TELEVISION · 1997
Muppets Tonight
1997 · Season 2, Episode 6 · Paula Abdul Guest Appearance
EXPLORE THE COMPLETE STORY ↓Overview
Muppets Tonight brought Jim Henson’s Muppets into a late-night-style variety show, with celebrity guests, comedy sketches and live music. Paula Abdul starred as the featured guest in Season 2, Episode 6, which originally aired November 2, 1997.
The episode paired her familiar showmanship and choreography with the Muppets’ chaotic sense of humor—and reunited “Opposites Attract” with another animated stage partner: Clifford.
In the episode, Clifford spends much of the show trying to win a kiss from Paula, while Gonzo launches a daredevil cannonball act and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew’s robot Abraham Lincoln goes haywire around the studio. Between the comic interruptions, Paula joins Clifford for a playful performance of “Opposites Attract.”
For the musical finale, Paula performs her own rendition of Bill Withers’ classic “Lean on Me”, beginning with the lonely robot Abraham Lincoln and gradually bringing the other Muppets into the number. The show closes on a warm, upbeat note after all the chaos.
Paula & Clifford: “Opposites Attract”
Clifford’s attempts to impress Paula become a recurring joke, culminating in a full production number featuring “Opposites Attract.” The number starts with Paula and Clifford and grows into a stage packed with Muppet performers.
The appearance is a playful companion to Paula’s original Opposites Attract music-video history.
Paula also performs “Lean on Me” at the close of the episode, turning the misadventures of the Abraham Lincoln robot into a group musical number.
Full Episode
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“Opposites Attract” — Paula Abdul & Clifford
Photo Gallery
Episode Details
- Series
- Muppets Tonight
- Episode
- Season 2, Episode 6 — Paula Abdul
- Original airdate
- November 2, 1997
- Guest star
- Paula Abdul
- Featured musical performance
- Opposites Attract with Clifford
- Closing musical number
- “Lean on Me” (Bill Withers), performed by Paula Abdul with the Muppets
Sources: Episode guide ↗ · Airdate information ↗.
Related Features
Opposites Attract ↗ · The Muppets Mayhem ↗ · Film & Television ↗.