Jim Henson: Idea Man is a Disney+ documentary that premiered on the platform on May 31, 2024. It follows the life of Henson, who shot to popularity through his creations, the Muppets. A famous puppeteer and animator, Henson created the Muppets for the television show Sesame Street, which became instantly famous among young children. They were part of several children’s stories on television soon after they first appeared in 1954. However, their popularity grew after appearing on Sesame Street in 1969.
Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Ernie, and Bert are among Jim Henson’s renowned creations and have stayed with children of generations to come. The Muppets went on to become role models for children and taught them moral values. Sesame Street made the Muppets a household concept. The scope of what could be done with the creations improved after that. The Muppet Show began in 1976. It then starred Kermit and Miss Piggy in a TV show meant for all ages, per a report by The New York Times.
According to The Guardian, Jim Henson was an experimental filmmaker before he became the famous creator of the Muppets. His 1965 short film Time Piece was reportedly nominated for the Oscars. It told the story of a man, played by Henson, transcending time and space. He also made Idea Man, another animated short film that explored an idea that multiplies and grows exponentially. Meanwhile, Jim Henson: Idea Man explores the similarities between these short films and his later work in Sesame Street, studying the consistent influence on his work.
Other than The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, Jim Henson engaged in several other productions. They included Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper, and The Muppets Take Manhattan. Fraggle Rock and The Storyteller are some of his works that became popular on television.
Jim Henson went on to win several Emmys for Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and The Muppet Babies. He won one more Emmy for The Jim Henson Hour, an NBC special in 1989. Henson won a Grammy for The Muppets album and a Peabody Award for excellence in television programming, reported The Washington Times.
Jim Henson Death: How did the puppeteer die?
Jim Henson died on May 16, 1990, at the age of 53. He reportedly died of streptococcus pneumonia, a bacterial infection. He was in the emergency room for a day before he died. As per another report by The Washington Post, Jim Henson was infected by a rare bacteria that is supposed to be especially harmful once it enters the bloodstream. According to his co-workers, Henson reported muscle aches and congestion about three days before his death. However, he did not display common symptoms of pneumonia, such as coughing or breathing difficulties.
When Henson arrived at the hospital early in the morning, he was coughing up blood and then displayed breathing difficulties. However, he was awake and conscious throughout. An immediate X-ray proved that the disease had damaged all the lobes of both his lungs. The blood vessels around the lungs had reportedly already burst, and the bacteria was in the bloodstream. Although the doctors ingested antibiotics such as erythromycin into the patient, the infection was already spreading.
Doctors placed him on a ventilator as the infection reportedly spread through his entire body. Jim Henson began bleeding from the abdomen and the lungs, as well as from his nose. After his left lung was torn open by abscesses, Henson’s blood pressure dropped. The antibiotics stopped having an effect, and he died.
According to the Jim Henson Company, although Henson’s Muppets appealed widely to children and younger audiences, he was always of the belief that his creations could entertain a much larger audience. Born on September 24, 1936, in Greenville, Mississippi, Henson was the second son of Paul and Betty Henson. His maternal grandmother was a passionate quilter, needleworker, and painter. He reportedly spent a lot of time around her, explaining his creative tendencies.
In 1954, Jim Henson began puppeteering on a local Washington DC Saturday program on WTOP-TV. During his time at the University of Maryland, WRC-TV, an NBC affiliate, gave Henson five minutes of time twice every day for his show Sam and Friends. At university, he also met Jane Nebel, who was his assistant at the time and reportedly went on to play a major role in the creation of the Muppets of Sesame Street. Jane and Jim Henson later got married.
Jim Henson: Idea Man is a documentary directed by Ron Howard that premiered on Disney+ on May 31, 2024. It will follow the life and phenomenal career of Henson and the legacy he left behind.
