Kermit the Frog

Kermit the Frog is a puppet character most recognized for being the leader of the Muppets, a popular puppetry troupe that has appeared in numerous films, television shows, and other media over the years. Originally created in 1955 by legendary puppeteer and entertainer Jim Henson, Kermit quickly became the Muppets’ most beloved and well-known character. Kermit typically acts as the Muppets’ straight man protagonist, often attempting to maintain some semblance of order as the rest of the gang humorously bungles its way through various adventures.

After first appearing on an early Henson show called Sam and Friends and later becoming a featured character on Sesame Street, Kermit rose to fame as star of The Muppet Show. On The Muppet Show, Kermit was the frazzled producer of a show-within-a-show that brought him and the other Muppets together with an array of celebrity guests. The success of The Muppet Show made Kermit a household name and cemented his place as the world’s most famous Muppet.

Background

Kermit the Frog was the brainchild of Jim Henson, a celebrated puppeteer and film and television producer who famously created an entire ensemble of popular puppet characters known as the Muppets. Henson developed an avid interest in puppetry from an early age, even taking a job as a puppeteer at a Washington, DC, television station while he was still in high school. Shortly after beginning his studies at the University of Maryland in the 1950s, Henson launched a short daily television show called Sam and Friends that featured some of his earliest original puppets, which he referred to as Muppets. Before long, the cult success of Sam and Friends afforded Henson and his Muppets the opportunity to make guest appearances on a number of national variety shows, including those hosted by such legendary television hosts as Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen. These appearances, in tandem with a long line of television commercials in which the Muppets advertised Wilkins Coffee and a wide variety of other products, helped catapult Henson and his creations to even greater fame. After subsequently meeting and joining forces with Jerry Juhl, Frank Oz, and a number of other talented fellow puppeteers, Henson launched a Muppet-based educational children’s television show called Sesame Street in 1969. Featuring a lineup of kid-friendly Muppet characters like Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster, Sesame Street proved to be a monumental success that deeply resonated with young viewers and their parents.

Although Sesame Street firmly established him as one of the world’s foremost puppeteers, Henson was eager to demonstrate that his creative abilities were not limited to children’s television. Specifically, his next goal was to create a show with a broader appeal that would be equally entertaining for children and adults alike. To that end, he debuted a new program called The Muppet Show in 1976 with the help of British television producer Lord Lew Grade. Starring Kermit and other classic Muppets like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo, The Muppet Show was a popular prime-time CBS hit that transformed the Muppets into a powerhouse entertainment franchise. In the years that followed, Kermit and the Muppets went on to star in an array of additional television shows and movies. While Henson himself died in 1990 following a brief illness, Kermit and his other Muppet creations continued to entertain fans for years to come and kept his remarkable legacy alive.

Overview

The genesis of Kermit the Frog can be traced back to Henson’s creation of the Sam and Friends show. During his early days at the University of Maryland, Henson performed on a variety show called Afternoon with Inga that aired on local Washington, DC, NBC affiliate WRC-TV. Charmed by his unique brand of puppetry, officials at the station offered Henson the opportunity to make his own show. That offer ultimately led to the 1955 debut of Sam and Friends, a short live-action puppet show featuring a cast of odd and interesting puppet characters brought to life by Henson and other puppeteers. The star of the show was Sam, a human puppet who coped with the rigors of his daily life by creating an array of abstract friends. One of those friends was a lizard-like character named Kermit. Performed by Henson himself, it is important to note that Kermit was not yet officially categorized as a frog at this early stage of his development despite his reptilian/amphibian appearance.

While Sam and Friends ended its run in 1961, Henson was well on his way to becoming one of the world’s premier puppeteers. After further establishing himself through numerous variety show appearances, Henson eventually founded a small studio called Muppets, Inc. As he attempted to get his new studio off the ground, Henson used Kermit—newly redesigned in frog form—as an even-keel and relatable lead character designed to help new viewers get acclimated with the weird and wacky Muppets. In this role, Kermit starred in a number of early Muppets specials, including Hey, Cinderella! (1969) and The Frog Prince (1971).

Around the same time these specials were being made, Henson was also starting work on a new children’s television show called Sesame Street. When Sesame Street debuted in 1969, Kermit was included among the show’s primary Muppet cast. During his time on Sesame Street, Kermit taught young viewers important lessons about reading and counting and had fun with other Muppets, celebrities, and real children who appeared on the show. Although Kermit continued to show up on Sesame Street for years to come, his appearances ultimately grew less frequent as he became a bigger part of Henson’s other works.

Kermit’s biggest breakout moment came courtesy of his starring role in The Muppet Show. Henson’s most successful attempt at creating a show that would appeal to adults as well as kids, The Muppet Show featured Kermit as the producer of a show-within-a-show that the entire Muppet cast performed each week with prominent entertainers such as Steve Martin, Elton John, Harry Belafonte, and Julie Andrews. A huge success and winner of four Emmy Awards, The Muppet Show firmly established Kermit the undisputed star of Henson’s wonderful Muppet menagerie. From there, Kermit and the Muppets went on to appear in numerous movies, television series, and specials. All of this helped further Kermit’s emergence as a legitimate entertainment icon. In fact, his elite status was confirmed when he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002.

Kermit is also the credited author of several books, including his 2006 autobiography Before You Leap: A Frog’s-Eye View of Life’s Greatest Lessons. He even received an honorary doctorate degree in Amphibious Letters from Southampton College in 1996.

Bibliography

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Arnell, Stephen. “The Muppets Turbulent History of the Muppets.” Digital Spy, 9 July 2019, www.digitalspy.com/tv/a28934605/muppets-history-rights. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

“Kermit the Frog.” ABC, abc.com/shows/the-muppets/cast/kermit-the-frog. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

“Our Founders.” The Jim Henson Company, 2020, www.henson.com/our-founders.php. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Parker, Ryan. “New Kermit the Frog Voice Debuts.” Billboard, 29 Aug. 2017, www.billboard.com/articles/news/7948999/new-kermit-the-frog-voice-debuts. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Pascual, Oliver. “15 Things You Never Knew About Kermit the Frog.” Screenrant, 21 Feb. 2017, screenrant.com/kermit-frog-muppets-trivia-facts. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.

Scott, Sam. “Kermit the Frog’s History Explained.” Looper, 29 Sept. 2020, www.looper.com/253994/kermit-the-frogs-history-explained. Accessed 4 Nov. 2020.