Jim Henson Company at 50
Creature feature
SepT 20, 2005
When a 19-year-old University of Maryland freshman named James Maury Henson launched his own nightly puppet show called "Sam and Friends" in 1955, his goal wasn't to become a world-renowned puppeteer. But the five-minute show, which aired between NBC affiliates' local newscasts and "The Huntley-Brinkley Report," did more than get Henson's foot in the door of the TV industry: His simple understanding that puppeteers needn't hide behind a structure while in front of a camera, as long as the camera operator keeps humans out of the frame, allowed his puppets to dominate the image and appear more lifelike.
Thus was born the first of what would be an untold number of Henson innovations. He quickly became a TV mainstay, and as the company Henson founded celebrates its 50th anniversary, his children continue a legacy that has spawned not only the beloved Muppets but also scores of technological production breakthroughs and a bold reputation in science fiction and fantasy that is nearly as indelible as that in children's programming and film.
"My father wasn't just about the Muppets, though that's obviously the thing he's most closely associated with," says Jim Henson's son Brian, who runs the Jim Henson Co. as co-chairman and co-CEO with his sister Lisa. "He was always ahead of the curve technologically -- I mean, he was doing radio-controlled Muppets way back when.
"He had so many interests and so many areas of entertainment that interested him," Brian Henson adds. "I like to think that the company is an extension of the way he worked, which was to always keep his eye on what was ahead."
Were he alive today, Jim Henson undoubtedly would be pleased to see what has become of his company: The Creature Shop special-effects/puppeteering house he pioneered is thriving with state-of-the-art digital magic; its studio lot resides on hallowed Hollywood ground where Charlie Chaplin once puttered; the company has its hands in multiple areas in the film and TV realms; and the Muppets ... well, they're owned by the Walt Disney Co. -- which also is the way he had wanted it.
That the Henson Co.'s principals only recently have put things back on track, though, is undeniable. The company was sold to German media firm EM.TV & Merchandising AG in 2000, and only after that company's stock imploded was the Henson family able to repurchase it in May 2003. A retooled focus and strategy has brought the Henson Co. a renewed purpose during the past 28 months.
Henson Co. president and chief operating officer Peter Schube says that when the five Henson siblings reacquired the company, it was decided that the most effective strategy would be to partner with financially stable, distribution-savvy companies to best capitalize on the Muppets (with Disney), Family Classics/preschool properties such as "Fraggle Rock" and the upcoming "Frances" (with HIT Entertainment) and sci-fi/fantasy films and series (with Sony).
"The idea was to be able to shrink our company back to its creative core and to once again focus our attention on producing the highest-quality films and TV shows while remaining small," Schube says.
With the aforementioned cogs in the strategy running smoothly, Schube says the company's attention going forward will focus on the remaining pieces: partnering with a large retailer on a Henson branding program and forging a strategic alliance for its thriving digital puppetry and computer-generated animation business.
To be sure, a lot is going on within the Henson Co. empire in advance of what would have been the beloved patriarch's 69th birthday Saturday (he died May 16, 1990, at age 53 of bacterial pneumonia). "It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider" -- a new book of quotes, stories, anecdotes and insight from Jim Henson and his friends and colleagues -- was released last week.
On Saturday, the Museum of Television & Radio in Los Angeles and New York will host daylong events to herald Henson's accomplishments and his company's history. And on Sept. 28, the U.S. Postal Service will honor Henson with a series of 11 postage stamps -- one featuring his likeness and the others featuring Muppet characters.
In addition, Sept. 30 is set to mark the release of the Henson-produced fantasy feature "MirrorMask," in partnership with Sony, and the big-screen sequel "The Power of the Dark Crystal" is in preproduction for a 2007 target release. The company also has kept its hand in the fantasy genre during the past several years with the Sci Fi Channel series "Farscape" and the acclaimed miniseries "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars," both of which feature the company's revolutionary Henson Digital Performance System virtual-puppeteering technology, now the industry standard.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president Benjamin Feingold is excited to be aligned with the Henson Co. on its fantasy movie releases, including DVD issues of 1982's "Dark Crystal" and 1986's "Labyrinth." "The great thing about those fantasy projects is they never get dated," he says. "And I think 'MirrorMask' is already looking like it has that same potential to be a cult classic."
But the Henson Co. has hardly abandoned the soft-puppet world. It continues to support the Muppets as an outside producer of PBS' "Sesame Street" and through a production agreement with Disney, which has owned the Muppet characters since April 2004.
As part of the new Henson synergy that exploits the company's extensive library while also making new product, a "Dark Crystal" animated series aimed at older children is in the works for Cartoon Network. "There was a belief that kids didn't want to watch fantasy, but you don't hear that as much anymore, in part because the people in place now at the networks were raised on Jim's work," says Halle Stanford, Henson's head of children's television.
Moreover, the partnerships with Disney and HIT have resulted in successful home video releases of such beloved Henson programs as "The Muppet Show" (the Aug. 9 release of the Season 1 DVD rocketed to No. 1 on the Amazon.com sales chart) and "Fraggle Rock." The first three "Fraggle" DVDs, released earlier this year, have sold well, and a Season 1 boxed set hit store shelves Sept. 6. A "Fraggle Rock" feature film also is in the works.
In all, Lisa Henson believes, the secret to the company's success is staying small.
"After we bought the company back, we pursued making it smaller even more seriously because the medium size didn't work," she says. "We're really happy with the choice, and we feel like my father would be, too."
Thus was born the first of what would be an untold number of Henson innovations. He quickly became a TV mainstay, and as the company Henson founded celebrates its 50th anniversary, his children continue a legacy that has spawned not only the beloved Muppets but also scores of technological production breakthroughs and a bold reputation in science fiction and fantasy that is nearly as indelible as that in children's programming and film.
"My father wasn't just about the Muppets, though that's obviously the thing he's most closely associated with," says Jim Henson's son Brian, who runs the Jim Henson Co. as co-chairman and co-CEO with his sister Lisa. "He was always ahead of the curve technologically -- I mean, he was doing radio-controlled Muppets way back when.
"He had so many interests and so many areas of entertainment that interested him," Brian Henson adds. "I like to think that the company is an extension of the way he worked, which was to always keep his eye on what was ahead."
Were he alive today, Jim Henson undoubtedly would be pleased to see what has become of his company: The Creature Shop special-effects/puppeteering house he pioneered is thriving with state-of-the-art digital magic; its studio lot resides on hallowed Hollywood ground where Charlie Chaplin once puttered; the company has its hands in multiple areas in the film and TV realms; and the Muppets ... well, they're owned by the Walt Disney Co. -- which also is the way he had wanted it.
That the Henson Co.'s principals only recently have put things back on track, though, is undeniable. The company was sold to German media firm EM.TV & Merchandising AG in 2000, and only after that company's stock imploded was the Henson family able to repurchase it in May 2003. A retooled focus and strategy has brought the Henson Co. a renewed purpose during the past 28 months.
Henson Co. president and chief operating officer Peter Schube says that when the five Henson siblings reacquired the company, it was decided that the most effective strategy would be to partner with financially stable, distribution-savvy companies to best capitalize on the Muppets (with Disney), Family Classics/preschool properties such as "Fraggle Rock" and the upcoming "Frances" (with HIT Entertainment) and sci-fi/fantasy films and series (with Sony).
"The idea was to be able to shrink our company back to its creative core and to once again focus our attention on producing the highest-quality films and TV shows while remaining small," Schube says.
With the aforementioned cogs in the strategy running smoothly, Schube says the company's attention going forward will focus on the remaining pieces: partnering with a large retailer on a Henson branding program and forging a strategic alliance for its thriving digital puppetry and computer-generated animation business.
To be sure, a lot is going on within the Henson Co. empire in advance of what would have been the beloved patriarch's 69th birthday Saturday (he died May 16, 1990, at age 53 of bacterial pneumonia). "It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider" -- a new book of quotes, stories, anecdotes and insight from Jim Henson and his friends and colleagues -- was released last week.
On Saturday, the Museum of Television & Radio in Los Angeles and New York will host daylong events to herald Henson's accomplishments and his company's history. And on Sept. 28, the U.S. Postal Service will honor Henson with a series of 11 postage stamps -- one featuring his likeness and the others featuring Muppet characters.
In addition, Sept. 30 is set to mark the release of the Henson-produced fantasy feature "MirrorMask," in partnership with Sony, and the big-screen sequel "The Power of the Dark Crystal" is in preproduction for a 2007 target release. The company also has kept its hand in the fantasy genre during the past several years with the Sci Fi Channel series "Farscape" and the acclaimed miniseries "Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars," both of which feature the company's revolutionary Henson Digital Performance System virtual-puppeteering technology, now the industry standard.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president Benjamin Feingold is excited to be aligned with the Henson Co. on its fantasy movie releases, including DVD issues of 1982's "Dark Crystal" and 1986's "Labyrinth." "The great thing about those fantasy projects is they never get dated," he says. "And I think 'MirrorMask' is already looking like it has that same potential to be a cult classic."
But the Henson Co. has hardly abandoned the soft-puppet world. It continues to support the Muppets as an outside producer of PBS' "Sesame Street" and through a production agreement with Disney, which has owned the Muppet characters since April 2004.
As part of the new Henson synergy that exploits the company's extensive library while also making new product, a "Dark Crystal" animated series aimed at older children is in the works for Cartoon Network. "There was a belief that kids didn't want to watch fantasy, but you don't hear that as much anymore, in part because the people in place now at the networks were raised on Jim's work," says Halle Stanford, Henson's head of children's television.
Moreover, the partnerships with Disney and HIT have resulted in successful home video releases of such beloved Henson programs as "The Muppet Show" (the Aug. 9 release of the Season 1 DVD rocketed to No. 1 on the Amazon.com sales chart) and "Fraggle Rock." The first three "Fraggle" DVDs, released earlier this year, have sold well, and a Season 1 boxed set hit store shelves Sept. 6. A "Fraggle Rock" feature film also is in the works.
In all, Lisa Henson believes, the secret to the company's success is staying small.
"After we bought the company back, we pursued making it smaller even more seriously because the medium size didn't work," she says. "We're really happy with the choice, and we feel like my father would be, too."
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