, #2 Sugar Ray Dodge
First Appearance: The Christmas Toy
Performer: Camille Bonora
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/yzijRD0BDS0" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/yzijRD0BDS0</a>
Bio

Meteora appeared in The Christmas Toy. As self-proclaimed Queen of the Asteroids, Meteora is an imposing action figure toy and is to be the Christmas toy for that year. She does not initially understand the concept of being a gift, and briefly menaces Rugby Tiger and the other toys. In that same special, it is revealed that Mew has a crush on her.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 35
 

’80s Robot
  26 Points, 4 of 13 lists, #12 Kete
First Appearance:The Muppets
Performer: Matt Vogel
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/oe4Nbx_3iog" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/oe4Nbx_3iog</a>
Bio

'80s Robot is a new character who debuted in the 2011 movie The Muppets. Unlike the principal Muppet characters, '80s Robot was designed and built by Legacy Effects. He lives in Kermit's mansion, working as a valet or manservant to Kermit after the break up of the Muppets.
'80s Robot also functions as a chauffeur, and uses his databanks and search engine to locate the Muppet troupe. As his name implies, the character resembles the many robots who dominated the toy, novelty, and pop culture landscape in the 1980s. He uses slang from the era, and offers such beverages as Tab and New Coke. (80s Robot bears an uncanny resemblance to Omnibot 2000, a robot toy made by Tomy in the 80s.)

[anais.butterfly]

Number 34
 

The Newsman
  31 Points, 3 of 13 lists, #7 Relaxing Dragon
First Appearance:The Muppet Show
Notable Appearances:The Great Muppet Caper, A Muppet Family Christmas, Muppets Most Wanted
Performer: Jim Henson (1976 - 1989); Steve Whitmire  (2008 - present)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/_GTIejJnHkw" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/_GTIejJnHkw</a>
Bio

The Newsman is the weary, bespectacled Muppet News Flash anchor on The Muppet Show, debuting in the second episode. The Newsman always tried to deliver the news with accuracy, but was visibly flummoxed on camera by the day's latest bizarre story or interview. Interviews were a more common part of the News Flash in its first season, where the interviewees were portrayed by the show's guest star. From the second season onward, he suffered from a nasty streak of bad luck that usually culminated in some person or object - somehow related to the day's story - falling on his head.
For example, a plea to return missing library books results in a pile of books falling on the Newsman from seemingly out of nowhere, and a stock market report that beef is falling dramatically causes a cow to plummet upon his person. One Muppet Show episode had random objects falling on another Muppet, which causes Kermit to question what is happening, as "things are only supposed to fall on the Newsman!"
One would think the solution would be to give up the news after so many mishaps (but that would obviously end the sketches), but due to either dedication to his craft or a limited sense of self-preservation, the Newsman keeps plugging along.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 33
 

Emmet Otter
  32 Points, 2 of 13 lists, #1 Cole Stratton
First Appearance: Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Notable Appearances:
Performer:Jerry Nelson
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/6uFy_LDrgm4" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/6uFy_LDrgm4</a>
Bio

Emmet Otter is the protagonist of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Emmet has been raised by his mother, Alice Otter, ever since his Pa passed away. He does odd jobs for money using Pa Otter's old tool box - including mending Old Lady Possum's fence and Sam Turtle's stairs.
Emmet would love to own that guitar with the mother of pearl inlays he saw at The Music Store in Waterville. However nothing would make him happier than to buy his Ma a decent Christmas present, something he was never able to give his Pa.
Emmet enjoys singing, and he plays the washtub bass as a member of the Frogtown Jubilee Jug Band. After participating in the annual Waterville talent contest, the Band (along with Alice Otter) were hired by Doc Bullfrog for a permanent gig singing and playing at the Riverside Rest.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 32
 

Robin
  38 Points, 2 of 13 lists, #4 Anais
First Appearance:The Frog Prince
Notable Appearances:The Muppet Christmas Carol, Rocky Mountain Holiday
Performer: Jerry Nelson  (1971 – 2003); Matt Vogel  (2008 - present)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/HAdSQjkA-FU" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/HAdSQjkA-FU</a>
Bio

Robin the Frog is Kermit's nephew, a kind and clever kid who sometimes feels unnoticed because of his small size. Robin likes to spend time with his uncle Kermit, his friend Sweetums, and his boys' club, the Frog Scouts.
Robin made his debut in the 1971 television special The Frog Prince, as the prince-turned-to-frog. In this special, while he was voiced by Jerry Nelson, the puppetry was performed by Frank Oz.  Although he made a few appearances on The Muppet Show's first season, his relationship to Kermit was not established until episode 212. The episode's story involves Robin's plans to run away until Bernadette Peters encouraged him to believe in himself by singing "Just One Person."

[anais.butterfly]

Number 31
 

Link Hogthrob
  41 Points, 5 of 13 lists, #5 Darth Geek
First Appearance:The Muppet Show
Notable Appearances:The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted
Performer: Jim Henson  (1977 - 1990); Steve Whitmire  (2000 - present)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/lCUWwKqWVU0" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/lCUWwKqWVU0</a>
Bio

Link Hogthrob is the blonde, cleft-chinned pig with a high opinion of himself on The Muppet Show. He debuted in the second season as the not-so-fearless captain of the Swinetrek, where his unbridled machismo was often a source of conflict with his co-star, First Mate Piggy.
Unlike Dr. Julius Strangepork, whose role on The Muppet Show would be primarily relegated to the Pigs in Space sketches, Link would feature regularly both in the show's on stage acts and backstage mayhem. When numbers were consisted of assorted pigs, Link was usually with them.

[Sugar Ray Dodge]

OH YES! A BUNCH of my picks just made the cut. Since Meteora was my #2 and Rugby CERTAINLY wasn't my #1, I'm interested to know where he ends up on this thing and who else had him on their list.

[Darth Geek]

Link is AWESOME! He's my Dad's favorite. It's all in the voice and the pomposity. Unfortunately the new person who voiced him (for only one line) in Muppets Most Wanted was terrible. It didn't sound like him at all.

[Pak-Man]

I thought about '80s Robot (My favorite gag from The Muppets) but he just didn't quite feel like a proper Muppet to me.

[CJones]

I, on the other hand, wish I had thought of 80's Robot. Being a child of the 80's and all. I can't even remember what TAB tasted like. But I remember the fiasco with New Coke. I was at Six Flags over Atlanta that year, and they were handing the stuff out for free. Unfortunately, "Classic" Coke isn't really Old Coke either. High fructose corn syrup is not the same thing as sugar.

Ironically, Dr Pepper celebrated a recent anniversary by selling "real" Dr Pepper (with sugar). My dad was right, it was much better than the current stuff. And now Pepsi is doing the same thing.

To soft drink companies: USE REAL SUGAR. Soft Drinks made with corn syrup taste like Karo syrup. I used to think my dad just had delusions of the past as he wanted to remember it. I was wrong. 

[The Lurker]

There's some places that sell Coke with sugar, like grocery stores with a latin foods section.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 40 (Updated)
 

Marjory (The Trash Heap)
 19 Points, 1 of 13 lists, #7 CJones
First Appearance: Fraggle Rock
Performer:Jerry Nelson
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/AKXfSNDggi4" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/AKXfSNDggi4</a>
Bio

Marjory the Trash Heap is a large, matronly, sentient compost heap from Fraggle Rock. According to her rat-like companions Philo and Gunge, who serve as her shills, the Trash Heap knows all and sees all. In fact, Marjory is all: "I'm orange peels, I'm coffee grounds, I'm wisdom!" She serves as an oracle to the Fraggles, dispensing advice and wise sayings, and the Fraggles stand in awe and reverence of her. However, the trash heap lives outside the caves of Fraggle Rock, residing in a corner of the Gorgs' Garden. This makes any journey to seek her wisdom perilous, as the Fraggles must sneak past Junior Gorg.
Marjory's pronouncements "sound a little like Dear Abby on a bad day," according to the presentation booklet used to pitch the series. Her advice usually proves beneficial, though her audience occasionally mistakes practical suggestions for magic spells. She does occasionally supply the Fraggles with "magic" objects such as a lucky blanket or Love Potion No. 9, and does appear to have some magical ability, such as the ability to teleport objects or Fraggles and to speak to someone telepathically, either while awake or in their dreams. Though Marjory enjoys her work, she frequently attempts to offer not just temporary solutions but to encourage the Fraggles and the other species to come together in harmony, and to become more self-reliant.
 

[anais.butterfly]

Number 30
 

Rugby the Tiger
  42 Points, 2 of 13 lists, #4 Cole
First Appearance:The Christmas Toy
Notable Appearances:The Secret Life of Toys
Performer:Dave Goelz
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/ctp3B9fXveg" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/ctp3B9fXveg</a>
Bio

Rugby Tiger is a plush tiger doll. He's the star of the 1986 special The Christmas Toy, and the 1994 spin-off series The Secret Life of Toys.
Rugby is one of the newest toys in the playroom. He is young, mischievous, adventurous and quite self-conceited. He was Jamie's favorite Christmas toy in The Christmas Toy.
In The Secret Life of Toys, Rugby takes great pride in being "plush". His tail is detachable.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 29
 

Hoggle
  44 Points, 3 of 13 lists, #9 Anais
First Appearance:Labyrinth
Performer: Shari Weiser (body); Brian Henson (face and voice)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/uzsrucXl2uM" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/uzsrucXl2uM</a>
Bio

Hoggle is a dwarf who is a resident of Jareth's Labyrinth. He has various odd jobs, such as exterminating fairies, and collects shiny objects.
Although at first he acts callously toward Sarah, when she tricks him into helping her through the labyrinth, they develop a budding friendship, and soon Hoggle finds that he has to overcome his cowardice and choose between that friendship and his fear-induced loyalty to the Goblin King. Hoggle is also terrified of the Bog of Eternal Stench, which makes it Jareth's most effective threat against him.
In the film, Jareth and Sarah often have difficulty remembering Hoggle's name, so he is referred to as Higgle, Hogwart, Hedgewart, and Hogbrain, to which he retorts "(It's) Hoggle!"
The full-bodied Hoggle puppet is currently on display at the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama.
 

[anais.butterfly]

Number 28
 

Yoda (Y-O-D-A, Yoda)
  49 Points, 4 of 13 lists, #7 Scott
First Appearance:The Emperor Strikes Back
Notable Appearances:The Return of the Jedi
Performer:Frank Oz
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/xMpDHEVaI1k" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/xMpDHEVaI1k</a>
Bio

Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars space opera franchise created by George Lucas, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. In the original films, he trains Luke Skywalker to fight against the evil Galactic Empire. In the prequel films, he serves as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and as a High-ranking General of Clone Troopers in the Clone Wars.