Created by Jim HensonShow ran from 1976 to 1981Troupe of puppetsAppealed to children and adultsMuppet Theater- on stage sketches and songs, backstage antics

Kermit the Frog- producer/host of Muppet Theater

Had task of keeping guests and Muppets happy

Fending off Miss Piggy’s advances

Fozzie Bear- lovable, inept comic, Kermit’s second banana

Miss Piggy- glamorous starlet, Kermit’s would-be love interest

Gonzo the Great- buzzard like creature with obsession with chickens

Rowlf- piano playing dogStatler and Waldorf- two hecklers

The Electric Mayhem- ultra cool house band

Scooter- Kermit’s gofer- his uncle owned the theater

Jim Henson formed a partnership with Frank Oz

Created pairs of Miss Piggy and Kermit, Ernie and Bert (on Sesame Street), Kermit and Fozzie Bear

Swedish Chef- Henson’s voice, Oz’s hands

Original Kermit was made out of a green coat discarded by Jim Henson’s mother, and old ping pong balls for eyes

Muppets were made from foam rubber and soft materials so they would seem more realistic

Henson pioneered use of the camera frame as a sort of stage

“muppeteers” were out of sight by simply holding the muppets above their heads and filming the suspended muppets from the “waist” up

Human guests would stand on platforms or muppeteers would work from pits similar to those used by orchestras to ensure the illusion was not broken

Henson investigated all relevant new technologies to keep this illusion going

Remote control, partially motorized muppets and some degree of CGI animation is now used to allow muppets to do things impossible for normal puppets

Henson had also worked on Sesame Street- starting in 1969

Currently one of the longest running programs in television history

The Muppet Show- filmed in England (American television rejected his ideas)

Appealed to parents and children watching

Kermit interviewed massive stars- Diana Ross, Christopher Reeve, Johnny Cash, Elton John, John Cleese, Alice Cooper, Roger Moore, John Cleese, Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, Lynn Redgrave, Julie Andrews, George Burns, Steve Martin, both Candice and Edgar Bergen, Sylvester Stallone, Liberace, etc

Jim Henson- gave message of tolerance, love and friendship

Kermit even has a Hollywood star