Central Park is one of the most famous parks in New York City. The park has been featured in a number of Henson productions, most notably The Muppets Take Manhattan. In promotion of the film, an exhibit with puppets and design models were featured at "The Dairy" in the park from June 30 to September 3, 1984.[1]
Jim Henson was recorded skipping stones in a pond in the park for the 1988 video Neat Stuff To Know & To Do[2] A Central Park pond was also the setting for a National Wildlife Federation spot starring Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear.[3]
On Sesame Street, Central Park has been used as a filming location for some of the opening theme song footage, for Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration, as well as for many other instances of individual segments. Earlier on in the show, Belvedere Castle in Central Park was used in establishing shots for Count von Count's castle. Other notable uses of the park on Sesame Street include a segment with the adults riding bicycles (First: Episode 1186), an insert where David roller skates, and an insert where Barkley follows Mr. Snuffleupagus at Central Park. In the special, Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake, Big Bird and the gang head to Central Park's Wollman Memorial Rink for his skating party.
A bench, dedicated to Jim Henson, can be found on the south end of Central Park. The bench just to the right of Jim's is dedicated to Jon Stone.
The north end of the park is protected by Engine Company 58/Ladder 26, who were featured in episode 3981, when Hooper's Store burned.
In June 1983, the Muppets appeared at an event with Mayor Ed Koch at the Naumburg Bandshell in the south end of the park. Photos from the event are featured in the book New York Comes Back: The Mayoralty of Edward I. Koch.
References[]
- In the comic book adaptation of The Muppets Take Manhattan, when Kermit the Frog starts joking about the thought of marrying Miss Piggy, he suggests that they have their wedding at "Central Pork".
- Count von Count claims to have counted all the blades of grass in the entire Central Park area in Episode 0538 of Sesame Street. He tells Luis there is a total of 67,183,538 blades of grass.
See also[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Jim Henson's Red Book: 6/28/1984 – ‘MTM exhibit opens in Central Park.’
- ↑ Jim Henson's Red Book: 6/15/1988 – ‘VTR me skipping stones in Central Park for Neat Stuff Home video.’
- ↑ Wild Things: Children's Culture and Ecocriticism by Sidney I. Dobrin and Kenneth B. Kidd, 2004, Wayne State University Press
External links[]
- Jim Henson bench on FourSquare
- News coverage of "Special Summer Salute to Motion Picture and Television Production in New York City," the 1983 event, Photo, Article