Today’s an important day in the history of the Muppets. No, it isn’t a major anniversary or a birthday, but it marks a big milestone; or at least it gave me some pause when I realized what it was. It involves some counting.
If you consider the debut of Sam and Friends as the birth of the Muppets (which Disney and most media outlets seem to do, as evidenced by the celebrations earlier this month), then from that, count the days through Jim Henson’s passing. Don’t worry, I like you folks too much to make you do math. I’ll give you the answer. It comes out to 12,792 days. 12,792 days from the day the Muppets started until the day they lost their creator.
And if you add that same number to the day of Jim’s death, you get today’s date: May 24, 2025. So what does this counting add up to? From this point going forward, the Muppets will have existed without Jim Henson longer than they did with him. It’s not necessarily a happy milestone, but it is an important one, at least to me.
As I reflect on where we’re at, it’s not necessarily a sad milestone either. The fact that, 35 years after he left us, so many people know who Jim Henson was and still associate him with boundless creativity and humor is a blessing. And the characters and worlds he created aren’t doing too bad. Sesame Street’s keeping the lights on thanks to a new distribution deal with Netflix. Here they are, over half a century later, when so many different factors could’ve brought the show to an end at any point, still working on trying to teach and entertain children.
Meanwhile, Fraggle Rock came back! And it’s still about how we’re all connected and how our actions affect our environment. It could’ve been some cynical exercise in nostalgia, but it isn’t. It’s thoughtful, sensitive, and relevant. What a miracle in today’s media landscape! People still flock to screenings of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. There’s concerts and comic books and all sorts of ways their legacies continue.
And yes, I’m still feeling optimistic about Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the rest of the gang. Even though their situation at Disney is far from ideal, between the 70th anniversary and the upcoming Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster retheme, it’s clear to me that at least some people in the multi-headed Disney hydra actually care about the Muppets and will do whatever they can to keep them in the public eye. And you know what? That’s not nothing. Jim Henson’s creations continue to live on.
But today’s not just a celebration of survival after 12,792 days. For me, it’s a day to let go. Since it was published last October, I’ve thought frequently about J.D. Hansel’s editorial concerning Muppet fan dreams. A lot of you responded to J.D.’s prompt to share what you want to see from the Muppets with some interesting ideas. (Thank you, by the way.) Still, some of you weren’t shy about what you really wanted, and it’s the one thing we can never have: you wanted Jim Henson back. No amount of remakes, reboots, or hiring and firing people will ever make that happen.
Frank Oz once referred to his time with Jim and the Muppets as “a Camelot time.” Jim’s personality can never be at the lead again. Someone else could have a similar curiosity and gentle nature, but it would never be him. And even if the folks who were part of it came back, I don’t think it would make a difference. The world is different from the one Jim lived in. How we communicate and consume entertainment is different. Trying to keep the Muppets to that same standard when the people and times have changed feels like a weight holding us down. It’s not fair to the people who have tried to keep the legacy alive and adapt it for the present day. If we expect everything to feel the same as it was, we’re never going to be happy with what we get.
And for what it’s worth, I think we’ve gotten some pretty good stuff. So today, as the post-Jim era overtakes the Jim-era in length, I’m letting go of that expectation. I’m done letting the spectre of loss and fear of change whisper in my ear and guide my thoughts. No, it will never be what it was, and that’s okay. It has to be, or we’ll just wallow in misery, and I don’t want that. It will never be Jim, but it can still be good. Great, even.
For years, I’ve played around with writing an editorial for ToughPigs. Each paragraph would start with “I’m sorry” as we explore the many bones of contention that get thrown around from time to time. “I’m sorry you don’t think Sesame Street is funny anymore.” “I’m sorry Steve Whitmire was let go.” “I’m sorry the 2015 series took the characters in a direction you didn’t like.” ”I’m sorry Disney doesn’t do more with the Muppets.” And eventually, the last line would be “I’m sorry Jim Henson died.” It always felt too angry, nasty, and honestly too insulting to our readership. We all want the Muppets to succeed, even if we don’t always agree as to how that should happen. I’m letting go of that piece as well today. I’m ready to move forward.
I’ll keep Jim in my memory, and hope he continues to inspire the designers, puppeteers, writers, artists, and fans. But I’m not going to let his absence ruin my appreciation for what I do have. So bring on day 12,793 and all the days to come after that. I’m finally ready to answer what my dream is: my dream is that one day, Jim Henson’s story is only the beginning of a massive legacy of creativity and imagination that expands beyond what we know. At least to me, that seems like the right direction to move in.
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by Matthew Soberman – [email protected]
