
Jim Henson
Director · 1936 – 1990 · Greenville, Mississippi, USA
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, actor, animator, creative producer, and director who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and as the director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), as well as creating the puppets for Sesame Street (1969). Born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Maryland, Henson began developing puppets in high school. He created Sam and Friends (1955–1961), a short-form comedy television program on WRC-TV, while he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, in collaboration with fellow student Jane Nebel. Henson and Nebel co-founded Muppets, Inc. – now The Jim Henson Company – in 1958, and married less than a year later in 1959. Henson graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics. In 1969, Henson joined the children's television program Sesame Street (1969–present) where he helped to develop Muppet characters for the series. He and his creative team also appeared on the first season of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (1975–present). He produced the sketch comedy television series The Muppet Show (1976–1981) during this period. Henson revolutionized the way puppetry is captured and presented in video media, and he won fame for his characters – particularly Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, and the characters on Sesame Street. During the later years of his life, he founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. He won the Emmy Award twice for his involvement in The Storyteller (1987–1988) and The Jim Henson Hour (1989). Henson died in New York City from toxic shock syndrome caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. At the time of his death, he was in negotiations to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company, but talks fell through after his death. He was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, and was named a Disney Legend in 2011. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jim Henson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movies24
Movie7.3AdventureFamilyFrustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.
Labyrinth
1986 · 2.9K votes
Movie6.7ComedyFamilyWhen Kermit the Frog and the Muppets learn that their beloved theater is slated for demolition, a sympathetic human, Gary, and his felt-faced brother, Walter, swoop in to help the gang put on a telethon show and raise the $10 million they need to save the day.
The Muppets
2011 · 1.7K votes
Movie8.5FamilyLong before America came to appreciate the talents of Jim Henson and his brilliant creations, The Muppets, Ed Sullivan had the foresight to identify with Henson's enormous creativity and provide him an opportunity to introduce his unique characters to the American public. With Henson's first appearance on September 18, 1966, The Muppets began to capture America's imagination, breaking down our old conceptions of what could be done with puppetry, challenging us to embrace these creatures as living and thinking beings. Not only does this program introduce us to Kermit, we can also see the beginnings of other Henson characters we've come to know and love, including reindeer discussing Christmas deliveries, singing cows, a monster engulfing a computer, and Kermit swallowing a worm. The charm and warmth that captured children and adults when these inventive segments first aired are just as powerful and compelling today. As you will see... The Muppets' charm and lore are timeless!
Muppets Magic from 'The Ed Sullivan Show!'
2003 · 2 votes
Movie7.2FamilyComedyThe Muppets gather to watch their newly-finished big-budget rich-and-famous feature film: a talent agent persuades Kermit the Frog to leave the swamp to pursue a career in Hollywood. On his way there, he meets a bear, a pig, a whatever (his future muppet crew), and some special celebrity guest stars, while being chased by the desperate owner of a frog-leg restaurant!
The Muppet Movie
1979 · 722 votes
Movie6.3ComedyAdventureAfter the success of their telethon and renewed fame, the Muppets go on a world tour and find themselves wrapped into an European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick.
Muppets Most Wanted
2014 · 915 votes
Movie7.2AdventureFamilyOn another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.
The Dark Crystal
1982 · 1.3K votes
Movie6.5ThrillerComedyEd Okin used to have a boring life. He used to have trouble getting to sleep. Then one night, he met Diana. Now, Ed's having trouble staying alive.
Into the Night
1985 · 341 votes
Movie7.8DocumentaryFeaturing unprecedented access to Jim Henson's personal archives, filmmaker Ron Howard brings us a fascinating and insightful look at a complex man whose boundless imagination inspired the world.
Jim Henson Idea Man
2024 · 59 votes
Movie7.0FamilyMusicSesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration is a special produced for the beloved series' 25th anniversary. Released in a slightly different form on video in October 1993, the special was shelved for its broadcast premiere on PBS until 1994, during pledge drive season, and in many markets, aired as part of a marathon block with three show episodes.
Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration
1993 · 4 votes
Movie6.6RomanceComedyWhen the Muppets graduate from Danhurst College, they take their song-filled senior revue to New York City, only to learn that it isn't easy to find a producer who's willing to back a show starring a frog and a pig. Of course, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy won't take no for an answer, launching a search for someone to take them to Broadway.
The Muppets Take Manhattan
1984 · 435 votes
Movie6.8ComedyMusicThis special is the second "Night of 100 Stars" to benefit The Actors Fund of America. Edited from a seven-hour live entertainment marathon that was taped February 17, 1985, at New York's Radio City Music Hall, this sequel to the 1982 "Night of 100 Stars" special features 288 celebrities.
Night of 100 Stars II
1985 · 5 votes
Movie6.9ComedyCrimeKermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.
The Great Muppet Caper
1981 · 355 votes
Movie6.1DocumentaryTV MovieThe Earth Day Special is a television special revolving around Earth Day that aired on ABC on April 22, 1990. Sponsored by Time Warner, the special featured an all-star cast addressing concerns about global warming, deforestation, and other environmental ills.
The Earth Day Special
1990 · 12 votes
Movie8.1FamilyCrimeThis parody of film noir and gangster flicks takes us through the dangerous town of Dog City, teeming with colorful Muppet Dog characters. Rowlf the dog is your guide through the underside of canine life during the 1930s in Dog City. Our hero, Ace, enters the world of bulldog gangsters and terrier molls when he inherits a saloon from his late Uncle Harry. Unwilling to pay protection money, Ace finds himself the target of Bugsy, a bulldog bully who owns most of Dog City. Life can be ruff!
Dog City
1989 · 8 votes
Movie6.4FamilyComedyBig Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.
Follow That Bird
1985 · 92 votes
Movie6.8FamilyMusicThe stars come out on Sesame Street in this fun-filled video featuring the show's most memorable moments. Sing-along in this star-studded celebration!
Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie
1988 · 4 votes
Movie7.4DocumentaryTake a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most influential children's show in television history. From the iconic furry characters to the classic songs you know by heart, learn how a gang of visionary creators changed the world.
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
2021 · 26 votes
Movie6.2TV MovieFamilyKermit the Frog throws a glamorous party at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub to celebrate the premiere of the Muppets' first feature film, The Muppet Movie. Hosts Dick van Dyke and Rita Moreno interview the wide array of celebrities and Muppets who attend the event. Gary Owens serves as off-camera announcer, and appears on-screen to introduce Miss Piggy.
The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979 · 26 votes
Movie6.9FamilyComedyFozzie Bear surprises his mother on Christmas Eve by bringing the entire Muppet gang to her farm to celebrate the holidays. Doc and his dog Sprocket, who had planned a quiet Christmas, end up joining the Muppets in their holiday activities and preparations. The Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock regulars join the festivities, but to Kermit's dismay, the only one missing is Miss Piggy, who has been caught in a snowstorm.
A Muppet Family Christmas
1987 · 117 votes
Movie6.1FamilyFantasyFor the first time in their careers, all the Muppets (except the ones that couldn't make it, like the Doozers, Gorgs and most of the Fraggles) have gathered together in one place to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary and honor the one who brought them together: Kermit the Frog (and by doing so, Jim Henson).
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
1986 · 8 votes
Movie7.6DocumentaryA behind-the-scenes look at Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film, 'Labyrinth', featuring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.
Inside the Labyrinth
1986 · 20 votes
Movie7.3ComedyFamilyThis one-hour special marks the 20th anniversary of Sesame Street, the ground-breaking educational children's series that has taught numbers and the alphabet, along with social and cultural concepts, to generations of preschoolers.
Sesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
1989 · 4 votes
Movie7.0FamilyTV MovieSesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! was a 1994 TV special that aired on ABC to celebrate Sesame Street's 25th anniversary. It was originally broadcast on May 18, 1994. The show featured Joe Pesci (as Ronald Grump), Corbin Bernsen (as real estate attorney, Arnie), Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman (as a Worm TV hosts), John Goodman (as Tough Guy Helpline operator), Charles Grodin (as Chaz), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (as reporter Kathie Lee Kathie), Rosie O'Donnell (as the Good Hope Fairy), Susan Sarandon (as Bitsy), Barbara Walters (reporting for 25/25), and Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford (as themselves).
Movie7.1DramaTV MovieAn unnamed character is trapped in a cubical white room where others can enter and leave, but which he himself apparently cannot leave. A stool is brought in covered in strawberry jam, the furniture changes throughout the play. The main character is subjected to an increasingly puzzling and frustrating series of encounters, as a variety of people come through various hidden doors. But, as many remind him, he can only leave through his own door, so he must find it.
The Cube
1969 · 30 votes
Series22
TV7.1KidsComedyOn a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.
Sesame Street
1969 · 293 votes
TV6.9ComedyNewsA late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.
Saturday Night Live
1975 · 527 votes
TV5.8ComedyTalk ShowThe Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.
The Mike Douglas Show
1961 · 11 votes
TV6.1ComedyDocumentaryThe best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.
Great Performances
1971 · 25 votes
TV6.8Talk ShowThe Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.
The Dick Cavett Show
1968 · 22 votes
TV5.3Talk ShowChat show hosted by Terry Wogan, featuring live studio interviews with famous and notable personalities.
Wogan
1982 · 7 votes
TV7.0An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, that is better known by its nickname Oscar.
The Oscars
1953 · 84 votes
TV8.4KidsJourney to exciting places and build a lasting connection with your favorite books. Each episode centers on a theme from a book, or other children's literature, which is explored through a number of segments or stories.
Reading Rainbow
1983 · 51 votes
TV7.9Action & AdventureAnimationWalt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series premiered on ABC, Wednesday night, October 27, 1954. The show, which was hosted by Walt Disney until his death and then from 1996 to 2002 by then-CEO Michael Eisner (with one-off hosts or no hosts during other periods) has since aired continually as either a weekly program or an irregular series of specials on several networks and streaming services, most recently on ABC and Disney+. The show is the second longest showing prime-time program on American television, behind its rival, Hallmark Hall of Fame. However, Hallmark Hall of Fame was a weekly program only during its first five seasons, while Disney remained a weekly program for more than forty years.
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · 36 votes
TV7.3KidsFamilyThe Fraggles are a fun-loving community of creatures who live in a subterranean fantasy land where they love to play, sing and dance their cares away, sharing their world with the tiny Doozers and the giant Gorgs. The series teaches empathy and tolerance and encourages children to understand people different from themselves.
Fraggle Rock
1983 · 199 votes
TV8.0ComedyFamilyGo behind the curtains as Kermit the Frog and his muppet friends struggle to put on a weekly variety show.
The Muppet Show
1976 · 363 votes
TV9.0FamilyComedyAn hour-long anthology series hosted by Jim Henson and generally included two segments. The first, MuppeTelevision, features comedy skits starring the Muppets, as well as frequent guest appearances by popular entertainers. The second often rebroadcasts original productions, primarily The StoryTeller.
The Jim Henson Hour
1989 · 11 votes
- TV7.0Talk Show
Einer wird gewinnen
1964 · 2 votes
TV8.0The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by the U.S. chain store business Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, with both parades four years younger than the 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia. The three-hour Macy's event is held in New York City starting at 9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
1948 · 3 votes
TVKidsSesame Street Unpaved was a 67-episode series containing select episodes from the first 20 seasons of Sesame Street. It was shown on the Noggin cable channel from 1999 until 2003.
Sesame Unpaved
1999
TV10.0ComedyDolly is a television variety show that ran on ABC during the 1987-1988 season featuring Dolly Parton.
Dolly
1987 · 1 votes
TV5.5AnimationPlay with Me Sesame, a half-hour interactive series, brings children on a playdate with some of their favorite Sesame Street characters: Bert, Ernie, Grover and Prairie Dawn. Each episode mixes classic Sesame Street footage with newly created games and activities where the Muppets invite children to join in. Play with Me Sesame extends Sesame Street's time-tested educational mission through opportunities for active learning. The participatory design encourages preschoolers to express themselves creatively, while the games and activities support such cornerstone cognitive concepts, such as same and different. As an interactive experience, the program helps children cultivate skills and attitudes needed to succeed in the social environment of school.
Sesame Street: Play with Me Sesame
2002 · 2 votes
TVDramaAn attempt by NBC to emulate the success of the CBS hit The Twilight Zone, this hour-long anthology series showcased different actors, stories and creative talent each week.
TV8.8KidsLittle Muppet Monsters is a short-lived Saturday morning live action/puppet television series, airing only three episodes on CBS in 1985. The first season of Muppet Babies did so well in the ratings, that CBS decided to expand the series from a half-hour to an hour, pairing Muppet Babies with Little Muppet Monsters. They called the hour-long package Muppets, Babies and Monsters.
Jim Henson's Little Muppet Monsters
1985 · 4 votes
- TV
TVDocumenting the lives the most pivotal voices of the 20th century
TV9.5ComedySam and Friends was an early live-action/puppet television show created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane. It was taped and aired locally in Washington, D.C. on WRC-TV in black-and-white, and later, color on weekdays from May 9, 1955 to December 15, 1961.
Sam and Friends
1955 · 2 votes