The Jim Henson Hour
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The Jim Henson Hour was a television show that aired on NBC in 1989.
The show began its run in early April, but the first show "Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting" aired solo. The show premiered the following week.
At the beginning of each show, Jim Henson would come out with the white lion from The Storyteller to introduce the show. Then he would talk about the first half: MuppeTelevison, a variation on The Muppet Show in which the Muppets are running a cable television network instead of a theatre. Characters on the show included:
- Kermit the Frog
- Gonzo
- Digit was a humanoid robot similar to those used in Thunderbirds
- Leon was a pink lizard who had an interest in women
- Link Hogthrob
- Fozzie Bear
They made fun of what people would rather watch: violent movies, stupid stunts, etc.
The second half of the show was either an episode of The Storyteller or a half-hour special. The second half was more serious at times (Lighthouse Island) but sometimes it was funny (Miss Piggy's Hollywood). Several episodes were one-hour specials like "Dog City" or "Monster Maker."
The show had 13 episodes, 1 of which aired solo, 9 episodes aired and 3 remained unaired. There were four hour-long shows: Monster Maker, Living With Dinosaurs, Secrets of the Muppets and Dog City.
The show was cancelled after Jim Henson's sudden death in 1990.