What are the names of the two heckling old men on The Muppet Show?

The two old men who heckle the performers on The Muppet Show are Statler and Waldorf.

They are elderly Muppet characters best known for sitting in a theater box and delivering sarcastic commentary from above the stage. Their routine usually involves criticizing the show, insulting the performers, and then laughing at their own jokes. They are especially associated with heckling Fozzie Bear’s comedy, although they regularly target the entire cast.

Statler and Waldorf first appeared in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence in 1975. They became consistent balcony critics when The Muppet Show developed the following year. Their names are a piece of New York hotel wordplay: Statler refers to the Statler Hilton, while Waldorf refers to the Waldorf-Astoria.

The pair are sometimes mistaken for a generic comedy duo such as Laurel and Hardy, but they are original Muppet characters. Their appearance together is also essential to the joke: each man encourages the other’s complaints and self-satisfied laughter. Despite their constant negativity, they are part of the show’s central ensemble rather than outside narrators.