Jim Henson and the Muppets

A look at the Muppet gang and their beloved puppeteer and creator, Jim Henson.

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From left, Jerry Juhl, Jim Henson and Jane Henson with the cast of "Sam & Friends." Henson began his career on the show, which ran on NBC’s WRC in Washington.

Jim Henson and old Kermit. Kermit was introduced to the world on "Sam and Friends."

/ JIM HENSON CO.

Actress Raquel Welch, left, and Miss Piggy sing "I'm a Woman" on "The Muppet Show" on April 16, 1979.

/ AP

An undated publicity photograph shows ABC news anchor Ted Koppel with "Muppets" character Kermit the Frog. Henson and the Muppets made appearances on a variety of shows, including "The Today Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show."

/ REUTERS

Jim Henson, with one of his Muppets, poses at his 69th Street office in New York on Feb. 6, 1984. "The Muppet Show," first introduced in 1976, became an immediate success.

G. PAUL BURNETT / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lily Tomlin plays Ernestine the telephone operator in a skit with Oscar the Grouch when she appeared on the TV Show "Sesame Street" in New York on Sept. 19, 1988. The show won three Emmy awards during its five-year run.

Marty Lederhandler / AP

The cast of "The Muppet Movie," starring Tim Curry as Long John Silver, in 1996.

Getty Images / GETTY IMAGES

Billy Crystal guest-starred on "Muppets Tonight" in 1996.

RON TOM / ABC

Cindy Crawford with Andy and Randy on "Muppets Tonight" in 1996.

RON TOM / ABC

Kermit the Frog, one of the characters of television's "Sesame Street" children's program, is honored for his 30th anniversary, by Grover, another character in the popular program.

HO / REUTERS

The entire Muppet cast, from left, Fozzie Bear, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Rizzo, Gonzo and Animal, embarks on an extraterrestrial adventure in "Muppets From Space," which opened in 1999.

NELS ISRAELSON / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Muppets Bert, left, and Ernie reminisce about their longtime friendship Aug. 22, 2001, during an interview in New York.

BETH A. KEISER / AP

The most popular Muppet, Kermit the Frog, poses with his plaque in Hollywood after Kermit received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in this Nov. 14, 2002, photo.

FRED PROUSER / REUTERS

Muppets Donald Grump and Donald Trump meet in a “Sesame Street” parody of "The Apprentice," on Dec. 8, 2004, in New York.

RICHARD TERMINE / AP

R&B star Ashanti appears as "Dorothy" in the original telefilm, "The Muppets' Wizard of Oz." Queen Latifah also joined the cast as Dorothy's beloved guardian, Auntie Em, and director Quentin Tarrantino made a cameo as himself.

DAVID GRAY / ABC

Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy appear in a Pizza Hut commercial shown during the 2005 Super Bowl.

/ AP

Statler & Waldorf, the beloved Muppet critics.

/ BW

Fozzie Bear in "A Muppet Family Christmas," which aired in 1989.

The Muppets Studio, LLC

Miss Piggy and Kermit on "The Muppet Show."

/ THE MUPPETS HOLDING CO., LLC. AND BVHE

Lynn Finkel, stage manager for "Sesame Street," slates a taping with Big Bird on April 10, 2008, in New York.

MARK LENNIHAN / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Muppets stamps were issued Sept 28, 2005.

USPS / USPS

Kermit the Frog appears at the Whatnot Workshop at FAO Schwarz on Nov. 11, 2008, in New York.

Neilson Barnard

Michelle Obama appears on "Sesame Street" in an episode about gardening on May 5, 2009.

Richard Termine / RICHARD TERMINE

Chef Cat Cora, Chef Angelo and Pepe the King Prawn during the "Muppets Kitchen With Cat Cora" cooking demonstration held at Disney Studios on Sept. 30, 2010, in Burbank, Calif.

Michael Buckner

Jim Henson performs Kermit the Frog in the early 1980s.

/ © THE MUPPETS STUDIO, LLC

From left, Walter, Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) in the new theatrical update “The Muppets.”

Scott Garfield

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