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129-560: The Muppets are an ensemble group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson . The Muppets have appeared in multiple television series, films, and other media appearances since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed here originated on The Muppet Show , a television series that aired from 1976 to 1981. Since then, several more characters have been introduced in other television series, as well as theatrical films. The first Muppet characters appeared in Sam and Friends ,

258-478: A Toyota Highlander commercial, blasting Gonzo from a cannon, like a human cannonball, through the sunroof. In 2014, he appeared in Muppets Most Wanted , in which a criminal uses the noise of Harry's explosions to cover the sounds of a break-in. For the commercials for the then-new TNT cable channel, Crazy Harry would be featured at the end of the commercials, prefixing his use of his plunger with

387-453: A Washington, D.C. –based show which was broadcast from 1955 to 1961. Kermit the Frog was one of the show's regulars, and thus was one of Henson's first Muppet creations. The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television program Sesame Street . Henson was initially reluctant to become involved with Sesame Street because he feared being pigeon-holed as

516-624: A parody of other mockumentary -style series such as The Office , Modern Family , and Parks and Recreation , The Muppets portrayed the everyday personal and professional lives of the Muppets in Los Angeles as they produced a late-night talk show hosted by Miss Piggy. The ABC series portrayed the characters in more adult situations than previous incarnations, including depictions of alcohol consumption, sexual innuendos, and mild profanity. The series premiered on September 22, 2015, in

645-405: A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie , retained by NBCUniversal Television Distribution . Following the acquisition, Disney formed The Muppets Studio (originally The Muppets Holding Company), a wholly owned subsidiary responsible for managing the characters and franchise. As a result, the term "Muppet" became a legal trademark of Disney; under license from Disney, Sesame Workshop continues to use

774-493: A children's educational television program and approached Henson to design a cast of Muppet characters during this stage. Produced by the Children's Television Workshop , the program debuted as Sesame Street in 1969 on NET , and later PBS . Henson and his creative team became closely involved with Sesame Street during the years that followed; Henson waived his performance fee in exchange for retaining ownership rights to

903-470: A children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals. Henson's company owned the characters created for Sesame Street until 2000; since 2001, they have instead been owned by Sesame Workshop and are now considered a separate franchise. These characters have been owned by The Muppets Studio , a division of The Walt Disney Company , after Disney acquired the characters from The Jim Henson Company in 2004. A pragmatic frog who

1032-479: A collection of plunger boxes forming an "explodaphone", providing explosions at the end of every verse of the song. In the show's first couple of seasons, Harry's appearances were a regular running gag . After those first seasons, the gag was shelved along with Crazy Harry for the remainder of the show's run. Crazy Harry also appeared in The Muppet Movie , complete with his explosive equipment, as one of

1161-546: A collective star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . That year, the Muppets hosted a Just for Laughs comedy gala in Montreal . Following the release of The Muppets , Disney announced an eighth film in 2012, with Bobin and Stoller returning to direct and write, respectively. Muppets Most Wanted was released in 2014 and starred Ricky Gervais , Tina Fey , and Ty Burrell . The film received positive reviews but

1290-504: A different note). The sketches he appears in usually end with the entire stage in an uproar. In the " Marisa Berenson " episode, he played a major part in that episode by using his timely boomerang fish to prevent Kermit the Frog from being tricked into a real marriage during Miss Piggy's "wedding sketch". In the " Leslie Uggams " episode, Lew Zealand told Leslie how to be a great boomerang fish thrower by saying that "Well, you've got to have sole . And if you can't get sole, get halibut ." In

1419-685: A few other scenes and is with the other Muppets in the finale. In the TV special John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979) Robin helps sing many of the Christmas Carols with the other Muppets and John Denver . In the TV movie Rocky Mountain Holiday (1982) Robin plays a more major role as he tries to help out as a Frog Scout and bonds with John Denver through the process. In The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), he only appeared in

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1548-470: A henchman of oil tycoon Tex Richman ( Chris Cooper ), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theater and drill for oil on the site. Along with fellow henchman Uncle Deadly, Bobo is not fully aware of the scheme that Richman is doing; at one point, he even turns to Uncle Deadly asking, "So, you think we're working for the bad guy?" He was seen partaking in the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song" where he

1677-716: A majority of the Muppet film and television library, as well as the Bear in the Big Blue House television series. Exceptions included the Sesame Street characters ; the Fraggle Rock characters , which were retained by Henson; the distribution rights to four films: The Muppets Take Manhattan , Muppets from Space , and Kermit's Swamp Years , which were retained by Sony Pictures Entertainment ; and It's

1806-588: A minimal role, realizing Fozzie (the emperor) was not wearing clothes. He also appeared alongside Kermit in The Elves and the Shoemaker sketch where he took on the role of the shoemaker's nephew. He had a minor role (with dialogue) in Muppets From Space (1999) in the boarding house. His final role with Jerry Nelson as his performer was in 2002's It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie , which

1935-466: A more adult audience and focus largely on satirizing sketch comedy . Two television pilots , The Muppets Valentine Show and The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence , aired on ABC in 1974 and 1975, respectively. After ABC passed on the pilots and other networks in the United States expressed little interest in the project, British producer Lew Grade approached Henson and agreed to co-produce

2064-426: A permanent puppet was made of him. Lew has an obsession for throwing fish, which are unique in that they return to him once thrown—hence the term " boomerang fish". His catchphrase is: "I throw the fish away, and it comes back to me!" Lew appears on The Muppet Show from season three onward trying to promote his Boomerang Fish act. He is also able to play a fish organ (a line of fish that, when squeezed, each gargle

2193-501: Is a pyrotechnician obsessed with explosives, who first appeared in The Muppets Valentine Show and later, The Muppet Show . Crazy Harry has black scruffy hair, an uncombed chin curtain beard and huge, egg-shaped baggy eyes. Early in season one, he played triangle with the pit band. He usually carried a plunger box which would activate a hidden charge, often to his victim's chagrin. Once he assisted Gonzo

2322-642: Is a dim-witted pig possessing traits of a stereotypical leading man , with wavy blond hair, a manly cleft chin , and a high opinion of himself. In The Muppet Show , Link is best known as the captain of the Swinetrek on the recurring sketch Pigs in Space where his unbridled machismo is often a source of conflict with his co-star, First Mate Piggy . Unlike Dr. Julius Strangepork, whose role on The Muppet Show would primarily be on Pigs in Space , sketches including "Wonder Pig", Link would feature regularly both in

2451-501: Is a sly and witty brown rat from the inner city that Whitmire describes as "a sarcastic kind of New York City character"; he debuted in season four. The wild, frenzied monster drummer for Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem . Author Christopher Finch calls Animal "the ultimate representation of a long line of Muppets who personify unbridled appetite", both "carnivorous beast" and "physical manifestation of pure libido ." He

2580-471: Is a victim of these presentations. Bunsen serves as a foil for Beaker. Bunsen debuted during the first season of The Muppet Show and was joined by Beaker during the second season. A hapless lab assistant to Bunsen, who performs ill-fated experiments which often result in him becoming the victim and seriously injured. He was designed by Henson and built by Don Sahlin . Beaker debuted in the second season of The Muppet Show . A patriotic bald eagle and

2709-507: Is accepted as a member of the Muppet ensemble. Walter returns in Muppets Most Wanted (2014), where he is instrumental in discovering Constantine's intentions and in rescuing Kermit. Camilla the Chicken is the hen that is Gonzo 's longtime love interest on The Muppet Show . This chicken with hay fever was performed by veteran Muppet performer, Jerry Nelson , and is seen frequently on The Muppet Show , but also makes appearances on

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2838-400: Is no longer on the air. In Muppets Most Wanted , Beauregard is the engineer of the train that is used for the Muppets' world tour. Lew Zealand is a tan humanoid Muppet with dark hair, a mustache, a red knobby nose, a ruff and a red ringmaster's suit. His name is a portmanteau of New Zealand and Lew Grade , the distributor of The Muppet Show . Lew started out as a Whatnot before

2967-807: Is notable as Henson's final directorial effort. Muppet*Vision 3D subsequently opened at Disney California Adventure , on February 8, 2001; this version closed in 2014. The Muppets also were featured in The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History at the Magic Kingdom from 2016 to 2020; and the Muppet Mobile Lab at Epcot since 2007. The latter attraction is a free-roving vehicle with audio-animatronics of Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker . As part of Disney's Living Character Initiative, it premiered at Epcot and

3096-472: Is often depicted as friendly and harmless. Sweetums has very thick blondish-brown hair all over his body. He has a very large lower jaw, similar to a bulldog, which juts out, revealing two pointy tusk-like teeth. He has thick, brown eyebrows over his large yellow eyes and large nose. He often wears a shabby, burlap-like brown shirt. Many are fooled by his intimidating appearance, but he is very nice and humble, hence his name, "Sweetums". Sweetums first appeared on

3225-498: Is often preyed upon by other characters who use him to their own purposes. He has a characteristic blink and often turns to the camera and says, "Right". Beauregard has superhuman strength , which is illustrated by his ability to effortlessly lift and carry around objects that are far too heavy to carry, such as an anvil, couch or piano. Beauregard appeared on the stage in various sketches and skits. Other times, Beauregard appears accidentally on stage during productions, still working on

3354-405: Is the straight man protagonist and de facto leader of the Muppets. Created by Jim Henson and introduced in 1955 on Sam and Friends , Kermit, arguably Henson's best-known character, quickly became the de facto face of the franchise, including regularly appearing on Sesame Street , sometimes as a reporter. He starred on The Muppet Show , as the showrunner , responsible for managing

3483-679: The Star Wars character Yoda was originally performed by Frank Oz , and has been loosely described as a Muppet in media and reference works; he is not, however, and Henson otherwise had no involvement in the character's conception. At the start of the Muppets' formation, Jim and Jane Henson were the group's only performers. In 1961, Jane retired to focus on raising their children. Seeking additional performers, Jim came into contact with Frank Oz that year. Although interested, Oz initially declined due to his youth and commitment to high school, and instead suggested Jerry Juhl , who worked with Oz at

3612-543: The American Film Institute , the Hollywood Walk of Fame , the Library of Congress , and both Academies of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Television Arts and Sciences . The Muppets were created by puppeteer Jim Henson in the 1950s; Henson claimed, but later recanted, that he coined the term Muppet as a portmanteau of the words marionette and puppet . Among Henson's earliest creations

3741-738: The Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida . Two elderly and grumpy gentlemen who constantly heckle the Muppets from the audience, specifically from an upper balcony box on The Muppet Show . Statler and Waldorf were named after two New York City hotels: the Statler Hilton and the Waldorf-Astoria . They were designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. They debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence . A non-sensical chef that speaks in mock Swedish . Based on

3870-606: The Swedish Chef . On Muppet Babies , Camilla was Baby Gonzo's stuffed yellow chicken doll. She was voiced by Frank Welker , and subsequently Dave Coulier and Russi Taylor when she came to life in Gonzo's imagination. In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz , the Tin Thing (played by Gonzo) mentions that he and Camilla are engaged, but this is never elaborated with the actual Gonzo. Camilla appears as Gonzo's business partner in

3999-617: The Thanksgiving turkey. Link was later one of the few classic Muppet Show characters to be used regularly in the Muppet Central control room on The Jim Henson Hour . Since Henson's death, Link has mostly remained a non-speaking Muppet, although he has since appeared occasionally in silent cameos in such productions as The Muppet Christmas Carol , Muppet Treasure Island , Muppets Tonight and Muppets from Space . His only speaking roles from 1990 to 2011 were in

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4128-758: The " Lynn Redgrave " episode, he played a member of the Merry Men in the Robin Hood sketch. Lew Zealand has had supporting roles in The Great Muppet Caper , The Muppets Take Manhattan , Muppet Treasure Island , and Muppets Haunted Mansion . Lew Zealand has had cameo appearances in The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppets From Space . Lew Zealand has a supporting role in The Muppets , where after rejoining

4257-531: The "standard finger puppet", the Swedish Chef was originally a dual collaboration between Henson and Oz, who provided the hands. Oz would deliberately do unexpected things, like tossing chickens and juggling meat cleavers, that Henson would have to improvise with a reaction. He was designed by Michael K. Frith and built by Henson and Bonnie Erickson. He debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence . A shy, soft-voiced human-like Muppet and obsessive fan of

4386-482: The 2011 film The Muppets , where she and her chicken companions also perform " Forget You " in the big Muppet reunion show. Bobo the Bear is an imposing yet easily amused and befuddled brown bear , though his appearance is less anthropomorphic than other animal characters such as Fozzie Bear . Bobo has been in several Muppet films as a major character and others as just a background character. One of his appearances

4515-558: The 30th anniversary of Labyrinth . Musical guests Gerard Way and Ray Toro of My Chemical Romance , along with Jarrod Alexander , Matt Gorney , and Jamie Muhoberac performed a tribute to Labyrinth with a medley of songs including " Underground " and " As the World Falls Down ". In September 2017, the Muppets performed a live concert series at the Hollywood Bowl , hosted by Bobby Moynihan . This performance

4644-603: The Cigar Box Frackle. A running gag is that Gonzo's species is unknown. In past Muppets films and series, he was called a "whatever" and in Muppet Babies , Gonzo was known as a weirdo. In Muppets from Space , Gonzo is shown to be an alien. He was created by Dave Goelz , who has performed Gonzo since his inception. An easygoing pianist dog who first appeared in Purina Dog Chow commercials. He

4773-725: The Dog , Bert and Ernie , Grover , and Cookie Monster . The majority of the Muppets are designed as hand puppets , with several characters utilizing rods . Common design elements of the Muppets include flexible faces with wide mouths and large protruding eyes. Most of the Muppets are molded or carved out of various types of foam and covered with any felt-like material. The characters may represent humans; anthropomorphic characters; realistic animals; animate inanimate objects; robots; extraterrestrial or mythical creatures; or other forms of abstract characters. The Muppets are distinguished from ventriloquist dummies, which are usually animated only in

4902-632: The Frog is Kermit's young, sweet-voiced nephew . He has appeared in most Muppet productions since The Muppet Show . He loves to spend time with his Uncle Kermit, his best friend Sweetums , and his boys' club, the Frog Scouts. Robin first appeared in The Frog Prince as Sir Robin the Brave. One of his most famous moments was singing " Halfway Down the Stairs ", a song based on a poem by Winnie

5031-467: The Great in a cannonball-catching act but perhaps overdid it on the powder, which resulted in an absurdly stretched right arm for Gonzo. In episode 28 he provided the "Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!" chorus of " Chanson d'Amour ", happily blowing the stage and performers to smithereens with his little plunger and cackling. Harry also played solo backup for Jean Stapleton 's performance of " I'm Just Wild About Harry ", with

5160-479: The Halloween special Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021), and most recently the streaming television series The Muppets Mayhem (2023). Throughout nearly seven decades, the Muppets have been regarded as a staple of the entertainment industry and popular culture in the United States and English-speaking areas around the world. They have been recognized by various cultural institutions and organizations, including

5289-764: The Justice of the Peace in the 2021 Halloween special Muppets Haunted Mansion . Beauregard is the Muppets' backstage janitor and stagehand of indeterminate species. Debuting in season three of The Muppet Show , Beauregard originally wore a gray jacket over his plaid shirt, but in the fourth season, he stopped wearing the jacket. It is revealed in The Muppet Show On Tour that he calls his mop "Belleregard." Beaker occasionally assists Beauregard with stagehand duties. He tries to be helpful, but his dimwitted efforts frequently result in disaster. His slow wit

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5418-473: The Muppet Show". Although he made his first appearance alongside Vincent Price on episode 119 of The Muppet Show , Uncle Deadly did not receive his proper introduction until episode 121. One by one, the Muppets tell Kermit the Frog that they have seen a phantom, but Kermit refuses to believe them until he sees Uncle Deadly with his own eyes. Once revealed, Uncle Deadly explains that he used to perform at

5547-678: The Muppet Theater, where he played Othello until he was killed...by the critics. Uncle Deadly sang a handful of songs on the show, including singing a bar of "You're Just in Love" with Ethel Merman and "Sheik of Araby", and performed in the Muppet Melodrama sketches with Miss Piggy and Wayne in season three. Although he did not have a major role in any of the Henson-helmed Muppet movies, Uncle Deadly did appear in

5676-493: The Muppet characters created for the program. Sesame Street garnered a positive response, and the Muppets' involvement in the series was said to be a vital component of its increasing popularity, providing an "effective and pleasurable viewing" method of presentation for its educational curriculum. In the early 1970s, the Muppets continued their presence in television, primarily appearing in The Land of Gorch segments during

5805-684: The Muppets and Sesame Street characters, as well as Muppet likenesses of real people; these likenesses appear recurrently in early episodes of The Muppet Show and on Sesame Street , and appear occasionally on other series such as 30 Rock . Following Disney's acquisition of the Muppets, puppets created by The Jim Henson Company are no longer referred to as Muppets. Puppets created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop , including those in Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal , have never been considered Muppets, as they are generally more complex in design and performance than regular Muppets. At Henson's suggestion,

5934-597: The Muppets and young children. After the release of Muppets Most Wanted , Disney was interested in expanding the Muppets' presence across other media, particularly in television. Discussions for a new primetime series began internally within The Muppets Studio. By April 2015, Bill Prady was commissioned to write a script for a pilot with the working title Muppets 2015 . In May 2015, ABC commissioned an eponymous series , co-developed by Prady and Bob Kushell and directed by Randall Einhorn . Developed as

6063-587: The Muppets appear at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts , having first appeared at Walt Disney World in 1990. Their first featured attraction, Here Come the Muppets , was a live stage show that opened shortly after Jim Henson's death and ran at Disney's Hollywood Studios (known at that time as Disney-MGM Studios) for a year. Muppet*Vision 3D , a 4D film attraction that also uses audio-animatronic characters, opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 16, 1991, exactly one year after Henson's death. It

6192-512: The Muppets appear to exhibit complex movements wholly independently of the performer. In his book, Street Gang , author Michael Davis wrote that the characters tend to develop "organically", alluding to the performers taking up to a year to develop their characters and voices. They are also "test-driven, passed around from one Henson troupe member to another in the hope of finding the perfect human-Muppet match". When interacting with them, children believed that Muppets were living beings, even when

6321-505: The Muppets in the late 1980s, during which Henson entered negotiations to sell The Jim Henson Company. The Muppets continued their media presence on television with series such as The Jim Henson Hour (1989) and Muppets Tonight (1996–98), both of which were similar in format to The Muppet Show , as well as the animated spin-off Muppet Babies (1984–91); three theatrical films: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island (1996) and Muppets from Space (1999), and

6450-474: The Muppets since 2004. These include Limited Edition pins, Hidden Mickey pin collections, mystery pin sets, 2008 pin sets promoting The Muppets , cast lanyard pins, and assorted individual rack pins. Over 100 pins displaying the characters have been released overall. In November 2024, it was announced that the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be rethemed to

6579-413: The Muppets to locate Rowlf the Dog after his disappearance. The series was intended to be directed by Jason Moore ; written by Josh Gad , Adam Horowitz and Eddy Kitsis ; produced by ABC Signature Studios and The Muppets Studio , and feature original music by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez . After an executive change at The Muppets Studio that prompted a different creative direction for

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6708-559: The Muppets was developed during that time and expected to air on ABC that October, but was canceled. In 2011, the Muppets were featured in an eponymous seventh film The Muppets , intended to serve as a "creative reboot " for the characters. Walt Disney Pictures had been furthering development on a Muppets film since 2008, when it considered adapting an unused screenplay by Jerry Juhl . Directed by James Bobin , written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller , and starring Segel, Amy Adams , Chris Cooper , and Rashida Jones , The Muppets

6837-576: The Muppets, Disney canceled development on the project in September 2019. A second Disney+ series, Muppets Now , a short-form improvisational comedy series, was announced in August 2019 and was released on July 31, 2020. Muppets Haunted Mansion , a Halloween special based on the Disney attraction of the same name , was released on October 8, 2021. A third Disney+ series The Muppets Mayhem ,

6966-533: The Muppets. Among other print media, the Muppets have featured in comics since the 1970s. An eponymous comic strip by Guy and Brad Gilchrist first ran on September 21, 1981, in over 500 daily newspapers, six months after The Muppet Show ended its five-year run. By the end of its run in 1986, the comic strip was seen in over 660 newspapers worldwide. Many of the strips were compiled in various book collections. Special strips were also created in color, exclusively for issues of Muppet Magazine . Muppet Magazine

7095-439: The Muppets. Introduced in the film The Muppets (2011), Walter is the younger brother of Gary ( Jason Segel ) in the film. Along with Gary and his girlfriend, Mary ( Amy Adams ), Walter assists Kermit in reuniting the Muppets as an effort to raise enough money to regain control of the Muppet Theater from oil tycoon Tex Richman ( Chris Cooper ). After his successful contributions to the telethon with his lauded whistling act, Walter

7224-483: The Pooh creator A. A. Milne . He also has an important role in episode 212 of The Muppet Show , when he was feeling sad for being so small until the guest star Bernadette Peters and all Robin's Muppet friends sing the song "Just One Person" to cheer him up. In the animated Muppet Babies series, Robin appeared as a tadpole in a fish bowl , as all the characters were younger versions of their live-action selves, and

7353-609: The River Meets the Sea " on December 23, 2011, once again, performed by Matt Vogel. He also made a minor role in 2014's Muppets Most Wanted , again performed by Vogel. Robin (voiced by Vogel) is the "guest star" of the February 23, 2016 episode of The Muppets titled " Little Green Lie ". In the episode, Kermit and Miss Piggy pretend to still be in a relationship so as not to upset Robin, whose parents are divorcing. Link Hogthrob

7482-583: The United States, and received mixed reviews, with critics praising the show's adult humor but criticizing the writing and characterization. The Muppets was canceled after one season, which concluded on March 1, 2016. On September 24, 2016, The Muppets were featured in a benefit concert called "Puppets for Puppetry," hosted by the Jim Henson Company for the Center for Puppetry Arts . [1] This concert honored Puppeteer Dave Goelz and celebrated

7611-776: The Vagabond Puppet Theater in Oakland, California . Upon graduating, Oz subsequently joined in August 1963, which then consisted of Henson, Juhl, and Muppet designer Don Sahlin . By the time The Muppet Show began, the primary cast of performers grew to consist of Henson; Oz; Dave Goelz ; Jerry Nelson ; Richard Hunt ; and later, Steve Whitmire , while Juhl became head writer for the series. From The Muppet Show onward, Kevin Clash ; Kathryn Mullen ; Louise Gold ; Karen Prell ; Fran Brill , Caroll Spinney ; and Brian Henson performed several minor characters and assisted

7740-475: The appearances by Kermit the Frog. The 2015 ABC Family airing, the 2017 DVD and the 2018 Blu-ray releases of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and the Amazon Prime Video release of The Christmas Toy reinstate Kermit's scenes. After the acquisition was complete, Disney gradually began reintroducing the franchise to the mainstream, synergistically promoting the Muppets across different parts of

7869-584: The arm with their left hand. For more complex Muppets, several performers may operate a single character, with the performer controlling the mouth usually voicing the character. As technology has advanced, the Jim Henson team and other performers have developed several means to operate the Muppets for film and television; these include the use of suspended rigs, internal motors, remote manipulators , and computer enhanced and superimposed images. Creative use of different technologies has allowed for scenes in which

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7998-611: The audience at the wedding. In A Muppet Family Christmas , Robin discovered the Fraggle hole in the basement, taking Kermit with him and meeting the five main Fraggles. Robin played the role of Tiny Tim in The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), his largest role to date. His next appearance was in the direct-to-video Muppet Classic Theater (1994) where he appeared in " The Emperor's New Clothes " sketch in

8127-422: The character above their head or in front of their body, with one hand operating the head and mouth and the other manipulating the hands and arms, either with two separate control rods or – in the case of "live-hand" Muppets – wearing the hands similarly to gloves. One consequence of this design is that most of the Muppets are left-handed , with the performer using their right hand to operate the head while operating

8256-506: The character since then. Finch calls Fozzie "a sweetly insecure and absolutely terrible comedian". According to Oz, Fozzie is such a bad comedian that he "can't afford good joke writers, and he can't write good jokes himself but still a good character". He was designed by Michael K. Frith . An eccentric, hooked-nosed creature and stunt performance enthusiast who debuted in The Great Santa Claus Switch in 1970 as

8385-561: The characters are popular for their appearances on Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock ; and also feature in Sam and Friends , The Jimmy Dean Show , The Jim Henson Hour , Muppets Tonight , Bear in the Big Blue House , Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony , The Muppets , and The Muppets Mayhem . An adult-oriented segment, The Land of Gorch , was a regular feature in the first season of Saturday Night Live . Guest stars on Saturday Night Live occasionally include both

8514-630: The characters. Owned by the Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades, the characters of the Muppets franchise were acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2004. The Muppets originated in the short-form television series Sam and Friends , which aired on WRC-TV and in syndication from 1955 to 1961. Following appearances on late-night talk shows and in advertising during the 1960s, the Muppets began appearing on Sesame Street (1969–present) during their formative years in

8643-674: The company for $ 150 million. Eisner was also interested in acquiring the Sesame Street Muppet characters, but Henson declined that proposal, considering it a "non-starter" for the deal. An " agreement in principle " for the acquisition was publicly announced by Disney and Henson at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Walt Disney World Resort on August 28, 1989, along with plans for Muppets-themed attractions to debut at that park and Disneyland

8772-416: The company. The Muppets made appearances on Disney Channel and starred in the ABC television film, The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005). A television special, A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa , premiered on NBC on December 17, 2008. As a method of regaining a wider audience, Disney produced a series of vignettes for YouTube and Disney.com . A cover version of Queen 's " Bohemian Rhapsody "

8901-504: The composition or transcription of music. While some classical pianists may specialize in accompaniment and chamber music , a smaller number opt for full-time solo careers. Mozart could be considered the first concert pianist, as he performed widely on the piano. Composers Beethoven and Clementi from the Classical era were also famed for their playing, as were, from the Romantic era , Liszt , Brahms , Chopin , Mendelssohn , Rachmaninoff , and Schumann . The Romantic era also saw

9030-632: The crazed drummer ; and Lips , the mumbling trumpet player. Other characters to perform with the Electric Mayhem on occasion were Rowlf the Dog on piano on many occasions, Rizzo on cymbals in the " Paul Simon " episode, Beaker on vocals in the " Diana Ross " episode, Scooter in The Muppet Movie , Clifford in The Muppets at Walt Disney World , and Crazy Harry as part of the band in the first episode and later. An inventive yet absent-minded scientist who frequently performs science experiments and invention demonstrations that typically go awry and has an "affable cluelessness" whenever his assistant, Beaker ,

9159-573: The early-mid 1970s and attained celebrity status and international recognition through The Muppet Show (1976–1981), their flagship sketch comedy television series that received four Primetime Emmy Award wins and 21 nominations during its five-year run. During the late 1970s and 1980s, the Muppets diversified into theatrical films, including The Muppet Movie (1979); The Great Muppet Caper (1981); and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Additionally, new Muppet characters were created for Fraggle Rock (1983–1987). Disney began involvement with

9288-862: The emergence of pianists better known for their performances than for composing, such as Clara Schumann and Hans von Bülow . Jazz pianists almost always perform with other musicians. Their playing is more free than that of classical pianists, and they create an air of spontaneity in their performances. They generally do not write down their compositions; improvisation is a significant part of their work. Well known jazz pianists include Bill Evans , Art Tatum , Duke Ellington , Thelonious Monk , Oscar Peterson , Bud Powell , McCoy Tyner , Chick Corea , Herbie Hancock , and Brad Mehldau . Popular pianists might work as live performers (concert, theatre, etc.) or session musicians . Arrangers most likely feel at home with synthesizers and other electronic keyboard instruments. Notable popular pianists include Liberace , who at

9417-491: The final group scenes at the end of The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan . He also appeared on The Tonight Show in 1979 when Kermit hosted. Uncle Deadly made his first appearance in over 20 years in The Muppets , in which he was performed by Matt Vogel . He and Bobo the Bear are the henchmen of oil tycoon Tex Richman ( Chris Cooper ), who wants to demolish the Muppet Theatre and drill for oil on

9546-488: The first season of NBC 's Saturday Night Live . The Muppet characters featured in The Land of Gorch behaved boorishly and made frequent references to drug abuse, sexual activity, and consumption of alcohol; adult themes that Henson wanted to explore with the characters in an effort to not let him nor the Muppets be typecast as entertainment for children. The writers of Saturday Night Live clashed with Henson's vision for

9675-581: The first time in decades, having several lines of dialogue and his own scene with Usher . An animated version of Link was seen in Pigs in Space segments in Little Muppet Monsters (voiced by Bob Bergen ) and an episode of Muppet Babies . A walk-around version of Link was created for The Muppet Show on Tour . An action figure of Link was produced in 2003 as part of Series 4 of Palisades Toys ' line of Muppet action figures. Crazy Harry

9804-485: The following year. In anticipation of the acquisition, the television special The Muppets at Walt Disney World premiered on May 6, 1990. However, the proposed merger was cancelled after Henson's death on May 16, 1990. Nevertheless, Disney initiated a licensing agreement with Jim Henson Productions to continue developing Muppets attractions and the use of the characters within the Disney theme parks. The following year, Muppet*Vision 3D debuted at Disney–MGM Studios,

9933-406: The group to help save the Muppet Theatre from Tex Richman, Lew assists in kidnapping Jack Black to be the telethon's celebrity host. He later encourages Kermit not to give up on the Muppet Theatre. Lew reappears in Muppets Most Wanted , joining the rest of the Muppets on their world tour. The Whatnot head construction for Lew Zealand was done by Dave Goelz and Lew Zealand's character finishing

10062-592: The group's self-proclaimed delegator of disciplined manners and values . Critic Jordan Schildcrout describes Sam as "a cross between Uncle Sam and the bald eagle (which is the U.S. national bird and symbol) with a dash of Richard Nixon , [who] represents a conservative , nationalist Puritanism that makes him a snob and a prude." He was designed by Henson and built by Don Sahlin . Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence . Most recently, Sam has appeared alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo in The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History at

10191-405: The head and face, in that their arms or other features are also animated. They are also generally made of softer material. They are presented as being independent of the puppeteer, officially known as a "Muppet performer", who is usually hidden behind a set or outside of the camera frame. Using the camera frame to this advantage was an innovation of the Muppets. Prior to this, a stage was used to mask

10320-425: The height of his fame was one of the highest paid entertainers in the world , as well as Elton John and Billy Joel , so nicknamed "The Piano Man", others include Richard Clayderman , who is known for his covers of popular tunes and the late Victor Borge , who performed as a comedian. A single listing of pianists in all genres would be impractical, given the multitude of musicians noted for their performances on

10449-432: The instrument. Below are links to lists of well-known or influential pianists divided by genres: Many important composers were also virtuoso pianists. The following is an incomplete list of such musicians. Some people, having received a solid piano training in their youth, decide not to continue their musical careers but choose nonmusical ones. As a result, there are prominent communities of amateur pianists all over

10578-466: The main cast in 2011, debuting the role of Walter in The Muppets. Whitmire was dismissed from the cast in 2016, with Vogel cast as Kermit the Frog in 2017, and most of Whitmire's other characters were assumed by the remainder of the cast, primarily by Linz. The Muppets are currently performed by a core cast of six principal puppeteers: Goelz, Barretta, Jacobson, Vogel, Rudman, and Linz, with

10707-431: The main performers with puppeteering. Many of these puppeteers performed characters across The Muppet Show , Sesame Street , Fraggle Rock , and other Henson-related projects. Henson, Hunt, and Nelson continued performing until their deaths in 1990, 1992, and 2012, respectively. Goelz, Whitmire, and Bill Barretta , who joined the main cast of performers in the mid-1990s, assumed Henson's characters, with Whitmire cast in

10836-480: The many Muppets in the audience to whom Kermit the Frog screened the film. He appeared in The Muppets Take Manhattan as a wedding guest. In 2009, he appeared in the Muppets' music video " Bohemian Rhapsody ". In 2011, he appeared in The Muppets , blasting his likeness onto Mount Rushmore —destroying Abraham Lincoln 's face in the process—during the film's montage. In 2014, he appeared in

10965-489: The natural framing of the television set through which it was viewed. During the 1960s, the characters—in particular, Kermit and Rowlf the Dog —appeared in skits on several late-night talk shows and on television commercials, including The Ed Sullivan Show . Rowlf became the first Muppet character to appear regularly on network television when he began appearing with Jimmy Dean on The Jimmy Dean Show . In 1966, Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett began developing

11094-554: The occasional ensemble of "additional" Muppet performers that includes Julianne Buescher , Tyler Bunch , Alice Dinnean , Bruce Lanoil , Leslie Carrara-Rudolph , Drew Massey , Mike Quinn , and Michelan Sisti . From 1962 to 1978, Don Sahlin was the primary designer and builder of the Muppets and was described by Henson as “the man most responsible for the look of the Muppets.” Sahlin's designs are often recognizable for their spheroid heads partially bisected to create large mouths; several characters designed by Sahlin include Rowlf

11223-529: The only attraction successfully developed from the original plans. Walt Disney Pictures also co-produced the fourth and fifth Muppets films, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) and Muppet Treasure Island (1996), with Jim Henson Productions. The characters subsequently starred in Muppets Tonight , which aired on ABC from 1996 to 1998; and a sixth film, Muppets from Space , released by Columbia Pictures in 1999. In 2000, The Jim Henson Company

11352-625: The organist at Miss Piggy's wedding, performed again by Vogel. In the 2015 TV series , Uncle Deadly is Miss Piggy's wardrobe supervisor and plays a featured part in the show, a role he continues in Muppets Now and the live shows the Muppets performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the O2 Arena . On the Muppets' YouTube page, Uncle Deadly is the host of its "Muppet Thought of the Week" segment where he also contributed some thoughts. He appears as

11481-733: The performers were present. On September 17, 2002, Rhino Records released The Muppet Show: Music, Mayhem, and More , a compilation album of music from The Muppet Show and subsequent film releases. With John Denver , John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together was produced and released in 1979. Under Disney ownership, The Muppets album releases have been released by Walt Disney Records ; including new album releases and album reissues , such as The Muppet Christmas Carol in 2005 and The Muppet Movie in 2013. Legal music publishing rights to Muppet songs are administered by Fuzzy Muppet Songs and Mad Muppet Melodies, imprints of Disney Music Publishing . Similar to other Disney characters,

11610-405: The performers, as would be the case in a live performance. Sometimes, they are seen full-bodied; in most cases, invisible strings are used to manipulate these puppets, with vocals added at a later point. Performers often use dollies to mimic walking. Since 2006, Disney has contracted Puppet Heap to produce and maintain newer models of the Muppets. During most performances, the performer holds

11739-467: The program, often refusing to commit to writing the segments, and several cast members bemoaned the inclusion of the Muppets. Eventually, the collaboration proved too divisive, and the Muppets departed Saturday Night Live after the conclusion of the first season. As his involvement with Sesame Street continued, Henson began developing a network television series focusing on the Muppets; as opposed to Sesame Street , however, this series would be aimed at

11868-479: The props until he realizes that he is intruding and must either rush out of sight or attempt to blend in with the action. However, Beauregard was more comfortable backstage. Beauregard also appeared in The Great Muppet Caper in 1981, where he played a taxi driver . He brought Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo to the Happiness Hotel, and right through the front door, into the lobby. Beauregard's other major role

11997-530: The question "Did someone say TNT?"—followed by a maniacal laugh after the explosion. In the Dresden Files novel Blood Rites , several references are made to the "Bolshevik Muppet with all the dynamite". The phrase "Bolshevik Muppet" was then used as a warning by Harry Dresden to his allies just prior to setting off a large explosion. Sweetums is a very large, imposing and hairy ogre about nine feet tall. Despite appearing physically intimidating, he

12126-463: The role of Beaker and Nelson cast in the role of Statler, both previously performed by Hunt. The remainder of Hunt's characters were left without a stable performer until David Rudman was cast in those roles in the 2000s. Oz continued performing until his retirement from puppeteering in 2000; Eric Jacobson was cast as his characters beginning in 2002. At Nelson's behest, Matt Vogel gradually began performing his characters in 2008. Peter Linz joined

12255-431: The series for Associated Television . Debuting in 1976, The Muppet Show introduced new characters such as Miss Piggy , Fozzie Bear , and Gonzo , alongside existing characters such as Kermit and Rowlf. Aired in first-run syndication in the United States, The Muppet Show became increasingly popular due to its sketch - variety format, unique form of vaudeville -style humor, and prolific roster of guest stars . It

12384-578: The show's onstage acts and backstage mayhem. Link's singing talents featured a number of times in solos (such as " Sonny Boy "), duets (" Là ci darem la mano "), and group numbers. Starting in the show's third season, Link was also featured as the police chief in the recurring Bear on Patrol sketches, where his dimwittedness was often the source of physical trauma to patrol officer Fozzie Bear. Henson's son, Brian Henson , recalled that his father often used Link's deep-throated, pompous voice when performing some stereotypically masculine chore, such as carving

12513-556: The show's production, and has appeared in every Muppet-branded production since. Jim Henson was Kermit's performer from his debut until Henson's death in 1990. Steve Whitmire assumed the role and continued to perform Kermit until 2016. Matt Vogel replaced Whitmire in 2017. A temperamental diva pig who is the Muppets' break-out and "authentic superstar ". Until 2015, she was the romantic significant other of Kermit. Authors Maryanne Fisher and Anthony Cox call Piggy "uniquely strong and feminine", but "domineering and demanding." She

12642-404: The site. As Richman tries repeatedly to stop the Muppets from raising the funds to buy the theater, Deadly realizes his mistake and decides he too is a Muppet. He forces Richman off the theatre roof before he can cut the wires on the transmission tower and joins the group. Uncle Deadly is seen during the finale version of "Life's a Happy Song". Uncle Deadly later appears in Muppets Most Wanted as

12771-544: The television film It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002). Disney acquired the Muppets from the Henson family in February 2004, though the deal excluded the Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock characters. Subsequent projects have included the television film The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005), two theatrical films: The Muppets (2011) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014), a primetime series (2015–2016),

12900-508: The television special The Frog Prince (based on the story of the same name ) in 1971 as the henchman of a full-bodied Taminella Ginderfall (who was previously seen in the pilots to Tales of the Tinkerdee and The Land of Tinkerdee ). There he tried to eat the hero, played by Kermit 's nephew Robin . He later performed a duet with Robin and the two appeared together on merchandise as best friends. During his first appearance, Sweetums

13029-603: The term for their characters, as well as archival footage of Kermit the Frog. Henson retained the rights to several productions featuring the Disney-owned Muppet characters, including Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas ; The Christmas Toy ; Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting ; Henson's Place ; Billy Bunny's Animal Songs ; the original Dog City special; and Donna's Day . While some of these have since been released uncut, most current releases of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas and The Christmas Toy omit

13158-420: The three films received four Academy Award nominations. The Muppet Show ended its five-season run in 1981. In 1983, Henson debuted Fraggle Rock , which aired on HBO in the United States until 1987. In 1989, Henson entered negotiations with Michael Eisner and The Walt Disney Company , in which Disney would acquire Jim Henson Productions and, in turn, the Muppets. Disney expressed interest in purchasing

13287-422: The various full-length Muppet movies such as The Muppets Take Manhattan where she hyperventilates after attacking a villain and needs "mouth-to-beak resuscitation ", and The Muppet Movie as Gonzo's plumber girl and is in the back of the car for the whole movie. She also appeared in TV specials such as A Muppet Family Christmas where she is seduced by the turkey who was invited to the family gathering by

13416-468: The video games Muppet RaceMania and Muppets Party Cruise , as voiced by Steve Whitmire . Whitmire performed Link for the 2011 movie The Muppets . The appearance featured the first speaking appearance of the puppet ever since Henson's death. Link appears in several scenes in the background and gets a moment in the spotlight as part of a barbershop quartet , singing " Smells Like Teen Spirit ". In Muppets Most Wanted , Link returned to prominence for

13545-456: The voice. After Richard Hunt died, John Henson eventually took over both the voice and puppetry. The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist , surrealist , burlesque , and self-referential style of variety - sketch comedy . Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they have become a media franchise encompassing children's films , television, music, and other media associated with

13674-702: The world that play at quite a high level and give concerts not to earn money but just for the love of music. The International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs , held annually in Paris , attracts about one thousand listeners each year and is broadcast on French radio. Jon Nakamatsu , the Gold Medal winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for professional pianists in Fort Worth, Texas (1997)

13803-498: Was Kermit the Frog , who became his most recognizable character. Originally conceived for an adult audience, the Muppets were introduced in 1955 in Sam and Friends , a short-form television series produced for WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. Developed by Henson and his future wife, Jane Nebel , the series was the first form of puppet media not to incorporate a physical proscenium arch typical of such works, relying instead on

13932-486: Was a commercial disappointment at the box office. Disney Theatrical Productions announced in 2013 that a live show based on the Muppets was in active development and that a 15-minute show had been conducted by Thomas Schumacher to see how the technical components would work. Muppet Moments , an interstitial television series, premiered on Disney Junior in April 2015. The short-form series features conversations between

14061-472: Was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing puppet film of all time and winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Bret McKenzie 's " Man or Muppet ". During the film's publicity campaign, the Muppets appeared in promotional advertisements and marketing efforts by Disney and were also featured in a promotional video for Google+ . In March 2012, the Muppets received

14190-472: Was among these projects and immediately went viral , ultimately amassing 90 million views and winning two Webby Awards . In 2010, the Muppets starred in The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora , which co-starred Cat Cora and showcased cooking demonstrations. That same year, Disney used the Muppets to promote their volunteerism program at the company's theme parks. A Halloween special featuring

14319-647: Was arguably his second-largest role to date; he appears in the Muppet Theatre in a few scenes and in the Moulin Scrooge scene as the green fairy. After a five-year absence, Robin returned in A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa , performed by Matt Vogel . He wore his Tiny Tim attire in a 2009 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and made a non-speaking cameo appearance in the film The Muppets . Robin, along with his Uncle Kermit, appeared again on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to sing " When

14448-423: Was at the moment of his victory technically an amateur: he never attended a music conservatory or majored in music, and worked as a high school German teacher at the time; it was only after the competition that he started pursuing a career as a classical pianist. The German pianist Davide Martello is known for traveling around conflict zones to play his moving piano. Martello has previously been recognized by

14577-412: Was based on the clumsy Wendell Porcupine from Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas . The main reason why Beauregard never became a star was because the writers thought he was too passive; he did not desire anything. This made Beauregard difficult to write for. In The Muppets , Beauregard is found by Scooter living in the janitor's closet of the old Muppet Theatre, seemingly unaware that The Muppet Show

14706-559: Was designed and built by Bonnie Erickson. During the first season of The Muppet Show, she was sometimes performed by Richard Hunt. Debuted in a 1974 Herb Alpert television special, where she was performed by Jerry Nelson . She is Oz's best-known character. An insecure, stand-up comic bear introduced in The Muppet Show . Fozzie's characterization was created by Frank Oz , who performed the character from his debut in 1976 until Oz's retirement in 2000. Eric Jacobson has performed

14835-405: Was designed by Jim Henson and built by Dave Goelz . Debuted in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence . A rock house band consisting of six members: Dr. Teeth , the gravelly-voiced leader and keyboard player of the band; Floyd Pepper , the cynical " hippie " bass player ; Janice , the lead guitar player with a flower child personality; Zoot , the laid-back saxophone player; Animal ,

14964-604: Was designed by Jim Henson. He then appeared in The Jimmy Dean Show , as Jimmy Dean 's sidekick. Finch calls Rowlf "the first fully rounded character performed by Jim Henson ", and also calls him "wonderfully down-to-earth, with a dry, self-deprecating sense of humor" and "a master of the double take." He was built by Don Sahlin The loyal stage manager and gofer of the Muppet Theatre. Richard Hunt based Scooter's voice and personality on how he remembered himself when he

15093-399: Was done by Amy van Gilder. Jerry Nelson considered Lew Zealand to be a tribute to Frankie Fontaine . Nelson stated in an interview, "He had that dopey voice, but he could sing beautifully. We never did that part of it on the show, but just the idea of this guy who had a boomerang fish act. There were some really ridiculous acts on the show, and that was one of the all-time dopey ones." Robin

15222-465: Was followed by a second event in July 2018 at London's O2 Arena , their first outside of the United States. In February 2018, Disney announced that a streaming television reboot series was in development for Disney+ . The project, known as Muppets Live Another Day , was intended as a limited-run series set in the 1980s after the events of The Muppets Take Manhattan and depicted Kermit recruiting

15351-462: Was in the 1990 special The Muppets at Walt Disney World , where he dragged Miss Piggy onto a series of thrill rides. He has also had minor roles in later projects, including The Muppets Take Manhattan , Muppets Tonight and The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years , and a cameo appearance in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie . In the book Of Muppets and Men , Goelz explains that Beauregard

15480-453: Was later previewed at Disney California Adventure and Hong Kong Disneyland . In 2010, the Muppets were the face of the " Give a Day, Get a Disney Day " charity campaign. Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Sweetums appeared in daily parades at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. The Muppets appeared in television and print ads for the campaign and were featured prominently on the campaign's web site. Disney has released numerous collector pins featuring

15609-446: Was nominated for twenty-one Primetime Emmy Awards during its run, winning four, including Outstanding Variety Series in 1978. The success of The Muppet Show allowed Henson Associates to diversify into theatrical films, the first of which, The Muppet Movie , was released in 1979. Following The Muppet Movie were The Great Muppet Caper and The Muppets Take Manhattan , released in 1981 and 1984, respectively. Collectively,

15738-466: Was on Muppets Tonight as the security guard, where he was a seemingly clever and lovable character, with his tagline of "Have a good day, sir!" His character in Muppets from Space was named Rentro. The character appeared in the television special A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa , appearing alongside Nathan Lane as a pair of airport security personnel. In The Muppets , Bobo appears as

15867-898: Was ordered in March 2022. The series was developed and written by Adam F. Goldberg , Bill Barretta and Jeff Yorkes and starred Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem , alongside Lilly Singh and Tahj Mowry . The principal characters of The Muppet Show and subsequent media include Kermit the Frog , Miss Piggy , Fozzie Bear , Gonzo , Rowlf the Dog , Scooter , Rizzo the Rat , Pepe the King Prawn , Dr. Bunsen Honeydew , Beaker , Statler and Waldorf , The Swedish Chef , Sam Eagle , Walter , and The Electric Mayhem , consisting of Dr. Teeth (vocals, keyboards), Animal (drums), Floyd Pepper (bass, vocals), Janice (guitar, vocals), Zoot (saxophone), and Lips (trumpet). As well as The Muppet Show ,

15996-400: Was performed by Muppeteer Jerry Nelson and voiced by voice veteran Carl Banas , but soon after, Richard Hunt made the character his own. Hunt gave life to Sweetums throughout the run of The Muppet Show and the first two Muppet movies. During the making of Muppet*Vision 3D when Hunt's health deteriorated, Muppet creator Jim Henson 's son, John Henson , did the puppetry, while Hunt did

16125-872: Was published from 1983 to 1989. The magazine was presented as being run by the Muppets themselves and included such features as celebrity interviews and comic stories. The only Muppets film adapted as a comic book was The Muppets Take Manhattan . The comic book series was adapted by Marvel Comics in 1984, as the 68-page story in Marvel Super Special issue #32. The adaptation was later re-printed into three limited series issues, released under Marvel's Star Comics imprint (November 1984 – January 1985). Pianist Contemporary classical pianists focus on dedicating their careers to performing, recording, teaching, researching, and continually adding new compositions to their repertoire. In contrast to their 19th-century counterparts, they typically do not engage in

16254-418: Was said to be the son of Kermit's (unnamed and unseen) big sister. Robin's roles in the Muppet movies varied from supporting roles, minor roles and cameos to large roles, though he has not appeared in many Muppet movies. In The Muppet Movie (1979), he had a supporting role at the beginning of the movie at the film screening where he asks Kermit if the movie is about how the Muppets got started. He also had

16383-481: Was seen with Tex Richman's showgirls. In the television series The Muppets , he plays a key role as the stage manager for the talk show Up Late with Miss Piggy . Uncle Deadly is a sinister-looking, blue dragon -like monster who lurks around the Muppet Theater. He was originally performed by Jerry Nelson on The Muppet Show . In his first full part on the show, in episode 121, he was known as "the Phantom of

16512-451: Was sold to EM.TV & Merchandising AG for $ 680 million. However, EM.TV's stock collapsed and the Henson family re-acquired the company in 2003, with the exception of the Sesame Street characters, which were in the interim sold to Sesame Workshop . Fourteen years after initial negotiations began, Disney acquired the Muppets intellectual property from the Henson company for $ 75 million on February 17, 2004. The acquisition consisted of

16641-559: Was younger. He was designed by Michael K. Frith . Debuted in the first season of The Muppet Show . A scheming and sassy Latino king prawn , Pepe was introduced in Muppets Tonight , where he and Seymour would often work as elevator operators and commissary cooks . His first theatrical film appearance was in Muppets from Space . Pepe became the spokesman of restaurant chain Long John Silver's in 2002. Rizzo

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