When “The Muppet Show” debuted in 1976, it wasn’t a kids’ program. It was a sharp parody of variety TV — absurd, slapstick and packed with A-list guest stars.
The Muppets themselves had been guests on variety shows and A-list talk shows. Here, Johnny Carson interviews Jim Henson, Kermit and other Muppets on the ‘Tonight Show’ in 1975:
https://youtu.be/9MiNN3VeVyg
When “The Muppet Show” debuted in 1976, it wasn’t a kids’ program. It was a sharp parody of variety TV — absurd, slapstick and packed with A-list guest stars.
The Muppets themselves had been guests on variety shows and A-list talk shows. Here, Johnny Carson interviews Jim Henson, Kermit and other Muppets on the ‘Tonight Show’ in 1975:
https://youtu.be/9MiNN3VeVyg
Kermit first appeared on local TV in 1955, before crossing into Sesame Street, late-night TV and even early Saturday Night Live.
‘Saturday Night Live’s’ first season included ‘Land of Gorch’ sketches that starred creatures Jim Henson made to entertain grown-ups ⬇️
https://youtu.be/IxnG5X4Geak
#Histodons @histodons
Henson fought to keep the Muppets from being typecast as children’s characters, building a franchise that blended education, satire and mass entertainment.
The result: global audiences, Emmy wins, Oscar-nominated films and decades of cultural staying power — even through corporate sales, reboots and missed revivals.
50 years on, the Muppet Show endures, but the Disney special on Feb. 4 will be the latest test of whether their irreverent sparkle still shines greenly:. Read more:
https://theconversation.com/its-easy-making-green-muppets-continue-to-make-a-profit-50-years-into-their-run-272855
