Jim Henson Hour • 03.10.10
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Back in 1989, The Muppet Show started to make a comeback with a whole new concept called The Jim Henson Hour. Jim Henson himself hosts this primetime series with each episode separated into two half-hours.
The first half is called Muppet Television. Kermit runs a variety show with a celebrity guest star, but instead of the Muppet Theater it’s at a satellite control center called Muppet Central. The types of acts and skits performed are more based on what you’d see on TV and commercials more than live theater. In a way, that takes away some of the impact The Muppet Show had on its level of creativity.
Some of the original Muppets return, but not many. Most of the Muppet characters featured are brand new like Digit the robot, who looks like Dr. Frankenstein and helps Kermit roll the segments, Vicki the film school student, and Limburg the handyman, or handybird. Not to worry. This show still has some of the old favorites like Gonzo, Link Hogthrob, Fozzie, Rowlf, and Bean Bunny. This show also introduces newer favorites like Clifford the pink babboon and Waldo the flying special effect that can take any form. He’s also featured in the Muppets 3-D attraction at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.
This show also made me more familiar with celebrities of the 80s. Ones like Louie Anderson, Ted Danson, Smokey Robinson, Bobby McFerrin, Buster Poindexter, and Marc Wiener.
Muppet Central has every kind of network you can imagine. The many monitors in the background are neat with each one showing something different. I’m sure Kermit has a difficult time deciding which ones to air on the show. It’s so incredible.

The second half of The Jim Henson Hour is a completely different feature. Most commonly it’s an episode from The Storyteller. I used to not like that show back then because it was nothing like the Muppets. Now that I’m older, I find it interesting sometimes. John Hurt tells old folktales and the stories come to life with darker Muppet characters that are more for older viewers. The Storyteller’s companion is a talking Muppet dog, who really gets into these stories.
In the second season of The Storyteller, Michael Gambon tells the tales, which are more based on Greek Tragedies. Yes, he played Dumbledore on Harry Potter films 3-6. These stories may be even darker, but that Muppet dog still gets into them.
I really enjoyed this classic Muppet series. At least the first halves. On occasion the second halves have something good also, but not often. It’s too bad it didn’t last very long. At times this show was difficult to keep track of, but I looked forward to it whenever I could find it on.




The Ghostbusters always go through a transformation sequence before a mission. I wonder if Eddie ever got used to it. They also have all kinds of gadgets and stuff. It makes me wonder how they get all of that gear inside those little backpacks. At least we know they always come prepared.
An interesting comparison between the two versions is that Jake, Eddie, and Tracy don’t use ghost traps. Their electric beams merely send the ghosts to limbo. Eventually they come back, thanks to Prime Evil. When I got the DVD sets, I had learned that there was another Ghostbusters series from 1975, which starred two of the stars of F Troop, Forrest Tucker and Larry Storch. That turned out to be a great show also with its brand of humor. 


