Henson Rarities - Tales From Muppetland

There are many, many corners of the Henson universe that I could spend blog post after blo post uncovering but no one likes a theme that outstays its welcome so let’s wrap it up with these three. I first came across these on rental VHS tapes back in the mid-80s at a time when I was hungry anything Muppet-related that I hadn’t seen before. These were “new” to me at the time even though, in actual fact, they pre-dated The Muppet Show by some time.

Hey, Cinderella!
The first of the Tales From Muppetland specials in which classic fairy tales were given the Henson once-over, this also features a number of firsts. It’s the first time that Kermit is recognisably the Kermit the Frog we know today. He’d been around in one form or another as a sort of lizard-y character since the 1955 series Sam And Friends (Henson’s first TV series) but this was the first time he had the collar, flippers and is definitively referred to as a frog. It also features the first full-bodied Muppet character, Splurge, a technique that they would go on to use many times in later shows. 

The Frog Prince
Another familiar fairy tale and a couple more classic characters make their debuts. Kermit’s nephew Robin appears for the first time here (and we’ve still never seen his parents - who are his mum and dad? Is it Kermit’s brother or sister? Are they dead? Is Kermit effectively his adoptive parent? Am I overthinking this?) as well as recurring full-bodied puppet Sweetums.

The Muppet Musicians Of Bremen
Fairy tale time once again but a slight departure in this one as, other than introductory and closing segments from Kermit, this one doesn’t feature any of the regular Muppet characters. In a way, this one probably more resembles as show like The Storyteller in format (in which John Hurt as The Storyteller framed and narrated retellings of European folk tales). It’s also similar in the the musicians of Bremen is a less well-known tale when compared to Cinderella or The Frog Prince.

These three specials a very much examples of some trying to flex their creative muscles and see what they can do. They’re worth watching to trace the evolution of the Muppets from early adverts and specials via Sesame Street through to The Muppet Show and beyond. There are plenty of other lesser known Henson works out there but let’s save some for another time...