The Jim Henson Company, formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (commonly referred to as Henson), is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for its innovations in the field of puppetry, particularly through the creation of Kermit the Frog and the Muppets characters.[1]
Formerly | Muppets, Inc. (1958–1976; 1985) Henson Associates, Inc. (1976–1987) Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (1987–1997) |
---|---|
Company type | Private |
Industry | Entertainment |
Founded | November 20, 1958 |
Founders | Jim and Jane Henson |
Headquarters | Jim Henson Company Lot, , U.S. |
Key people | Brian Henson (chairman) Lisa Henson (president & CEO) |
Products | Puppetry, Animation, Computer graphics, Digital puppetry, Entertainment |
Brands | |
Owner | Henson family |
Parent | EM.TV & Merchandising AG (2000–2003) |
Divisions | Jim Henson's Creature Shop Henson Recording Studios Jim Henson Animation Studios Henson Alternative |
Website | henson |
Brian Henson is chairman and Lisa Henson is CEO. Since 2000, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered at the Jim Henson Company Lot, the historic former Charlie Chaplin Studios, in Hollywood.
The company was established in November 1958 by puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson,[2] and is currently independently owned and operated by their children. Henson has produced many successful television series, including The Muppet Show (1976–1981), Fraggle Rock (1983–1987), and Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2006); as well, the company designed the Muppet characters for Sesame Street (1969–present).
The company has also produced theatrical films, including The Muppet Movie (1979), The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). Henson also operates Jim Henson's Creature Shop, an animatronics and visual effects studio which has created characters and effects for both Henson productions and outside projects.[3] In 1989, the company entered merger negotiations with The Walt Disney Company, which were canceled following Jim Henson's death in 1990.
Subsequently, control of the company was assumed by Henson's children: Lisa, Cheryl, Brian, John, and Heather. In 2000, Henson was sold to German media company EM.TV & Merchandising AG; by the end of that year, however, EM.TV's stock collapsed, and the Henson family re-acquired the company in 2003.
In the interim, EM.TV sold the rights to the Sesame Street Muppets to Sesame Workshop in early January 2001,[4] following a December 2000 announcement. Henson sold The Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House properties to Disney in 2004, but retains the remainder of its program library and assets.
As of 2024[update], Brian, Lisa, Cheryl, and Heather Henson maintain control of the company. Jane Henson died in April 2013 and John Henson died in February 2014.
History
edit1958 to 1990
editJim and Jane Henson officially founded Muppets, Inc. on November 20, 1958, three years after Sam and Friends debuted on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. Aside from Sam and Friends, the majority of its work until 1969 was in advertising; appearances on late-night talk shows; and short "meeting films" primarily for enterprise use, produced from 1965 to 1996. In 1968, the company began designing characters and producing short films for the fledgling Sesame Street, which premiered on NET (succeeded by PBS) in November 1969.
One of the company's first characters to appear regularly on television, Rowlf the Dog, originated in commercials for Purina Dog Chow and became a regular character on The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963 to 1966. During this time, the show's host, Jimmy Dean, refused an opportunity to own 40% of the company, assuming that he did not attain that right. Jim Henson also pitched several different projects to the major American television networks, to little avail. Some ideas became unaired pilots, while others were never produced.
In 1976, producer Lew Grade approached Henson to produce a weekly series in Grade's native United Kingdom. This series became The Muppet Show, produced by Associated Television (ATV) for the ITV network. The success of The Muppet Show led to the Muppets becoming an enduring media franchise. Another company controlled by Grade, ITC Entertainment, originally owned The Muppet Show, among other Henson productions, but Henson acquired the rights to these productions in the 1980s. During this time, Henson formed Jim Henson's Creature Shop, a special effects studio partially responsible for the films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth; and television series The StoryTeller, Farscape, and Dinosaurs.
Later in his life, Henson produced Fraggle Rock and The Jim Henson Hour. In August 1989, Henson and Disney CEO Michael Eisner began merger discussions reportedly valued at $150 million, which also included a fifteen-year contract for Henson's personal "creative services."[5] However, the deal did not include the rights to the Sesame Street characters, which were owned by Henson, although merchandising revenue was split between Henson and the Children's Television Workshop.
Also during the negotiations, management of the company's Henson International Television distribution unit based in the United Kingdom purchased their unit from the company, leading to the establishment of HIT Entertainment.[6] On May 16, 1990, as negotiations continued, Jim Henson died of toxic shock syndrome. Following Henson's death, neither Disney nor Jim Henson Productions could come to an accord. Negotiations officially ended in December 1990, and Henson remained an independent company.[7][8]
1991 to 1999
editThe Henson family assumed management of the company, and Brian Henson was named president, chairman, and CEO in January 1991.[9] In the following years, Henson entered into deals with several companies, including television rights to the Henson library with Disney Channel and Nickelodeon; a record label with BMG Kidz; and a home media label with Buena Vista Home Video.[10] In 1995, Henson entered into an agreement with ABC to produce primetime television series, leading to Muppets Tonight and Aliens in the Family.
Following the releases of The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island by Walt Disney Pictures, Henson formed Jim Henson Pictures with Sony Pictures Entertainment. In 1998, the company signed a deal with Columbia TriStar Home Video to launch Jim Henson Home Entertainment.[11] By 1999, Henson held partial interests in two cable channels: The Kermit Channel (broadcasting in Asia) and Odyssey Network (broadcasting in the United States), both jointly owned with Hallmark Entertainment. After Hallmark (through Crown Media Holdings) assumed full ownership of these networks, the Kermit Channel was discontinued and Odyssey was renamed the Hallmark Channel.
2000 to 2004
editIn 2000, the Henson family sold the company to the German media company EM.TV & Merchandising AG, for $680 million.[12][13] That summer, EM.TV sold Henson's stakes in the Odyssey and Kermit cable channels in exchange for an 8.2% stake in Hallmark-controlled Crown Media Holdings.[14] By the end of 2000, after EM.TV subsequently experienced major financial problems, EM.TV sold the company's ownership of the Sesame Street Muppets and Henson's small interest in the Noggin television network to Sesame Workshop,[15] and by early 2001, Henson itself was marked for sale.[16] Disney,[17] Viacom,[18] HIT Entertainment,[19] AOL Time Warner,[20] Haim Saban,[21] Classic Media,[22] as well as Henson management, among others, were all parties reportedly interested in acquiring the company.
In December 2002, a deal was announced in which EM.TV would sell a 49.9% stake in Henson to an investment group led by Dean Valentine, a former executive at Disney and UPN.[23] However, in March 2003, the deal was canceled, citing financial issues on Valentine's part.[24] In May 2003, EM.TV was reportedly nearing an agreement to sell Henson to a consortium between Classic Media and Sesame Workshop (with financing from Sony Pictures Entertainment),[25] until the Henson family re-acquired the company for a closing price of $84 million.[26]
In February 2004, Henson sold the Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House to Disney,[27] who subsequently formed The Muppets Studio (known at that time as The Muppets Holding Company). The term "Muppet", likewise, became a legal trademark of Disney; Sesame Workshop retained permission to use the term for its Sesame Street characters under a license from Disney until 2023.
2004 to present
editOn April 1, 2004, Henson and HIT Entertainment agreed to a five-year global distribution and production deal which included distribution of 440 hours of the company's remaining library including Fraggle Rock,[28] Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas,[29] The Hoobs and Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories. In addition, the agreement also included the production of new properties, including Frances, in which both companies co-produced and also both co-own the copyright to the series.[30] After that deal expired, Henson entered into similar agreements with Lionsgate Home Entertainment on August 10, 2009[31] and later with Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment three years later on October 25, 2012.[32] As well, the company became involved with computer-animated projects, including the direct-to-video Unstable Fables series; Sid the Science Kid; Dinosaur Train; and Splash and Bubbles, as well as the puppet series Pajanimals.
Henson later formed Henson Alternative, which specializes in adult content, including the live shows known alternatively as Puppet Improv, Puppet Up!,[33] and Stuffed and Unstrung. In recent years, the Fraggle Rock characters have made several appearances, usually at special events. The characters appeared with Ben Folds Five in the music video for "Do It Anyway";[34] and in 2013, Gobo and Red Fraggle hosted a Fraggle Rock marathon on the Hub Network.
In 2019, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,[35] a prequel to The Dark Crystal, premiered on Netflix.[36] In 2022, Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, a reboot of Fraggle Rock, premiered on Apple TV+.
On August 10, 2022, the company signed a worldwide distribution agreement with Shout! Factory which would allow Shout! to distribute thirteen series and specials from the Henson catalog on home entertainment and streaming platforms across all territories.[37] A similar worldwide distribution agreement went into effect on January 5, 2024, for streaming, video on demand, broadcast, digital download, packaged media and certain non-theatrical rights for the films Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, as well as behind the scenes specials Inside the Labyrinth and The World of the Dark Crystal.[38]
On June 20, 2024, the company announced they were planning to sell the Jim Henson Company Lot off La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, which it purchased in 1999, as “part of a much longer-term strategy to have The Jim Henson Company and our renowned Burbank-based Jim Henson’s Creature Shop under one roof, which is not feasible in Hollywood due to the space the Shop requires.”[39]
Staff
editHenson family
edit- Jim Henson (1936–1990) – Founder of The Jim Henson Company.
- Jane Henson (1934–2013) – Co-founder of The Jim Henson Company.
- Brian Henson – Chairman of The Jim Henson Company.
- Lisa Henson – CEO of The Jim Henson Company.
- Cheryl Henson – Board of Directors member, President of the Jim Henson Foundation. Formerly a liaison to Sesame Workshop from 1992 to 2000.
- John Henson (1965–2014) – Board of Directors member.
- Heather Henson – Board of Directors member.
Leadership
edit- Peter Schube – President and COO of The Jim Henson Company.
- Lori Don – Executive Vice President and CFO of The Jim Henson Company.
- Richard Goldsmith – Executive Vice President, Global Distribution, and International Consumer Projects.
- Joe Henderson – Executive Vice President, Worldwide Administration.
- Stephanie Schroeder – Executive Vice President, Business Affairs & Legal.
- Halle Stanford – Executive Vice President of Children's Entertainment.
- Nicole Goldman – Senior Vice President, Marketing and Publicity.
- Anthony Wood - Senior Vice President of Human Resources.
- Karen Lee Arbeeny – Vice President, Business Operations, Global Distribution.
- Faryal Ganjehei – Vice President and Studio Operations at the Henson Recording Studio.
- Anna Jordan Douglass – Vice President, Digital Development & Interactive Media.
- Howard Sharp – Vice President of Administration.
- Peter Brooke – Creative Supervisor at Jim Henson's Creature Shop.
- Jerry Houle - Vice President of Marketing 1977-1984
Other staff members
editFilmography
editFilms
editTelevision
editCompany type | Division of The Jim Henson Company |
---|---|
Industry | Television production |
Founded | 1955 |
Founder | Jim Henson |
Defunct | April 28, 2006 |
Fate | Disbanded and folded into The Jim Henson Company |
Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Products | Television series |
From 1969 to 2000, Henson was contracted to design and create Muppet characters for Sesame Street. With the exception of occasional appearances in the Muppets franchise, the characters were used exclusively for Sesame Street, but Henson legally owned these characters prior to their acquisition by Sesame Workshop. The only exception was Kermit the Frog, who was featured in other projects prior to Sesame Street. Sesame Workshop retains the rights to use any Sesame Street footage featuring the character.
The sale ended any direct affiliation between The Muppets and Sesame Street, although the series retains use of the term "Muppet" under license from Disney. Many of the puppeteers continue to perform with both The Muppets and Sesame Street franchises. While no longer owning the Sesame Street characters, Henson continues to design them.[47] This list excludes pre-2001 Sesame Street co-productions outside the United States.
TV series
editProduction company | Title | Creator(s) / Developer(s) | Release date | Production partners | Network |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henson Associates, Inc. | The Muppet Show | Jim Henson | 1976–1981 | Associated Television ITC Entertainment |
ITV (UK) Syndication (US) |
Fraggle Rock | 1983–1987 | CBC (Canada) HBO Television South |
CBC (Canada) HBO (US) ITV (UK) | ||
Muppet Babies | Jim Henson (d): Jeffrey Scott |
1984–1991 | Marvel Productions | CBS | |
Little Muppet Monsters | Jim Henson | 1985 | |||
Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series | Jim Henson (d): John Semper & Cynthia Friedlob |
1987 | NBC | ||
Jim Henson Productions, Inc. | The StoryTeller | Jim Henson (d): Anthony Minghella |
1988–1990 | TVS | NBC (US) Channel 4 (UK) HBO (US) (Greek Myths) |
The Jim Henson Hour[e] | Jim Henson | 1989 | NBC | ||
The Ghost of Faffner Hall | Tyne Tees Television | ITV (UK) | |||
Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories | 1990 | Television South West | ITV (UK) The Disney Channel (US) | ||
Dinosaurs | Michael Jacobs Bob Young (d): Jim Henson |
1991–1994 | Michael Jacobs Productions Walt Disney Television |
ABC | |
Dog City | Jim Henson (d): Peter Sauder J.D. Smith |
1992–1995 | Nelvana Limited | Fox Kids (US) YTV (Canada) | |
CityKids | Jeffrey Solomon | 1993–1994 | The CityKids Foundation | ABC | |
Secret Life of Toys | 1993 | The Disney Channel (US) BBC (UK) | |||
Jim Henson's Animal Show | 1994–1998 | Survival Anglie, Ltd. | Fox Kids (seasons 1–2) Animal Planet (season 3) | ||
Muppets Tonight | 1996–1998 | ABC Disney Channel | |||
Aliens in the Family | Andy Borowitz Susan Borowitz |
1996 | The Stuffed Dog Company | ABC | |
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | Dr. Seuss (characters) | 1996–1998 | Nickelodeon | ||
Jim Henson Television | Bear in the Big Blue House[h] | Mitchell Kriegman | 1997–2006 | Shadow Projects | Playhouse Disney |
Brats of the Lost Nebula | Dan Clark | 1998–1999 | Decode Entertainment Wandering Monkey Entertainment |
The WB (US) YTV (Canada) | |
Mopatop's Shop | (d): Jocelyn Stevenson | 1999–2003 | Carlton Television | ITV (CITV) | |
Construction Site | |||||
Farscape | Rockne S. O'Bannon | Hallmark Entertainment | Nine Network (Australia) Sci-Fi Channel (US) | ||
Family Rules | Russell Marcus | 1999 | UPN | ||
The Fearing Mind | Billy Brown | 2000–01 | Angel/Brown Productions | Fox Family | |
The Hoobs | Jocelyn Stevenson Brian Henson |
2001–2003 | Decode Entertainment | Channel 4 (UK) TVOKids (Canada) | |
Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola | 2001 | Hallmark Channel | |||
Bambaloo | 2002–2003 | Yoram Gross-EM.TV | Seven Network ABC TV | ||
Animal Jam[i] | John Derevlany | 2003 | TLC Discovery Kids | ||
The Jim Henson Company | Frances [j] | Russell Hoban (d): Alex Rockwell Halle Stanford |
2008 | HIT Entertainment | |
Sid the Science Kid | 2008–13 | KCET (2008–09) KOCE-TV (2010–12) |
PBS Kids | ||
Jim Henson's Pajanimals | Jeff Muncy and Alex Rockwell | Sixteen South John Doze Studios Ingenious |
PBS Kids Sprout | ||
Dinosaur Train[49] | Craig Bartlett | 2009–20 | Info-communications Media Development Authority Sparky Animation FableVision Snee-Oosh, Inc. (uncredited) Tail Waggin' Productions |
PBS Kids | |
Jim Henson's The Possibility Shop | Courtney Watkins | 2009–2011 | |||
Hot Dog TV | 2010 | Cartoon Network | |||
Me and My Monsters | Mark Grant Claudia Lloyd (d): Rebecca De Souza |
2010–2011 | Tiger Aspect Productions Sticky Pictures |
Network Ten (Australia) CBBC (UK) | |
Wilson & Ditch: Digging America | Joe Purdy Craig Bartlett |
2010–2012 | PBS Kids | ||
That Puppet Game Show | Jamie Ormerod | 2013–14 | BBC Entertainment | BBC One | |
Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge | 2014 | Syfy | |||
The Doozers | 2014–2018 | DHX Studios Halifax | Hulu (US) Kids' CBC (Canada) | ||
Hi Opie! | Barbara Slade | 2014–2016 | marblemedia | TVO Kids | |
Dot. | Randi Zuckerberg | 2016–2018 | Industrial Brothers | CBC Kids (Canada) Universal Kids (US) | |
Splash and Bubbles | John Tartaglia | 2016–2018 | Herschend Studios | PBS Kids | |
Word Party | Alex Rockwell | 2016–2021 | Netflix | ||
Julie's Greenroom | Julie Andrews Emma Walton Hamilton Judy Rothman |
2017 | |||
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance[50][51] | Jim Henson (characters) (d): Jeffrey Addiss Will Matthews |
2019 | |||
Fraggle Rock: Rock On! | 2020 | Apple TV+ | |||
Earth to Ned[52][53] | 2020–2021 | Marwar Junction Productions | Disney+ | ||
Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time | Duff Goldman | 2021 | Discovery+ | ||
Harriet the Spy[54] | 2021–present | Postworks New York Wellsville Pictures Titmouse, Inc. |
Apple TV+ | ||
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock[55] | Jim Henson (original series) (d): Matt Fusfeld Alex Cuthbertson |
2022–present | New Regency Fusfeld & Cuthbertson Regional Entertainment | ||
Slumberkins[56] | Alex Rockwell | 2022 | Factory | ||
The Storyteller[57] | Jim Henson (original series) | TBA | Fremantle | ||
Lore Olympus[58] | Rachel Smythe | TBA | Webtoon |
As a contributor
edit- The Tonight Show (1955–1961)
- The Jimmy Dean Show (1963-1966)
- Sesame Street (1969–present)[f]
- Saturday Night Live (Season 1)
- "The Land of Gorch" segments (1975–1976)
- The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange (2012–2014)
TV specials
edit- Hey, Cinderella! (1969)
- The Great Santa Claus Switch (1970)
- The Frog Prince (1971)
- The Muppet Musicians of Bremen (1972)
- Out to Lunch (1974)
- The Muppets Valentine Show (1974)
- The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence (1975)
- Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)[e]
- The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)
- John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)[e]
- The Muppets Go to the Movies (1981)
- Of Muppets and Men (1981)
- The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show (1982)
- Rocky Mountain Holiday (1983)[e]
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years (1986)
- The Tale of the Bunny Picnic (1986)
- The Christmas Toy (1986)[e]
- A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)[e]
- Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting (1989)
- The Muppets at Walt Disney World (1990)
- The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (1990)
- Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree (1995)
Direct-to-video
edit- Jim Henson Play-Along Video (1988)[e]
- Hey, You're as Funny as Fozzie Bear: A Comedy Show Starring Fozzie Bear and You
- Mother Goose Stories: Miss Muffet, Songs of Sixpence, Little Boy Blue (1987–1990)
- Neat Stuff... To Know and Do
- Peek-A-Boo, A Big Surprise for Little People[59]
- Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along: Rowlf teaches kids about music
- Wow, You're a Cartoonist!
- Muppet Sing Alongs
- Billy Bunny's Animal Songs (1993)[60]
- It's Not Easy Being Green (1994)
- Muppet Treasure Island Sing Along (1996)
- Things That Fly (1996)[61]
- Muppet Classic Theater (1994)[e]
- Jim Henson's Preschool Collection (1995)[e]
- Mother Goose Stories: Humpty Dumpty
- Mother Goose Stories: Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Muppets on Wheels
- Yes, I Can Be a Friend
- Yes, I Can Learn
- Yes, I Can Help[62]
- Kermit's Swamp Years (2002)
Web content
edit- The Skrumps (2007)
- The Sam Plenty Cavalcade of Action Show Plus Singing! (2008)
Henson Alternative
editThe following list contains projects of The Jim Henson Company under its Henson Alternative banner.
Movies
editTitle | Release date | Production partners | Distributor |
---|---|---|---|
The Happytime Murders[63] | August 24, 2018 | STX Entertainment |
Television series
editThe first eight series are produced under its Henson Alternative banner exclusively in North America before premiering worldwide in 2015.
- Tinseltown (2007)
- Alt/Reality (2010–2011)
- Simian Undercover Detective Squad (2012)
- Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del (2006)
- Del's Vegas Comedy Binge (2007)
- Late Night Liars (2010)
- Marvin E. Quasniki for President (2011–12)
- Neil's Puppet Dreams (2012–13)
- Ketchup with the Hot Dogs (2013–14)
- Good Morning Today (2013–14)
- No, You Shut Up! (2013–2016)
- The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (2018)
- The Miskreants (2019-2020)
Stage shows
edit- Puppet Up! - Uncensored (2005–present)
- Stuffed and Unstrung (2010–2013)
Other productions
edit- The Muppet segments of the Nintendo Digital Event, shown during E3 (2015).
- Star Fox Zero commercial (2016).
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ In February 2004, the company sold the rights to The Muppets to The Walt Disney Company, now controlling the Muppets through its subsidiary The Muppets Studio.
- ^ In 2001, the company sold the rights to the Sesame Street Muppets to Sesame Workshop.
- ^ a b The film's home media, TV, and digital distribution rights were purchased by The Jim Henson Company from ITC Entertainment in August 1984.[40] The film rights were then acquired by Walt Disney Studios upon their parent company's acquisition of the Muppets franchise in 2004.[41] Currently, Universal Pictures handles theatrical distribution[42]—due to prior contractual obligations with the former Associated Film Distribution and ITC—but the film's ownership and copyright are controlled by Disney, with home media reissues of the film branded as a Walt Disney Pictures release.
- ^ The film's home media, TV, and digital distribution rights were purchased by The Jim Henson Company from ITC Entertainment in August 1984.[40] Currently, Universal Pictures handles theatrical distribution[43]—due to prior contractual obligations with the former Associated Film Distribution and ITC.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The film's home media, TV, and digital distribution rights were not purchased by The Jim Henson Company from Walt Disney Studios upon their parent company's acquisition of the Muppets franchise in February 2004.
- ^ a b The Sesame Street Muppets only.
- ^ After the Muppets' acquisition to Disney in 2005.
- ^ The Walt Disney Company acquired Bear in the Big Blue House from The Jim Henson Company in 2004.[48] The transaction included all of the series' characters, television library, copyrights and trademarks.
- ^ The Walt Disney Company is filmed on location at Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida to help Animal Jam from The Jim Henson Company in 2002. The transaction included all of the series' characters, television library, copyrights and trademarks by Jim's company itself.
- ^ Co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and HIT Entertainment. Both companies co-own the copyright.
References
edit- ^ Gritten, David (August 19, 1990). "The Next Muppetmeister?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Jones, Jim Henson: The Biography (2013). p. 75.
- ^ Eller, Claudia; Philips, Chuck (May 12, 1995). "Sony Nears Deal With Jim Henson Productions". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Sesame Street". Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
- ^ Swansburg, John (December 6, 2013). "Muppet Man". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
- ^ "HIT Entertainment PLC History". Company Profiles. fundinguniverse.com. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
- ^ Zonana, Victor F. (April 18, 1991). "Henson Heirs Allege Disney Is Illegally Using Muppets". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Citron, Alan (December 14, 1990). "Miss Piggy and Friends Won't Get Together With Mickey and Minnie". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Willman, David (July 26, 1992). "Jim Henson's Children Put Together a String of Big Deals to Keep Alive". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Stevenson, Richard W. (December 19, 1991). COMPANY NEWS; In Thaw, Henson and Disney Strike Deal on Home Videos. New York Times.
- ^ Sandler, Adam (May 18, 1998). "Col TriStar, Henson ink vid pact". Variety. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Germany's EM.TV buys Henson for $680 million". muppetcentral.com. February 21, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ Hofmeister, Sallie (February 22, 2000). "German Firm to Buy Henson for $680 Million". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - EM.TV swaps Odyssey for Crown Media". muppetcentral.com. July 26, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Sesame Workshop gains character control from EM.TV". muppetcentral.com. December 4, 2000. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - EM.TV officially says Henson will be sold". muppetcentral.com. March 13, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Eisner watches for Muppets chance". muppetcentral.com. January 30, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Viacom is next in line for Henson". muppetcentral.com. January 31, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Is Bob the Builder eyeing Miss Piggy?". muppetcentral.com. February 1, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - AOL Time Warner may buy Henson for $400 million". muppetcentral.com. March 12, 2001. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Billionaire Saban wants to buy the Muppets". muppetcentral.com. October 8, 2002. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Four suitors are in pursuit of Henson". muppetcentral.com. December 6, 2002. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - EM.TV to sell 49.9% of Henson to Dean Valentine". muppetcentral.com. December 24, 2002. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - EM.TV calls off sale of Muppets to Dean Valentine". muppetcentral.com. March 7, 2003. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ "Muppet Central News - Hensons began pursuit of company two weeks ago". muppetcentral.com. May 8, 2003. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
- ^ Verrier, Richard (May 8, 2003). "Muppets Returning to Hensons' Hands". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Barnes, Brooks (September 18, 2008). "Fuzzy Renaissance". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
- ^ "Fraggle Rock to be revived by Apple TV+ after 33 years". BBC News. May 27, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Kiefer, Halle (October 21, 2019). "Human Jug-Playing Otter Bret McKenzie to Adapt Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas". Vulture. Vulture. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ "The Jim Henson Company and HIT Entertainment Establish Worldwide Distribution And Production Venture" (PDF). The Jim Henson Company and HIT Entertainment. April 1, 2004.
- ^ "The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate Enter Into Home Entertainment Distribution Agreement". The Jim Henson Company and Lionsgate. August 10, 2009.
- ^ "The Jim Henson Company Taps Gaiam Vivendi for New Distribution Deal". Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company. October 25, 2012. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012.
- ^ Logan, Brian (August 16, 2013). "Puppet Up! Uncensored – Edinburgh festival 2013 review". The Guardian. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Zakarin, Jordan (September 18, 2012). "Ben Folds Five and Fraggle Rock Team for 'Do It Anyway' Extravaganza (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Montgomery, Hugh. "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance review: Four stars". BBC. BBC. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Collis, Clark (September 21, 2019). "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premiering on Netflix in August: See the exclusive images". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "The Jim Henson Company Partners With Shout! Factory for Worldwide Distribution". The Jim Henson Company and Shout! Factory. August 10, 2022.
- ^ "Jim Henson's Epic Movie Adventures Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, Along With Fan-Favorite Behind-the-Scenes Specials, To Be Distributed by Shout! Studios". The Jim Henson Company and Shout! Studios. January 5, 2024.
- ^ https://www.thewrap.com/jim-henson-company-selling-hollywood-lot-kermit/
- ^ a b Jay Jones, Brian (2013). "Chapter 12: Twists and Turns". Jim Henson: The Biography. Ballantine Books (Random House). pp. 374–375. ISBN 978-0345526113.
- ^ Thompson, Simon (July 25, 2019). "Remembering 'The Muppet Movie' At 40 With Gonzo". Forbes. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
- ^ "Make the Rainbow Connection Again as 'The Muppet Movie' Returns to the Big Screen in Honor of its 40th Anniversary on July 25 and 30". prnewswire. Fathom Events. June 3, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
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