<human>: Answer by taking a quote from the following article:

Miss Piggy is a Muppet character known for her breakout role in Jim Henson's The Muppet Show. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy has been notable for her volatile diva personality, tendency to use French phrases in her speech, and practice of karate. She was also known for her on-again/off-again relationship with Kermit the Frog, which began in 1978 and has been on a hiatus since 2015. Frank Oz performed the character from 1976 to 2000 and was succeeded by Eric Jacobson in 2001.

Miss Piggy began as a minor chorus pig on The Muppet Show, but gradually developed into one of the central characters of the series, as the writers and producers of The Muppet Show recognized that a lovelorn pig could be more than a one-note running gag. She spawned a huge fad during the late 1970s and early 1980s and eclipsed Kermit and the other Muppets in popularity at that time, selling far more merchandise and writing a book that, unlike any of Kermit's books, wound up on top of the New York Times Bestseller List.  Miss Piggy's personality and voice were seen and heard in other female characters performed by Frank Oz before the character's debut. For instance, a Sesame Street Muppet skit from 1971 featured Snow White performed by Frank Oz and acting (as well as sounding) like Miss Piggy. Another sound-alike came from a contestant in a Guy Smiley sketch called "The Mystery Mix-Up Game".  In The Muppet Show episode 106, Piggy is referred to by the full name "Piggy Lee," and in episode 116, Piggy tells guest star Avery Schreiber that Piggy is short for "Pigathius", "from the Greek, meaning 'river of passion'". Also during the Jim Nabors episode when asked what (astrological) sign she was born under she replied that she wasn't born under a sign, she was born over one, "Becker's Butcher shop". She portrayed "Wonder Pig", a spoof a Wonder Woman in episode 419 while Lynda Carter sang "The Rubberband Man" and "Orange Colored Sky". CANNOTANSWER

When did The Muppet Show first air?
<bot>: She spawned a huge fad during the late 1970s