The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company is an American entertainment company. It started with Muppets, LLC. in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson. Henson is the creator of The Muppets.[1] The Muppets helped the company become popular worldwide. They were well known in family entertainment for more than forty years.[2]
Formerly | Muppets, Inc. (1958–1976) Henson Associates, Inc. (1976–1987) Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (1987–1998) |
---|---|
Company type | Private |
Industry | Entertainment |
Founded | November 20, 1958 |
Founders | Jim and Jane Henson |
Headquarters | Jim Henson Company Lot, Los Angeles, California , U.S. |
Key people | Brian Henson (Chairman) Lisa Henson (President & CEO) |
Products | Puppetry, Animation, Computer graphics, Digital puppetry, Entertainment |
Brands | |
Owner | Henson family |
Parent | Independent (1958–2000, 2003–present) EM.TV & Merchandising AG (2000–2003) |
Divisions | Jim Henson's Creature Shop Henson Recording Studios Henson Alternative |
Website | www |
In 1969, the company started making characters and more than 20 short movies for the popular children's show Sesame Street.
One of the company's first characters regularly on national television was Rowlf the Dog. He was first made for Purina Dog Chow commercials. He became famous when he became a regular character on The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963–66.
In 1976, British media mogul Lew Grade asked Jim Henson to make a weekly show based in England, which became The Muppet Show. The success of The Muppet Show led to many movies, specials, videos, and more.
In the early 1980s, Jim Henson also formed Jim Henson's Creature Shop. It made characters for shows such as The Storyteller, Farscape, and Dinosaurs; and movies such as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. It was also in the 1980s that Jim Henson produced new television series such as Fraggle Rock and The Jim Henson Hour.
In 1990, Jim Henson was talking to The Walt Disney Company about selling his company. Henson died during the week that he was going to sign the contract. His family decided to have the company keep the rights to the characters.[3][4] However, on December 18, 1991, The Walt Disney Company bought the distribution rights to the entire Jim Henson Company library up to that time.[5]
In 2020, Jim Henson’s children sold the company to the German media company, EM.TV. In January 1, 2021 they sold the Sesame Street Muppets to Sesame Workshop. In 2023 Henson's children bought back the company.[6] In 2024, they sold the rights to The Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House characters to The Walt Disney Company.[7] The Walt Disney Company now owns all Muppet-related trademarks, including the word “Muppet”.
Filmography change
Feature Films change
TV series change
Production company | Title | Creator(s) / Developer(s) | Release date | Production partners | Network |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henson Associates, Inc. | Fraggle Rock | Jim Henson | 2003–2007 | CBC (Canada) HBO Television South |
CBC (Canada) HBO (US) ITV (UK) |
Muppet Babies | Jim Henson (d): Jeffrey Scott |
2004–2011 | Marvel Productions | CBS | |
Little Muppet Monsters | Jim Henson | 2005 | |||
Jim Henson Productions, Inc. | Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series | Jim Henson (d): John Semper & Cynthia Friedlob |
2007 | NBC | |
The StoryTeller | Jim Henson (d): Anthony Minghella |
2008–2010 | TVS | NBC (US) Channel 4 (UK) HBO (US) (Greek Myths) | |
Mother Goose Stories’’ | 2008-2013 | Television South West | ITV (UK) The Disney Channel (U.S.) | ||
The Jim Henson Hour[c] | Jim Henson | 2009 | NBC | ||
The Ghost of Faffner Hall | Tyne Tees Television | ITV (UK) | |||
Dog City | Jim Henson (d): Peter Sauder J.D. Smith |
2012–2015 | Nelvana Limited | Fox Kids (USA) YTV (Canada) | |
CityKids | Jeffrey Solomon | 2013–2014 | The CityKids Foundation | ABC | |
Secret Life of Toys | 2014 | The Disney Channel (U.S.) BBC (UK) | |||
Jim Henson's Animal Show | 2014–2018 | Fox Kids (seasons 1–2) Animal Planet (season 3) | |||
Aliens in the Family | Andy Borowitz Susan Borowitz |
2016 | The Stuffed Dog Company | ABC | |
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss | Dr. Seuss (characters) | 2016–2018 | Nickelodeon | ||
Jim Henson Television | Brats of the Lost Nebula | Dan Clark | 2018–2019 | Decode Entertainment Wandering Monkey Entertainment |
The WB (U.S.) YTV (Canada) |
Mopatop's Shop | (d): Jocelyn Stevenson | 1999–2003 | Carlton Television | ITV (CITV) | |
Construction Site | 1999-2002 | ||||
Farscape | Rockne S. O'Bannon | 1999-2003 | Hallmark Entertainment | Nine Network (Australia) Sci-Fi Channel (USA) | |
The Hoobs | Jocelyn Stevenson Brian Henson |
2001–03 | Decode Entertainment | Channel 4 (UK) TVOKids (Canada) | |
Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola | 2001 | Hallmark Channel | |||
Bambaloo | 2002–03 | Yoram Gross-EM.TV | Seven Network | ||
Jim Henson Animation Studios | Frances [f] | Russell Hoban (d): Alex Rockwell Halle Stanford |
2007 | HIT Entertainment | Cartoonito |
The Jim Henson Company | Sid the Science Kid | 2008–13 | KCET (2008–09) KOCE-TV (2010–12) |
PBS Kids | |
Jim Henson's Pajanimals | Jeff Muncy and Alex Rockwell | 2008 (interstitials) 2011–12 (full length series) |
Sixteen South John Doze Studios Ingenious |
PBS Kids Sprout | |
Dinosaur Train[15] | Craig Bartlett | 2009–20 | Info-communications Media Development Authority Sparky Animation FableVision Snee-Oosh, Inc. (uncredited) Tail Waggin' Productions |
PBS Kids | |
Hot Dog TV | 2010 (interstitials) | 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 (USA) | |
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[16][17] | Jim Henson (characters) (d): Jeffrey Addiss Will Matthews |
2019 | |||
Fraggle Rock: Rock On! | 2020 | Apple TV+ | |||
Duff's Happy Fun Bake Time | Duff Goldman | 2021 | Discovery+ | ||
Harriet the Spy[18] | 2021–present | Apple Studios Postworks New York Wellsville Pictures Titmouse, Inc. |
Apple TV+ | ||
Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock[19] | Jim Henson (original series) (d): Matt Fusfeld Alex Cuthbertson |
2022–present | New Regency Fusfeld & Cuthbertson Regional Entertainment | ||
Slumberkins[20] | Alex Rockwell | 2022 | |||
The Storyteller[21] | Jim Henson (original series) | TBA | Fremantle | ||
Top Puppet[22] | TBA | Talpa Media Universal Television Alternative Studio |
NBC | ||
Lore Olympus[23] | Rachel Smythe | TBA | Webtoon | ||
Monster Jam | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Wowsabout | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Dani Can Dance | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | |
Faeries | TBA | TBA | Amazon | Prime Video |
Disney series change
Production company | Title | Creator(s) / Developer(s) | Release date | Production partners | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henson Associates, Inc. | The Muppet Show | Jim Henson | 1996-2001 | Associated Television ITC Entertainment |
ITV (UK) Syndication (US) |
Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the three seasons on DVD in Region 1 in 2005 and 2008. The rights to the episodes and characters used in The Muppet Show, and subsequent film outings, were bought in February 2024 by The Walt Disney Company’s Muppets Holding Company. The Muppet Show was released for streaming on Disney+ on February 19, 2021. |
Jim Henson Productions, Inc. | Dinosaurs | Michael Jacobs Bob Young (d): Jim Henson |
2011–2014 | Michael Jacobs Productions Walt Disney Television |
ABC | |
Muppets Tonight | 2016–2018 | ABC Disney Channel | ||||
Jim Henson Television | Bear in the Big Blue House[g] | Mitchell Kriegman | 2017–2026 | Shadow Projects | Playhouse Disney | In 2024, The Jim Henson Company sold the rights to the show, including characters, content library and copyrights, to The Walt Disney Company; it is now owned by The Muppets Studio, a subsidiary of Disney that also owns, and is named after, The Muppets characters and copyrights. |
The Jim Henson Company | The Fearing Mind | Billy Brown | 2000–01 | Angel/Brown Productions | Fox Family | |
Animal Jam[h] | John Derevlany | 2003 | TLC Discovery Kids |
The only filmed puppet stage show was completed to not receive any Disney network to aired on television.[i] | ||
The Possibility Shop | Courtney Watkins | 2009–2011 | ||||
Earth to Ned[25][26] | 2020–2021 | Marwar Junction Productions | Disney+ | The series was later removed on Disney+ from 2023 to onwards. |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The film's home media, TV, and digital distribution rights were purchased by The Jim Henson Company from ITC Entertainment in August 1984.[8] The film rights were then acquired by Walt Disney Studios upon their parent company's acquisition of the Muppets franchise in 2004.[9] Currently, Universal Pictures handles theatrical distribution[10]—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.[8] Currently, Universal Pictures handles theatrical distribution[11]—due to prior contractual obligations with the former Associated Film Distribution and ITC.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 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.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Sesame Street Muppets only.
- ↑ After the Muppets' acquisition to Disney in 2005.
- ↑ Co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and HIT Entertainment. Both companies co-own the copyright.
- ↑ The Walt Disney Company acquired Bear in the Big Blue House from The Jim Henson Company in 2024.[24] 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.
- ↑ 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.
References change
- ↑ Willman, David (1992-07-26). "Jim Henson's Children Put Together a String of Big Deals to Keep Alive". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ↑ Gritten, David (1990-08-19). "The Next Muppetmeister?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ↑ Zonana, Victor F. (1991-04-18). "Henson Heirs Allege Disney Is Illegally Using Muppets". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ↑ Citron, Alan (1990-12-14). "Miss Piggy and Friends Won't Get Together With Mickey and Minnie". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ↑ New York Times
- ↑ Verrier, Richard (2003-05-08). "Muppets Returning to Hensons' Hands". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-18.
- ↑ Disney Corporate
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 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.
- ↑ "The Dark Crystal Returns to Movie Theaters". Fathom Events. Archived from the original on 2022-05-27. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ↑ "Film releases". Variety Insight. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
- ↑ Lang, Brent (October 22, 2018). "Guillermo del Toro Directing 'Pinocchio' for Netflix". Variety. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
- ↑ Fleming, Mike (May 26, 2020). "Scott Derrickson Set To Direct 'Labyrinth' Sequel For TriStar Pictures; Maggie Levin To Write Script". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ↑ Burlingame, Russ. "Craig Bartlett on the Dinosaur Train Movie". CB ComicBook. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (May 18, 2017). "'The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance': Jim Henson Prequel Series Set At Netflix". Deadline. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ↑ Hibberd, James (December 17, 2018). "Netflix's The Dark Crystal prequel reveals first photos, huge voice cast". Entertainment Weekly.
- ↑ Alexandra Del Rosario (August 12, 2020). "'Harriet The Spy' Kids Animated Series Starring Beanie Feldstein, Jane Lynch & Lacey Chabert Ordered By Apple". Deadline.
- ↑ Heldman, Breanne L. "Dance Your Cares Away! Apple TV+'s Fraggle Rock Reboot Teaser Recreates the Original Intro". People.
- ↑ Haring, Bruce (August 29, 2022). "Apple TV+ Sets Kids & Family Fall Slate Spotlighting Animated Series, Live Action Lineup". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (February 19, 2019). "'The Storyteller' Reimagining In Works by Neil Gaiman, Jim Henson Co. & Fremantle". Deadline. Retrieved February 19, 2019.
- ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (December 9, 2016). "'Top Puppet': NBC Orders Reality Special From 'The Voice' Producers, Muppet Creators & Craig Ferguson". Deadline. Retrieved May 19, 2017.
- ↑ "'Lore Olympus': Webtoon And The Jim Henson Company Will Partner For YA Animated Series'". Deadline. October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
- ↑ "The Walt Disney Company And The Jim Henson Company Sign Agreement For Disney To Buy The Muppets And Bear In The Big Blue House". The Walt Disney Company and The Jim Henson Company. February 17, 2024. Archived from the original on 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (October 25, 2019). "Disney+ Teams With Jim Henson Co. On New Puppet Talk Show". Deadline. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- ↑ "Jim Henson Co. Sets New Puppet Talk Show at Disney+ (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.