Ever heard of Kermit the Frog or Miss Piggy?
- The Muppets are puppets, used in various sketch comedies.
- The concept of the Muppets was created in 1955 by Jim Henson and is now owned by The Walt Disney Company.
- Kermit the Frog, the Muppets signature puppet, was one of the first Muppets created and is stilled used in the modern Muppets.
- After the success of Jim Henson’s Muppets on Sesame Street in 1969 and early 70s, Henson decided to create a television show aimed at adults and children, The Muppet Show.
- Muppets were first seen on a show called Sam and Friends which began in the 1950s.
- In 1976, The Muppet Show was created, and new Muppets were introduced, including Miss Piggy, the Great Gonzo and Fuzzie Bear.
- The design of the Muppets are wide mouths and large eyes and were coined “Muppets” by Jim Hensen who said the word came from “marionette” and “puppet”.
- The Muppets are performed by Muppeteers holding the Muppets in one hand and using the other hand, they move arms and hands. Sometimes modern technology is involved, so that the Muppeteers can be removed and the Muppets can appear to ride bikes or boats.
- The Muppets is now owned by The Walt Disney Company, who purchased the rights and trademarks of the Muppets in 2004.
- Walt Disney have released videos of the Muppets on You Tube and plan to release a new Muppet movie in 2014.
Bibliography:
The Muppets 19 January 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Muppets>
