Great Performances: The World of Jim Henson
VHS cover
The World of Jim Henson is an episode of the PBS series Great Performances about the life and work of Jim Henson that was produced in 1994 (broadcast as early as November 16 in some markets).[1]
This documentary includes interviews with Harry Belafonte, Francis Ford Coppola, Lord Lew Grade, Brian Henson, Jane Henson, Jerry Juhl, Ted Koppel, Frank Oz, Maurice Sendak, and Jon Stone. It also utilizes some archival interviews with Henson from past documentaries and appearances.
Topics discussed in this documentary include Sam and Friends, The Jimmy Dean Show and some of Jim Henson's other early works, Saturday Night Live, Sesame Street and its international co-productions, The Muppet Show and Muppet movies, Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal and Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and Jim Henson's legacy and impact.
The 85-minute feature follows Henson's life chronologically and is divided into "chapters," each with a title card describing the chapter of Henson's life:
- 1955: A Hand in a Sock
- 1963: A Spirit About It
- 1969: Something More Enduring
- 1976: His Electric Train
- 1979: Nothing Was Impossible
- 1982: A Cavernous Place
- 1987: A Walking Idea Machine
- 1990: The Rainbow Connection
Promotional material filmed for the Muppets' 1985 appearance on Great Performances featuring Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy was reworked into a framing sequence for the special, along with repurposed material filmed for Here Come the Muppets featuring Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear on the phone with Kermit.
In addition to airing on PBS stations, the documentary was also released on VHS.
Interviewees[]
Credits[]
- Produced and Directed by Judy Kinberg
- Written and Co-Produced by Sara Lukinson
- Edited by Girish Bhargava
- with Harry Belafonte, Francis Ford Coppola, Lord Lew Grade, Brian Henson, Jane Henson, Jerry Juhl, Ted Koppel, Frank Oz, Maurice Sendak, Jon Stone
- The Muppet Performers: Jim Henson, Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Caroll Spinney, Steve Whitmire and Frank Oz
- with Pam Arciero, Fran Brill, Brian Muehl, Eren Ozker, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Alice Tweedie
- Special Thanks to The Henson Family, Jim Henson Productions, Inc., Children's Television Workshop
- Executive Producer: Jac Venza
- Running time: 85 minutes
Releases[]
Catalog number 5747
See also[]
- The World of Jim Henson: Muppets, Monsters and Magic (exhibition)
Sources[]
- ↑ The Paducah Sun TV listings, Paducah, Kentucky, November 16, 1994