DefunctTV: The History of the Muppet Show 

Hearing the backstory of Henson's difficulty securing a greenlight on any kind of adult Muppet production really sheds a light on why so many pieces of Muppet media are about pitching a show, getting a show accepted, and getting a cast back together after they've separated.

The part where Muppets and star wars sing a Disney song is probably one of the best real life examples of foreshadowing I have seen.

I love how jim henson went from performing commercials for a coffee brand to making puppets sing a song originally used for an Italian sex documentary

It's interesting you mention that Kermit often yelled and screamed and got upset when Jim never did because I always had the opinion that Jim used Kermit as his means of venting his own anger and frustrations.

The scene of Kermit asking the cows how to get to Hollywood. That was just...you could feel the anxious joy. Just...Hope you found a place to create more joy, Henson.

Legit one of the best documentary series on the web.

I wouldn't be surprised if Defunctland was turned into a proper show. This is some of the best content on youtube and it's been incredible seeing the improvements being made over the months. Keep it up, what you're doing is something special.

If I remember correctly, "Just One Person" was also sung at the end of _The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson_ , when the Muppets "found out" that Jim passed away.

The ending of the muppet movie makes me cry every time, just reading out the lyrics “Life's like a movie Write your own ending Keep believing Keep pretending We done just what we set out to do” etc. makes me tear up. Such an inspirational and beautiful moment to see when I was young and it still follows and impacts me today.

The Muppet Movie was also one of the first to have a post-credits sequence. Waaaaay before the MCU made it popular.

That whole segment on The Muppet Movie had me in TEARS.

"That had originally been written for an Italian sex documentary" Excuse me, what

Bear left, RIGHT FROG! In all seriousness Kevin, this may be my favorite series you've ever produced. As a life long Muppets fan, the amount of effort put into these videos is astounding.

30:00 Jim losing it while that cow is trying to lick Kermit in the face… That warmed my dead heart.

A few years ago when ABC aired the Office-Like The Muppets, I felt the raunchiness went against the goal that Jim Henson had for his muppets. But after learning more about Sex & Violence and Jim Henson wanting to branch off from exclusively children's programming, I feel like the show, follows Jim's vision and modernized the format for The Muppet Show. But not everybody knows these things about Jim Henson, so of course they didn't feel it fit the muppet world.

The Muppets are such an essential part of my comedy soul, it's great to see this fully broken down and really deep dived into. Seeing all these behind the scenes clips of Jim laughing and having a great time makes me incredibly happy.

Kevin. Listen. You have set the bar too high, Kevin. I can't be content anymore with standard youtube content because you go and pull things like this miniseries for free, because instead of just selling random merch and call it a day, you write a book that's not only on brand but great on its own right, because you make adds that make sense with the content of the videos without disrupting them and because you keep improving on your own storytelling, editing and overall content producing. Now I know what youtube can be like and I can't accept less. You've ruined me, Kevin. It's like youtube's version of Plato's cave. Now I know my time is worth good quality content and I can't go back.

We don't deserve Defunctland. This Jim Henson miniseries is absolutely astounding and I'm going to be sad when it's over. These 40 minutes on The Muppet Show made me laugh, cry, and smile so wide it hurt. Just like Jim would've wanted. Thank you.

Jim Henson was the true definition of genius. We lost him way too soon.

This series goes to show how many times people with talent can stumble or face rejection multiple times. But with great perseverance, the right outlook & the right support, people can change the world & create characters & stories that touch millions. Thank you Kevin for doing this series!

It’s time to get things started On the most sensational Inspirational Celebrational Cancellational This is what we call DefunctTV!

My mother loves to regale people with the story that as a toddler, I would be in my walker and when the intro “drum roll” would begin, I immediately began to bob up and down and squeal excitedly. I knew it was the Muppet Show and I loved it. They’ve always been part of my life, even if it’s a small part.

I don’t know if I’m more excited to learn about the history of the muppet show, or see clips of the muppet show.

A talking house segment? Finally, an outlet for my house/building related sense of humor!

"...originally written for an Italian sex documentary" Wait, what?!

Honestly I can't believe I'm crying over the Muppets movie's ending

So as a kid my family watched "Muppets Christmas Carol" every Friday after Thanksgiving...we'd get our tree and eat pizza while watching it!! But I always thought they were so good they should totally have a show...and I didn't find out about the muppet show until I was in my 20s!! Haha!!

"Frogs and dogs and chickens and bears and whatevers..." Sneaking in the Muppets Take Manhattan I see.

I'm not crying, you're crying. This was beautiful. 😭

This Henson series is by and above my favorite ongoing RU-vid series. Kudos to you guys.

“It’s not the End of the World” “If just one person believes in you...” “Life is a movie, write your own ending...” Man, I needed the tender and funny moments of this video to lift me up. I got the news yesterday that I’m being let go from my job this week and having the Muppets and the Optimism of Jim Henson is just perfect to keep me going. FYI, the Star Wars episode was and still is my favorite of the Muppet Show and I cannot wait for the Fraggle Rock episode!

When you automatically give a thumbs up to a video before you've even began watching it because you already know it's going to be amazing.

*It’s DEFUNCT TV, with our very special guest THE MUPPET SHOW! YAAAAY!* 🎶It’s time to say the intro, It’s time to edit right! How the hell is Michael Eisner On DefunctTV tonight!🎶

...Star Wars was brought into Jim Henson's world. The episode ended with everyone singing the classic Disney song, "When You Wish Upon a Star", which in hindsight is a perfect illustration of the phrase "be careful what you wish for". It's like they knew.

*these "retro-henson" style ads you've created are impressive, they practically could've been done by jim himself.*

I gotta give props to Jim, ending the most popular show on tv in its prime. I think the Simpsons could take a page outta Jim's book

Can we take a second to appreciate how good those Squarespace commercials have done at replicating early Henson?

Please tell me you're going to cover Dark Crystal/Labyrinth as well as the later shows like Storyteller, Jim henson Hour, and muppets tonight. These have been fantastic

It’s a shame this show faded off in popularity, great family entertainment for all ages, kids marvelled at the muppet mayhem, adults also got the more adult jokes or deeper references, we all enjoyed the celebrity guests, and as an adult now I appreciate a lot of the more artistic/surreal moments, too. It was a huge part of my childhood, good memories.

It's weird to think but Jim Henson was kinda like a younger Walt Disney albeit it with a much better legacy. Both were nobody's with a dream, both had personalities that were seen as either oddball or aggravating depending on who you asked, both absolutely hated being told no in any form, both are remembered as entertainment legends and both wanted to be remedied as more than just "the guy that made this one thing and nothing else." Henson definitely succeeded more than Walt did in that regard. Walt is just remembered for Disney and Disneyland whereas, even if you don’t know he made them, you know of many of Hendon’s pet projects.

Still no DVD release of Season 4 and 5... COME ON DISNEY

As a Swede the Swedish chef is a big favorite of mine. Every time I make popcorn I sing his popcornsong from the Muppet movie. Popicorni poping in the face... in 3D! Love your channel!

I gotta say, I didn't grow up with The Muppets, and throughout most of my childhood, I knew very little about Jim Henson and his work. This series has been absolutely amazing. Like many of your videos, you've somehow managed to make me care significantly about things that I never did (theme parks, old kid shows, and now Muppets). In my opinion, this series (and your channel in general) is easily one of the best things on RU-vid right now, and I appreciate how much work you put into it. Thank you, Kevin, and everyone else who has helped put this together!

I've never watched anything with the Muppets aside from Elmo's World and the Treasure Island movie, but throughout this series every time to music kicks up, every time Kermit gives a rousing speech, and every time Jim Henson comes on screen I tear up, because such a rise to fame followed by tragic loss is beautiful, even to an outsider looking in.

Oh! Now I get it! He's called "Cody" cause he codes!

No, I haven’t watched the video yet. Yes, it is my new favorite video already, it’s Defunctland talking about The Muppets for 40 minutes... HOW COULD IT NOT BE?!?!

The Muppet Show, the most famous show of the 80s, 90s and some of the mid 2000s, brought to you by Jim Henson! Also the intro is still cool.

I just want to take a break out of my convoluted schedule to express how I feel about this amazing miniseries thus far. When I first saw the first episode, it took me back to when I wrote about Jim in high school, which then transferred to me making Muppet-style puppets for a brief time as a hobby. One live hand puppet (which looked embarrassingly crude using newspaper for the overall head sculpt underneath blue polyester felt and googly eyes) was used in a student film for a digital media class as part of a homeschool program I went to for a few years. I even saved some scraps of felt that were tossed in a giveaway pile next to one of the classroom doors to make more puppets. The Sesame Street episode took me back to me being in a local children's choir where I sang "Bein' Green" solo and "Rainbow Connection" from the Muppet Movie. When we sang "I Love Trash" from Sesame Street, I was planning to make a replica of Oscar that would pop out of his metal trash can and yell "Scram!" at the end of the song, surprising the audience, but that never came to fruition. This episode rekindled my interest in Jim after a few years' dormancy, inspiring me to type this comment. As you can probably tell, all throughout my life so far, I've been a Jim Henson fan, and he continues to inspire me in my creativity even though his creation lives on.

Statler: How has the algorithm been this kind to him? He always talks about old junk! Waldorf: If he looked at newer stuff, the comments would be filled with kids going to war with us old-timers. Both: Doh-ho-ho-ho-hoh!

Nobody will ever top Jim. He was a true master of his craft. The interaction with humans and the expanse and depth of his characters are only part of what made his work so great. In the behind-the-scenes photos those guys were always smiling and having a blast, you could tell they loved their work and had a true passion for it. You don't realize how hard it is to jam your hand up up there and get the movements and motions _that_ good. That alone personifies them and gives them such life.

Kermit : *IT'S AN ORANGEE!! AN ORANGE!!! OF COURE IT'S AN ORANEGE!!!!!*

When are the mainstream studio execs finally going to get word of your freakin' AMAZING various series here!? Top notch quality, research, and writing as always. I will admit, it IS nice to see you getting away from Michael Eisner.....but only a teeny bit. Best 40 minutes I've spent on RU-vid in weeks...I always look forward to watching a new Defunctland episode when you turn up at the top of my subscriptions. Defunctland is the epitome of what RU-vid can give us. Thank you for the hours upon hours of great videos and entertainment!

I want to thank you for having only 2 ad breaks in a 40 minute video and for always giving thought to ad placement. It's a small detail that goes a long way to make the videos more enjoyable for the audience. Another great video as always!

Today is when we remember the amazing Jim Henson. It was on this day we lost him, but in the company they remained. And carried on an amazing legacy. And now this series of videos from defunctland ^w^ In Loving Memory of Jim Henson (September 24th 1936 -- May 16th 1990)

The next time you hear copyright Nazis complaining about piracy, remember that the uncut season one and seasons four and five of The Muppet Show have been kept in circulation because of pirates. If it wasn't for them, a large chunk of one of the greatest TV series of all time would very possibly be lost forever, as well as the sequel shows The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

“...Originally written for an Italian sex documentary...” IS THAT A THING?? Where on earth did you find this info, that’s gold.

Holy crap man! This is a TV-quality documentary style! I LOVE your work!

This is the best documentary on Jim Henson, nothing else can compare!

10:50 I love how smoothly Jim manages to get situated with Kermit in the talk show clip, as if it's second nature to him by then. The guy was practically one with his craft by this point.

This miniseries is an absolute work of art and talent, and I am always looking forward to the next one. Thank you!

Man, that ending number of the Star Wars episode really is hilarious in hindsight. Great work on the episode, Kevin!

I'm getting weepier and weepier as these episodes come to a close, just because I know what's coming.

"The crew at Elstee Studios was sad to see them go'..." And six months later, many of them would find out they were losing their jobs when ATV was forced to sell the studio to the BBC as part of ATV's transformation into Central.

I came back from my run wanting to finish this episode...so I opened Netflix to finish it...and then realized that it’s on RU-vid. Amazing series dude.

"They say that we're puppets and we don't even have a lower half" BAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAH

The Muppets are for everyone. This is a great channel. Thank you for having great informative content.

This could’ve been 2 hours and it still wouldn’t be long enough! Great video bro love your work

I’ve literally been terrified of the muppets since I was little and yet this series makes me so emotional... well done

"Muppets aren't for children, they're for EVERYONE." 6:15 Muppet dabbing. Some pigs pork chop, others karate chop.

I loved the Muppet Show when I was a kid. Glad to learn the history behind such a great comedy show. Also, Fozzie may or may not be the reason why I love puns.

Channels like yours are the reason I'm so grateful that youtube gives a platform for creative and talented people like you. Jim Henson is one of my idols and you've done an amazing job telling his story. Keep up the amazing work. Both Henson and you Kevin are inspirations.

Jim Henson was such a major part of my childhood. Watching this documentary has been so informative on his brilliance and perseverance. Amazing work

Wow I’m really glad Jim decided to choose Kermit over Rolf as main character of show. I don’t think I could ever imagine the muppet show without Kermit as host.

The scene talking about The Muppet Movie’s parallels to the real life Muppet performers was beautiful-just simply beautiful.

This series is so well made. It's in-depth and emotional, perfectly rolled into one. I'm a pretty big fan of Jim Henson and co's work, but I never knew a lot of the things you talk about in these episodes. I love this series and am eagerly looking forward to the next part!

Emmet Otter is one of my favorite Christmas specials ever. More people should see it.

Anyone else think that Disney should release the 4th and 5th seasons on DVD? To not feels like insulting the legacy of the show. You can't even find the episodes on RU-vid in any decent form.

This has to be one of the most uplifting Defunctland episodes! No grief, no heartbreak. Just positivity and following dreams 😊

Okay so just your description of the Muppet Movie got me tearing up I might just sob uncontrollably if I actually watch the movie (which as of writing this comment, I never have)

Looking back, Jim really owed a lot of his success to Lord Lew Grade. The guy had incredible faith in Jim that was very much well placed. The guy was the very definition of "having friends in high places."

This is part I've waited for. And 40 minutes too!! Kevin you spoil us!!

I'm over here crying as the making of the Muppet Move is described. Crying whole tears.

Good God I guess I could put this series out of my mind completely. The first time I watched it, was a few years ago in the middle of caring for my mother during her bout of cancer. I have been sleeping in my truck well over 100 nights in the hospital parking lot… Because I didn’t have enough energy to go home and come there every day… And little did I know but I had another year and a half ahead of me or I would be doing the same thing. So I was in a real emotional and difficult place, and I watched this series all together in one evening and just remember basically melting into the port of my truck into a sobbing mess. It was the first time I had cried since I was about 12 years old… I’m in my mid 30s now. So much what happened with my mom, and I had no idea how much more was in store for us both. But the last installment in your series hit me like a freight train and I was hysterical for a good 30 minutes to an hour. Realizing that it really helped me show my emotion and release some of that tension that had been building because of the situation with my dying mother It helped me greatly, and now that I stumble across it again… I realize that for the last year and a half I’ve been bawling up all of my emotions once again wait to release them, knowing it might break the dam This is so incredibly well done, I am not usually affected by my surroundings or especially by media. But the fact that it’s helped me twice now get through some of the toughest seasons in my life… And realize that everyone in the world loses things and people that are close to them all the time… And it gives me maybe just a tiny percentage of that positivity that Jim showed his whole life. Because it certainly doesn’t come natural for me.

Ya'll aint ready for the end of this. Jim Henson's funeral is one of the saddest things on youtube.

Boys, it's time to get things started on defunct TV tonight

Dude, this series has been awesome thus far. The amount of passion put into this is evident.

I feel very fortunate to have grown up with the genius of Jim Henson and his amazing crew. My Dad loved them, I loved them and now all 3 of my kids absolutely love all things Muppets. This is such a brilliant essay in the Muppets. Thank you.

Wait wait wait... Jim's Agent was named "Laser?"

Another beautifully done installment in the Jim Henson series! It's awesome seeing you grow as a creator, from covering defunct attractions to a full blown 4 hour documentary. Well done!

Finally, I've seen some of the original show, so it was wonderful to see how it fully became the unforgettable variety show we know. Another informative and entertaining video. Keep it up!

Thanks Kevin, these videos have been incredible! Absolutely top-notch quality. I've recommended them to a lot of my friends. Modern TV channels WISH they could make things this well! 💕

Got a bit emotional at what Jim said when his friend died. Amazing video, I learned so much I never knew

I hope someone does a fusion mix of the Sesame Street, Muppet show and Fraggle rock themes like you did.

I dread the ending of this Docu/Miniseries. This is just so well researched and just Friggin' Fantastic!

I had a Miss Piggy poster in the late 1970's. Pig Power! I tuned in every week. What a show.

I'm constantly amazed your videos are free. This is great content 👍

I remember in the mid 90's the Muppet Show returned in the UK and ''Sandra Bullock'' was a Guest and they definitely introduced her as ''Sandra Bollocks'' I even had it on VHS and would show my friends it was hilarious.

I can't believe there was a sex song in The Muppets. My parents would die laughing from this, since my parents grew up with the show. (My mother has a Ralph puppet. I hate that puppet.) Also I fricking love Gonzo, he's relatable for me. Kermit I'd also a mood, and my second favorite. That's it. Edit: I also forgot about Scooter! I love him. I always used to be so much like him, eager to please.

Me: (Relaxing) ^Defunctland uploads^ Me: * "Oh Shoot, here we go again" * ^It's the next part of the Jim Henson docuseries^ Me: ^Throws all revision notes for the test next week^

Absolutely fantastic mini-doc on Henson and his muppets. Excellent work, Mr. Perjurer!