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A More Efficient Muppet? By Patrick Grossi On Feb. 21, the Jim Henson Family announced the signing of an agreement with EM.TV & Merchandising AG, a prominent animated cartoon and retail company based in Unterfohring, Germany, declaring that EM.TV will obtain 100 percent of The Jim Henson Company in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $680 million. The Jim Henson Company has been managed and run by the family of puppeteer extraordinaire Jim Henson (Brian, Lisa, Cheryl, John, and Heather Henson) since his untimely death in 1990. "This agreement brings together two great companies led by founding families who share a deep commitment to offering the very best in family entertainment," said Brian Henson, current President and Chief Executive Officer of The Jim Henson Company. Since its founding in 1958, the Henson Company has acted as a premier provider of children's entertainment. Aside from the successful Muppet-oriented television shows (The Muppet Show, Jim Henson's Muppet Babies) and series of films, Henson was also the creative voice behind contemporary children's classics such as Fraggle Rock, PBS' Sesame Street and the films The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). More recently, Henson Company has been enjoying success from various television hits: Farscape, which airs on the Sci-Fi Channel; Bear in the Big Blue House, a vehicle for the Disney Channel; and the BBC's Mopatop's Shop holds a market share of nearly 40 percent on British television, says the Henson company. In addition, Jim Henson's Creature Shop has served as a major player in motion picture special effects over the last 20 years contributing to such films as Babe (for which it received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1996), Dr. Doolittle, and Lost in Space. So what lies ahead for the future of the company? Brian Henson will relinquish his position as president and CEO to Henson employee Charlie Rivkin, thus making Brian chairman of the company. "Neither we nor our new partners anticipate that there will be any jobs lost as a result of this transaction," said Henson and Rivkin, in a letter sent to all Henson Company employees on Feb. 21. "For us, the primary significance of partnering with EM.TV is the benefits and opportunities it will create by making us an integral part of a very dynamic, very successful, highly growth-oriented global enterprise." But what will become of Henson's product? Will decades of establishing a love and admiration for friendly, fuzzy, multi-colored creatures with statue-esque mobility go down the drain? "We will work closely with Thomas Haffa [Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of EM.TV] and his brother Florian, who is EM.TV's Vice-Chairman and Chief Financial Officer," continued Henson and Rivkin in the letter. "But we want to emphasize that creative decisions and day to-day operational matters at The Jim Henson Company will continue to be handled by us." Still, there lies possibility for catastrophic turmoil within the personnel's morale. Will the Muppets sever their ties with nostalgic Americana? Will Kermit abandon his love pact with Miss Piggy and come to accept and advocate the dark elements of Germany's past? Or will Gonzo, Fozzie, and crew prove exemplary in the eyes of the capitalist aims under which they are being exchanged; American imperialism at its finest under the guise of blue-haired, wide-eyed educational entertainment? Most likely, the Muppet movies and programs will keep pouring out just as they have over the last few years. But let us consider Henson Company's latest cinematic effort: Muppets From Space (1999). Frankly, the joke is running a little thin. Perhaps this transaction will act as a catalyst to some much needed change in Henson's creative output. I don't know. I guess I just find the idea of Kermit sporting a swastika really funny. Patrick Grossi is a freshman film major at Ithaca College.
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