The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. The company is known for its innovations in the field of
puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a perform ...
, particularly through the creation of
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
and the
Muppets characters.
Brian Henson
Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson.
Early life
Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New ...
serves as chairman, while
Lisa Henson
Lisa Marie Henson (born May 9, 1960) is an American television and film producer and former actress who has been involved in television shows such as ''Sid the Science Kid''. She is the CEO of The Jim Henson Company, founded by her parents Jim an ...
serves as CEO. Since 2000, The Jim Henson Company is
headquartered
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...
at the
Jim Henson Company Lot
The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property serv ...
, the historic former Charlie Chaplin Studios, in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
.
The company was established in November 1958 by
puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, called a puppet, to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from ...
s
Jim
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim ...
and
Jane Henson
Jane Ann Henson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née Nebel; June 16, 1934 – April 2, 2013) was an American puppeteer and the wife of Jim Henson.
Early life
Jane Ann Nebel was born and raised in St. Albans, Queens, she met Henson when she ...
, and is currently independently owned and operated by their children. Henson has produced many successful television series, including ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
'' (1976–1981), ''
Fraggle Rock
''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...
'' (1983–1987), and ''
Bear in the Big Blue House
''Bear in the Big Blue House'' is an American children's television series created by Mitchell Kriegman and produced by Jim Henson Television for Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney preschool television block. Debuting on October 20, 1997, it aire ...
'' (1997–2006); as well, the company designed the Muppet characters for ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' (1969–present).
The company has also produced theatrical films, including ''
The Muppet Movie
''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the fil ...
'' (1979), ''
The Dark Crystal
''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The J ...
'' (1982) and ''
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...
'' (1986). Henson also operates
Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States.
History
Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally ...
, an
animatronics
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
and
visual effects
Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of
a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production.
The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
studio which has created characters and effects for both Henson productions and outside projects. In 1989, the company entered merger negotiations with
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, which were canceled following Jim Henson's death in 1990.
Subsequently, control of the company was assumed by Henson's children:
Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer
* Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...
,
Cheryl
Cheryl is a female given name common in English speaking countries.
There are several prevailing theories about its etymology. The most common is that it has Italo-Celtic roots and is an Anglicised version of either the French name Cherie (from ...
,
Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
,
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
, and
Heather. In 2000, Henson was sold to German media company
EM.TV & Merchandising AG; by the end of that year, however, EM.TV's stock collapsed, and the Henson family re-acquired the company in 2003.
In the interim, EM.TV sold the rights to the ''Sesame Street'' Muppets to
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...
in early January 2001, following a December 2000 announcement. Henson sold The Muppets and ''Bear in the Big Blue House'' properties to Disney in 2004, but retains the remainder of its program library and assets.
, Brian, Lisa, Cheryl, and Heather Henson maintain control of the company. Jane Henson died in April 2013, and John Henson died in February 2014.
History
1958 to 1990
Jim
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim ...
and
Jane Henson
Jane Ann Henson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née Nebel; June 16, 1934 – April 2, 2013) was an American puppeteer and the wife of Jim Henson.
Early life
Jane Ann Nebel was born and raised in St. Albans, Queens, she met Henson when she ...
officially founded Muppets, Inc. on November 20, 1958, three years after ''
Sam and Friends
''Sam and Friends'' is an American live-action/puppet sketch comedy television series and a lead-in to ''The Tonight Show'' created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane Nebel. It was taped and aired twice daily as a local series in ...
'' debuted on
WRC-TV
WRC-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Washington, D.C., airing programming from the NBC network. It is owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by the network's NBC Owned Television Stations division alongside Class A television se ...
in Washington, D.C. Aside from ''Sam and Friends'', the majority of its work until 1969 was in advertising; appearances on late-night talk shows; and short "meeting films" primarily for enterprise use, produced from 1965 to 1996. In 1968, the company began designing characters and producing short films for the fledgling ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'', which premiered on
NET
Net or net may refer to:
Mathematics and physics
* Net (mathematics), a filter-like topological generalization of a sequence
* Net, a linear system of divisors of dimension 2
* Net (polyhedron), an arrangement of polygons that can be folded up ...
(succeeded by
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
) in November 1969.
One of the company's first characters to appear regularly on television,
Rowlf the Dog
Rowlf the Dog is a The Muppets, Muppet character, a scruffy brown dog of Mongrel, indeterminate breed with a rounded black nose and long floppy ears. He was created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Rowlf is the Muppet Theatre's resident pi ...
, originated in commercials for
Purina Dog Chow
Purina may refer to:
*Ralston Purina, an American pet food company that was acquired in 2001
*Nestlé Purina PetCare, the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., and the acquirer of Ralston Purina Company in 2001 (subsequently merged with N ...
and became a regular character on ''
The Jimmy Dean Show
''The Jimmy Dean Show'' is the name of several similar music and variety series on American local and network television between 1963 and 1975. Each starred country music singer Jimmy Dean as host.
Daytime
''The Jimmy Dean Show'', initially call ...
'' from 1963 to 1966. During this time, the show's host,
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials.
He became ...
, refused an opportunity to own 40% of the company, assuming that he did not attain that right. Jim Henson also pitched several different projects to the major American television networks, to little avail. Some ideas became unaired pilots, while others were never produced.
![Henson Associates logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Henson_Associates_logo.png)
In 1976, producer
Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...
approached Henson to produce a weekly series in Grade's native
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. This series became ''
The Muppet Show
''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a ser ...
'', produced by
Associated Television
Associated Television was the original name of the British broadcaster ATV, part of the Independent Television (ITV) network. It provided a service to London at weekends from 1955 to 1968, to the Midlands on weekdays from 1956 to 1968, and ...
(ATV) for the
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
network. The success of ''The Muppet Show'' led to the Muppets becoming an enduring
media franchise
A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
. Another company controlled by Grade,
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company (ITC), or ITC Entertainment as it was referred to in the United States, was a British company involved in production and distribution of television programmes.
History Incorporated Television Programme Compan ...
, originally owned ''The Muppet Show'', among other Henson productions, but Henson acquired the rights to these productions in the 1980s. During this time, Henson formed
Jim Henson's Creature Shop
Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States.
History
Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally ...
, a special effects studio partially responsible for the films ''
The Dark Crystal
''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The J ...
'' and ''
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...
''; and television series ''
The StoryTeller'', ''
Farscape
''Farscape'' is an Australian-American science fiction television series, produced originally for the Nine Network. It premiered in the US on Sci-Fi Channel's SciFi Friday, 19 March 1999, at 8:00 pm EST as their anchor series. The series was c ...
'', and ''
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...
''.
![Jim Henson Productions](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Jim_Henson_Productions.png)
Later in his life, Henson produced ''
Fraggle Rock
''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...
'' and ''
The Jim Henson Hour
''The Jim Henson Hour'' is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the Muppet characters.
Nine of the twelve episodes produced aired on NBC bef ...
''. In August 1989, Henson and
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
CEO
Michael Eisner
Michael Dammann Eisner (born March 7, 1942) is an American businessman and former chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Walt Disney Company from September 1984 to September 2005. Prior to Disney, Eisner was president of rival film st ...
began merger discussions reportedly valued at $150 million, which also included a fifteen-year contract for Henson's personal "creative services." However, the deal did not include the rights to the ''Sesame Street'' characters, which were owned by Henson, although merchandising revenue was split between Henson and the
Children's Television Workshop
Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...
.
Also during the negotiations, management of the company's Henson International Television distribution unit based in the UK purchased their unit from the company, leading to the establishment of
HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment Limited (commonly written as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Soph ...
. On May 16, 1990, as negotiations continued, Jim Henson died of
toxic shock syndrome
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a condition caused by bacterial toxins. Symptoms may include fever, rash, skin peeling, and low blood pressure. There may also be symptoms related to the specific underlying infection such as mastitis, osteomyeliti ...
. Following Henson's death, neither Disney nor Jim Henson Productions could come to an accord. Negotiations officially ended in December 1990, and Henson remained an independent company.
1991 to 1999
The Henson family assumed management of the company, and Brian Henson was named president, chairman, and CEO in January 1991. In the following years, Henson entered into deals with several companies, including television rights to the Henson library with
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
and
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
; a record label with
BMG Kidz; and a home media label with
Buena Vista Home Video
Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the Home video, home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films ...
. In 1995, Henson entered into an agreement with
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
to produce primetime television series, leading to ''
Muppets Tonight
''Muppets Tonight'' is an American live-action/ puppet family-oriented television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of ''The Jim Henson Hour'' (1989), the show was a conti ...
'' and ''
Aliens in the Family
''Aliens in the Family'' is an American science fantasy sitcom that aired on ABC from March 15 to August 31, 1996, conceived as part of its '' TGIF'' lineup.
Premise
The show was about single dad Doug Brody (John Bedford Lloyd), who is abducted ...
''.
Following the releases of ''
The Muppet Christmas Carol
''The Muppet Christmas Carol'' is a 1992 American Christmas musical comedy drama film directed by Brian Henson (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay by Jerry Juhl. Adapted from the 1843 novella ''A Christmas Carol'' by Charles Dic ...
'' and ''
Muppet Treasure Island
''Muppet Treasure Island'' is a 1996 American musical swashbuckler comedy film directed by Brian Henson. It is the fifth theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise.
Adapted from the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson, s ...
'' by
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios uni ...
, Henson formed
Jim Henson Pictures with
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, ac ...
. In 1998, the company signed a deal with
Columbia TriStar Home Video
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home video distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation.
Background
SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures lib ...
to launch Jim Henson Home Entertainment. By 1999, Henson held partial interests in two cable channels: The
Kermit Channel
The Kermit Channel was an Asian television channel that was owned by the The Jim Henson Company, Jim Henson Company and Crown Media Holdings, Hallmark Entertainment until 2001, when Hallmark assumed full ownership and renamed the channel. It was ...
(broadcasting in Asia) and Odyssey Network (broadcasting in the United States), both jointly owned with Hallmark Entertainment. After Hallmark (through
Crown Media Holdings
Hallmark Media (formerly Crown Media Holdings) is an American media production company with corporate headquarters located in Studio City, California, and is a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards.
Hallmark Media consists of Crown Media Productions ...
) assumed full ownership of these networks, the Kermit Channel was discontinued and Odyssey was renamed the
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is an American television channel owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and ...
.
2000 to 2004
![Jim Henson Home Entertainment](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Jim_Henson_Home_Entertainment.png)
In 2000, the Henson family sold the company to the German media company
EM.TV & Merchandising AG, for $680 million. That summer, EM.TV sold Henson's stakes in the Odyssey and Kermit cable channels in exchange for an 8.2% stake in Hallmark-controlled Crown Media Holdings. By the end of 2000, after EM.TV subsequently experienced major financial problems, EM.TV sold the company's ownership of the ''Sesame Street'' Muppets and Henson's small interest in the
Noggin
Noggin may refer to:
General
* Noggin or gill (volume), a unit of volume
* Noggin (cup), a small cup
* Noggin, slang for head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, an ...
television network to Sesame Workshop, and by early 2001, Henson itself was marked for sale. The Walt Disney Company,
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
,
HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment Limited (commonly written as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Soph ...
,
Aol Time Warner
Warner Media, LLC ( traded as WarnerMedia) was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate. It was headquartered at the 30 Hudson Yards complex in New York City, United States.
It was originally established in 1972 by ...
,
Haim Saban
Haim Saban (; he, חיים סבן; born October 15, 1944) is an Israeli-American media proprietor, investor, and producer of records, film, and television. A businessman with interests in financial services, entertainment, and media, and an e ...
,
Classic Media
Classic Media, LLC, doing business as DreamWorks Classics, is an American entertainment company owned by DreamWorks Animation, which is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures and a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It was founded as Classic Media ...
, as well as Henson management, among others, were all parties reportedly interested in acquiring the company.
In December 2002, a deal was announced in which EM.TV would sell a 49.9% stake in Henson to an investment group led by Dean Valentine, a former executive at Disney and
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
. However, in March 2003, the deal was canceled, citing financial issues on Valentine's part. In May 2003, EM.TV was reportedly nearing an agreement to sell Henson to a consortium between Classic Media and Sesame Workshop (with financing from Sony Pictures Entertainment), until the Henson family re-acquired the company for a closing price of $84 million.
In February 2004, Henson sold the Muppets and ''Bear in the Big Blue House'' to The Walt Disney Company,
who subsequently formed
The Muppets Studio
The Muppets Studio, LLC, formerly The Muppets Holding Company, LLC, is a wholly owned entertainment subsidiary of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, formed in 2004 through The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of ''The Muppets'' and ''Bear i ...
(known at that time as The Muppets Holding Company). The term "Muppet", likewise, became a legal trademark of Disney; Sesame Workshop retains permission to use the term for its ''Sesame Street'' characters under a license from Disney.
2004 to present
On April 1, 2004, Henson and
HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment Limited (commonly written as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Soph ...
agreed to a five-year global distribution and production deal which included distribution of 440 hours of the company's remaining library including ''
Fraggle Rock
''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...
'', ''
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban. The special features an ensemble cast of Henson's Muppet characters as well as chara ...
'', ''
The Hoobs
''The Hoobs'' is a live-action/animated children's television series created and produced by The Jim Henson Company and Decode Entertainment for Channel Four. Five series of 52 episodes were produced.
Concept
Channel 4 announced in November ...
'' and ''
Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories
''Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories'' is a children's television show hosted by Mother Goose, who tells her three goslings the stories behind well-known nursery rhymes.
Production
The show featured child actors and elaborate puppets created by ...
''. In addition, the agreement also included the production of new properties, including ''Frances'', in which both companies co-produced and also both co-own the copyright to the series. After that deal expired, Henson entered similar agreements with
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered in ...
and
Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment
Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment (formerly known as Vivendi Entertainment, Vivendi Visual Entertainment and Visual Entertainment) is an independent film, television, DVD and digital distribution company operating in the United States and Canada. It is ...
. As well, the company became involved with computer animated projects, including the direct-to-video ''
Unstable Fables'' series; ''
Sid the Science Kid
''Sid the Science Kid'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Sid the Science Kid'') is an American computer-animated children’s television series on PBS Kids. It aired from September 1, 2008 to March 25, 2013, with a total of 66 half-hour episodes pro ...
''; ''
Dinosaur Train
''Dinosaur Train'' is a CGI-animated preschool musical television series aimed for preschoolers ages 3 to 6. Created by Craig Bartlett, who created Nickelodeon's ''Hey Arnold!'', the series features a curious young ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' named ...
''; and ''
Splash and Bubbles
''Splash and Bubbles'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Splash and Bubbles'') is an American computer-animated children's television series created by John Tartaglia. The series debuted on PBS Kids on November 23, 2016, after ''Wild Kratts: Creatur ...
'', as well as the puppet series ''
Pajanimals
''Jim Henson's Pajanimals'' (a portmanteau of the words ''pajamas'' and ''animals'') is an American- British children's TV series created by Jeff Muncy and Alex Rockwell. The Pajanimals are characters that were made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop ...
''.
Henson later formed Henson Alternative, which specializes in adult content, including the live shows known alternatively as ''Puppet Improv'', ''
Puppet Up!
''Puppet Up! – Uncensored'' is a Adult live puppet musical show produced by The Jim Henson Company combining puppetry and improvisational comedy created by Brian Henson and Groundlings performer Patrick Bristow. The show is advertised for "ad ...
'', and ''Stuffed and Unstrung''. In recent years, the ''Fraggle Rock'' characters have made several appearances, usually at special events. The characters appeared with
Ben Folds Five
Ben Folds Five is an American alternative rock trio formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The group comprises Ben Folds (lead vocals, piano), Robert Sledge (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Darren Jessee (drums, backing vocals). The gro ...
in the music video for "Do It Anyway"; and in 2013, Gobo and Red Fraggle hosted a ''Fraggle Rock'' marathon on the
Hub Network
Discovery Family is an American cable television channel co-owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and Hasbro Entertainment.
The channel was originally launched by Discovery Communications on October 7, 1996 as Discovery Kids, a spin-off of Discove ...
.
In 2019, ''
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', a prequel to ''
The Dark Crystal
''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The J ...
'', premiered on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. In 2022, ''
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock'', a reboot of ''
Fraggle Rock
''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim H ...
'', premiered on
Apple TV+
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
.
On August 9, 2022, the company signed a worldwide distribution agreement with
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
which would allow Shout! to distribute thirteen series and specials from the Henson catalog on home entertainment and streaming platforms across all territories.
Staff
Henson Family
*
Jim Henson
James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...
(1936–1990) – Founder of The Jim Henson Company.
*
Jane Henson
Jane Ann Henson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née Nebel; June 16, 1934 – April 2, 2013) was an American puppeteer and the wife of Jim Henson.
Early life
Jane Ann Nebel was born and raised in St. Albans, Queens, she met Henson when she ...
(1934–2013) – Co-founder of The Jim Henson Company.
*
Brian Henson
Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson.
Early life
Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in New ...
–
Chairman
The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...
of The Jim Henson Company.
*
Lisa Henson
Lisa Marie Henson (born May 9, 1960) is an American television and film producer and former actress who has been involved in television shows such as ''Sid the Science Kid''. She is the CEO of The Jim Henson Company, founded by her parents Jim an ...
–
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of The Jim Henson Company.
*
Cheryl Henson
Cheryl Lee Henson (born August 7, 1961) has served as the President of the Jim Henson Foundation since 1992. She is a philanthropist and supporter of puppetry arts and artists, and serves as a board member of The Jim Henson Company. She was hon ...
–
Board of Directors
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organiz ...
member, President of the
Jim Henson Foundation
The Jim Henson Foundation was founded by puppeteer and Muppet creator Jim Henson to promote and develop puppetry in the United States. Since 1992 Jim Henson's daughter Cheryl Henson has served as the president for the Foundation.
It is the only ...
. Formerly a liaison to
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop (SW), originally known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), is an American nonprofit organization that has been responsible for the production of several educational children's programs—including its first and best-know ...
from 1992 to 2000.
*
John Henson (1965–2014) – Board of Directors member.
*
Heather Henson
Heather Beth Henson (born December 19, 1970) is an American contemporary puppet artist, the daughter of Jim Henson. She serves on The Jim Henson Company, The Jim Henson Legacy, and the Jim Henson Foundation Boards of Directors. She is also a Tr ...
– Board of Directors member.
Leadership
* Peter Schube – President and
COO
COO or coo may refer to:
Business
* Certificate of origin, used in international trade
* Chief operating officer or chief operations officer, high-ranking corporate official
* Concept of operations, used in Systems Engineering Management Process
...
of The Jim Henson Company.
* Lori Don – Executive
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
and
CFO
The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...
of The Jim Henson Company.
* Richard Goldsmith – Executive Vice President, Global Distribution, and International Consumer Projects.
* Joe Henderson – Executive Vice President, Worldwide Administration.
* Stephanie Schroeder – Executive Vice President, Business Affairs & Legal.
* Halle Stanford – Executive Vice President of Children's Entertainment.
* Nicole Goldman – Senior Vice President, Marketing and Publicity.
* Karen Lee Arbeeny – Vice President, Business Operations, Global Distribution.
* Faryal Ganjehei – Vice President and Studio Operations at the Henson Recording Studio.
* Anna Jordan Douglass – Vice President, Digital Development & Interactive Media.
* Howard Sharp – Vice President of Administration.
* Peter Brooke – Creative Supervisor at Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
* Jerry Houle - Vice President of Marketing 1977-1984
Other staff members
* Karen Falk –
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
and
archivist
An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...
.
Filmography
Films
Television
From 1969 to 2000, Henson was contracted to design and create Muppet characters for ''Sesame Street''. With the exception of occasional appearances in the Muppets franchise, the characters were used exclusively for ''Sesame Street'', but Henson legally owned these characters prior to their acquisition by Sesame Workshop. The only exception was
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson. Introduced in 1955, Kermit serves as the everyman protagonist of numerous Muppet productions, most notably ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show'', as well ...
, who was featured in other projects prior to ''Sesame Street''. Sesame Workshop retains the rights to use any ''Sesame Street'' footage featuring the character.
The sale ended any direct affiliation between The Muppets and ''Sesame Street'', although the series retains use of the term "Muppet" under license from Disney. Many of the puppeteers continue to perform with both The Muppets and ''Sesame Street'' franchises. While no longer owning the ''Sesame Street'' characters, Henson continues to design them. This list excludes pre-2001
''Sesame Street'' co-productions outside the United States.
TV series
=As a contributor
=
* ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' (Seasons 1-31) (1969–2000)
* ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' (Season 1)
** "
The Land of Gorch
''The Land of Gorch'' was a recurring adult puppetry skit that appeared in season one of the American comedy television program ''Saturday Night Live,'' featuring Jim Henson's Muppets.
His characters appeared regularly on the late-night comed ...
" segments (1975-1976)
* ''
Wimzie's House
''Wimzie's House'' is a half-hour Canadian preschool television program produced in Montreal which ran as ''La Maison de Ouimzie'' on Télévision de Radio-Canada in the morning and Radio-Québec in late afternoons starting March 4, 1995, and i ...
'' (1995-96)
* ''
The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange
''The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange'' is an American live-action/animated television series created by Tom Sheppard and Dane Boedigheimer for Cartoon Network. Based on the characters from the web series ''Annoying Orange'', created ...
'' (2012–2014)
TV specials
* ''
The Great Santa Claus Switch
''The Great Santa Claus Switch'' is a musical Christmas special featuring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on CBS on December 20, 1970, as an episode of ''The Ed Sullivan Show''. It was directed by John Moffitt, written by Jerry Juhl, with ...
'' (1970)
* ''
The Frog Prince
"The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...
'' (1971)
* ''
The Muppet Musicians of Bremen
''The Muppet Musicians of Bremen'' (released on home video as ''Tales from MuppetLand: The Muppet Musicians of Bremen'') is a 1972 television special that is an adaptation of ''Town Musicians of Bremen'', featuring The Muppets. It is directed and p ...
'' (1972)
* ''
Out to Lunch'' (1974)
* ''
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
''Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas'' is a 1977 television special directed by Jim Henson, based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Russell Hoban. The special features an ensemble cast of Henson's Muppet characters as well as chara ...
'' (1977)
* ''
John Denver & the Muppets'' (1979)
* ''
Rocky Mountain Holiday'' (1983)
* ''
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years'' (1986)
* ''
The Tale of the Bunny Picnic
''The Tale of the Bunny Picnic'' is a 1986 Easter TV special directed by Jim Henson and David G. Hillier. In the United States it was shown annually on HBO in the spring, usually during Easter time. It was later released on VHS in 1993. The film ...
'' (1986)
* ''
The Christmas Toy
''The Christmas Toy'' is a 1986 television film directed by Eric Till and produced by The Jim Henson Company, featuring Jim Henson's Muppets, including Rugby the Tiger who remembers how he was the Christmas Toy last year, and thinks he is going t ...
'' (1986)
* ''
A Muppet Family Christmas
''A Muppet Family Christmas'' is a Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets. It first aired on December 16, 1987, on the ABC television network in the United States.
Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, its teleplay was conceived ...
'' (1987)
* ''
Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting'' (1989)
* ''
The Jim Henson Hour
''The Jim Henson Hour'' is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the Muppet characters.
Nine of the twelve episodes produced aired on NBC bef ...
'' (1989):
** ''Miss Piggy's Hollywood'' (1989)
** ''Secrets of the Muppets'' (1992)
* ''
The Muppets at Walt Disney World
''The Muppets at Walt Disney World'' is a television special starring Jim Henson's The Muppets, Muppets at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The special aired on NBC as part of Walt Disney anthology television series, ''The Magical ...
'' (1990)
* ''
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
''The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson'' is a one-hour special that aired on CBS on November 21, 1990. The program was a tribute to Muppet creator Jim Henson, who had died earlier in 1990 due to toxic shock syndrome caused by a streptococcus infecti ...
'' (1990)
* ''
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree'' (1995)
Direct-to-video
* Jim Henson Play-Along Video (1988)
** Hey, You're As Funny as Fozzie Bear: A Comedy Show Starring Fozzie Bear and You
** Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along: Rowlf teaches kids about music.
** Wow, You're a Cartoonist!
** Neat Stuff... To Know and Do
** ''
Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories
''Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories'' is a children's television show hosted by Mother Goose, who tells her three goslings the stories behind well-known nursery rhymes.
Production
The show featured child actors and elaborate puppets created by ...
'' (1987–1990)
** Peek-A-Boo, A Big Surprise for Little People
* Muppet Sing Alongs
** ''
Billy Bunny's Animal Songs
''Billy Bunny's Animal Songs'' (also known as ''Muppet Sing Alongs: Billy Bunny's Animal Songs'') is a direct-to-video musical film featuring The Muppets. It is the first direct-to-video feature film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. It was the first ...
'' (1993)
** "It's Not Easy Being Green"
** "Muppet Treasure Island Sing Alongs"
** "Things That Fly"
* ''
Muppet Classic Theater
''Muppet Classic Theater'' (also known as ''Muppet Family Theater'' in the Republic of Ireland and ''Muppet Fairy Tales'' in the United Kingdom) is a direct-to-video musical comedy film featuring The Muppets. It is the first direct-to-video featur ...
'' (1994)
* "Jim Henson's Preschool Collection"
** "Muppets on Wheels" (1995)
** "Yes, I Can Learn" (1995)
** "Yes, I Can Help" (1995)
[Martie Zad. (July 2, 1995)]
Muppets, Kids Join in Series For Preschoolers
" The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
. 1995. HighBeam Research. Accessed on November 26, 2013.
* ''
Kermit's Swamp Years
''Kermit's Swamp Years'' is a 2002 American direct-to-video comedy film directed by David Gumpel. It is the second direct-to-video feature film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. The film follows a young Kermit the Frog and his best friends, Goggles a ...
'' (2002)
Web content
* ''The Skrumps'' (2007)
* ''
The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing!
''The Jim Henson Company Presents The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing!''[North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...](_blank)
before premiering worldwide in 2015.
* ''Tinseltown'' (2007)
* ''Alt/Reality'' (2010-2011)
* ''
Simian Undercover Detective Squad
''Simian Undercover Detective Squad'' (or ''S.U.D.S.'') is a web series created by The Jim Henson Company under its Henson Alternative banner. A sneak preview of the episode "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Goat" appeared on YouTube on August 25, 2009 ...
'' (2012)
* ''Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del'' (2006)
* ''Del's Vegas Comedy Binge'' (2007)
* ''
Late Night Liars
''Late Night Liars'' is an American television game show on Game Show Network (GSN) that was under The Jim Henson Company's Henson Alternative brand and premiered on June 10, 2010. The series was hosted by Larry Miller, and stars several "celebri ...
'' (2010)
* ''Marvin E. Quasniki for President'' (2011–12)
* ''
Neil's Puppet Dreams
''Neil's Puppet Dreams'' is a web series created by The Jim Henson Company under its Henson Alternative banner and released on The Nerdist Channel. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris who helped to create the series.
Plot
This web series feature ...
'' (2012–13)
* ''Ketchup with the Hot Dogs'' (2013–14)
* ''
Good Morning Today
''Good Morning Today'' is a computer-animated television show on Fusion that was created by David Javerbaum and produced by The Jim Henson Company under its Henson Alternative banner and ShadowMachine Films. The show uses The Jim Henson Company's ...
'' (2013–14)
* ''
No, You Shut Up!
''No, You Shut Up!'' is an American news talk show on Fusion TV that was created by David Javerbaum (the former head writer and executive producer of ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''), hosted by Paul F. Tompkins, and produced by The Jim Hens ...
'' (2013–2016)
* ''
The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell
''The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell'' is an American streaming television sitcom created by and starring Christine McConnell. It premiered on Netflix on October 12, 2018. The show consists of six episodes and was produced by Netflix, Wi ...
'' (2018)
Stage shows
* ''
Puppet Up! - Uncensored'' (2006–present)
** ''
Stuffed and Unstrung'' (2010-2013)
Other productions
* The Muppet segments of the
Nintendo Digital Event, shown during E3 (2015).
* ''
Star Fox Zero
is a 3D rail shooter video game developed by Nintendo and PlatinumGames for the Wii U. It is the sixth installment in the ''Star Fox'' series. Formally announced at E3 2015, the game was released in April 2016 to mixed critical reception, w ...
'' commercial (2016).
See also
*
Tippett Studio
Tippett Studio is an American visual effects company specializing in computer-generated imagery (CGI) for films and television commercials. The studio has created visual effects and animations on over fifty feature films and commercials, garnerin ...
Notes
References
External links
*
The company's YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jim Henson Company, The
Entertainment companies based in California
Companies based in Los Angeles
Entertainment companies established in 1958
1958 establishments in California
The Muppets
American companies established in 1958