The Jim Henson Hour
| The Jim Henson Hour | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Jim Henson |
| Starring |
|
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 (1 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Jim Henson |
| Producer | Martin G. Baker |
| Production company | Jim Henson Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | April 14 – July 30, 1989 |
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 before the program was canceled due to low ratings. Two episodes later aired on Nickelodeon in 1992 and 1993, and the final episode "Food" never aired anywhere. The show was never broadcast in the UK. After The Jim Henson Hour, the Muppets did not have another prime-time TV show until Muppets Tonight in 1996, six years after Jim Henson's death.
Format[]
The Jim Henson Hour was modeled after the Walt Disney Presents specials, in which every week Disney would show off the latest innovations and creations of his production company. At the beginning of each episode, Jim Henson would enter an oddly-decorated set (alongside the Thought Lion puppet from his series The Storyteller) and introduce the evening's show. Beyond that, the series never had a set structure. The room where Henson and the Thought Lion performed their introduction was computer animated.
Three of the twelve installments were hour-long mini-movies:
- The faux film noir "Dog City", narrated by Muppet Rowlf the Dog
- "Monster Maker", in which an alienated teenager begins secretly working at a special-effects company
- "Living with Dinosaurs", in which a young boy's stuffed Dinosaur comes to life and helps him deal with a troubled family life.
Other shows like "Secrets of the Muppets" went behind the scenes at Henson studios, showing how the Muppets are built and operated.
Ordinarily, however, the hour was split into two thirty-minute segments. These shows would always start with a modernized variation of The Muppet Show, titled MuppeTelevision. That would often lead into more serious and sometimes darker content, such as a rerun of The Storyteller. Occasionally, a light-hearted story or more Muppet antics would close out the hour in the second half.
The first episode produced —Sesame Street… 20 Years & Still Counting— was aired as a stand-alone special. Henson's series officially premiered a week later.
MuppeTelevision[]
MuppeTelevision regularly occupied the first half of The Jim Henson Hour. It was an updated version of the classic series The Muppet Show, the new twist being that the Muppets were now running an entire cable television network rather than a single variety show. The Muppets broadcast their network's programming from a unique control room called "Muppet Central". Regulars included past favorites Kermit the Frog, The Great Gonzo and Link Hogthrob in addition to new characters Digit, Leon the Lizard, Lindbergh the Kiwi, Vicki, Clifford, Waldo C. Graphic, and Jacques Roach. Also appearing as a series regular was Bean Bunny, who had previously starred in the HBO TV special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic.
Fozzie Bear and Miss Piggy appeared only intermittently, as their performer Frank Oz was busy with a directorial career. Miss Piggy did get her own thirty-minute special in one show, called Miss Piggy's Hollywood, in which she and Gonzo tried to interview unwilling celebrities.
The house band for MuppeTelevision was called Solid Foam, taking the place of the psychedelic Electric Mayhem band that had appeared in most previous Muppet projects. The band included:
- Digit on keyboard
- Flash on saxophone and vocals
- Clifford on bass guitar and vocals
- Beard on guitar and vocals
- An unnamed female drummer
Electric Mayhem regulars Zoot and Animal did eventually creep into Solid Foam in the episode "Food." Only Clifford would sustain any existence outside of MuppeTelevision. Dr. Teeth also appeared in the background of a few of Solid Foam's music videos.
MuppeTelevision also tends to get interrupted on some occasions by an illegal TV station called Gorilla Television run by Ubu the Gorilla, Chip, and Zondra.
Continuing in The Muppet Show tradition, every episode had a celebrity guest star. Louie Anderson, Ted Danson, Smokey Robinson, Buster Poindexter, and k.d. lang were among those who got a chance to appear in the show's brief run.
Episodes[]
| Prod. No. | Title | Original airdate | Performers | Summary | Production Code | Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Outer Space/The Heartless Giant" | April 14, 1989 |
With
|
Note: This is the first appearances of Waldo C. Graphic, Vicki, Leon the Lizard, Clifford, Lindbergh, Brad and Bootsie, and the Extremes. |
106 | 12.6[1] |
| 2 | "Oceans/Lighthouse Island" | April 21, 1989 |
With
|
Note: This is the first appearance of Jacques Roach. |
109 | 9.6[2] |
| 3 | "Power/The Soldier and Death" | April 28, 1989 |
With
|
Note: This is one of the first of the few episodes to feature Frank Oz. First appearance of the Solid Foam band. |
108 | 9.5[3] |
| 4 | "Dog City" | May 5, 1989 |
With
|
|
105 | 8.8[4] |
| 5 | "First Show/Miss Piggy's Hollywood" | May 14, 1989 |
With
|
Notes:
|
101 | 8.4[5] |
| 6 | "Monster Maker" | July 9, 1989 |
N/A |
|
110 | 7.2[6] |
| 7 | "Fitness/The Song of the Cloud Forest" | July 16, 1989 |
With
|
Note: According to the July 18, 1989 issue of the Kentucky New Era, this episode was the lowest rated program among all four networks. |
107 | 6.7[7] |
| 8 | "Videotape/The True Bride" | July 23, 1989 |
With
|
|
102 | 6.6[8] |
| 9 | "Garbage/Sapsorrow" | July 30, 1989 |
With
|
Note: This was the last episode to air on NBC. |
104 | 7.4[9] |
| 10 | "Secrets of the Muppets" | November 29, 1992 |
With
|
Accompanied by a Cairn Terrier named Jojo, Jim Henson gives us a behind the scenes look at the Muppets and other projects. Upon learning this from Kermit, the other Muppets at MuppeTelevision try to deal with the fact that Jim is revealing all of their 'secrets'. He starts off by telling Jojo that she was built by Ed Christie with her mechanical riggings created by . Jim also tells Jojo that she was modeled after a real-life dog named Bamboo (who was also used in exterior shots). Jim then tells about the room that he is in which is actually a blue screen. Jim then gives Jojo a tour of as Jim demonstrates the operation of a puppet sandwich. Jim and Jojo meet who is preparing to reconstruct Gonzo since the principal Muppets tend to get a lot of use. Then he gives Jojo a tour of the Creature Shop in London where they see characters from Labyrinth, The Storyteller, and Monster Maker. Before leaving the Creature Shop, Jojo is invited into the OMD (short for Organization for Muppet Dogs) before being called away by Jim. Back on the set, Jim shows a behind the scene footage of The Song of the Cloud Forest, how the Doozers and Gorgs from Fraggle Rock are operated, and how the Muppets ride bikes. The Muppets then start to get worried when it comes to the puppeteers as Jim starts out by showing Jojo that she is operated by Camille Bonora. Then he goes to Pacific Data Images and demonstrates to Jojo on how Waldo C. Graphic is operated and turned into a computer graphic. When it comes to the puppeteers for the Muppets of MuppeTelevision, Kermit states that the one under him is Jim Henson, the puppeteer for Beard is Jerry Nelson, the puppeteer for Gonzo is Dave Goelz, the puppeteer for Vicki is Fran Brill, the puppeteer for Bean Bunny is Steve Whitmire, and the puppeteer for Leon is Kevin Clash. In the final scene, Jojo asks about how the Thought Lion works and goes near it. The Thought Lion roars scaring Jojo as Jim calms Jojo down.
Note: This was originally aired as a stand-alone special on Nickelodeon in 1992. |
112 | N/A |
| 11 | "Living with Dinosaurs" | December 30, 1990 (UK) August 7, 1993 (US) |
N/A | A young, socially awkward boy named Dom (played by Gregory Chisholm) tries to deal with a new school, an unemployed stepfather, a pregnant mother, and asthma. The boy finds comfort in his favorite stuffed toy, a dinosaur named Dog (performed by and and voiced by Brian Henson).
Note: Originally aired in the UK as a stand-alone special, "Living with Dinosaurs" was later reformatted as an episode of The Jim Henson Hour. However, NBC canceled the Hour before the reformatted version could air. The stand-alone version debuted in the US on Nickelodeon in 1993. |
111 | N/A |
| 12 | "Food/The Three Ravens" | 1990 (UK) |
With
|
Note: The last produced episode and the only MuppeTelevision segment to not feature a guest star. In this episode, the Solid Foam band has Electric Mayhem members Zoot and Animal in place of Solid Foam's usual members Flash and the unnamed Female Drummer. |
103 | N/A |
Cast[]
- Jim Henson – Himself
- John Hurt – Storyteller
- – Amanda
- Jennifer Lee – Bootsie
- Andrew Wilson – Brad
Muppet performers[]
- Jim Henson – Kermit the Frog, Dr. Teeth, Rowlf the Dog, Link Hogthrob, Waldorf, Muppet Newsman, Swedish Chef, Waldo C. Graphic (demonstration only), Whatnot (demonstration only), Timecaster, Timrek the Gorf, Doglion, Bugsy Them
- Camille Bonora – Fern, Jojo, Miss Belle, Blanche, Ruth, Twitch Bunny
- Rickey Boyd – Laughing Boy, Aart the Armadillo
- Fran Brill – Vicki, Zondra, Merlin's Assistant, Alfonso D'Bruzzo, Maxine, Colleen
- Kevin Clash – Clifford, Leon the Lizard, Codzilla, Doglion, Timmy Monster (voice), Zoot, Ace Yu, Blue Extreme, Green-Furred Frackle, Nick the Anaconda
- Dave Goelz – Gonzo, Digit, Cabbage, Doglion, Timmy Monster, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Frisky, Jade Green Frackle, Milton
- Brian Henson – Storyteller's Dog, Dog the Dinosaur
- Richard Hunt – Beaker, Statler, Lugsy Bunny
- Brian Knatchbull
- Trish Leeper
- Rob Mills – Sweetums, Gramps, Solid Foam Drummer, Ubu the Gorilla (2nd Time), Animal
- Jerry Nelson – Lobster, Narrator, Jo Beth Garfdoohoo, Sheep, Shark, Fish, Beard, Wolf, Bubba the Bartender, Luncheon Counter Monster, Cow, a guy with a sword through his head, Garbage, Raccoon, Slim, Orange Extreme, Ralph the Robin
- Frank Oz – Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear
- Mike Quinn - Devil
- Dan Redican – Beautiful Day Monster, Rhonda, Anthony
- Gord Robertson – Lindbergh the Kiwi, Chip, Luncheon Counter Monster, Timmy Monster, Rat, Scruffy, Vinnie Molar
- Bob Stutt – Ubu the Gorilla (1st time)
- Karen Valleau
- Steve Whitmire – Waldo C. Graphic, Bean Bunny, Foo-Foo, Yellow Extreme, Jacques Roach, Flash, Garbage, Billy the Bear, Doozer, Mad Dog, Wilf the Howler Monkey
- Sharon Lee Williams – Purple Extreme (voice only)
Special guest stars[]
- Louie Anderson – Himself
- Chris Langham as Marty the Earthling/Officer/Additional Muppet Performer/Exerciser
- Elliott Spiers as Prince Leo
- Nicholas Selby as "The Heartless Giant" King
- Gemma Jones as Queen
- Ted Danson – Himself
- Chris Makepeace as Zeb Norman
- Helen Burns as Clara Buford
- John Dunsworth as Sam
- Willard Scott – Himself
- The Nylons – Themselves
- Jane Pauley – Herself
- Bob Peck as Soldier
- John Franklyn-Robbins as Tzar
- Tony Jackson, Peter Marinker, and Peter Hawkins as Devils (voice)
- Bobby McFerrin – Himself
- Dudley Moore – Himself
- Justine Bateman – Herself
- Karl Rumberg – Himself
- Kathleen Wirt – Herself
- Marc Weiner – Himself
- George Wendt – Himself
- Bob Hope – Himself
- Harry Dean Stanton – Chancey Bellows
- Michael Gambon – Ultragorgon (voice)
- Kieran O'Brien as Matt Banting
- Alison Steadman as Perriwinkle
- George Costigan as Father
- Smokey Robinson – Himself
- Sean Bean as Prince
- Jane Horrocks as Anja
- Alun Armstrong as Troll (voice)
- Michael Kilgarriff as Thought Lion (voice)
- Sandra Voe as Trollop (voice)
- K.d. lang – Herself
- Alison Doody as Sapsorrow
- Dawn French as Bad Sister 1
- Jennifer Saunders as Bad Sister 2
- Geoffrey Bayldon as "Sapsorrow" King
- Gregory Chisholm as Dom Marshall
- Juliet Stevenson as Vicky Marshall
- Michael Maloney as Lee Marshall
- David Johansen – Himself
- Joely Richardson as Princess
- Miranda Richardson as Witch
- Jonathan Pryce as "The Three Ravens" King
Cancellation and "lost" episodes[]
The show frequently acknowledged its own low ratings, with segments offering satirical takes on what viewers would rather watch—violent movies, ridiculous stunts, etc. In the end, the show produced twelve episodes, three of which did not make it to air before cancellation.
In 1992, children's cable network Nickelodeon aired Secrets of the Muppets, one of the lost episodes. They followed with the previously unaired Living with Dinosaurs segment, as a standalone special in 1993. The Jim Henson and Muppets segments in that episode have never aired anywhere. The final hour, consisting of the MuppeTelevision installment "Food" and The Storyteller episode "The Three Ravens", has never aired anywhere, though "The Three Ravens" segment has aired as part of the Storyteller series in the UK (though not in the US).
In Canada, the MuppeTelevision segments have run as a separate series called The Jim Henson Show. All of the feature drama segments, except for "Miss Piggy's Hollywood", have been run as standalone specials in the US and other countries, and have been released on home video. The Storyteller segments of course have run with that series.
Unused episode ideas[]
In addition to the abandoned hour-long episodes of The Storyteller, Lead-Free TV and picture-book specials, Henson had many ideas for potential episodes or features that were never produced. These ideas included: The Saga of Fraggle Rock (a Fraggle Rock origin story), Inside John (a variation on Henson's Limbo concept in which the various parts of a seventeen-year-old boy's brain try to wrest control of him throughout a typical day) and ASTRO G.N.E.W.T.S. (a special that would have blended puppets with animation, computer graphics, and video effects).[10] Other stories were proposed by Jim Henson involving enchanted bowling balls, extraterrestrial mailmen, outer-space adventures, and even a detective story with Kermit and the Muppet gang.[11] Jim Henson also considered adapting Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time and the works of A. A. Milne.[10] Also proposed was "an hour-long musical special featuring The Electric Mayhem in Mexico".[12]
Ownership[]
Following the sale of The Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House to The Walt Disney Company in 2004, the rights to various portions of the show have been split between Disney and The Jim Henson Company. The Walt Disney Company owns all of the MuppeTelevision segments (including the 15-minute episode shown with Dog City), Miss Piggy's Hollywood, and The Secrets of the Muppets, while The Jim Henson Company retains ownership of the rest of the series.
Credits[]
- The Jim Henson Hour
- The Muppet Performers: Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Kevin Clash, Fran Brill
References[]
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. April 19, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306176608.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. April 26, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306174966.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. May 3, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306197470.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. May 10, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306210811.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. May 17, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306203436.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. July 12, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306223263.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. July 19, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306215429.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. July 26, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306211572.
- ^ "Nielsen ratings". USA Today. August 2, 1989. p. 3D. ProQuest 306234816.
- ^ a b Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones (page 413)
- ^ "The Jim Henson Hour Pitch Reel"
- ^ Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones, page 410.
External links[]
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Jim Henson Hour |
- The Jim Henson Hour at IMDb
- 1989 American television series debuts
- 1989 American television series endings
- 1980s American comedy television series
- 1980s American anthology television series
- The Muppets television series
- American television shows featuring puppetry
- Television series by The Jim Henson Company
- NBC original programming
- English-language television shows