THE MUPPET SHOW: SEASON 2

Season two finds Kermit and company firmly in control of their element. The familiar opening -- where Scooter knocks on the door of the guest's dressing room as a way to introduce that episode's star -- starts here, and a cavalcade of big-name guest stars follows, including Don Knotts, Steve Martin, George Burns and Bob Hope. Milton Berle turns up, too, which makes Fozzie very nervous. The stand-up bear is uneasy about meeting one of his idols, you see, but the veteran comic mentors our furry pal. The show, shot in London after American networks passed, features a few guests geared toward the British market such as Peter Sellers, Petula Clark and John Cleese. The latter was not widely known here in the mid-1970s, except by fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus. In all cases, creator Jim Henson and his cohorts manage to do what many still attempt: create laughs that appeal to a wide audience without relying on the trite or hackneyed. Extras include the series original pilot and two behind-the-scenes featurettes. (P.F. Wilson) Grade: A