Eras in Muppet History: The Post-Muppet Show Era (1982-1990)

Eras in Muppet History: The Post-Muppet Show Era (1982-1990)

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Following the success of The Muppet Show (1976), Jim Henson was able to expand and try new things. The 1980s really prove that Henson had creativity beyond his classic characters with projects like The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). Both of these show the groundbreaking puppetry techniques that Henson was known for. Henson’s creativity and creature shop led the field in television technology, and productions like these are fascinating to look back on. Along the lines of showcasing Jim Henson’s work, there was a short-lived series created for that sole purpose, The Jim Henson Hour (1989). There were only 12 episodes produced and only 9 that initially aired. There was a mixture of scenes with classic Muppets such as Kermit and Gonzo along with segments of other pieces of Henson’s work, such The Storyteller. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a quick snapshot of what Jim Henson was doing in the 1980s.
          

L-R: Boober, Red, Gobo, Wembley, and Mokey:
the main Fraggles.

Perhaps the biggest contribution to the Post-Muppet Show Era is Fraggle Rock, a children’s television program that ran from 1983 until 1987. Henson decided to use his notoriety in the television world to create a kids show that went beyond the typical teaching format. The show featured three distinct species living in an underground world known as Fraggle Rock. There are the fraggles, little furry creatures who love to dance and sing. There are the doozers, tiny builders who spend their time building elaborate edible structures. Lastly, there are the gorgs, three giant creatures who think that they rule the world. Throughout the show, these species are often interacting with each other in various ways, learning lessons about how the other species live. This gets the essential point across that others are different and it’s not a bad thing. Fraggle Rock was truly a forward thinking show, full of valuable lessons.

Doc and Sprocket finally meet Gobo

Another brilliant aspect of the show that in my mind was the way they planned ahead for international audiences. The entrance to Fraggle Rock is a hole in the wall of an inventor named Doc with his dog, Sprocket. Fraggle Rock didn’t just dub their show into multiple languages, they shot scenes specifically for different parts of the world. The Doc and Sprocket segments of the show are different depending on what country the show is being aired, each with their own unique “Doc”. Finally, there is Traveling Matt Fraggle, who spends his life exploring the human world and sending postcards back to Fraggle Rock. Traveling Matt encounters everything from Christmas trees to roller coasters from a fresh perspective as he travels the world. Fraggle Rock was specifically designed to promote themes of world peace, tolerance, and understanding of different cultures.
               

Kermit and Piggy's wedding in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

As we can see, the 1980s introduced a lot of new things into the Muppet world, but all of these new projects didn’t completely take over our beloved classic Muppets. Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, and the rest had become household names. They were television and film superstars. During this era, we can see the characters more confident in their star-status. I personally like to look at this era as a large promotional tour for our classic Muppets, beginning with New York City in the third theatrical Muppet film, The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). Directed by Frank Oz, this film portrays the Muppets as recent college graduates who pursue their dream of performing their musical on Broadway. At the end of this action packed film is the scene that has been talked about and debated for years, the wedding of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. In the story, Miss Piggy switches out the fake minister for a real minister. This began decades of back and forth on the issue of, “are Kermit and Piggy really married?” In addition to the wedding finale, The Muppets Take Manhattan also had a dream sequence in which Miss Piggy imagined the Muppets as babies. This of course, paved the way for the Muppets to break into yet another successful TV show, and the animated Muppet Babies (1984) began.
 

The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986)

Continuing this promotional tour is the TV special, The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986). This was a great visual to show how huge the Muppets had become. Characters from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and even Sam and Friends all gathered in a banquet hall to celebrate three decades of Muppets. Looking at the group shots with a sea of characters that have been created, you get the sense that the Muppets are this unstoppable train of great media with Jim Henson as the conductor blazing full speed ahead.

Snow White and Animal in
The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)

The final stop of this era’s promotional tour is the happiest place on Earth with The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990). Jim Henson was close to finalizing a deal to sell the rights to the Muppets to The Walt Disney Company, and this TV special was made as a cross-promotional publicity stunt. We see our characters running around Disney World enjoying the rides, the shows, and everything that the park has to offer. Sadly, this was the last time that Jim Henson would perform most of his characters, because just ten days after this special aired, Henson passed away on May 16, 1990 from a bacterial infection. This was a devastating blow not only to those who were close with Henson, but also to the Muppets in general.

Bean Bunny, Robin the Frog, and Scooter
in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)

Even after Jim Henson’s death, I would identify one final production as the conclusion of The Post-Muppet Show Era. The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990). What better way to pay tribute to the creator of the Muppets than to use the characters themselves. It starts out as the Muppets, unaware of his death, scrambling to put together a tribute for Jim in true Muppet fashion with talking whoopee cushions and singing accountants. As this was going on, there were heartfelt speeches shown from Carol Burnett, John Denver, Ray Charles, Steven Spielberg, Harry Belafonte, and Frank Oz. Then there is a moment where Fozzie Bear starts reading a fan letter. Everybody finds out that Jim is dead and the tone of the room changes. The Muppets start reading these sad, yet meaningful letters from fans expressing their condolences. The Muppets, shocked and devastated at the news, consider cancelling and giving up. Then they begin singing “Just One Person”, a song about believing in yourself that had previously been featured on The Muppet Show. I see this as a direct message from the performers and producers saying that they’re not going to give up, and they’re going to pick up the torch and keep running.

Kermit speaks for the first time after Henson's death

The production ends with Kermit appearing at the very end with his very first line of dialogue performed by Steve Whitmire, who had been chosen by the Henson family to take over as Kermit’s full-time performer. Kermit expresses his gratitude for their tribute to Jim Henson and closes out the special by saying “Well, that just about brings us down to the end of another one, but before we go, let me thank you for being with us for our tribute to Jim Henson, and we’ll be seeing you soon with more Muppet stuff, because that’s the way the boss would want it”. In my opinion, this was Kermit closing this chapter of Muppet history and inviting the viewers to stay tuned for the next chapter, because the Muppets were definitely not done.


Continue on to The Post-Henson Era (1990-2000)