Original subtitles

Jim Henson is here tonight, who has won all sorts of awards for his work as Mr.

Muppet, as we like to call him. He has a weekly series called the Jim Henson

Hour, which airs regularly Friday nights on NBC.

However, for Mother's Day, the show is going to air this Sunday with a special

episode called Miss Piggy's Hollywood.

Please welcome Jim Henson!

Playing your song.

Yeah, nice to see you.

Thank you.

This has really turned into the Muppet industry here. They're just all over the

place, aren't they? They have been for many years. I don't think of it as an

industry.

That's not exactly a romantic way to look at it.

You, it's nice to see you out front of the camera. You, in the past, did very

little of that. You seem to be coming out a little more.

I don't know. Well, this particular show that we're doing sort of has half the

show is Muppets and half of it is other things, you know, like the Storyteller

series.

So it seemed like a logical thing for me to front it.

But it's not like it's what I do comfortably or well. Yeah.

It's always funny to hear you talk because in that voice you can hear a

bit of some of those other people.

Yeah, well, there's certain characters that are close to my own voice. People

like Ernie is right there. Yeah.

Ernie is lurking right beneath the circle.

It doesn't change much, does it? No.

It's right there.

Do people recognize voices if you're ordering something on the phone or

something? Sometimes, yeah. A kid was standing around the studio and I was

directing, and he said to his mother that he thought Kermit the Frog was

directing this particular thing that we were doing. Yeah, I can see where that

would happen.

So are you getting more comfortable doing some performing yourself?

Well, it's interesting.

I'm comfortable in front of a camera, more so than in front of an audience.

interesting. I've always been a person that I hate appearing, you know,

in front of the class talking and things like that. It was always murder.

You know, I'm very flattered because I know that not a lot of the Muppets are

based on real -life people. A few of them have been, and I'm honored. You're

of the few. Apparently, yeah. On Sesame Street, there are only three puppets

that we've based on a real character, and you're one of those.

Geez. So now, do we have... Oh, thank you so much. We have a clip, yes.

What do you have here, Jim?

This is a piece of Sesame Street that we did, and you may remember.

And it was called Squeal of Fortune.

All right. So we have a little clip of it here. I guess it's from Sesame

It should. Right. Let's find out. Jim Henson in the game.

Three. Three.

Is three your guess?

All right. That's your guess. Three squeals. So give the pig a spin.

Whee! One.

Whee! Two.

Whee! Three.

Did I say three? Yes. I said three.

Three squeals, telephone count, you've won. Oh, I won.

He won. Yes.

Oh, no.

And now it's time to make your choice from the studio full of fabulous prizes,

and here to show them to us is our hostess, Velma Blank.

A 50 -gallon barrel of gray -green industrial -strength finger paint.

A beautiful set of handcrafted grapefruit goggles perfect for

that morning squirt.

And a larger -than -life -size portrait of America's second favorite game show

host, Fast Play Jazz.

You know, what's...

What's great about Sesame Street, in addition to what it provides for young

people and the entertainment it brings them in and the other aspects of the

show, is it's a very entertaining show no matter what your age is. Was that

of the design?

Yeah, actually it is. A piece like that, basically the idea of it is to teach

counting, and we do count to three in that. But I think they've always known

that the television set is really half -controlled by parents or older kids.

From the beginning of that show, we've always done things at an adult level

also. Yeah, it works very well.

We're going to take a break. Is Kermit in the neighborhood?

He is.

He'll be around. Oh, good. Well, we'll meet Kermit in just a moment. Tim

Our next guest is, I think, the first award -winning frog we've had on our

a 30 -year veteran of TV and films, including such...

shows as Sesame Street, of course, The Muppet Movie, and The Muppets Take

Manhattan. Ladies and gentlemen, Kermit the Frog.

Hello, Kermit. Thank you. Nice to meet you.

Thank you.

Boy. Thank you, Pat.

You look great.

And things are going terrific. Now you're on a new primetime television

think that's kind of a breakthrough, don't you?

Well, I guess it is. But actually, we frogs sort of think of it as just the

beginning. So you've got more shows with frogs coming up? Yeah, I've been

working on a few of them. We've got My Three Frogs. That sounds good.

Married with Tadpoles.

Quantum Leapfrog. Yeah.

I'd watch that. Yeah, yeah. That's a good one. And then we got the Frogsby

of course.

Yeah. I think you can think about that one. You know, you have to think about

it.

I think you have to have a hyphenated name, actually, to be on that show.

Anyway, it sounds like you had a lot of great ideas there, and we congratulate

you. How's Miss Piggy doing, by the way?

She's fine.

I saw her the other day, you know.

Oh, really?

Well, she told me what happened.

What happened?

Well, I... You know, I think you're taking it all very well.

I'm taking what very well, Pat?

On national television, I don't think this is the place to... I can't talk

it on TV. I'm sorry. You can't talk about what on TV?

You know, about Miss Piggy dumping you.

What?

I know this is a difficult time for you, Kermit. I'm sorry.

This isn't a difficult time for me. You mean you're glad to be out of the

relationship? No, no, no. There is no relationship.

Hey, that's no way to talk about Miss Piggy. I'm sorry.

Well, can I just start over?

Sure. I'm sure Miss Piggy would be happy to give you a second chance. Sure,

that'd be fine.

No, no, no. I don't want to start over with Miss Piggy. I want to start over

with you.

I've got a girlfriend already, Kermit. I'm sorry.

Well, can we just show the clip? Yeah, sure. I can see that discussing Miss

Piggy is pretty difficult for you. So what is this clip of here?

I'm sorry.

I didn't hear that. What was that?

About Miss Piggy.

Now, what about Miss Piggy? Well, you see, the clip features Miss Piggy from

upcoming episode of the Jim Henson Hour called Miss Piggy's Hollywood. Well,

that was nice of you, you know, to let her do an episode. I mean, after she

dumped you and all.

Can you tell us something about the show here, Kermit? Okay, well, yeah. Let's

see, Piggy is giving us a tour of her Hollywood, and she...

Actually, she has kind of a hard time finding guests and all that stuff. But

does indeed find a few.

And she goes to Dudley Moore's house.

And she finds that actually Dudley Moore is a big collector of pig stuff.

Pig stuff? Yeah.

And that's what this clip is all about. Oh, good. Dudley Moore and pig stuff

from the show. Well, let's have a look. Okay.

I don't know what to say.

You don't have to say anything.

It's enough just to look at you.

Look at me? Huh?

Oh, this isn't happening. This probably, this is

the most exciting moment of my entire life.

I haven't kept you too long.

Oh, of course not. You look absolutely... Rosie?

Yes.

Nice job, Thomas. Yeah.

Now, how did the idea for this green fellow come along here?

Oh, gee. Well, Kermit's been around for 30 -some years, and he was first made

back when I was local television in Washington, D .C., and I made him out of

coat of my mother's and a ping -pong ball.

It was a humble beginning.

Yeah.

You've come a long way since then, kiddo. Yeah. Well, you know.

Is this the kind of thing you want to do all your life, Jim?

Puppeteering, and I guess Muppets is what? I get to do a lot of stuff because

enjoy directing, so I direct a few of these things, and the producing, and I

still like to perform.

Yeah, I'm enjoying all the stuff that I do. You've given lots of entertainment

to lots of folks. Again, Miss Piggy's Hollywood airs this Sunday, and, of

course, the series continues then on Friday nights, the Jim Henson Hour.

Kermit, it was great having you here. Thanks very much. Oh, thank you.

It's very nice to be here, and try not to insult me the next time I come.

And thanks for bringing your little pal Jim, too. We appreciate it. Oh, yeah. I

didn't even realize he was there.

Jim Henson and Kermit. Thanks, folks.

Thank you.

Take a break. John Steiner will be on in a moment.