Jim Henson's season 2 films

[minor muppetz]

A few episodes of The MuppetCast ago, Steve Swanson covered a recent Henson event in Florida, where they screened Henson's number films. He mentioned that Henson made two series of number films, one for season one, and another for season two. However, I wouldn't call his second season number films a "series".

The first season films were obviously a series, but the ones in season two seem pretty much self-contained. Most are noticibly different. Some, like King of 8, Queen of Six, and 12 Rocks, use stop motion. At least two of them feature an abstract floating face and computer animation. Some of them, like 12345 and Eleven Cheer, have animation similar to the first season baker films.

But do you consider the second season films and animation to be a second series of sketches?

 

[minor muppetz]

Recently, at muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Talk:_Number_Three_Ball_Film there was a letter from Karen Falk posted in which she talked about Jim Henson's season 2 films, referring to them as a series as well. I wonder if the term "series" was used for all works from the various filmakers and animators, regardless of whether they have the same characters, setting, and such. I was surprised to find out that Jim Henson amde some films for season 3 (I guess Raisin Army is one of them).

And I was wrong about something. In my previous post I mentioned that Henson did two computer animated films with a floating face, but I hadn't seen the 4 segment at the time. I saw it on Youtube sometime later, and it doens't have a face, just computer animation effects from Scanimate Films.

 

[minor muppetz]

By the way, that letter mentioned that Jim Henson made around 25 shorts for Sesame Street. Muppet Wiki has a sandbox page listing Henson's Sesame Street films, and I've noticed that there are 22 films listed (I think the page is missing Computer #4). That would make 23, only 2 more to go.

But then I think Jim Henson was invovled with the production of five claymation films in the first season (which never seem to be acknowledged when Henson's non-Muppet work is discussed). I don't know what Henson's involvement in those are beyond voices, but we know he did voices in the S, U, and Q claymation skits, and the E page of the first season show content lists "Henson Claymation", and I assume that if Henson's name is in the title then he worked on it. There is also a "Clay Z", which I assume but don't know for sure is made by him (the other claymation skits are titled in similar manners -- "Clay S", "Clay Q", and "Clay U").

Still, for those wondering, here is a list of Henson's season 2 films:

• #2 Dollhouse
• Number Three Ball Film (though Old School Volume 2 and the Sesame Street hulu channel both list it as being from season 6... Maybe that's when the cherry ending was filmed)
• Computer #4
• 1-2-3-4-5!
• Queen of Six
• Seven Monsters (unaired, collaborated with Maurice Sendak)
• King of 8
• Ardy Bumble (unaired, collaborated with Maurice Sendak)
• Computer #10
• Eleven Cheer
• Number Twelve Rockks

But man, it's times like when I read that letter that I wish Sesame Workshop would put out a DVD release of Henson's Sesame Street films (maybe SW can collaborate with The Jim Henson Legacy for special features). Chapter stops can be "First Season Numbers", "Second Season Numbers", "Claymation Letters", and "Other Henson Films".

 

[ssetta]

I believe Bumble Ardy did air. It's featured on Old School 2 as an Easter Egg.

 

[Drtooth]

I believe Bumble Ardy did air. It's featured on Old School 2 as an Easter Egg.

And I remember seeing it on a couple episodes... I can't remember when, since they were very early in the 80's. Seven Little Monsters? Did that one air, since I never seen and only heard of it. Maybe it wasn't finished?

 

[minor muppetz]

And I remember seeing it on a couple episodes... I can't remember when, since they were very early in the 80's.

The "unaired" status was only mentioned in a letter from Karen Prell posted at Muppet Wiki. I don't know how exactly The Jim Henson Company Archives would know for sure whether a segment would have aired or not (well, I sort of have an idea, but still...) I don't know if Henson was told that it wouldn't air and then it eventually did, or what. I don't know if the Henson archives have any record of all broadcasts of each Henson film.

Of course, I don't think Muppet Wiki has any EKA's for either sketch. After reading that I figured that including it as an easter egg might have been a special treat (though with that logic the other easter egg skethces should have been unaired ones).

Of course, after reading that info, I rewatched Ardy Bumble a few times, and I guess I cna see why it wouldn't have been aired. It seems kind of violent. The mother threatens to turn the pigs into pork at one point, and it also talks about them drinking wine (I wouldn't expect that to be acceptable on Sesame Street, even in the early years).

 

[minor muppetz]

I just saw that Bumble Ardy is available for viewing at sesamestreet.org. I didn't think it was. It is interesting, though; If you search for "henson" at sesamestreet.org, most of Henson's non-Muppet contributions are there, but Bumble Ardy isn't.