Fans of the creator of Muppet Jim Henson celebrated what would have been the pioneering puppeteer and director’s 86th birthday. Of course, Henson died more than three decades ago in 1990 at just 53 years of age, leaving behind a legacy that continued to evolve into a new generation with no signs of ceasing. However, it was a birthday tribute from The Muppets’ official Twitter account that really saw some emotional reactions from fans.
The video shared by the account featured Rowlf, one of the original Muppets built and run by Henson many years earlier. the muppet show forever revolutionized puppets on TV and film, inviting everyone to join in a rendition of Happy Birthday in honor of the beloved puppeteer. The video was captioned: “Today we celebrate our friend Jim Henson who was born on September 24, 1936. Sing along with Rowlf and join all the Muppets as we wish Jim a very happy birthday!” Watch the video below.
The video sparked a wave of love for the creator of the Muppets, who was also responsible for films such as Labyrinth and The dark crystalthe original animatronics used in the 90s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and its sequel, as well as the long-running children’s TV show Sesame Street. This included posts from fans, Henson’s other projects and more, who also shared some of his most famous quotes. Check out some of the posts below.
The Muppets have started to find their feet again in recent years.
When Jim Henson died in 1990, the Muppets were just getting started. While they had a successful run as the titular characters in the muppet show, which brought in more guest stars than many other variety shows of the time. Undoubtedly, their biggest film venture came in two years later A muppet christmas songa unique take on the Charles Dicken classic, finally released this year uncut for the first time on Disney+, and while the Jim Henson Company has been behind some of the biggest shows and movies of the past thirty years, The Muppets only just come into their own.
After some low-level movies and guest appearances, ABC’s series The Muppets failed to get a second season after attempting to modernize the franchise with a The officestyle series that didn’t quite capture the anarchic magic that made the characters so popular. But since the pandemic The Muppets Now created a series of short episodes that were fun and irreverent, and this was followed by Muppet’s haunted house last year. Now among other projects The muppets’ resident band The Electric Mayhem is getting their own series on Disney+, and it’s clear that Disney may have finally managed to “understand” what the wacky characters are all about.
For those who want to relive the glory days of the muppet showthe entire series is available on Disney+, along with a number of other Muppet projects.