But despite the Muppets' success on Sesame Street and their demonstrated appeal to adults as well as children, no U.S. network would give Henson a show of his own. It was a British producer, Lew Grade, who finally offered Henson the financing that enabled him to mount The Muppet Show. The program ran in syndication from 1976 until 1981, when Henson decided to end it lest its quality begin to decline. At its peak it was watched each week by 235 million viewers around the world. Stars from Steve Martin to Rudolf Nureyev appeared as guest hosts, and the show launched the career of Miss Piggy, the vain, tres sophistiquee female who was besotted with Kermit.

The beauty of the Muppets, on both Sesame Street and their own show, was that they were cuddly but not too cuddly, and not only cuddly. There are satire and sly wit; Bert and Ernie quarrel; Miss Piggy behaves unbecomingly; Kermit is sometimes exasperated. By adding just enough tartness to a sweet overall spirit, Henson purveyed a kind of innocence that was plausible for the modern imagination. His knowingness allowed us to accept his real gifts: wonder, delight, optimism.

Henson was a kind, infinitely patient man. Those who worked for him say he literally never raised his voice. Frank Oz, the puppeteer behind Bert, Miss Piggy and many others, was Henson's partner for 27 years. "Jim was not perfect," he says. "But I'll tell you something — he was as close to how you're supposed to behave toward other people as anyone I've ever known."

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Nov. 23, 1970

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