And now it's time for Who's Smarted? That's what we need! More frogs and dogs and bears and chickens and-and whatever! I'm a whatever! That's great! I'm the trusty narrator! Would you like to join me? Sure! What are we doing? We're talking about some good friends. Smartypants, do you know Waldoorff and Stattler or Scooter or Rizzo the Rat or Floyd Pepper or Janice? How about Animal? Are some of you catching on? Here, what if I mention some of the real big stars from this world? There's Miss Piggy and Rolf the Dog, Fuzzy Bear, and of course Kermit the Frog! Now, I know you know who and what we're talking about. Why, it's... The Muppets! The Muppets! Yay! Who doesn't love the Muppets? I sure do. And I even bet your parents and grandparents do as well. But where did the Muppets come from? Who invented the Muppets? How did their careers progress? And what's the difference between a Muppet and a Puppet? Ooh, ooh, ooh, I can help with that. For one thing, the founder of the Muppets was none other than the artist and visionary Jim Hanson. Ooh! And it was Jim Hanson who built an incredible family of fabricators, puppeteers, producers, composers, writers, wranglers, puppet performers, and whatever's like me through many years of hard work, dedication, and love. Oh? Without Jim, the Muppets and I, we wouldn't be here. Wow, to think all that started with just one person! Oh yeah, but it does take a village to make the Muppets. And thanks to Jim's collaborative leadership, the whole Hanson company family created and continues to create uplifting and exquisitely weird characters, narratives, and worlds that we're all invited to visit and inhabit. Amazing. With that in mind, Smartie Pants, let's explore some of those worlds and the history behind them as we take another whiff of History and Science on. Who's smarted? Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up! Everyone, we make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smarted. Okay, let's start our Muppet journey at the very beginning. Jim Hanson was born in Greenville, Mississippi in 1936. Jim spent lots of time with his maternal grandmother in Artists Fund of Painting, Quilting, and Needlework. She influenced and encouraged Jim's creativity. When Jim was in fifth grade, the family moved to Maryland. There, Jim, often in collaboration with his older brother, Paul, would experiment with all kinds of different artistic techniques. But he was especially drawn to the latest hip technology, television. Smartie Pants, can you imagine not having a TV in your house? For most of you listening, I bet you can hardly remember the days when your family didn't have a tablet or smartphone in your pocket. And obviously, this allows us to take our entertainment anywhere. Ah, but back in Jim Hanson's youth, it was pretty impressive to have visual entertainment beamed into your living room or den every day. And Jim was super excited to be part of this growing form of entertainment. So, how did Jim Hanson get his start? Well, in 1954, while still in high school, Jim began his TV career as a Saturday morning puppeteer on WTOP TV, a local Washington DC station. Ooh, Smartie Pants, true or false, Jim Hanson invented puppets? The answer is, false. Jim Hanson did not invent puppets. Smartie Pants, did you know there are records of puppets dating back as early as the 5th century BCE? Whoa. But Jim Hanson did invent puppets, including the ones on Sesame Street. Right, but we're not up to that part of the story yet. Whoops, sorry. Shhh, continue on. The following year, while attending the University of Maryland, Jim was offered his own 5-minute show. This show would air twice daily on the local WRC TV station, which was affiliated with the NBC network. Smartie Pants, fun fact. Any idea what the NBC stands for? Why it stands for National Broadcasting Network. Anywho, Jim called his 5-minute show Salmon Friends, and of course it featured puppets. Yay! The show also included some clever additions from his collaborator and future wife, Jane Nebel. Right, and together, Jim and Jane would come up with many of the things that would become Jim Hanson's trademark style elements. That included fun music, witty humor, and perhaps notably, the elimination of the puppet stage. This helped bring puppets, including an early version of Kermit the Frog, directly into the audience's living room. One last question, chef. I'm sure you're familiar with our show Salmon Friends in Washington, D.C. I wonder who your favorite character is? Sam, Yorick, me, Ari, Yorick. You say Yorick. He has nice. Well, I'll be sure to tell him, and thank you very much for being our guest. Smarty Pants, who was Kermit the Frog named after? Was it A. Jim's pet frog, B. Jim's pet dog, C. a childhood friend? The answer is C. Named after Jim's childhood friend, Kermit first appeared on May 9, 1955 as a vague, lizard-type creature. True or false, Smarty Pants, the original Kermit the Frog was made out of Jim's mother's old coat. The answer is... True. That's right. Jim used his mother's old turquoise coat and a ping-pong ball cut in half for eyes. Kermit's voice and upbeat personality is, of course, due to Jim's voice acting skills, and letting his own upbeat personality shine through. Smarty Pants, do you do any creative or maybe even silly voices? Let's hear them. Ooh, I hear some fun ones. Personally, I don't really do any silly voices, but I do. Hello, this is Professor Barry Winkle, and I'm just here to say... Creepy crawlies, they go everywhere, right? But I have several voices. Okay, so I don't do that one, so back to the drawing board. It's absolutely possible to build a whole career on silly and creative voices. Forget career, you can build an entire brand on them, and that's what Jim did. Right, but it wasn't just the silly voices and creativity that caused the birth of the Muppets. It took a lot of hard work, collaboration, and the drive to carry on, even when the going got tough. Like Kermit once said... You know, well, I've got a dream, too. But it's about singing and dancing and making people happy. That's the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. And I've found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And it kind of makes us like a family. Puppet Entertainment visionaries Jim and Jane continued to build their family. Sam and friends were so well received, they were offered appearances on some of the top talk shows of the time. The Steve Allen Show, the Jack Parr Show, and Today. Muppet's ink was officially found on November 20th, 1958 in New York City. But SmartyPants, what is the difference between a Muppet and a Puppet? Any ideas? Whatever you are, can you shed some light on this Muppet mystery? Well, a puppet, as many of you know, is a movable model of a person or creature controlled by putting a hand inside of it. Or like a marionette, worked from above with strings attached to its limbs. Kind of like Pinocchio was before he became a real boy. A Muppet, on the other hand, is a combination of a marionette and puppet. Marionette plus puppet equals Muppet. Whoa! The term Muppet officially coined by Henson and the company, family and cast of characters, continued to grow. In fact, one of the first things they did was get to work making hundreds of commercials for products nationwide, like this one. You know, people who don't drink Wilkins coffee just blow up sometimes. Oh, that's a lot of... See what I mean? Or this one featuring a pre-Sesame Street Cookie Monster. Introducing Muncho's. Muncho's! Puppeteer and writer Jerry Jewel joined the family, followed by master puppet builder Don Salin and young puppeteer Frank Oz. Together, they helped develop the Muppet's first nationally known character, Rolf the Dog. Hey, you guys got a second? My name is Rolf and I'm a Muppet, see? You know the Muppets are that nutty bunch of puppets that keep turning up on TV these days? From 1963 to 1966, Rolf regularly appeared on the Jimmy Dean Show, a weekly music and variety show. Smarty Pants, do you recognize this tune? I bet a lot of you do. Why, of course it's Sesame Street. The beloved educational children's television show Sesame Street premiered in 1969 and has been on the air ever since. Over 55 years. That means you got to watch Sesame Street. Your parents watched Sesame Street and some of your grandparents may have watched early episodes of Sesame Street, making it a multi-generational success. Smarty Pants, can you name the original Sesame Street characters? Go ahead, shout some out. I heard Big Bird, Snuffle Upagus, The Count, Burton Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, and his alter ego, Super Grover. Hello everybody! At the sign, you're old pal Super Grover! And of course, Kermit the Frog. The Sesame Street cast, both real people and Muppets, delighted kids, helping them learn the alphabet, arithmetic, and valuable life skills, both academic and emotional. But the Henson team knew the Muppets would appeal to an even broader audience. In 1975, they received backing from London-based TV producer Lou Grayde. This is the Muppet Show, and tonight's guest star is your Joel Grayde! The Muppet Show, featuring old favorites like Kermit the Frog and Rolf the Dog, as well as a new crop of Muppets like Miss Piggy, Fuzzy Bear, and Gonzo, aired every week with a new and fabulous guest star joining the cast. Don't forget, the house band for the Muppet Show was an all-Muppet band known as the Electric Mayhem Band, featuring Dr. Teeth, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot, Lips, and Animal on Drums. The Muppets have had many television shows and specials, in a legacy that spans over 60 years. See if you recognize some of these titles, smarty pants. Muppets Tonight, Fragile Rock, Muppet Babies, Muppets Now, The Jim Henson Hour, The Muppets Wizard of Oz, Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas, Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver, The Muppets, Lady Gaga, and The Muppets Holiday Spectacular, Muppets Haunted Mansion, and The Muppets Mayhem on Disney Plus. Plus, there are also Muppet films with theatrical releases too, beginning with the Muppet movie in 1979, then The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island, Muppets From Space, The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted. But it's not just about putting out content. If you love the Muppets like we do, smarty pants, you probably recognize elements of teamwork, kindness, and inclusiveness, even when they're facing tough obstacles. That's because Jim Henson's mission was to make the world a better place by inspiring people to celebrate life. Sometimes that's hard to remember. Fortunately, we have the Muppets to remind us. So, what happened with The Muppets and Jim Henson, and where else can we see the magic and influence of The Muppets? You'll find out right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Spring is here, and if you're a homeschool family trying to finish the year strong, I want to tell you about IXL. It's the award-winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine, covering math, language arts, science, and social studies from pre-K through 12th grade. What I love most about IXL is how it adapts to each child's pace. Whether your kid needs to reinforce foundational skills before an assessment or push ahead into new material, IXL meets them exactly where they are, with no pressure and real encouragement built right in. Kids earn rewards, see their own progress, and actually feel good about learning. And for parents, the real-time progress tracking is a game-changer. You always know exactly where your child stands. Plus, it makes learning fun, and you know I love that. Over 15 million students use IXL, and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Who's Smarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off at IXL.com slash Smarted? That's IXL.com slash Smarted for your 20% off. Now back to Who's Smarted. Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Labyrinth and the Storyteller. The Henson Creature Shop is a division of the company devoted entirely to inventive and amazing fabrication or building, using new technologies, reworking classic structures, experimenting with materials, and incorporating animatronics and magical visual effects, all in the service of exceptional storytelling. But whether it was the older Muppets or the newer ones today, a big part of the process was always teamwork. It's rarely one person operating a Muppet that could easily be two to four people controlling different aspects, like the head, arms, mouth, or legs. That's how you can get Kermit to ride a bicycle or sit on a log in the swamp, strumming his banjo and singing. In order to film that particular scene, Jim Henson had to operate Kermit the Frog from a tank underwater. The Muppets are such an extraordinary source of inspiration and entertainment. We're happy that so much of their content is still available on streaming services, from old favorites to new content being created all the time. You can even follow the Muppets on social media. Sadly, Jim Henson passed away in 1990. But the Henson family continues to carry the torch, as four of his five children work for the Henson Company today, creating new and exciting entertainment that continues the spirit of what their father and mother started many years ago. And who knows, smarty pants, maybe one day you can bring your creative, imaginative, innovative, and wonderfully weird work to the world of the Muppets. A three-way shout out to Smarty fans Alex, Piper, and Casey in Portland, Oregon. We're so glad to hear that you all love smarting to who's smarted in the car and learning fun facts about all sorts of things. Oh, and of course, you love singing the theme song, Who Smarted? I think it was you three. Thanks. This episode, Muppets, was written by Libby Waka Waka Ward and voiced by The Connor Quinn and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh, Professor Honeydew Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Beaker Kamaske. The theme song is by Brian Snuffy Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Sweetams Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Text Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Audio Production. Waka Waka. Who Smarted.
