Saturday

CNN 20: Kermit Hosts 'LARRY KING LIVE' April 1, 1994

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

"KERMIT THE FROG": Down here, guys -- yes. Hi-ho. Now, Kermit the Frog here, just like it says right there.

Good evening, and welcome to "LARRY KING LIVE."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Kermit was the best fill-in of all time, and Kermit is one of my favorite people of all time. Kermit's a person. He talked to Ted Koppel about this when Koppel was on that show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

TED KOPPEL, HOST, "NIGHTLINE": Where's Larry, Larry King?

KERMIT: He's on vacation, Ted. I'm sorry about that.

KOPPEL: If you think I'm going to jeopardize 35 years of a professional reputation by being interviewed by a frog, you've got another think coming.

KOPPEL: Listen, Ted, I...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Visitors are not allowed to see. You're not -- no person away from the Muppet crew can see the puppet as a puppet. You can't look inside a box. You can't see Kermit except once he comes up over that table. That's the first time you see him. That was a great night. They visited the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

UNIDENTIFIED MUPPET: This is CNN, the Cheese News Network.

KERMIT: Now how did I do.

KOPPEL: So far? I'd say about a C-plus.

KERMIT: I haven't -- I haven't broken eye contact, though.

KOPPEL: You haven't broken eye contact, but you haven't reduced me to tears yet, either.

KERMIT: Oh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: He was good. I tell you, he got good numbers, too. They liked him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

KERMIT: Welcome back, everybody.

GONZO: Welcome back? We're on live television?

KERMIT: Gonzo, the name of the show is "LARRY KING LIVE."

GONZO: Well, yes, but I just thought "King Live" was Larry's last name.

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