Puppet Injustice - Part 4

Most of you may know (or at least recognise) Beauregard. Here's a really small picture of him (sorry, it's the only one I could find).




He was an amusing character, created in the later seasons of The Muppet Show, and he was the janitor of The Muppet Theatre. He was exceptionally stupid (or maybe I should call it 'simple'), and had superhuman strength. Good natured and friendly, but easily perplexed, Beauregard is a background character most people remember seeing on the show (or in the Muppet movies).

But I don't think quite as many people will remember The Muppet Show's original janitor, George.




As you can see, he had googly eyes and a kind of perpetual frown. He was the grumpy janitor in The Muppet Theatre during the early seasons, so unless you're a big Muppet fan or have recently been watching the DVD release of the first season, he may not be as familiar to you. He had a husky voice and was either mopping (and moping) around backstage, complaining about something or other, or he was featuring in the "At The Dance" skits where couples cracked one-liners while ballroom dancing. George's dance partner was Mildred:




A nod to the British TV show George & Mildred, perhaps? It's quite likely. But I digress.

Beauregard (or 'Bo', as the other Muppets affectionately called him - although I always felt it should be spelt 'Beau', but there I go digressing again) is a great a character, and I personally prefer him to George, but this is still a Puppet Injustice.

I'm not sure if George being replaced was ever specifically addressed on the show - I guess time will tell as all seasons come out on DVD and I watch each episode in order. But I know one thing; George knew how to mop up floors and grumble to himself while he was at it. Where else could he get a job where he got to clean up after people and was allowed to whinge about it?

Well, the answer is here. I have it on good authority* that George spent his declining years cleaning the pavement outside the front of that establishment. There was always plenty of celebrity 'mess' to clean up each morning, and many people who'd pay to listen to him complain about it. Mostly cheap tabloids.

George passed away on Halloween 1993, when he was mobbed by tourists trying to get close enough to the body of the latest celebrity to die there on the curb.

He is sadly missed.

But apparently, not by the Muppets.


* Which I just made up.