MT&R: 50 Years of Jim Henson & The Muppets (12/2/05 - 1/26/06)

[GelflingWaldo]

The Museum of Television & Radio Presents:
Celebrating Fifty Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets

December 2, 2005, to January 26, 2006
New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA​

Screenings include the unaired Tales of the Tinkerdee from 1962 and the rare The Great Santa Claus Switch not seen since its original airing in 1970. Special gallery exhibit in New York.

The Museum of Television & Radio will present a special screening series celebrating fifty years of Jim Henson and the Muppets in New York and Los Angeles from December 2, 2005, to January 26, 2006. A gallery exhibit, “Jim Henson: The Muppets Say Cheese - The Photography of John E. Barrett”, will run concurrently at the New York Museum location.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, this winter the Museum presents a two-month retrospective of specials, episodes, and clips featuring Kermit the Frog and the rest of the Muppet gang, as well as some of Henson’s less well-known creations in such programs as The Great Santa Claus Switch, which has not been seen since its original airing in 1970. There are also highlights of Jim Henson and the Muppets guest starring on various variety and talk shows over the years, Christmas-themed specials, a Muppet spoof of Hollywood classics, a visit to Walt Disney World, and one of the rarest of all Muppet projects, the unaired Tales of the Tinkerdee.

Celebrating Fifty Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets will screen in New York Tuesdays through Sundays at 12:30 p.m., and in Los Angeles Wednesdays through Sundays at 3:00 p.m. The screening schedule is as follows:

December 2 to 8:

• John Denver & the Muppets: A Christmas Together
  The first of two specials teaming country singer John Denver with the Muppets, features renditions of Yuletide favorites like “Deck the Halls” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” (1979)
• Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
  One of Henson’s most ambitious efforts of the time presents a more detailed and naturalistic puppet world than ever before in this story of an otter who foils the evil Riverbottom Gang. Kermit the Frog appears as your host. (1977)

December 9 to 22 (two weeks):

• The Great Santa Claus Switch
  This collaboration between Jim Henson and Ed Sullivan stars Art Carney in a dual role, playing both Santa and the wicked magician who schemes to replace him. This special has not been seen since its original December 1970 airing. (1970)
• Fraggle Rock: The Bells of Fraggle Rock
  As the Fraggles prepare to celebrate their annual Festival of the Bells, Gobo begins to question the meaning behind the holiday. (1984)

December 23 to 29:

• A Muppet Family Christmas
  The entire Muppet gang (as well as the cast of Sesame Street) come together for a musical celebration at Fozzie Bear’s farm. (1987)
• The Christmas Toy
  When no humans are around, a room full of toys spring to life in this story of a stuffed tiger named Rugby who believes he is the most important toy of all. Hosted by Kermit the Frog. (1986)

December 30 to January 5:

• Jim Henson Drops By: A Compilation of Guest Appearances by Henson and His Characters
  This package of clips features Henson and the Muppets making appearances on The Mike Douglas Show, The Steve Allen Show, Cher, I Love Liberty, and Pure Goldie, among others. Also included are scenes from the very first Henson-Muppet series, Sam and Friends.
• Tales of the Tinkerdee
  One of the rarest of all Muppet programs is this unaired pilot for a series of fairy tale spoofs hosted by minstrel Kermit. (1962)

January 6 to 12:

• The Muppet Musicians of Bremen
  The famous children’s story is shifted from Germany to a hamlet in Louisiana as four down-and-out critters bond by becoming traveling musicians. (1972)
• The Jim Henson Hour: Secrets of the Muppets
  This episode of Henson’s imaginative omnibus series offers a rare and detailed behind-the-scenes look at how the Muppets are brought to life. (made in 1989; aired in 1992)

January 13 to 19:

• The Jim Henson Hour: The Ratings Game: MuppetTelevision/Miss Piggy’s Hollywood
  This comical episode of Henson’s weekly series pokes fun at the ratings system and follows Miss Piggy on her “insider’s” tour of Hollywood. (1989)
• The Muppets Go to the Movies
  Lily Tomlin and Dudley Moore join the Muppets in affectionately spoofing such film classics as Casablanca and Gone with the Wind. (1981)

January 20 to 26:

• The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show
  The inimitable Miss Piggy stars in her first (and only) variety special, playing host to John Ritter, George Hamilton, and Andy Kaufman (as Tony Clifton). (1982)
• The Muppets at Walt Disney World
  While on their way to a frog festival in a nearby swamp, the Muppets take a detour and end up in the Florida theme park where they are pursued by a determined security guard (Charles Grodin). (1990)

In addition to the screenings, in New York the Museum will present “Jim Henson: The Muppets Say Cheese - The Photography of John E. Barrett”. This gallery exhibit explores the photographic legacy of Jim Henson's magical creations, as seen through the lens of still photographer, John E. Barrett. Images will include selections from the classic "Kermitage Collection" and the popular Muppet parody posters. The gallery exhibit is made possible by grants from The Jane Henson Foundation and The Jim Henson Legacy.

Admission to Celebrating Fifty Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets and “The Muppets Say Cheese” is included with the Museum’s suggested contribution: Members free; $10.00 for adults; $8.00 for senior citizens and students; and $5.00 for children under fourteen. Admission is free in Los Angeles.

 

[minor muppetz]

I never knew that there was a Jane Henson Foundation.

While Tales of the Tinkerdee is one of the rarest henson productions, there are things that I think are rarer, such as the Hey, Cinderella! pilot and any classic episode of Sesame Street not seen on Noggin.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

[*]Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas
One of Henson’s most ambitious efforts of the time presents a more detailed and naturalistic puppet world than ever before in this story of an otter who foils the evil Riverbottom Gang. Kermit the Frog appears as your host. (1977)

WOOO!!!! Disney let Henson use Kermit? It stinks that they would let HIT! have him be on the NEW dvd, I got my NEW copy of the HIT! Emmet dvd and I love it. The never b4 seen stuff REALLY makes up for the missing Kermit stuff! But then again... IF I ever feel like seen Kermit in it I can just pop in my ol 1996 Disney/Buena Vista vhs tape!

 

[GelflingWaldo]

It's not a Henson vs. HIT thing. Disney would not let HIT use Kermit on their commercially released home-video product. Music/Character rights are tricky things. This is a film screening; the other was a commercial DVD release. Take for example "A Muppet Family Christmas" (or even The Muppet Show), when released on DVD songs had to be cut for legal reasons, yet they can show it on TV uncut with no problems. The students down at the local college radio station in my town can legally play anything they want to (unless it is indecent and against FCC regulations); they don't need to pay royalties or get legal clearances or worry about copyrights. However those same students could not burn a list of the same songs on to a CD and sell it for money (unless they got all the legal clearances). Now, I won't get all lawyer on you here, but...

The fact is that the "product" being shown at the MT&R event is not being sold to be kept on a commercial video product, however HIT's DVD was. Different things, different rules.

 

[Erine81981]

Is it all free?

I'm going to try and go to this. I want something to do with the Muppets and others to see in a really neat showing of all the old stuff. I'M GOING!!!

 

[GelflingWaldo]

Is it all free?

Admission to Celebrating Fifty Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets and “The Muppets Say Cheese” is included with the Museum’s suggested contribution: Members free; $10.00 for adults; $8.00 for senior citizens and students; and $5.00 for children under fourteen. Admission is free in Los Angeles. More information at www.MTR.org

 

[BEAR]

WOOO!!!! Disney let Henson use Kermit? It stinks that they would let HIT! have him be on the NEW dvd, I got my NEW copy of the HIT! Emmet dvd and I love it. The never b4 seen stuff REALLY makes up for the missing Kermit stuff! But then again... IF I ever feel like seen Kermit in it I can just pop in my ol 1996 Disney/Buena Vista vhs tape!

Disney owns Kermit, not Jim Henson. Anyone can use clips featuring Jim Henson the person as long as his family is alright with it probably. A lot of people get confused about that.

It's free in LA? I'm there! Well, I would still go even if I had to pay the $10, but it is that much more convenient since I'm so close. Yay!

 

[GelflingWaldo]

This is not a Jim Henson Company event; this is not a Disney (Muppet Holding Company) event; this is a Museum of Television & Radio event. Disney is not letting Henson use something, Disney is allowing the Museum to show something. The museum has gotten permission from both to screen the content (Muppets, non-muppets, Disney-owned, Henson-owned, talkshow spots whatever) at this event (and because of the nature of the event I don't think any money is involved here). Now if this was a commerical video/DVD release, instead of limited & controled viewings (not a tangible product), the mixed or complicated owership issues (such as Kermit in Emmet Otter and Christmas Toy; or the songs in Muppet Family Christmas) would be a lot harder to get uncut - but since this is not a tangible retail product things are not even a problem legally. That's just how the law is - now, let's stop all the legal talk now .

Also, from what I gather the LA events are free (although small donations are encuraged ).

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I wish I could go.
_______________
"Have a pop over froggy".

 

[Lynnette]

As seen on mtr.org

FYI - This is what I found on the mtr.org website but not nearly as detailed as Gelfling Waldo first posted:

Celebrating Fifty Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets
December 2, 2005, to January 26, 2006
LA: Wednesdays to Sundays at 12:30 p.m.
NY: Tuesdays to Sundays at 12:30 p.m.

Fifty years ago Jim Henson and his future wife Jane introduced a menagerie of quirky and lovable puppets on a local Washington, DC, television show. This five-minute long series, entitled Sam and Friends, was the humble beginning of what would expand into a universe of inventive and unforgettable characters that would earn global appreciation for Henson and the Muppets.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, the Museum presents two months of specials, episodes, and clips featuring Kermit and the rest of the Muppet gang, as well as some of Henson's less well-known creations in such programs as The Great Santa Claus Switch, which has not been seen since its original airing in 1970. Plus, Jim and the Muppets guest starring over the years, Christmas-themed specials, a Muppet spoof of Hollywood classics, a visit to Walt Disney World, and one of the rarest of all Muppet projects, the unaired Tales of the Tinkerdee.

I'm so excited!

-Lynnette