CHAPTER TEN
HE BROUGHT LAUGHTER TO THE WORLD OF CHILDREN – JIM HENSON
“Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away, On my way to where the air is sweet, Can you tell me how to get, How to get to Sesame Street?” From the “Sesame Street Song Theme” Music by Joe Raposo Words by Bruce Hart, Jon Stone and Joe Raposo
I
How could we not include Jim Henson in our cast of dramatis personae for discussion?
After all, he was unique for several reasons, a few of them quite obvious and other reasons more obscure. He was the man without roots in his birth chart.
For starters, he had a rather unusual occupation. He was artistically inclined - but instead of studying the visual arts such as painting, sculpture or architecture, he chose puppetry.
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He attended puppetry class in College of Home Economics.
1954 18 He created puppets for the TV “The Junior Morning Show”.
He recorded at WRC TV from 1954 to 1961. He met June Nebel who worked at the show.
1959 23 He married June Nebel. They would have eventually have five children – Lisa (born in 1960), Cheryl (1961), Brian (1962), John (1965) and Heather (1970).
1960 24 He graduated with a BSc in Economics.
1963 27 He moved to New York City and formed Muppets, Inc. He hired the writer Jerns Jahil in 1961. In 1963, he hired the puppeteer Frank Oz.
During this period, he made experimental films.
1969 33 Joan Granz Cooney asked him to work on Sesame Street.
Sesame Street would feature Grover, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster and Big Bird.
Kermit the Frog was said to be his alter ego.
For that matter, so were Bert and Ernie.
The “Children’s TV Workshop” (CTV) show was formed.
He went to the United Kingdom to try and persuade Lew Grade to finance the show.
1976 40 “The Muppet Show” was shown featuring Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great and Fozzie Bear. Carroll Spinney played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.
1979 43 He set up The Jim Henson Foundation to promote the art of puppetry in
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But “Labyrinth” turned out to be a commercial failure.
1988 52 He was divorced. He had no time for the children due to his obsession with his work. “The Jim Henson Hour” on TV won an Emmy award for directing.
But the show was cancelled after 13 episodes. NBC kept rescheduling the program.
Year Age Major Events
1989 53 He negotiated to sell his company to Walt Disney for US$150 million.
He appeared on the “The Arsenio Hall” TV show.
But he looked tired; he was down with sore throat and flu.
1990 53 On 4-5-1990, he consulted a doctor.
On 12-5-1990, he coughed up blood.
By about 2.00 am, he had difficulty breathing.
On 15-5-1990, he was admitted to hospital, had abscesses in his lungs.
Around 4.58 am, he went into separate shock.
On 16-5-1990, about 12.00 am, he died from strep throat bacteria.
2004 N/A On 17-2-2004, Jim Henson’s heirs announced that they sold “The Muppets” (excluding Sesame Street) to Walt Disney.
“Sesame Street” continued to be owned by Children’s TV Workshop (CTV).
However, they lost the rights to Kermit the