Was this the show on TV, where they were wondering if Kermit died along with Jim Henson. Then they revealed Kermit but instead voiced by someone else.(Frank Oz? My mom thinks it's his son.)
I still remember that to this day, cuz I was still young enough to belive that the Muppets were real, and was upset that Kermit would be gone.
Kermit was actually voiced by Steve Whitmire in that show, who is also the voice of several Muppets, most noticeably Rizzo The Rat. He continues to be Kermit to this day.
shareActually, according to the script, they were left instructions by Kermit to celebrate the life of Jim Henson. When one of them asked who he was, another said... I think he was one of those people we always saw down there... pointing down to where the muppeteers were.
They went through the whole show trying to figure out exactly who Jim was, and were having quite a bit of fun with it. Then a letter arrived for Kermit offering condolences of "I'm so sorry your friend Jim died..." They were in stunned silence. "Died? We were just getting to know him!?!?"
Indeed a very sad turn in a very upbeat memorial, which I think should be released on video just to show a fine memorial to a great performer in childrens televison.
Oh, and yes, it did air on TV initially.
Drax
If I recall, it aired on the Disney Channel or maybe ABC. Jim died right at the begining of the Disney/Henson partnership. In fact there was a great (if not heartbreaking) cartoon in Time magazine that featured Kermit the Frog with his head in his hands as if he were crying, and Mickey Mouse has his arm around Kermit to console him.
One of the funniest things I remember about this special was Gonzo discovering Jim's signature on his paycheck. The entire cast assumes this means that Jim Henson was an accountant. Just before Kermit arrives to explain who Jim Henson was, the cast had organized and choreographed a big musical tribute to accountants everywhere. Quality stuff. Here's hoping we see a DVD release for this very soon.
Wow, I'm just about crying reading about this show. I don't remember ever seeing it when I was younger, and I wish they would release this on DVD.
The tribute to accountants.... that's class.
I remember when I was little and PBS aired a special on Jim Henson (maybe it was part of one of their spotlight series), and I knew then that he had died, so when they played "Rainbow Connection" over the end credits, I was bawling. I had never seen The Muppet Movie at that point, and so my only association with the song was Jim's death. Had quite the effect on me. That lousy song nearly has me in tears every time I hear it now. It's just beautiful.
The music ignites the night with passionate fire
--"The principles of surgery are the same above and below the neck."--
Lately I have been getting back into the Muppets after a little detour or two in my life but like other people who have posted about this show/special I am almost in tears. I loved Jim Henson and his Muppets and I remember how I wanted to watch this special tribute to him as I had so much respect and love for him even though I was only 11. In fact death was a big part of my life that year as Jim died less than a month after my own father. I remember the accountant skit and the thing about "Wow maybe he was one of those people down there". Jim was a genious that I miss and he was taken too soon from the world. If only the world was inhabited by muppets. I also remember seeing footage of Jim Henson's funeral a few years ago with Muppets and Muppeteers together doing a tribute song to him (I think it was Turn the World Around). My Girlfriend actually got to see Jim Henson at Disney World like a Month or so before he died. I hope they release this on DVD as it was a fitting tribute to a great man.
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