Review: 'In Their Own Words: Jim Henson' Explores the Life of the Man Behind The Muppets

There are very few creators who have been lucky enough to have their characters live a life of their own even after his passing. One of these creators is Jim Henson, best known for his Muppet characters. As part of the "In Their Own Words" series, PBS takes viewers on a journey through the life of this "visionary creator" from his beginning days discovering his love for puppetry to his unfortunate passing right before his negotiation deal with The Walt Disney Company was complete.

Always having the dream for a primetime spot for his Muppets, Henson was always known for being optimistic and innovative. After getting an amazing opportunity at a television station right before his high school graduation, Henson's dream of working on television was sparked and life was never the same. From "Sam and Friends" to "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show," Henson proved to us all that dreams cannot be achieved without hard work, dedication, and a great team of people working along side of you. As Frank Oz tells about Henson, "With Jim, hard work and fun were synonymous...he was about doing the best job possible."

Highlighting multiple quotes by Henson throughout the 60-minute show, one of the best ones has to be, "As children we live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world continues into adulthood." This quote of his makes perfect sense that when Henson was tired of leading and just wanted to create, Henson and long-time friend and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner began the negotiation for a partnership and "Muppet Vision 3D" attraction for Disney's Hollywood Studios, all while Henson was still working on "Sesame Street" and multiple other projects. Unfortunately, right before "The Disney Deal" was finalized, Henson fell sick in 1990 and passed away of organ failure.

But as mentioned above, Henson's beloved characters, including Kermit the Frog, lived on. No one that was a part of Muppets Inc. wanted to give up, and felt it was only right for all of them to live on and continue Henson's legacy that he put his heart and soul into creating.

Unfortunately free of bonus features, this simple DVD, being released on November 3 for $24.99, is great for any "Muppets" or Henson fan. The 60-minute show is also available for digital download via PBS.

This PBS documentary gives firsthand memories of Jim Henson shared by his friends like Frank Oz, Candice Bergen, Willard Scott, director John Landis, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, Bob McGrath and Carroll Spinney. Henson's five children also appear telling audiences the ups and downs of growing up in the Henson household, but have nothing but good words to say about their father.

Take a look at the preview trailer below, and let me know if you will be getting your copy!

---

About PBS Distribution

PBS Distribution is the leading media distributor for the public television community, both domestically and internationally, extending the reach of these programs beyond broadcast while generating revenue for the public television system and our production partners.

PBS Distribution offers a diverse range of programming to our customers, including Ken Burns's films, documentaries from award-winning series such as NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN MASTERS, NATURE, and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, dramas from MASTERPIECE, as well as films from independent producers and popular children's programming. As a multi-channel distributor, PBS Distribution pursues wholesale/retail sales, consumer and educational sales through PBS-branded catalogs and online shops, and international broadcast and video sales. PBS Distribution is also a leader in offering programming through digital platforms including Internet and mobile devices.

To post a comment, you must register and login.