Jim Henson

15 Stories

Sesame Street Sues Over Film With 'Ejaculating Puppets'

Trailer suggests Sesame's endorsement, suit claims

(Newser) - The first trailer for an R-rated movie starring Melissa McCarthy and a bunch of drug-sniffing, sex-crazed puppets notes it's "No Sesame. All Street." But the makers of Sesame Street aren't sure viewers will get the message. Sesame Workshop, which produces the kids show, is suing STX...

Henson's Daughter to Kermit Actor: 'Stop With the Pity Party'

Cheryl Henson says Steve Whitmire made Kermit a 'bitter, angry, depressed victim'

(Newser) - Disney isn't saying much about the firing of Steve Whitmire , other than it followed "unacceptable business conduct" and was carried out with the "full support" of the family of Jim Henson, whom Whitmire replaced as the voice of Kermit the Frog. But Henson's daughter is being...

A Big Change Is Coming for Kermit the Frog

Steve Whitmire, who has voiced Kermit since Jim Henson's '90 death, is being replaced

(Newser) - Kermit the Frog is getting a new voice, reports the AP . ABC News and the Hollywood Reporter report that Steve Whitmire has left his role as the voice behind the iconic Muppet. Whitmire has voiced the character since Muppets creator Jim Henson's death in 1990. Per ABC, Whitmire's...

Muppets' John Henson Dead at 48
 Muppets' 
 John Henson 
 Dead at 48 
OBITUARY

Muppets' John Henson Dead at 48

'Sudden massive heart attack' kills Jim Henson's youngest son

(Newser) - John Henson, the youngest son of Muppets' creator Jim Henson and a puppeteer himself, has died of a massive heart attack at the age of 48, reports People . The Jim Henson Company confirmed Henson's death via a Facebook statement , saying that he died Friday "while at home with...

Muppets Co-Creator Jane Henson Dead at 78
 Muppets Co-Creator 
 Jane Henson Dead at 78 
OBITUARY

Muppets Co-Creator Jane Henson Dead at 78

'Muppets matriarch' helped husband Jim design characters

(Newser) - Jane Henson, the "Muppets matriarch" who helped husband Jim create the beloved puppets, has died at the age of 78 after a long battle with cancer. She first met Jim Henson in a University of Maryland puppetry class in 1954 and the pair created and performed the characters for...

Ben Folds Five Video Stars... the Fraggles

Jim Henson creations crash 'Do It Anyway'

(Newser) - Ben Folds Five is back after 13 years without a new album, but more importantly, the band's new video includes none other than the Fraggles. Jim Henson's creations crash the video for "Do It Anyway," and so do comedians Chris Hardwick and Rob Corddry and actress...

Muppets Cut Strings to Anti-Gay Chick-fil-A

Henson Company says it will donate Chick-fil-A dough to GLAAD

(Newser) - Sesame Street is not brought to you by the letter A anymore, at least not as in "Chick-fil-A." The Muppets and the Jim Henson Company have pulled out of a promotional campaign at the popular fast food franchise after Chick-fil-A's president said the company is opposed to...

Fraggle's Doozers to Return to TV

But don't expect Muppets

(Newser) - Fraggle Rock has been off the air for 25 years, but part of its cave-dwelling cast is about to return to television, reports io9 . Titled The Doozers, the new show will feature the hardworking eponymous creatures who built delicious structures (out of a construction material made from radishes ) in...

Google Doodle Puppets Honor Jim Henson

Muppets creator would have been 75 today

(Newser) - A Google Doodle today pays homage to Muppets master Jim Henson, who would have been 75 today, notes the Huffington Post . You can manipulate the six digital puppets to do some tricks—the guy in red loses his glasses, and the one on the far right eats his neighbor. No...

Jim Henson's Early Commercials Rock
 Jim Henson's Early 
 Commercials Rock 
OPINION

Jim Henson's Early Commercials Rock

He made his mark with funny—and violent—ads

(Newser) - For those whose view of Muppets creator Jim Henson is one of "mild nostalgia," Network Awesome has a must-see compilation of his innovative—and surprisingly violent—commercials and shorts from the 1950s and '60s. Prominent are Wilkins Coffee ads with characters Wilkin and Wontkin. In most of them,...

Library of Congress Immortalizes Jackson's 'Thriller'
 Library of Congress 
 Immortalizes Jackson's 'Thriller' 
national treasure

Library of Congress Immortalizes Jackson's 'Thriller'

It's the first music video to make the National Film Registry

(Newser) - Michael Jackson has scored another posthumous honor: The Library of Congress has selected his "Thriller" video to be among the 25 films added this year to the National Film Registry. It's the first music video to make the cut. Other honorees include The Muppet Movie, Dog Day Afternoon, Pillow ...

At 40, Sesame Street Hasn't Aged a Bit
 At 40, Sesame Street 
 Hasn't Aged a Bit 
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO GET...?

At 40, Sesame Street Hasn't Aged a Bit

Classic kids' show pioneered educational entertainment

(Newser) - The first kids who learned the letters of the alphabet from Sesame Street could have grandchildren by now—but Big Bird hasn't aged a day. Using TV to educate preschoolers was a radical concept in 1969, when Sesame Street founder Joan Ganz Cooney and Muppet creator Jim Henson launched their...

Sepsis Strikes, Kills Quickly
 Sepsis Strikes, Kills Quickly 

Sepsis Strikes, Kills Quickly

What starts as infection can turn deadly in a heartbeat

(Newser) - The quick and seemingly inexplicable death of 20-year-old Brazilian model Mariana Bridi da Costa brought the dangers of sepsis—the body's inflammatory reaction to an infection—into focus, CNN reports. It can start with something as simple as a skin wound or, as in da Costa's case, a urinary tract...

Muppets Hit the Comeback Trail

Disney blitzes media outlets with Kermit, Piggy, before 2010 movie

(Newser) - A generation that never saw the Muppets is about to meet Kermit and Miss Piggy, the New York Times reports. Disney has owned the old puppet/marionette gang for 4 years, but inertia and infighting have kept them undercover. Now the media giant is blitzing outlets with viral video, clothing lines,...

Muppets Spring Back to Life on YouTube

Appearance of Henson's famous puppets online has fans buzzing about comeback

(Newser) - The Muppets, largely in retirement since 1981, have been pussyfooting their way back into the spotlight via YouTube, France24 notes. In the past month, Sam the Eagle, the Swedish Chef, Beaker and others have set up accounts, uploading clips on a regular basis and sharing comments like "Meep meep...

15 Stories
Most Read on Newser