Jim Henson – Needcoffee.com

Black Phoenix Goes Down To Fraggle Rock

Jim Henson and friends from Fraggle Rock

HBO has become a brand name you can trust when it comes to quality original series. You can also trust that these series will also have an obscene amount of swearing, fucking, and more than a bit of the old ultra violence. Not that I don’t blame them. If you can get away with it, why not make good TV that is legitimately adult?

However, in the misty and far away era that was the 1980s (kids, ask your parents–it was a real time and not just a myth), HBO had a television show that was for children. That show was Fraggle Rock.

For you young people out there who only know about Angry Birds, Justin Bieber, and Internet porn, go here and watch some. It’s good for you. I will say that Fraggle Rock has a timeless universal quality that instantly makes it a classic. This could be due to Henson Studios making a show that wasn’t driven by toy sale figures, a desire to create something XTREME!!!, or even a need to shove socially conscious messages hard into little kids’ faces.

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By ScottC| 2017-09-24T22:29:14+00:00 October 24th, 2012|Headsup|2 Comments

Wayhomer Review #92: The Muppets (2011)

Episode #92 for The Muppets (2011), in which our protagonist is delighted at Disney not completely screwing up the property, wishes they would show a little restraint on the self-product placement, and never wants to see a certain actor rap again.
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By Widge| 2017-09-24T22:35:04+00:00 November 26th, 2011|Reviews, Video Podcasts, Wayhomers|0 Comments

13 Days of Xmas 2009 Edition Begins Here

That’s right: we’re back. It’s 13 Days of Xmas, and just like 32 Days of Halloween, we take the normal 12 Days and add one because we’re overachievers. And as somebody recently pointed out, yes, the actual 12 Days of Xmas are supposed to start on Christmas Day, December 25th. However, posting a bunch of Xmasy stuff starting on the 25th would probably get us all killed, as by December 26th we all just want all the holiday hoobah to go back into the attic for a year.

So anyway, here we are again. And as we did in 2007 and again in 2008, we’re starting with Muppets. In this case, we’ve got the full TV special that we previously showed a bit of the Jim Henson cameo from. It’s 1987’s A Muppet Family Christmas.
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By Widge| 2017-09-24T22:56:27+00:00 December 13th, 2009|13 Days of Xmas|0 Comments

Jack Paar, David Letterman and Some Fantastic Muppets History

Some of you who have read about this find before…and if so, like me, you’ll probably figure out where Paar is taking Letterman before they get there. But for the rest of you, I’ll just shut up and let you watch it. It’s quite good. This is apparently, after talking to Ken, literally the first time this stuff had been seen–at all, much less on television. The door in question had been sealed completely and not opened for twenty years or more. Check it out:

Direct link for the feedreaders.

I just checked, and yes, pages 40-41 of Jim Henson: The Works has this story and a close-up shot of the pipes. Fantastic. You can snag yourself a copy here. It’s worth it.
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By Widge| 2017-09-24T23:05:50+00:00 February 18th, 2009|Stimuli|1 Comment

13 Days of Xmas 2008 – Day 1: Muppets

That’s right, we’re back. Just like we had to do another round of 32 Days of Halloween, it’s time for the 2008 Edition of 13 Days of Xmas. Just like last year, 13 Days of random holiday bits that we find lying about and decide to put to work. And all of it designed to end on Christmas Day, so that it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Like some of your relatives.

Since last year at this time we were checking out some Muppet fun–and everything goes better with classic Muppets–here’s a couple of bits to kick us off. First, Kermit and Grover decide to get to the bottom of how Santa Claus makes it down the chimney–but talking to a bunch of subject matter experts.

Direct link for the feedreaders.
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By Widge| 2017-09-24T23:08:39+00:00 December 13th, 2008|13 Days of Xmas|1 Comment

Win Fraggle Rock Season 3 on DVD!

Fraggle Rock. It’s Jim Henson. It’s Jerry Juhl. It’sDave Goelz. Steve Whitmire. And the whole gang of maniacs.

The third season is now out on DVD from Hit Entertainment. You get twenty-four episodes, featurettes, interviews, and more.

And you could win a copy! Because we have four sitting right here. Well, not right here. They’re on the shelf over there. But trust me, they’re nearby. Proceed and enter.

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By Widge| 2017-09-24T23:27:04+00:00 September 27th, 2007|Contests|0 Comments

Early Muppets & The La Choy Dragon: Looks Like a Buncha Sickos If You Ask Me.

Here we have the presentation that the Muppets folks put together for La Choy, starring (getting their full names from the Muppet Wiki) Delbert the La Choy Dragon and his accountant-esque companion, Mert. Great cameo appearance by Rolf.

Direct link for the feedreaders.

Another vintage commercial from Henson after the break, this time for Marathon Oil, featuring singing gas pumps. It was a simpler time then. These days they won’t even speak to you unless you pre-pay.
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By Widge| 2017-09-24T23:28:34+00:00 August 6th, 2007|Stimuli|0 Comments

Jim Henson on the Tonight Show: Let Me Show You How It’s Done

Jim Henson brings you a head trip in the truest sense of the word.

Direct link for the feedreaders.

Found via Classic Television Showbiz.

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By Widge| 2017-09-24T23:30:29+00:00 June 25th, 2007|TV|0 Comments

Proto-Cookie Monster vs. Fisher Price Skynet: Maximum Data Existentialization

A hilarious bit that Neatorama uncovered, and then found out it was part of an IBM training video. Frank Oz and Jim Henson are on hand and this strange Cookie Monster with teeth is named “Arnold the Munching Monster.”

Direct link for the feedreaders.

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By Widge| 2017-09-24T23:31:22+00:00 May 17th, 2007|Stimuli|0 Comments