Jim Henson was born at September 1936 at Greenville, Mississiphi. He created the lovable Muppets, a troupe of fuzzy, goggle-eyed puppets who starred in TV shows and films beginning in the 1950s. Jim Henson’s puppets began appearing on local television in Maryland in 1954, growing slowly in popularity for the next 15 years. The Muppets were part of the original cast of the children’s TV showSesame Street, launched in 1969; the show made stars of Henson creations like Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, and Big Bird. Henson’s own syndicated TV series, The Muppet Show, was a major hit from 1976-81. Filled with silly jokes, bouncy musical numbers and famous guest stars, the show introduced the popular character Miss Piggy and led to movies including The Muppet Movie (1979, with cameos by Bob Hope, Orson Welles and others) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Jim Henson made a deal to sell his company to Walt Disney corporation in 1989; the deal fell through the next year, when Henson died suddenly of organ failure after an infection turned into fast-moving toxic shock syndrome. Jim Henson’s family eventually did sell the rights to the Muppet characters to the Disney company, in 2004.
*Kermit The Frog
Regularly depicted as the long-suffering boyfriend of Miss Piggy and the equally long-suffering pal to Fozzie. See also his entry on Characters Sesame Street.
He is often seen as one for Henson, who at one point said, “[Kermit] can say things I hold back.” Indeed, while Jim never lost his temper, there’s a limit to how far Kermit can be pushed before he erupts.
In The Muppet Show and beyond. Kermit does not like ad-libbing and handles very poorly under pressure. This is because ad-libbing in the Muppets actually is rather detrimental, with bizarre and unpredictable consequences.One of the most normal Muppets. Well, ‘normal’ by Muppet standards.
*MISS PIGGY
Hailing from the Midwest, Miss Piggy was living off of Beauty Contests before meeting Kermit. Has a chronic need for stardom and will steal the spotlight from anyone, with violence if necessary.While still ambitious, she’s generally less selfish and abusive in the movies, and much more affectionate towards Kermit.She’s the big guy for the team and is a born diva.: She is usually treated as such, even though she’s not a human woman,.She pummels her male co-stars, usually Kermit, on a regular basis. Female guest stars weren’t exactly safe The only icon of 70s-era feminism to be a pig voiced by a man.
*SO UNFUNNY BUT IT’S FUNNY FOZZIE BEAR
Hopelessly corny, porkpie hat-wearing showman and a magnet for tomatoes. Originally a failed comedian working out of the El Sleazo Cafe, he is the first to join Kermit’s troupe. Possibly the most genuinely nice member of the cast, and tries to be a friend and peacemaker to everyone.Wocka Wocka! And just for the record, he spelled it “Wocka Wocka”, not “Wokka Wokka” He was intended to be the primary foil of Kermit and everyone else backstage. As a result, in the earliest episodes he tends to come off as abrasive, pushy, and obnoxious. They soon found a different, more neurotic, sweet, and vulnerable vibe for him, allowing the previous personality to be quietly discarded.He was (in theory) the show’s stand-up comedian. Most of the humor of these skits came from how terrible he was at his job.
*GONZO THE GREAT
The ugly, disgusting little one who catches cannonballs.’ The only non-recognizable animal in Kermit’s band, and the stuntman of the Muppets. He doubles as a Vaudevillian singer.In early appearances, his craziness was more subtle, and was depicted as a more slightly more neurotic, pathetic star akin to Fozzie. He gradually became more happy go lucky and his torture became harder to imply, given how mch he enjoyed most of it.
*STATLER AND WALDORF
Two-man peanut gallery and patron saints of Caustic Critics everywhere. They’ve never sat through a show that they didn’t hate.Anytime the two appeared onstage on the Muppet Show. They aren’t actually part of the Muppet Show’s staff; they’re just audience members. In a different sense, any time they heckled the stage also qualifies.On the rare occasions when they enjoy a number, they’ll complain about the fact that the show is ruining its reputation – for uniformly bad material.In the Muppet Show: Sex and Violence pilot, the two talked a lot more slowly and sounded more like a couple of weak, tired, dying old men. When the Muppet Show proper began, they started talking and reacting a lot quicker and became more lively and energetic.
Statler: This show is awful.
Waldorf: Terrible!
Statler: Disgusting!
Waldorf: See you next week?
Statler: Of course.
*SCOOTER
The Muppets’ stage manager. Originally portrayed as a childish jerkass, he grew to be a dependable assistant of Kermit and co.He always says “Fifteen seconds to curtain!”
While considered to be one of the youngest of the main characters, his age is never really determined. Throughout The Mppet Show, everyone refers to him as a kid and his uncle got him the job at the theatre, so he would probably be somewhere in his teens. By The Muppets, he appears to be at least in his early 20s, seeing that he can go to a bar without getting kicked out, and some of the others tease him for still living with his mother.
Just One Person – The Muppets Tribute to Jim Henson
GREENSEA 