Jim Henson Makes Muppets on PBS
by Chris Hardwick on September 14, 2010
A few months back, Cinefamily in LA screened a bunch of footage from the Henson family vault and it was magnificent. Stuff like the original unsuccessful pitch for the Muppet Show, old commercials & shorts. It was stunning and gorgeous. This belongs in that mix.
via Laughing Squid via Boing Boing
I LOVE the muppets. My favorite movie of ALL time is the muppet movie…They had a tribute to Jim in DC it was incredible. I cried the whole time even with all the school children on field trips running around. I was like be quiet show some respect!
YES! It’s Ralph The Dog, my favorite Muppet! He never gets enough credit. Ralph is one of the few Muppets to make the transition from Sesame Street to The Muppet Show.
uhh… http://twitter.com/thisjayporta/status/24495404079
I hope you guys still check “[email protected]” I’m totally reapplying.
Frackin’ awesome!! I learned how to speak English mostly due to shows like Sesame Street and Mr. Henson’s Muppets! He’s gone on to be a source of inspiration to so many people out there! Thanks for sharing this!
It’s like watching a magician reveal his tricks, but instead of jading and explaining everything away, he’s just going through his workshop saying “Look at all of this magic that is completely and totally real.” It’s like something out of Fantasia. The spark of life is there immediately and delightfully.
“When you’ve been tickling the ivories as long as I have….” – Ralph
The Muppets are AWESOME.. I still miss the Muppet Show all these years later. Jim Henson was taken from us way too soon. Thanks for this Chris… you’re becoming the freaking Jedi Master of Nerds…
I’ve never heard Jim Henson speak. I love the familiar Kermit the Frog tonality in his normal speaking voice. This lifted my spirits. Thanks Chris!
People, people, it’s Rowlf, not Ralph!
Thanks for posting. This was just awesome, i hope that more uploads find their way to the web from the special. Always loved everything Jim Henson.
Chris, when you did the muppets interview, was the whole outfit there? (meaning puppeteers and full muppets etc)
OK, so I may go down as a sap for this but, watching this and reading the comments almost makes me want to cry. IMO, Jim Henson is one of the very few entertainers that was so much more than just an entertainer. His Muppets meant something to me growing up and always will. He was a master artist. And I loved his work in movies like Dark Crystal and Labyrinth as well.
ANIMAL! ANIMAL! BANG DRUM! BANG DRUM!
That was wonderful! Thanks so much for posting this, Chris.
Finally got around to watching this. So wonderful and charming!
The world truly is a better place for having had Jim Henson in it. My 9-year-old self was devastated when he died. I think he may have been the first celebrity death I felt genuinely affected by.
Both my 3 and 7 year old kids loved this. Now the 7 year old is scouring the house looking for stuff to make puppets. What are the chances of the Henson estate releasing the archived footage?