Jim Henson

LOS ANGELES -- Brian Henson, the son of the late Jim Henson, said he will be bringing one of his father's ideas to television this spring with an ABC series, "Dinosaurs."The weekly series is set in 12 million B.C. and features dinosaurs created under Brian Henson's direction. Mr. Henson will serve as executive producer for the show."This is the first production we are going into without him," Brian Henson said, referring to his father at a press conference yesterday. The concept for the show "was an idea of his that was always a little wacky.

Those who spotted Lady Gaga kissing Kermit the Frog at last year's MTV Video Music Awards won't be too surprised by this. Gaga's courtship of Kermit (and wearing a dress made out of mini-Kermies) may have paid off -- a report says her royal Gaganess might serve as a model for the Miss Piggy character in the upcoming reboot of Jim Henson's beloved franchise. "How I Met Your Mother" actor Jason Segel has been tapped to write the project, which will be called (at least for now)

From their balcony seats, even Statler and Waldorf might like this news. Three years after selling the Jim Henson Co. and its Muppets to a German media company for $680 million, Henson's family said yesterday that it was buying it back for a fraction of that amount. The deal, valued at $89 million in cash and assets, gives the children of the late Henson control of the company behind what is perhaps the most famous troupe of puppets in history. The sale of the Jim Henson Co., which is based in Hollywood, by EM.TV & Merchandising of Munich must be approved by United States and international regulators.

'Jim Henson's Fantastic World' Where: : James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, Pa. When: : Through Nov. 29; open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays (extended hours on some Fridays) and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday; 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. What: : An exhibit of 100 original artworks by Jim Henson, artist and creator of the Muppets, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards. Objects such as puppets and TV and movie props are part of the exhibit, which also features hands-on activities for kids, including a puppet theater.

If Kermit the Frog thinks "It's Not Easy Being Green," how will he like being bronze? The beloved Muppet sits beside his creator, Jim Henson, in a larger-than-life-size bronze statue, to be dedicated Sept. 24 at Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park. The design, by sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter of Gaithersburg, depicts Henson and Kermit in lighthearted conversation, Kermit's left hand resting thoughtfully on Henson's wrist. "I thought of them as creative collaborators," Carpenter said of the pair.

Network television rejected Jim Henson in the mid-1970s when he pitched his Muppets for a regular series, even though his Sesame Street puppets had become a household name on public television. "Why would adults want to watch that?" he was told, recalled Henson's former publicist Arthur Novell. So Henson shopped the Muppets to the United Kingdom, where they became an instant hit before they found their way back to the United States and won their own TV show. Their latest starring role will be today, in a commercial during Super Bowl XXXVIII on CBS. The question of whether they appeal to adults will be answered again before 90 million TV viewers and at an estimated cost of $2.3 million per 30 seconds.

"Ahh, I just love culture," Miss Piggy tells Kermit in their opera-house box, at the conclusion of tonight's "Great Performances."But a little culture is enough. "Let's get a corn dog," she barks, as she moves toward the door.Does Miss Piggy typify the PBS audience, as it's seen through the eyes of the "Great Performances" brain trust? You'd think so, looking at tonight's installment, "The World of Jim Henson" (9 p.m., MPT -- Channel 22 and Channel 67).It's an undiluted love note to the Muppet master, informative and entertaining whenever Henson's creations take the screen, which is a lot. There's nothing wrong with it.There is something wrong, though, with its showing up on "Great Performances," one of the few places from which serious culture actually has a ghost of a chance to seep into the blighted mainstream.

Richard Hunt, a puppeteer known for his work on the "Muppet Show," died on Tuesday at Cabrini Hospice in Manhattan. He was 40.He died of HIV complications, his family said.Hunt, a native of the Bronx, was a member of Jim Henson Productions for more than 20 years, as the performer behind Scooter, Janice, Forgetful Jones, Junior Gorg and many other characters from the popular television programs "The Muppet Show," "Sesame Street" and "Fraggle Rock."He directed several episodes of these shows, and was a puppeteer in the Henson films "The Muppet Movie," "The Great Muppet Caper," "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and "Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3-D," a Disney-M-G-M Studios Theme Park attraction.

Unless you just don't like puppets, period, it's hard to understand how you could not appreciate the artistry of Jim Henson. Whether on "Sesame Street" or the big screen, few acts have won more friends -- or more accolades -- than the Muppets. So get out your Kermit puppet, watch PBS tonight and enjoy.* "Married With Children" (6:30 p.m.-7 p.m., WBFF, Channel 45) -- Remember Jessica Hahn? Jim Bakker no doubt wishes you wouldn't. See the woman who helped bring down Jim and Tammy Faye's empire, and try to figure just what Jim was thinking.

'Jim Henson's Fantastic World' Where: : James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, Pa. When: : Through Nov. 29; open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays (extended hours on some Fridays) and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday; 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. What: : An exhibit of 100 original artworks by Jim Henson, artist and creator of the Muppets, including drawings, cartoons and storyboards. Objects such as puppets and TV and movie props are part of the exhibit, which also features hands-on activities for kids, including a puppet theater.

CELEBRATION VISIT WORLD OF HENSON Celebrate the world of Muppet Man Jim Henson tomorrow at his alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park. Festivities begin with the launch of Jim Henson: Performing Artist, a multimedia gallery exhibition featuring six Muppets, handwritten production notes and a newly digitized collection of selected Henson television and film footage. Events include a panel discussion with Jane Henson exploring her late husband's Maryland roots and a performance of The Ox-herder's Tale by Jim Henson Artist-in-Residence Blair Thomas & Company.

Jerry Juhl, 67, whose Emmy Award-winning Jerry Juhl, 67, whose Emmy Award-winning writing gave life to Jim Henson's whimsically irreverent Muppets on television and film, died from pancreatic cancer Sept. 27 in San Francisco. Mr. Juhl was the head writer for Muppets programs including The Muppet Show on television and, in some capacity, all the Muppet films, from the Muppet Movie in 1979 to Muppets From Space in 1999. The Muppet Show, a vaudeville-like variety show featuring Kermit the Frog and his many friends, was introduced in 1976 and ran until 1981, ultimately reaching more than 100 countries.

Limited-access highways can be great ways to get between points quickly. But in the Baltimore-Washington area, speedy travel along I-95 or even its more scenic sister, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, is never guaranteed. When you're stuck in traffic on those highways, there's no escape. But then there's Route 1. Sure, it's tawdry, punctuated by fast-food joints, motels, auto parts stores and a stream of stoplights. But sometimes, tacky scenery beats boring endless expanses of scrub woodlands for those who lurch along I-95 or the parkway between the two cities.

Network television rejected Jim Henson in the mid-1970s when he pitched his Muppets for a regular series, even though his Sesame Street puppets had become a household name on public television. "Why would adults want to watch that?" he was told, recalled Henson's former publicist Arthur Novell. So Henson shopped the Muppets to the United Kingdom, where they became an instant hit before they found their way back to the United States and won their own TV show. Their latest starring role will be today, in a commercial during Super Bowl XXXVIII on CBS. The question of whether they appeal to adults will be answered again before 90 million TV viewers and at an estimated cost of $2.3 million per 30 seconds.

If Kermit the Frog thinks "It's Not Easy Being Green," how will he like being bronze? The beloved Muppet sits beside his creator, Jim Henson, in a larger-than-life-size bronze statue, to be dedicated Sept. 24 at Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park. The design, by sculptor Jay Hall Carpenter of Gaithersburg, depicts Henson and Kermit in lighthearted conversation, Kermit's left hand resting thoughtfully on Henson's wrist. "I thought of them as creative collaborators," Carpenter said of the pair.

From their balcony seats, even Statler and Waldorf might like this news. Three years after selling the Jim Henson Co. and its Muppets to a German media company for $680 million, Henson's family said yesterday that it was buying it back for a fraction of that amount. The deal, valued at $89 million in cash and assets, gives the children of the late Henson control of the company behind what is perhaps the most famous troupe of puppets in history. The sale of the Jim Henson Co., which is based in Hollywood, by EM.TV & Merchandising of Munich must be approved by United States and international regulators.

Not long before his death, Jim Henson was asked why he often appeared in public alongside his Muppets. In his typically self-effacing way, he explained that while it wasn't what he did best, he felt the audience wanted to know that there was someone in charge of the organization."

Who would have figured that playing around with a bit of fleece would have meant so very much?For Baltimore native Kevin Clash, it has meant being able to travel around the globe, to places from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Shanghai, China.Clash is the brains, voice and movement behind "Sesame Street's" popular Elmo character. He began his love affair with puppetry as a 10-year-old while living in Baltimore County's Turner's Station. He used the fleece lining from his mother's coat to make a monkey puppet.

Who would have figured that playing around with a bit of fleece would have meant so very much?For Baltimore native Kevin Clash, it has meant being able to travel around the globe, to places from Johannesburg, South Africa, to Shanghai, China.Clash is the brains, voice and movement behind "Sesame Street's" popular Elmo character. He began his love affair with puppetry as a 10-year-old while living in Baltimore County's Turner's Station. He used the fleece lining from his mother's coat to make a monkey puppet.

If "Muppets Tonight!" represents the future of ABC under Disney's ownership, then all of us, especially parents concerned about what their kids see on TV, should stand up and cheer for the Mouse.Brian Henson's new series is a refreshing change from the smarmy and sexist "Boy Meets World," which it replaces in ABC's popular TGIF kids' lineup at 8: 30 tonight on WMAR (Channel 2).ABC has guaranteed "Muppets" only a 13-week tryout, but it looks like a series that will be back this fall and for many falls to come -- as long as Kermit can keep the house of cards from collapsing at KMUP, the TV station he's running with a crew of screwball friends.