Muppets

The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson. The word "Muppet" itself was said by Henson to have been created by combining the words "marionette" and "puppet"; however, Henson was also known to have stated that it was just something he liked the sound of, and he made up the "marionette/puppet" story while talking to a journalist because it sounded plausible.

Famous Muppets include Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker, Scooter, Statler & Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, Sam the Eagle and Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem. The most widely known television shows featuring Muppets are Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Muppet Show. A recurring adult-oriented cast of Muppets (in a setting known as The Land of Gorch) were part of the first season of Saturday Night Live. Other less-popular series have included The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. The puppet characters of Farscape, The Storyteller, The Hoobs, and Dinosaurs, as well as from the films Labyrinth, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Dark Crystal, are not considered Muppets, although they were also made by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The Star Wars character Yoda was voiced by Frank Oz, one of Henson's regular voice actors, and was initially presented in the Star Wars films as a Muppet-like puppet and is often referred to as such in media and reference works; he is not, however, a Muppet and Henson's organization was not involved in the character's design.

Jim Henson was born James Maury Henson on September 24, 1936 and died on May 16, 1990 of organ failure due to infection by Streptococcus pyogenes; his sudden death resulted in an outpouring of public and professional affection, culminating in a memorial service. There have since been numerous tributes and dedications in his memory. Henson's companies, which are now run by his children, continue to produce films and television shows.