A Concorde in flight over London.
The Concorde was a passenger jet capable of traveling at twice the speed of sound. It was in use between 1976 and 2003 as a commercial transport operated by Air France and British Airways. The service boasted a significantly decreased travel time as compared to other commercial flights: a trip from London to New York took 3½ hours as compared to 8 hours on other airlines. Due to the price tag of 30 times the cost of a flight on another airline, it was also seen as an unattainable option for most travelers. As such, the Concorde gained a reputation for fast travel at a high price, making it a target for comedy routines aimed at the wealthy.
Jim Henson often flew on a Concorde for his many trips back and forth between London and New York, working on scripts and sketch ideas for various projects during the flight. His notes for "The Woozle World" (which eventually became Fraggle Rock) were written on a Concorde, and a cancelled Concorde flight due to snow accounts for the layover responsible for Henson's time developing the world of The Dark Crystal with his daughter Cheryl.
References[]
- When Bob Hope tries to excuse himself from the rest of his act in The Muppet Show episode 221, Kermit tells him it will be too late when he returns. Hope replies, "No, it won't. I'm taking the Concorde. How long can that take? If we land."
- Dr. Bob jokes about the length of Pinocchio's nose in the Veterinarian's Hospital sketch from The Muppet Show episode 508. In reference to the Concorde's distinct nose, he asks, "How'd his nose get so long? Was his mother frightened by the Concorde?"
- While Miss Piggy attempts to seduce Roger Moore in The Muppet Show episode 524, Moore, who is struggling to escape her grip, responds to Piggy's desire to get him alone "On a Slow Boat to China" by jesting, "Not even Concorde."