The Muppet Show (Jerry was the Head Writer) airedfrom 1976 <strong>to</strong> 1981. During Pol<strong>an</strong>d’s Solidarity movement,no demonstrations were scheduled when TMS was on.Everyone was home watching it. In response, the Muppetswore beautiful puppet-sized Solidarnosí but<strong>to</strong>ns – undertheir clothes, of course, so as not <strong>to</strong> offend PolishAuthority.The television series Fraggle Rock probably gave Jerrythe most pride. Airing in 1983, it was the first Americ<strong>an</strong>television <strong>to</strong> broadcast in the Soviet Union. Some people,including the edi<strong>to</strong>r of this magazine, consider Fraggle oneof the best television shows of all time. Seen in 80 countries<strong>an</strong>d produced in 13 l<strong>an</strong>guages, Fraggle certainly madea difference <strong>to</strong> the children of the world. Fraggle earnedpraise from the DAR “for nurturing the souls of Americ<strong>an</strong>children” <strong>an</strong>d from <strong>an</strong>archists, who appreciated the thirtyminuteworkweek.Jerry loved the art of collaboration, working withperformers as well as writers. K<strong>are</strong>n Prell, who was RedFraggle, the enthusiastic, ever-bouncingFraggle with the pom-pom hair,came up for a script conference on“Playing Till It Hurts,” <strong>an</strong>d insisted,despite the show’s theme—pain isnot good—that Red would “playthrough”—<strong>an</strong>d the script got better.Henson insisted that the writer<strong>always</strong> be present during taping orfilming, because, with puppets, onenever knows when something maynot be possible, <strong>an</strong>d a rewrite calledfor. Often, for inspiration as well aslaughs, Sus<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d Jerry would go <strong>to</strong>the puppetry shop <strong>to</strong> see what was upwith the new characters <strong>an</strong>d mouthpieces.Puppets, of course, c<strong>an</strong>not dowhat most ac<strong>to</strong>rs c<strong>an</strong>. “It’s easier for apuppet <strong>to</strong> grow a new head th<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>swer the phone,” Jerryremarked.When members of the comp<strong>an</strong>y tell s<strong>to</strong>ries, thephrase “laughed until we cried” is often spoken. Sus<strong>an</strong>remembers the first project begun in Caspar in 1987 butsadly never finished: "In<strong>to</strong> the Teeth of the Demons ofDeath," also <strong>to</strong> be known as "The Cheapest Muppet MovieEver Made." It started out on location in Bali but sincedirec<strong>to</strong>r Gonzo the Great spent the whole budget on titles,it ended up being filmed on the same S<strong>an</strong>ta Rosa streetcorner with cheesy sets <strong>to</strong> indicate different locations.When there wasn’t enough left <strong>to</strong> pay Miss Piggy, a cardboardcut-out of the porcine prima donna was usedinstead. Pl<strong>an</strong>ning the movie in Jerry’s aerie above C<strong>an</strong>tusCove in Caspar, Henson, Sus<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d Jerry “laughed untilwe cried.”Other classics were born in Caspar, including TheMuppet Christmas Carol. Jerry wrote a letter <strong>to</strong> a f<strong>an</strong> in1992, "I'm writing this on the final day of principal pho<strong>to</strong>graphyof The Muppet Christmas Carol. It may be quitedifferent from what you <strong>are</strong> expecting, however. M<strong>an</strong>ypeople assume that we're doing a parody of the s<strong>to</strong>ry, butin fact, we <strong>are</strong> treating the Scrooge s<strong>to</strong>ry with considerabledignity. It is not a tale one w<strong>an</strong>ts <strong>to</strong> belittle. In fact it's oneof the great s<strong>to</strong>ries in the English l<strong>an</strong>guage. We have tried<strong>to</strong> tell the Scrooge s<strong>to</strong>ry honestly, while surrounding itwith a lot of goofy Muppet stuff. Scrooge's bookkeepers<strong>are</strong> all rats, for inst<strong>an</strong>ce. Fozzie plays the Fezziwig characterwho, of course, becomesFozziwig. Gonzo claims <strong>to</strong> beCharles Dickens <strong>an</strong>d narrates thes<strong>to</strong>ry, with the help of his buddyRizzo Rat..."Jerry never s<strong>to</strong>pped working,<strong>an</strong>d was starting <strong>an</strong> au<strong>to</strong>biographicalglimpse in<strong>to</strong> a Muppet-centered lifewhen he died of c<strong>an</strong>cer in September2005. “I spent 37 years writing forthe Henson Comp<strong>an</strong>y, <strong>an</strong>d now I'mtrying <strong>to</strong> write again, trying <strong>to</strong> find <strong>an</strong>ew voice, <strong>an</strong>d this is very challenging,”he <strong>to</strong>ld me in February of thatyear. The Fraggles (<strong>an</strong>d, of course)the Muppets continue timelessly <strong>to</strong>delight. Is there a truer test of art?33
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