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| Contact: | New York: Cristin Callaghan (212) 621-6710 or ccallaghan@mtr.org Los Angeles: Rachael Narins (310) 786-1042 or rnarins@mtr.org |
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The Museum of Television & Radio Presents Muppets Forever!: The Legacy of Jim Henson June 22-September 16, 2001 A Celebration of the Legendary Artist's Career |
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New York, NY and Los Angeles, CA‹The Museum of Television & Radio presents Muppets Forever! The Legacy of Jim Henson, a screening series that pays tribute to the artistic developments of Jim Henson's thirty-five-year television career. From the earliest existing footage of the Muppets, these singular characters including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, and many others have found worldwide fame among Jim Henson's entertainment family. Muppets Forever!, which will run in both New York and Los Angeles from June 22 through September 16, 2001, will showcase more than twenty-five television programs as well as compilation highlights that capture Henson's wit, imagination, and creative puppetry. In addition to the screenings, the Museum will present a series of puppet-making workshops for children and Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles, a gallery exhibit of original art on display in the New York Museum that will showcase Henson's earliest vision and artwork. In 1955 Jim Henson introduced his Muppets on the late-night series Sam and Friends, seen locally in Washington, D.C. His creations soon began to reach a wider audience in commercials and in guest appearances on such network programs as Today, The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Jimmy Dean Show. Since 1969 the Muppets have been regulars on the landmark educational program Sesame Street. In 1976 Henson developed his own syndicated series, The Muppet Show, which received a 1978 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series and was honored with a Peabody Award. During the eighties Henson extended his range in family entertainment with the cable series Fraggle Rock; ventured into Saturday-morning television with the animated Muppet Babies; contributed characters to the music appreciation series Jim Henson's Ghost of Faffner Hall; and updated traditional folktales for network television in Jim Henson's The Storyteller. Before his untimely death in May 1990, Henson received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program for "Dog City," a segment from his innovative series The Jim Henson Hour; while additional Emmy Awards went to The Storyteller episode "Hans My Hedgehog" for Outstanding Children's Program, and to Muppet Babies for Outstanding Animated Series in four consecutive years (1985-88). FAMILY WORKSHOP Muppets and Puppets Workshops, conducted by Museum educators, are designed to add something new to young people's enjoyment of television and their appreciation of the world of Jim Henson. The workshops will include a screening from Muppets Forever! followed by a puppet making activity. Workshops with a screening are scheduled in New York for Wednesdays, June 27, July 18, and August 15 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and in Los Angeles on Thursday, July 12; Tuesday, July 24; Friday August 10; and Wednesday, August 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Workshops are included with general admission. GALLERY EXHIBIT Jim Henson's Designs and Doodles A lesser-known side of master puppeteer Jim Henson is explored in this exhibit of original artwork, which showcases his artistry with paper and pencil in college artwork and early character designs. These simple sketches are as entertaining as Henson's finished Muppet creations, and represent the original vision of a mind that never seemed to stop imagining. The gallery exhibit will be on display in the New York Museum only. SCREENING SERIES Muppet's Forever!: The Legacy of Jim Henson will present a sampling of Henson's television work. This includes the Muppets from Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock, as well as some of Henson's earliest work, including Sam and Friends which featured Kermit the Frog's first appearances. The series will also feature Jim Henson's highly prolific final years, which produced Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories and Jim Henson's The Storyteller. Screening highlights also include the un-aired Tales of the Tinkerdee, and a surreal example of Henson working without puppetry. Muppets Forever! will screen from Tuesdays to Sundays at 12:30 p.m. in New York and Wednesdays to Sundays at 12:15 in Los Angeles. The Muppets Begin June 22 - June 28 Jim Henson: The Early Years This compilation contains some of the earliest existing footage of the Muppets, including clips from Henson's local Washington, D.C., series Sam and Friends; commercials for Wilkins coffee; and Rowlf the dog's appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show. (1955-66; 60 minutes) The Muppets Valentine Show This special is notable for anticipating the format of The Muppet Show. Here, as in the subsequent series, the Muppets are joined by a single guest star (Mia Farrow), and the musical numbers and sketches are connected by a loose, continuing narrative (a Muppet named Wally tries to define love). Includes commercials. (1974; 30 minutes) The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence The actual pilot for The Muppet Show features characters who would become quite familiar to fans of the series, including the incomprehensible Swedish Chef, and crotchety elders Statler and Waldorf. Kermit the Frog's participation is confined to a cameo and the hosting duties are handled by a Muppet named Nigel. (1975; 30 minutes) The Muppet Show June 29 July 5 The Muppet Show: Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte joins the Muppet menagerie, challenging Animal on drums and performing an African song about equality. (1979; 25 minutes) Of Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show Jim Henson shares the secrets of Muppet magic in this behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Muppet Show. (1981; 50 minutes) Fraggle Rock July 6 July 12 Fraggle Rock: "The Honk of Honks" Gobo, a member of the Fraggles‹a community of creatures who live under ground‹is chosen by Cantus, the "Mystical Minstrel," to find the "Honk of Honks" so that all the Fraggles will be able to sing the "Song of Songs." (1987; 25 minutes) Down at Fraggle Rock . . . Behind the Scenes Jim Henson conducts a tour of the Fraggle Rock workshop and studio, revealing the technical secrets behind the Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs. (1987; 50 minutes) Anniversaries July 13 July 19 The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years Nearly every Muppet ever made appears in this tribute to Henson's creations, with special recognition given to the one who began it all, Kermit the Frog. (1986; 50 minutes) Sesame Street: 20 . . . and Still Counting Hosted by Bill Cosby, this birthday party for one of the world's most famous streets features appearances by Ray Charles and Placido Domingo, classic clips from past programs, and segments from international versions of Sesame Street. (1989; 50 minutes) Directed by Jim Henson July 20 July 26: The Jim Henson Hour: "Dog City" Rowlf the dog is the guide in this canine send-up of gangster pictures, starring a private eye named Ace. It was the basis for a later Saturday morning Fox series. (1989; 50 minutes) Jim Henson's The Storyteller: "The Soldier and Death" Narrated by John Hurt, this tale follows the fortunes of an honest soldier who receives a magic sack from an old man, then uses the mysterious bag in an effort to conquer Death. (1989; 25 minutes) Sow in Love: The Romance of Kermit and Miss Piggy July 27 August 2 The Kermit and Piggy Story This compilation of unforgettable Muppet Show moments features one of the world's great romantic couples, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. (1976-81; 60 minutes) Kermit and Miss Piggy Guest Appearances A selection of Kermit and Miss Piggy's most memorable television guest appearances includes segments from Good Morning America and the Academy Awards. (1977-89; 30 minutes) The Many Worlds of Jim Henson August 3 August 9 Jim Henson's The Storyteller: "Hans My Hedgehog" A king must hand over his daughter to a hideous half-man, half-beast in return for being given shelter by the creature. This episode of The Storyteller, a series that used live actors and creations from Henson's Creature Shop, won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. (1987; 25 minutes) Jim Henson's Ghost of Faffner Hall: "Notation: The Sign That Gets the Sound" The Wild Impresario attempts to compose a new piece of music for a composition contest. This episode of the music appreciation series welcomes guests Aswad and James Taylor. (1989; 25 minutes) The Jim Henson Hour: "The Song of the Cloud Forest" Milton, a golden rain-forest toad facing extinction, must rescue his only potential mate, who has been captured by humans with their own plan for saving the species. (1989; 25 minutes) Your Host, Kermit August 10 August 16 Tales of the Tinkerdee Narrated by Kermit in song, this was the un-aired pilot for a half-hour series that never developed, and a precursor in style and tone to many future Muppet projects. In this joke-filled tale set in a mythical kingdom, the witchiest witch of them all, Taminella Grinderfall, crashes the birthday party of the Princess to steal her presents. (1962; 30 minutes) The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Guest Host: Kermit the Frog) Kermit fills in for Johnny Carson with a little help from fellow Muppets Fozzie Bear and Gonzo the Great, plus Carson's regular sidekick Ed McMahon. Guests include Vincent Price, Bernadette Peters, and Leo Sayer, who performs a duet of his song "When I Need You" with Miss Piggy. (1979; 70 minutes) Once Upon a Time August 17 August 23 Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories: "Little Bo Peep" In Jim Henson's adaptation of the classic nursery rhyme, Little Bo Peep learns some new things about sheep when she takes them to graze. (1990; 10 minutes) Jim Henson's The Tale of the Bunny Picnic As a group of bunnies prepares to celebrate the first day of spring, a terrifying dog disrupts the festivities in the placid warren. (1986; 55 minutes) Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince In this witty update of the famous fairy tale, Kermit's cohorts help a cursed frog fend off a wicked witch and an ogre named Sweetums, so that he may win the heart of the Princess and be turned back into a man. (1971; 55 minutes) Monsters and Myths August 24 August 30 The Jim Henson Hour: "Monster Maker" A troubled teenager, obsessed with monster movies, gets the chance of a lifetime when he is invited to work in the studio of Chancey Bellow, the best monster maker in the business. (1989; 50 minutes) Jim Henson's The Storyteller: Greek Myths: "Theseus and the Minotaur" This episode of the British-made series re-creates the heroic battle between Theseus and the Minotaur in the labyrinth. Like The Storyteller, this follow-up series combines Jim Henson's creatures with live actors, including Michael Gambon as the Storyteller. (1991; 25 minutes) Jim Henson: No Strings August 31 September 9 Adventure in the Arts: The Muppets on Puppets In this early glimpse behind the scenes of the Muppets' world, Jim Henson‹with the help of Rowlf the dog, Jerry Juhl, and Frank Oz‹explains the art of puppetry, from building to performance. (1968; 60 minutes) NBC Experiment in Television: The Cube In this surreal example of Henson's occasional forays outside the world of puppetry, Richard Schaal stars as a man who finds himself trapped inside a cube with no exit. Henson directed and produced, and he co-wrote the script with fellow puppeteer Jerry Juhl, who later became The Muppet Show's head writer. (1969; 55 minutes) The Museum of Television & Radio, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, is a nonprofit organization founded by William S. Paley to collect and preserve television and radio programs and advertisements and to make them available to the public. From its inception in 1975, the Museum has organized exhibitions, screening and listening series, seminars, and education classes to showcase its collection of over 100,000 television and radio programs and advertisements. Programs in the Museum's permanent collection are selected for their artistic, cultural, and historic significance. The Museum is initiating a process to acquire Internet programming for the collection. The Museum of Television & Radio in New York, located at 25 West 52 Street in Manhattan, is open Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 6:00 p.m., until 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays, and Friday evenings until 9:00 p.m. (theaters only). The Museum of Television & Radio in California, located at 465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 5:00 p.m. and until 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays. Both Museums are closed on New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Suggested contribution: Members free; $6.00 for adults; $4.00 for senior citizens and students; and $3.00 for children under thirteen. Admission is free in Los Angeles. The public areas in both Museums are accessible to wheelchairs, and assisted listening devices are available. Programs are subject to change. You may call the Museum in New York at (212) 621-6800, or in Los Angeles at (310) 786-1000. Visit the Museum's website at http://www.mtr.org. |