The LEGO Ideas website has been giving beloved stories and characters a new life in LEGO for years. From a Dungeons & Dragons set, to Willow, and beyond, fan-created LEGO sets are pure delight and passion in brick form. Now’s your chance to turn one of your own fond memories into a LEGO set you can hold in your hands: it’s The Muppet Show from veteran LEGO Ideas builder Bulldoozer!

“LEGO Ideas has finally allowed me to submit my design for a Muppet Show set,” said Ivan Guerrero, AKA Bulldoozer, on Twitter. “I’ve been trying to get this set made [for six] years now.”

The Muppet Show LEGO set, which Guerrero first attempted submitting in 2017, features the front and back stages of the show in an ingenious wraparound design.

“The mainstage includes three mini diorama sets and a detachable balcony,” reads the design description. “With ‘you’ as the guest star, start off the show beneath The Muppet Show’s iconic opening theme arches… Statler and Waldorf will throw in a quick heckle or two from their balcony seats.”

The set would also feature minifigs of Kermit the Frog, “Swine Trek” Firstmate Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Statler, Waldorf, the Swedish Chef, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, and Gonzo. (How can you possibly resist minifig Beaker?)

It’s obvious that Guerrero, who previously created the successful 123 Sesame Street LEGO Ideas set in 2019, is a huge fan of the Muppets. Every detail in his set design is a little LEGO love letter to the classic television series. Kermit’s mug. The penguin in the orchestra pit. Chickens. The “Turn the World Around” poster as an homage to Harry Belafonte’s unforgettable sketch in 1978. The set is simply Muppetational.

LEGO Ideas sets need 10,000 votes to go from the pitch phase to development review by the LEGO Group. All it takes is logging into your LEGO.com account and adding your vote to make Guerrero’s dream a reality!

Kelly Knox (she/her) is a Seattle-area author and entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk about just about everything pop culture.

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While Disney+ has been exploiting most of the famous franchises in their library quite liberally, it feels like they had sidelined one very important one: the Muppets. Well, thankfully that is about to change. Via the official Muppets Twitter account, we’ve got our first look at the new Muppets series, The Muppets Mayhem. The new show will focus on the beloved Muppets rock band, the Electric Mayhem. And all the original members will join in the fun. That means Dr. Teeth, Janice, Floyd, Zoot, and of course, Animal on drums. You can check out the first trailer and images from The Muppets Mayhem right here.

This will be the first Muppets series that doesn’t focus on characters like Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, or Gonzo. Up until now, aside from Animal, most of the Electric Mayhem have been side characters. But now, they’ll get to shine. It’s time for Electric Mayhem to make an album. But not without a lot of chaos and some excellent guest stars. We have “Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone, and Lips on trumpet.” And joining them will be a sea of guest stars that includes Lil Nas X, Morgan Freeman, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Kesha, Danny Trejo, and more.

The series was co-created by Muppets veteran Bill Barretta, along with Jeff Yorkes and Adam F. Goldberg, who also wrote the screenplay for The Muppets Wizard of Oz. So this one is definitely coming to us from some Muppets experts.

According to a report from Entertainment Weekly, the show centers on Nora (Lilly Singh), an aspiring record producer, who enlists the help of her savvy social media influencer sister, (Saara Chaudry), to help the Electric Mayhem record their first album. Yes, they’ve been together since 1975, but they’ve yet to go into the studio. It’s about time, we think. The creators promise that the Electric Mayhem will get along better than Fleetwood Mac (that’s a relief) and that there will be many classic rock cover songs.

The last regular Muppets TV show was The Muppets, a mockumentary-type series that aired on ABC in 2015. Since then, we’ve had The Muppets Haunted Mansion special on Disney+ and a handful of Muppets Now shorts. Hopefully, this is the first of many Muppets projects to land on Disney+ in the next few years. They deserve as many spin-offs as other Disney IP like Star Wars, Marvel, or Pixar. Back in the ’90s, it felt like there were new straight-to-video Muppet movies every year. Shouldn’t Disney+ have something similar? Maybe something that’s a mashup? We’d be down for Muppets Star Wars or Muppet Avengers. Just as long as Jim Henson’s classic characters get their overdue spotlight.

The Muppets Mayhem will premiere May 10 on Disney+.

Originally published March 27, 2023.

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Labyrinth is full of riddles and puzzles. One in particular stands out: the two-door riddle. For those of you who don’t remember, our protagonist, Sarah, encounters the two doors while attempting to rescue her kid brother from the clutches of Jareth, a crystal-ball-juggling Goblin King, played by the late David Bowie. The mysterious monarch gave Sarah 13 hours to retrieve the “babe with the power.” She can complete the quest by maneuvering through Jareth’s perplexing brick maze.

The labyrinth is ever-changing and inhabited by a band of creatures so wonderful that only Jim Henson could dream them up. Among the cast are The Four Guards—a pair of two-headed, coat-of-arms bodied puzzle enthusiasts who present Sarah with a stumper, which she must solve in order to move to the next section of the maze.

Labyrinth‘s Two-Door Riddle Rules

The rules are clear: there are two doors. One leads to the castle, the other, to certain death. You may ask one question to one guard to help you decipher which door is the correct one. Sounds simple enough, but there’s a catch: one guard always lies, and one always tells the truth.

The two-door riddle is an incarnation of the Knights and Knaves logic puzzle, and while it sounds like a Pinocchio paradox,the problem actually has a simple solution. (If you want to figure the puzzle out for yourself, take a break and come back to us.)

How to Solve the Labyrinth Two-Door Riddle

To solve the puzzle, you must ask one guard (it doesn’t matter which one) which door the other guard would say leads out. Both guards will indicate the same door, which will be the door that doesn’t lead out. For purposes of this explainer, we’ll call the doors A (the safe door), and B (the knock, knock, knocking on heaven’s door). Let’s discuss:

Scenario one: The guard you ask is the one who lies.
If the guard you asked is the one who lies, then he will lead you astray by telling you (falsely) that the other guard—the truthful guard—will point you towards door B. This makes door A the safe bet.

Scenario two: The guard you asked is the one who tells the truth.
If the guard you ask is the one who tells the truth, he will tell you (honestly) that the other guard—the lying guard—will point you towards door B. This makes door A the safe bet.

In both cases, the outcome is the same. To stay alive, you must walk through the opposite door from what the guards tell you.

This is exactly what Sarah does in the film, but as many of you probably remember, her success is short-lived. Upon entering, she falls through a hole in the floor, which sends her cascading into the nightmarish Shaft of Hands. Many assume she simply chose wrong, but Sarah’s unfortunate mistake was one of Labyrinth law, not of logic.

The key to this plot twist lies in the script. Just before the trap door opens, Sarah says, “It’s a piece of cake.” The seemingly innocent sentence spells trouble in the Labyrinth world. It’s said three times throughout the film (and countless others in the novel), and each time, something goes horribly wrong. Sarah says it again when Jareth asks her how she’s enjoying the maze. “It’s a piece of cake,” she says, prompting him to speed up the clock and send in the murderous cleaner. Hoggle says it when the crew finally makes it to Goblin City, and in comes a squad of goblin soldiers.

And so, the rules of our puzzle and the validity of the solution remain intact. Sarah ignored the guards’ advice, and, despite making a downward detour, she certainly didn’t die. You’re now fit to face your own two-door fate. Let’s just hope XKCD’s snarky third guard stays out of the equation.

Originally published on January 16, 2016.

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Artist Daniel Beckwith combines his love for the outdoors and the Muppets with a delightful twist on classic national park posters. Even though we know a bear’s natural habitat is a Studebaker, the mashup feels right. The nostalgic feel of the artwork itself also works perfectly. The Muppet posters are in the style of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) posters produced from 1935-1943 that are instantly recognizable as national parks posters. Beckwith has made about a dozen Muppets meets parks posters so far, with more on the way.

The Muppets poster project started with a trip Beckwith took to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks in central California. It’s hard not to be inspired by the peaceful groves of ancient trees there. Adding another national treasure feels natural and Kermit the Frog is just that. After all, Kermit was recently added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry for the song “Rainbow Connection,” which would fit perfectly as a soundtrack for his national park adventures.  

In the series of Muppet posters for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Kermit and his nephew Robin explore the parks. They enjoy campfires, stargazing, hikes, wildlife, and wonder to remind us all to get outside. If you can’t make it to a national park anytime soon, check out Google’s Art and Culture for some virtual tours. 

Beckwith also branched out into other parks and other Muppets as part of this poster art project. Fozzie dips his toe into the wilderness of the Great Smoky Mountains. Gonzo has some aerial adventures while visiting Joshua Tree National Park. We can’t wait to see what comes next.  

Beckwith’s website is full of other amazing artwork, including holiday cards with the likes of E.T., Man-Thing, and Grogu. You can follow him on Instagram and Twitter. By day, he’s an educator at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego.

Thanks to Disney+, there’s so much great Muppets content these days. We’ve got everything from classic episodes of The Muppet Show to the new Mayhem series. And since it’s the holiday season, don’t forget to watch the classic Muppet’s Christmas Carol and listen to their holiday album with John Denver. But also, listen to these Muppet posters, and go enjoy some time in the nearest national park! 

Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. Her favorite Muppet is Pepé the King Prawn and her favorite national park is Bryce Canyon. Melissa moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.

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It’s time to meet the Muppets! Well, it’s time to meet the Muppets, again, in their brand new LEGO Minifigure forms. This new series of The Muppets Minifigures brings all the puppet fun of the beloved franchise and combines it with the excitement of collectible LEGO pieces. But one thing to know about these Minifigures is that they come in blind boxes, or more specifically, sealed mystery bags. And that always spells a tricky adventure for the determined collector.

The official description for The Muppets LEGO collection shares:

Delight a child or Muppets fan with these iconic LEGO Minifigures The Muppets (71033) bags for ages 5+. This unique series features a great lineup of exclusive Disney’s The Muppets characters to collect and display or to take independent or group play in unexpected new directions… Children and adult fans can say “Hi!” to a special limited-edition range of imaginative characters, including Animal, Beaker, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Janice, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Rowlf the Dog, Statler, The Swedish Chef and Waldorf.

All our favorites are there for us to collect, but the question is can we find them? Because, when it comes to these 12 LEGO muppets, “each finely crafted, highly detailed LEGO Minifigure comes in a sealed ‘mystery’ bag with one or more accessories and a collector’s leaflet, making a great little gift that will put a smile on anyone’s face.” They do make a great gift, but what if we can’t find the one we want? That’s the trouble with blind boxes. Although not knowing which figure you’re getting can feel like part of the fun.

We also love that each Muppet Minifigure comes with accessories that show off their personality. Kermit the Frog has a banjo and rainbow. Miss Piggy has a promotional headshot of herself, of course. Fozzie Bear has a mic stand and a banana. If you get the right mystery bags, you can even start your own Muppet band. These Muppet LEGOs are, to put it simply, just too cute.

For those wanting to try their luck for the Muppet of their dreams, the LEGO Minifigure collection goes on sale on May 1.

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Jim Henson is one of the most creative minds of the 20th century. The puppeteer and filmmaker is responsible for The Muppets and some of Sesame Street‘s most beloved characters. Not to mention, of course, directing the masterpieces The Dark Crystal (which he co-directed with Frank Oz) and Labyrinth. And now the legend is the subject of an upcoming documentary by Ron Howard for Disney.

The documentary, which Deadline first reported, will explore Henson’s life and career. And Howard is making it with the full support of Henson’s family. The still untitled documentary “will follow how the brilliant innovator came to shape the childhoods of generations to come.”

While the press release doesn’t indicate when the documentary will release, it promises to be the “definitive portrait” of the beloved creator. This is what we should expect from the documentary:

[The film]will present a fascinating and intimate look at Jim’s illustrious career creating treasured characters and revolutionizing television and film. With never-before-seen personal archives, the film will give audiences an exciting first-person view into the life of one of the world’s most inspiring and iconoclastic creators through exclusive home movies, photographs, sketches and Henson’s personal diaries.

Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Documentaries will produce the documentary for Disney Original Documentary. The puppeteer and filmmaker, who died in 1990 at age 53, has left a lasting legacy. And we’re so excited to see revisit his life and career in documentary form. It’s all the sweeter knowing Howard and the documentary has the Henson family’s backing.

Per Deadline, the Henson family released a statement of support for the documentary, saying:

The Jim Henson Company’s archive is a treasure reflecting our father’s work, personal life and inspirations, and has been carefully maintained for the last 30 years under the leadership of archivist Karen Falk. It will be thrilling to see the story that emerges from these materials in the hands of a truly great filmmaker like Ron Howard, who has the perfect spirit and personality to tell Jim Henson’s story.

Howard, who won the best director documentary for A Beautiful Mind, is a prolific documentary director in addition to his feature films. Most notably, he directed The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, which earned BAFTA and Primetime Emmy nominations.

We don’t yet know when and where we’ll see the film.

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Forget The Beatles, another iconic band is heading to Disney+. The streaming platform has announced an all-new series starring our favorite rock and roll muppets, The Electric Mayhem Band. The iconic muppets band is recording its very first album, just 45 years after getting together. And we’ll get to see it all come to life in The Muppets Mayhem, But as rock and roll legends, pulling together an album is no small feat. So naturally, they’ll take a young A&R exec along for the wild muppet ride.

Here’s the synopsis from Disney+:

After 45 years of rockin’ out, The Electric Mayhem goes on an epic musical journey to finally record their first studio album. With the help of a driven young music executive, Nora, the old-school Muppet band comes face to face with the current day music scene as they try to finally go platinum.

Lilly Singh is the token human in the mix, playing the A&R executive Nora. But luckily the entire Electric Mayhem crew is on board. The band consists of Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards; Animal on drums; Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass; Janice on vocals and lead guitar; Zoot on saxophone; and Lips on trumpet.

While we’re seeing no shortage of Muppets-related content over at Disney+, this new series highlights some of our favorite supporting Muppets characters.

“We are so excited to bring the story of The Electric Mayhem Band to the front and center of this new series. They’ve been entertaining audiences since The Muppet Show, which debuted 45 years ago, so it’s wonderful that these characters are finally getting to play lead rather than supporting roles,” David Lightbody, executive producer and senior vice president of Disney Live Entertainment and The Muppets Studio, said in a press release.

Adam F. Goldberg, Bill Barretta (a longtime puppeteer for the Muppets), and Jeff Yorkes developed and wrote the series. Disney+ didn’t mention a release date in its press release. But we’ll be on the lookout and blasting our favorite Electric Mayhem house tracks in the meantime.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

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It’s Groundhog Day. You know what that means. Time to find out… about more adult live comedy shows starring puppets! That’s way more exciting than talking about winter and whether it will stick around. In the below exclusive video, Phil the Groundhog tells us about upcoming return of Brian Henson and Patrick Bristow’s hilarious Puppet Up! – Uncensored. The show, which takes place on the historic The Jim Henson Company Lot, brings together puppets and chaos for a memorable experience.

Brian Henson groundhog content is the only kind of groundhog content we’re here for today.

As far as what Puppet Up! – Uncensored involves, the Henson Alternative production starring the Miskreant Puppets is really two shows in one. You have the puppets on the stage and also projected live on screens above the stage. Then you also have the talented puppeteers racing around beneath them to bring the show to life. That all means antics galore to amuse you and catch your eyes. The set includes improve, with puppets taking suggestions from the audience, but also throws back to some favorites. The show has re-creations of classic pieces originally created by Jim Henson, Jane Henson, and Frank Oz. All in all, it’s a winning combination.

And Puppet Up! – Uncensored returns in March! That’s not so far away at all.

The Jim Henson Company

Don’t wait around to buy tickets for this event because they’ll go quickly. Snag your tickets for Puppet Up! – Uncensored here. You can catch one of six shows between March 4 and March 6. If you can treat yourself, get a limited VIP ticket. That includes a tour of the Henson lot, a question and answer session with Brian Henson, a souvenir puppet, and priority seating.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Jim Henson made The Muppet Show and Sesame Street characters like Kermit the Frog and Cookie Monster household names. But, when he was still a young man, he used his puppetry skills in the world of advertising. From 1957 to 1961, Henson made nearly two hundred ads for this local coffee brand from Washington, D.C. called Wilkins. Clocking in at only ten seconds long, they featured two characters voiced by Henson: Wilkins and Wotkins.

Now, footage of these early proto-Muppets has resurfaced, thanks to the folks at Design Taxi. You can watch one of these ads showcasing these stage-one Muppets, who of course sound a whole lot like Kermit and Rowlf, right here:

In the TV spot, Wilkins represented the coffee brand. Hence the name. Meanwhile, Wotkins was the naysayer who was constantly physically assaulted for downplaying the power of a good, hot cup of Wilkins Coffee. It was all more Looney Tunes than traditional Muppets. But hey, Henson was barely twenty years old at the time. He was still figuring out his style.

So just how Wile E. Coyote does it all get? Poor Wotkins finds himself stomped on, stabbed, electrocuted, shot, and he even gets his head crushed in a car hood by Wilkins. He also gets thrown out of a plane! And all because he just doesn’t like coffee. Seems pretty harsh to us.

The Jim Henson Company

The ads were so popular, that sales for Wilkins Coffee shot up 25%. And they started selling toys for Wilkins and Wotkins, which are the first Muppet products ever produced. (Although are those guys even Muppets? This is debatable.) Regardless, because of Wilkins and Wotkins, Jim Henson’s career took off. Although he spent the next two decades creating puppets for television ads and talk show appearances, it all paid off when The Muppet Show finally premiered in 1976. The rest, as they say, is history. But it all began with TV ads where one puppet is constantly trying to kill the other one.

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Muppets have been telling us how to get to Sesame Street for decades. It’s the place where sunny days chase the clouds away, celebrities hang out, and real talk happens. But, how did Sesame Street get its name? And how did it make its way to the air anyway? If those questions were on your mind before, they certainly are now. There’s a pitch reel for the famous show that reveals how it came to be through the eyes of The Muppets. And, none other than Kermit the Frog is responsible for the show’s name! (Well, sort of. Muppets don’t run the creative process but they do get a show greenlit.)

Shockingly, Sesame Street hasn’t been around since the invention of television. In fact, it didn’t air until 1969. A year (or so) prior, The Children’s Television Workshop (now known as Sesame Workshop) was seeking funding and support to premiere a show featuring furry protagonists. A full clip of the Sesame Street sales pitch reel (that we picked up via DesignTaxi) starts out with TV writer Joan Ganz Cooney explaining the clip and saying that the show will also feature people in different learning segments.

Then, we get to see some familiar faces. Several Muppets, including Kermit and Rowlf, are in a meeting to talk about this upcoming show. Kermit isn’t too sure that he wants to join the cast, so Rowlf explains the show’s premise. The clip splices their conversations with some footage of real children learning about themselves through play and object comparison. Rowlf also continuously mentions that they have a big conundrum: what to name the show. There are some frankly terrible names, including Hey Stupid because the kids can’t read or write. (I personally laughed out loud.)

Old School

This is when Kermit has a bright idea: Sesame Street. According to the now-infamous frog, its like “open sesame,” because it “gives you an idea of a street where neat stuff happens.” It makes sense considering that Rowlf said the show is all about opening up new worlds to kids. And TV history was made in that moment. Kermit decides to join the group and, as Rowlf predicts, the children did (and continue to) absolutely love it.

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Luckily, a new documentary will dig into the origins of Sesame Street. And judging by this first trailer, it’ll be an emotional exploration of a show that defined the last 50 years of television made for children. Here’s a look at Street Gang: How We Got Sesame Street.

Marilyn Agrelo directed the documentary, with Trevor Crafts and Ellen Scherer Crafts producing. It was based on a book of the same name by Michael Davis. The film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival to much acclaim. (Here’s our review, even!) Street Gang features more than 20 interviews with creators, performers, and others who helped bring Sesame Street to life. The film also incorporates archival behind-the-scenes footage, including snippets of Jim Henson.

Screen Media Films

Street Gang also gets into the activism at the root of Sesame Street. As the show’s creator, Joan Ganz Cooney, explains, she was “intellectually and spiritually involved with the Civil Rights movement.” She brought that passion into the series. Sesame Street never shied away from political messaging, and because of this, it provoked real change. Change that it continues to enact for modern audiences.

If you’re anything like me, then Sesame Street is a foundational part of your education. Not only did help us learn to count and spell, but it showed us the meaning of equality and representation. I can’t wait to see that explored through the lens of a documentary feature. Street Gang will be available in theaters and On Demand on May 7.

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It’s not easy being green, but it helps when you have the “Rainbow Connection” on your side. That memorable opening song from 1979’s The Muppet Movie just got Kermit the Frog into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.

Kermit’s beautiful banjo ditty about rainbows is one of the 25 inductees into the 2020 National Recording Registry class. (Which we first learned at The New York Times.) Jim Henson performed the song (as Kermit), written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned an Academy Award nomination in 1980 for Best Music, Original Song. The song also sits at number 74 on AFI‘s 100 Greatest American Movie Music list. And it has endured with generations of Muppets fans ever since. It surely qualifies as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” and worthy of induction.

Kermit sat down with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to discuss the honor. “Well, gee, it’s an amazing feeling to officially become part of our nation’s history,” said Kermit, the first frog to make it in.

Other notable songs joining “Rainbow Connection” in the Registry are Janet’s Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation 1814,” Louis Armstrong’s “When the Saints Go Marching In,” Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Nas’ “Illmatic,” and Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration.”

But the 2020 class also includes other important recordings. For instance, an 1878 Thomas Edison recording on a piece of tinfoil. Those 78 seconds “may be the oldest playable recording of an American voice and the earliest known recording of a musical performance.”

President Franklin Roosevelt’s lighting of the White House Community Christmas Tree with Winston Churchill, just weeks after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, also made it in. As did broadcaster Phil Rizzuto’s 1961 “Holy cow!” call of Roger Maris record-breaking 61 home run.

You can listen to all 25 inductees at your preferred streaming service. Just follow this link to find an official playlist.

Disney

This year’s group is especially good for the lovers, the dreamers, and everyone who enjoys Kermit the Frog.

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As reported by HuffPost, the three-minute segment shows Wes, a kindergarten-aged kid, walking with his dad, Elijah. They are taking an afternoon stroll on a lovely fall day when Elmo comes along to ask an innocent question. He wants to know why Wes and Elijah are brown and why they are two different shades of brown.

Elijah explains that they are brown because of melanin; he says that he has more melanin so he is a darker brown. He tells Elmo that skin color and hair texture are important. They begin to think about their hair and eyes and acknowledge that those things form our race. But, Elijah also says that even though they all look different, everyone is still human.

Elijah uses the leaves on the ground as a beautiful metaphor; he tells the children that “When people of all colors come together, we stand strong, like this tree.”

“Explaining Race,” which debuted on March 23, is a part of Sesame Street’s larger “The ABCs of Racial Literacy,” a digital content series to highlight and address racial injustice.

There’s a lot to love in “Explaining Race,” from seeing our beloved friend Elmo to Wes and Elijah’s haircuts and hoodies. It’s also important to note how Elijah doesn’t brush off their differences; instead, he confirms that they play a big role in how the world sees us. As always, Sesame Street breaks things down in a way that kids can understand and appreciate.

Sesame Street in Communities/YouTube

And, this will not be the only time we will see Wes and Elijah. The series will continue to follow them as Wes learns more about the world, including things that may make him angry or sad. It will be a journey to follow because Black kids are often hit with negative social messages and bias early on. No matter what, Wes will have his dad Elijah, friend Elmo, and perhaps some others to help him understand life.

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I was mad then. I am mad now. And I will continue to be mad forever that Netflix cancelled The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The prequel series to Jim Henson’s beloved 1982 film was one of the streaming site’s best shows. It improved upon the original movie and expanded the world of Thra in ways that offered many seasons worth of storytelling. The show combined compelling characters and plots with stunning visuals and world-class puppetry. It had everything, and now it’s gone. At least it’s gone from Netflix. Because Gelflings, Skeksis, and Podlings are returning in The Dark Crystal: Odyssey. Only, it’s not a movie or a TV show—it’s a ballet.

No, seriously. There’s going to be a Dark Crystal ballet.

Netflix

London’s Royal Opera House 2021-2022 season will include The Dark Crystal: Odyssey ballet. (Which we first learned about at io9.) That might sound made-up, but it’s very real. From the Royal Opera House’s announcement:

“The Royal Ballet presents Company Wayne McGregor in The Dark Crystal: Odyssey, a work for family audiences choreographed and directed by Wayne McGregor. Based on Jim Henson’s iconic 1982 film, this magical coming-of-age story brings together a team of world-class collaborators including artists Brian and Wendy Froud, composer Joel Cadbury, digital designers kontrastmoment, lighting designer Lucy Carter, dramaturg Uzma Hameed, costume designer Philip Delamore and face-and-body-artist Alex Box, with puppets and props from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.”

It’s unclear if the ballet will be based on the original film, the Netflix series, or one of the franchise’s published works. Odyssey could tell also its own story set in the world of Thra with characters we already know. What we do know for certain is that the ballet will involve puppets. It will also be a show “for family audiences.” Of course, with The Dark Crystal that should still mean plenty of darkness and terror.

We can’t say we hoped to see more of The Dark Crystal thanks to a ballet. But if it helps Netflix come to its senses, or leads some other network or streaming site to bring back the show, we’ll be dancing like Podlings.

Featured Image: Netflix

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7. “Boom Shakalaka”

The soundtrack considered this a song, but what is there to even say about it? Sure, it draws from the Robert Louis Stevenson novel. But watching it in the movie now? It’s just a chant that feels like it’s about to get cut out of the Jungle Cruise ride when Disneyland reopens. 

6. “Love Led Us Here”

This feels like they realized they hadn’t given either Kermit or Miss Piggy a song and needed to rectify that. Despite that, parallels between pirates finding treasure and a fairly sincere love ballad (or as sincere as a love ballad between Kermit and Piggy can be), make this land fairly well. Still, I just watched this movie last summer and forgot this song was in it until now, so…

5. “Cabin Fever”

Maybe a little too close to home these days. The crew of the Hispaniola find themselves stuck on a Zoom ca—er, in a calm in the ocean. This song… it’s a lot. It’s one of the songs I best remember being in the movie, but also one that I almost always forget anything about except that it existed. That largely has to do with the fact that it has no real consistency to it; it changes almost every other stanza to reflect each sailor’s delirium. 

4. “Something Better”

One of the most cut-and-dry “I Want” songs in the entire Muppet discography. That’s exactly why it ranks so low for me. Even with Rizzo and Gonzo doing their best to inject the Mupper humor, the number feels like it could have been lifted from a standard Disney film. It’s not a bad song per se; it’s just an aggressively adequate song from a company that I hold to a higher standard. It also seemingly lives in that space just before movie musicals started taking their vocals way more seriously. And it shows. 

3. “Sailing for Adventure”

Okay, here we go! The third song in the movie, “Sailing,” is the first to feel like a true Muppet song. This song is doing a LOT of heavy lifting. It layers in the elements of Jim’s adventures, the scheming plans of the pirates, and even the running gag of Rizzo’s secret cruise business for the rats. On top of all that, it’s also the act break. Despite how easy a song could collapse under its own weight, it manages to get the movie out to sea and inject that mutual spirit of adventure into all of the characters. 

2. “Shiver My Timbers”

To quote Rizzo the Rat when Billy Bones dies, “This is supposed to be a kids’ movie!” A necessity of the source material to be sure, but opening your Muppet film with a song about greedy pirate murder is a big swing. But they pull it off. The song nails the creepy vibe of the moment, while still injecting the levity of the various puppets creatively laid out across the island in the form of things like animals and idols. 

1. “A Professional Pirate”

Two of the best types of movie songs: villain songs and Tim Curry songs. And this one joins the ranks of songs that get to be both. And hey, even fishnets are involved, sorta! It’s honestly ridiculous that it takes this far into the film for Curry to lead a song. The film is even aware of that fact and has Curry sing about it. And yet it’s such a fun song that we forgive the whole movie for this sin!

“A Professional Pirate” captures the exact joyful love of pirate stories that are instilled by a book like Treasure Island, or the Pirates of the Caribbean rides at Disney and the subsequent film adaptations. It says a lot about this song that it ranks where it does on this list despite including the painfully ham-fisted On the Waterfront reference line. (That is my absolute least favorite joke in this or any other Muppet media, perhaps ever.)

The Jim Henson Company

There is a lot to love in Muppet Treasure Island, and many claim it as their favorite Muppet film. However, this revisiting of the songs does reveal perhaps why this adaptation of classic literature format didn’t become a new ongoing standard for the Muppet movies. While Muppet Christmas Carol stands out as one of the definitive adaptations of the Dickens classic, Muppet Treasure Island frequently struggles to blend the tone of the ensemble with Stevenson’s pirate tale.

It is telling that it’s easier to remember and love a song that wasn’t even in Carol‘s theatrical release than ones that did end up in Island. Those looking for this type of work from the Muppets may be better off revisiting The Muppet Show on Disney+.

Muppet Treasure Island is currently available for streaming on Disney+ in the US.

The post Ranking the Songs in MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND appeared first on Nerdist.

and Nostalgia really is king nowadays. But for all the calls that specific franchises have “ruined their childhood,” some shows and movies remain unsullied even after all these years. One of those, for many people, is Sesame Street, the groundbreaking public television program for kids which mixed the mad irreverence of Jim Henson’s Muppets with the desire to teach children, specifically inner city children of color. And the result was nothing short of a phenomenon. Because of this continued love, the new documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, feels like seeing old friends anew.

Director Marilyn Agrelo took Michael Davis’ nonfiction book of the same name, with its hundreds of pages of history, and tried to pare it down to a single feature. As a result, it flies through a lot of information. At the center, Agrelo attempted to focus on three people: the show’s creator, Joan Ganz Cooney; the original series director Jon Stone; and the mastermind creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson. It was really down to the creativity and the determination of these three that we the show became what it was.

Macrocosm Entertainment

We learn about the early roots of the series, the creation of the Children’s Television Workshop, and the specific intention to appeal to children of the inner city. That’s the reason the show takes place on a street to begin with; they wanted to reflect the real world outside the windows of kids in New York apartment buildings. Cooney’s initial idea, a real genius idea, was to use the concepts of commercials to “sell” the idea of learning to kids. And that’s where Henson’s Muppet’s came in. The Muppet crew made high concept local commercials; it was Sesame Street that made them household names.

Additionally, we meet some of the other pivotal players and stories from over the years. The film discusses Matt Robinson, the original actor to play Gordon, who left because he wanted to further the depiction of realistic Black characters but Black parents complained. It delves into the music of the great songwriter Joe Raposo who composed such hits as “Bein’ Green” and “Rubber Duckie”. We also hear about the decision to work in the death of actor Will Lee (Mr. Hooper) into the narrative of the series.

While nothing here is very deep, it all adds up to a lovely reflection on the early years of Sesame Street which I found absolutely charming. It elicited the same warm feelings in me as the Fred Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? did. That movie, obviously, had a single person to frame the documentary’s narrative around, and I think that focus ultimately makes it a more impactful piece. There are simply too many stories and people to explore in the Sesame Street sphere for it to be too specific about any one person.

If anyone comes out as the true protagonist of Street Gang, I actually think it’s Jon Stone, the original director of the series from 1969 to 1994. His vision really shaped the series’ aesthetic and pacing. We see behind-the-scenes footage and bloopers of him as both nurturing father figure and exacting taskmaster. When Frank Oz and Jim Henson would goof around too much, they’d have the Muppets say “Sorry Jon!” And the fact that more people choose to focus on Henson or Cooney as the creative drivers of the series was not lost on Stone, who always strove for recognition despite his 18 Emmy wins.

I really liked Street Gang. It’s not the best documentary ever made, but it is a very solid, wide-reaching look at one of the most important children’s programs ever made. It delighted me and really captured the Sesame Street vibe that was so important to so many kids for the past 51 seasons.

4 out of 5

For more of our reviews from Sundance 2021, CLICK HERE.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

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It’s time to play the music and light the lights! Disney recently announced that The Muppet Show is finally coming to Disney+ on February 19, 2021. The hilarious variety show originally aired from 1976 to 1981; a wide range of guest stars took a turn in the spotlight alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the gang, fearlessly jumping into comedy, song, and dance. We couldn’t be happier to see the return of this silly and weird wonder.

If you weren’t an ’80s kid, five seasons and over 100 episodes might sound daunting. (Not to mention a long list of unfamiliar guest stars!) We’re here for you. Here are 10 fantastic episodes of the show that you shouldn’t miss when you fire up Disney+ in February.

“Vincent Price” (Season one)

Disney

One of the earliest episodes of the series features Vincent Price, master of horror. As Price was famous for portraying vampires and other creatures of the night, The Muppet Show leans into the spookiness in these sketches. Uncle Deadly and Price make a perfect pair. You’ll also see a quick exchange between Kermit the Frog and Price that you might have seen floating around the internet during Halloween. Price even bursts into song himself at the end of the episode. If you love Muppets at their weirdest, this episode is a must-see.

“Julie Andrews” (Season two)

Disney

Is this episode only on this list because of the Muppet version of “The Lonely Goatherd”? …Maybe. (There’s also a live cow.)

Andrews joyfully belts out the Sound of Music classic along with another Broadway mainstay, “I Whistle a Happy Tune” from The King and I. You’ll also find the Swedish Chef, Beaker and Professor Honeydew, and a Muppet News Flash in this jam-packed episode. Granted, Gonzo plays the bagpipes while sitting on a flagpole. Sorry about that one.

“George Burns” (Season two)

Disney

The cigar-chomping comedian George Burns was a familiar face on televisions in the 1970s. In 1977, Burns appeared as a guest on The Muppet Show, singing and cracking jokes with his irresistible old-school charm. This episode is worth watching just to get to know the comedy legend as he and Rowlf join in a quick duet. You’ll also get a rare song and dance featuring just Kermit and Piggy; “I Won’t Dance” is a delight.

“Harry Belafonte” (Season three)

Disney

A strong argument could be made that this episode is the series’ single best. We’ve told you before about how much we love “Turn the World Around” from Harry Belafonte and the cast; but this season three episode also marks the very first time the classic “Day-O” was performed on television. We guarantee you will laugh during this rendition of the banana boat song. Belafonte’s voice is dazzling and Fozzie Bear is at his very funniest during the performance. (Not even Belafonte can resist a giggle.)

“John Denver” (Season four)

Disney

If John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Together is in your holiday music rotation every year, just stop reading here and queue this one up. That same joyful energy can be found in this episode when John Denver stops by to sing about gardening and grandmas. Yes, it’s as pure as it sounds. There’s also a camping trip in the works; plus, the Swedish Chef, and a version of “The Happy Wanderer” that will make you cackle. This one is one of the best.

“Star Wars” (Season four)

Disney

You already know Jim Henson and Star Wars were well-acquainted. But did you know several of your favorite rebels stopped by The Muppet Show? This episode originally aired in January 1980. That’s right, before The Empire Strikes Back came out! Lucky viewers got a sneak peek of Luke Skywalker’s never-before-seen Bespin outfit. They also met his “cousin,” Mark Hamill. C-3PO, R2-D2, and Chewbacca come along for the fun (and dance!) on this odd comedy variety show planet they’ve landed on.

“Christopher Reeve” (Season four)

Disney

Talk about a super special guest star! Christopher Reeve, best known for playing Superman, stops by The Muppet Show in the fourth season. Quoting Shakespeare? Check. Singing? Check. Playing the piano? Check. Donning a certain blue and red suit? Well… “I didn’t bring it,” Reeve says with a smile when Miss Piggy looks in the closet. Reeve just about does it all in this endearing episode. Miss Piggy can’t help swooning over the super man. We can’t either.

“Lynda Carter” (Season four)

Disney

You might think The Muppet Show couldn’t get any more wonderful after having Christopher Reeve on, but the very next episode featured none other than Lynda Carter. Carter is best known for her turn as Wonder Woman on the popular television series. Like Reeve, she doesn’t put on her alter ego’s spangly suit, but Miss Piggy is more than happy to try it on. Carter also sweetly sings and dances her way through the upbeat episode.

“Diana Ross” (Season four)

Disney

When Diana Ross stops by The Muppet Show, you know the episode is going to be packed with terrific musical numbers. The performances are weird and wonderful as always, but Ross elevates them to pure magic. She joins some of the largest Muppets out there for “Love Hangover.” “Last Time I Saw Him” with Doctor Teeth and Electric Mayhem is a toe-tapping treat. Don’t miss this one.

“Linda Ronstadt” (Season five)

Disney

Speaking of magical musical guests, Linda Ronstadt is one of the most talented. Her version of “Blue Bayou,” complete with chirping frogs and The Electric Mayhem, sticks with you long after you hear it. The accomplished singer was known for not being tied down to any one genre. She demonstrates that versatility on the show. Kermit admires her, and the feeling is mutual, making this one of the sweetest episodes of The Muppet Show. (Which means Piggy is off-the-charts jealous.)

Those are just ten episodes to start with! Enjoy your journey through the zany world of The Muppets. We can’t wait to visit them time and time again now that they’re on Disney+.

Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Her first book, Marvel Monsters, comes out in July 2021 from DK Books.

The post 10 Must-See Episodes of THE MUPPET SHOW appeared first on Nerdist.

Fans of Kermit, Gonzo, and the rest of the gang have been waiting to hear this news since before Disney+ even launched. “It’s time.” The Muppet Show, the beloved variety series that first gave Jim Henson’s characters a chance to shine, is finally coming to the streaming service.

Disney has announced what fans have been waiting for. All five seasons of the iconic The Muppet Show will be available exclusively on their streaming service starting Friday, February 19. It marks the first time that seasons four and five will be released on home entertainment. This will offer fans a chance to watch all 120 episodes of the series. It originally aired from 1976 to 1981.

In a press release, Kermit himself welcomed viewers, both old and new, to watch the show.

“It’s going to be great to welcome back longtime fans, and to give a new generation of fans a chance to see how we got our start, how Miss Piggy became a star and so much more. Today, I’m proud to say: ‘It’s time to play the music, light the lights and meet the Muppets on Disney Plus tonight!’ And as for Statler and Waldorf, the two old guys in the balcony, I can only add: ‘Sorry, guys, but….here we go again.”

The series was The Muppets own take on a classic variety show. It combined original songs, sketch comedy, and guest stars. That included appearances from some pretty big names. Steve Martin, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Gene Kelly, and Mark Hamill all joined The Muppets for some fun.

Disney

The series is also responsible for creating generations of fans. The Muppets existed prior to the show. But it was their chance to stand out on their own. And when they got that opportunity they did more than shine. It’s why the series is the one that all other Muppets shows are still compared to.

Now it is finally coming to Disney+ for a whole new audience. So it will continue to be the standard for what a Muppets show can be for a long time.

This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

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For those of us who grew up in the ‘80s, Fraggle Rock was our Pixar. It was the cute, adorable means by which we learned about things like found family, the freedom to feel our emotions, and accepting the reality of our own mortality. While the iconic theme song may have encouraged us to dance our cares away, the actual stories taught us how to approach very real issues in our lives.

With that in mind, we set about the laborious task of combing through every single song from the original Fraggle Rock series in order to make our ranking of the best of them. At 204 songs, this was no small task. We have compiled them down to our top five, as follows.

The Jim Henson Company

5. “Children of Tomorrow”

This one is one of the hokier songs in the entire repertoire, it’s true. It’s essentially a “We Are the World”- or “Voices That Care”-style piece, bringing together Fraggles, Doozers, and Gorgs alike. The show often depicted the three groups as not understanding and sometimes fearing each other’s cultures and social norms. It was rare to get a plot or song that connected all three so perfectly like this.

4. “Festival of the Bells”

While a lot of songs that made this top five are here for thematic or emotionally resonant reasons, sometimes there has to be room for just a straight banger. So among the sea of Fraggle songs that just actually do want to make you move a little and perhaps, leave worries for another day, you can’t go wrong with this high tempo pseudo-holiday jam.

3. “Goodbye, Goodbye (Just a Rainbow in the Sky)”

And now we get to some of the heartbreak. No one does sad songs in puppet stories like the Jim Henson Company (see “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday,” or “When Love Is Gone”). Saying goodbye to the home you’ve known is a fairly universal experience; maybe you’re a kid whose family moves somewhere far away, or an adult who has had to pack up your childhood home. The Fraggles took on this topic long before Sia even began to pen “Breathe Me.” Gobo Fraggle lies, of course—every eye is not dry.

2. “The Preachification of Convincing John”

Muppet-related properties have a knack for filtering real-world concepts through the absurdity of the felt characters. Fraggle Rock aired in an era when revival evangelicalism was defined by the lies of Jim and Tammy Faye Baker. “The Preachification of Convincing John” manages to be both homage and satirization in a way that feels as timely today.

1. “Let Me Be Your Song”

Let’s set aside the poignancy of this song being performed by Jim Henson and the man who would serve as the steward for Kermit after his passing, Steve Whitmire. “Let Me Be Your Song” is Henson music doing what it does best. This haunting melody carries with it the notes of art as a living, breathing thing. It also touches on the power inspiring others. It’s an extremely mellow track, but it conveys the heart and soul of Fraggle Rock in an episode all about the melodies that belong to each of us.

Honorable Mention: “The Fraggle Rock Theme”

One cannot simply walk into Fraggle Rock and talk about music without giving a respectful nod to a veritable member of the TV theme song pantheon. The second those first funky beats pop into our heads we can visualize the entryway into Doc’s workshop window. We can imagine Gobo bopping down the Fraggle hole to meet his friends. Frankly, any song that can get a sincere, instinctive clap out of us this many years later deserves our undying respect.

The post The 5 Best Songs from FRAGGLE ROCK appeared first on Nerdist.

Muppet Christmas Carol-ers may know the story of “When Love Has Gone.” For those who do not, the song was originally written and shot for usage in the 1992 film as a sort of anti-love ballad; it reflected a moment in Ebenezer Scrooge’s life when he let the great romance of his youth fade. Anyone who has seen the end of a once fulfilling relationship can empathize with this heartbreaking number. 

Disney

However, Jeffrey Katzenberg (then chairman of Disney) felt “When Love Has Gone” was too “sophisticated emotionally” for children to relate to it. Brian Henson, son of Jim and director of the film, said in an interview with the BBC that he felt pressured to go along with the cut: “So I reluctantly agreed [to remove it] because he said: ‘If you say you’re not going to do it, you don’t have to do it’, and I was like: ‘Well now, darn it, I guess I will because you want me to.'”

“When Love Has Gone” did initially appear on the VHS release of the film. After its removal from the theatrical cut, however, the master and negatives for it were misplaced, and they were unable to include it in any future releases. But it appears the song has been found again and will be restored to its rightful place in the movie for the 4K release. According to Henson, it will eventually return to the Disney+ version of the film, though possibly not in time for Christmas this year. 

Henson’s team revealed the discovered footage to him in the most adorable way; they called him into the offices simply to review the 4K print before surprising him with the found footage.

“I was so excited. They actually hid it… so I went down and they said: ‘But before we show it to you, we’ve got something else we want to show you’. And they put up reel four of Christmas Carol with ‘When Love Is Gone,'” Henson told the BBC, “I was like, ‘No, you did not!’ and they said, ‘Yes we did! We found it!’ I was so happy, I was so happy.”

Fans who grew up with the theatrical cut from the film may indeed be surprised by just how sad and moving the number is. Ultimately, this is the kind of thing the Muppet works can do at their best. The world of Henson’s creations doesn’t believe that material can be too sophisticated for children; rather, they create works that any age can feel and appreciate. The Muppets have always added a little bit of gloom in extremely effective ways. Take songs like “I’m Going to Go Back There Someday” and some of the quieter numbers from the Muppet Show. These have stayed with us over the years, even having first experienced them as children.

The post Lost MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL Song Returns to Film appeared first on Nerdist.

As an avid lover of all things Jim Henson, and as someone who can be easily taken in by the corny cheer of a season, I live in the perfect center of the Venn diagram of folks for whom Emmet Otter is for. It was cute for me as a kid, charming for me as I got older. As versions of it came and went from print, it took on a mythical quality—a chase. Many a season I’d spend trying to find that YouTube video someone posted of it last year. Or I’d look for an elusive DVD copy on eBay, or hope someone was showing it on TV. Was it the Kermit version, or the one where he was edited out for copyright reasons?

I own it digitally now, and currently, it’s available on Prime. But last year, as I booted up my copy of it and pressed play, something new happened with me. Something had changed about my favorite Christmas special. I came to a sudden and somewhat horrific conclusion. 

Emmet Otter would always hurt a little now. 

The Jim Henson Company

The thing is, last November my father passed away. Losing a loved one is an experience I’ve been through far too often in recent years. But losing someone as important to me as my dad just before the winter holiday season was especially cruel. Just as the malaise of the funeral process and a numb Thanksgiving began to recede, every Christmas carol, every movie about the importance of being home for the holidays, even commercials of families in matching pajamas—a tradition we never, ever partook in—was gutting. If you’ve never had the experience of sobbing openly in the middle of the World of Color holiday water light show at Disneyland’s California Adventure, I can tell you that I do not recommend it. 

Those of you who know the story of Emmet Otter probably can see where this is heading. For the rest, let me just mildly spoil it for you here. Emmet (Jerry Nelson) and his mother Alice (Marilyn Sokol) are the two main characters. Both attempt to make a Christmas that is joyful for each other in a Gift of the Magi-style situation involving the prize in a local talent contest. And the reason they need to do that is that this is their first Christmas following the death of Emmet’s father. 

Right now you’re probably thinking, Riley, why would you possibly choose to sit down and watch a special that is literally specifically about the exact thing that has been a constant sort of pain for you? And the honest answer looking back is that I simply hadn’t thought about the plot. I was on semi-autopilot mode and Emmet and his Ma have been sources of comfort for me throughout the years. It was something I just gravitated to. It wasn’t until I was too far in that I realized it would never feel the same for me again. 

The Jim Henson Company

Yet here I am a year later, in full awareness of what this special did for me last year, and reaching for it now all the same. Despite the number of times I’ve seen this thing in my life, I wasn’t prepared for the way it has come to mean something fully different for me now. Look, I still love the Muppets, the cute story, and the rock-and-roll showmanship of the Riverbottom Nightmare Band. But this thing that was once just a silly little throwback has found its way into a new space in my heart. 

It’s very strange to see myself and my own mother in these two almost expressionless otter puppets. And yet here they are both just trying to move forward as much as they can. But the presence of Pa looms large over them. The stakes of this little small town talent contest mean everything to them. Because they’d both give everything to just make the season a little bit happier for the other. 

I will never view Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas the same way I did prior to a year ago. But I’ll still reach for it as much as I always have. Sometimes growing up with something means exactly that. It was there when I needed it back then. And it’s here for me now.

Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas is currently available on Amazon Prime for streaming in the United States.

Riley Silverman is a Nerdist contributing writer. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram. Her comedy album Intimate Apparel is available digitally online.

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This is not the news we want to share on a Monday. Or ever. But Netflix has canceled The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. io9 broke the news early Monday afternoon confirming that the gorgeously written and puppeteered series will not return for further seasons. The show debuted on Netflix in August 2019 and expanded the world of Thra that The Dark Crystal film introduced in 1982. Age of Resistance is moving, epic, and full of beautifully impactful themes. Many fans—myself included—assumed a second season was a no-brainer. Especially as the show just won an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program. But alas, the tales of Rian, Deet, Hup, and so many more are finished—on Netflix, at least.

Neflix

The documentary that accompanied the first season of Age of Resistance, The Crystal Calls, emphasized a point you probably thought of while watching the TV series: it’s not a cheap show to make. Elaborating on Jim Henson‘s creation involved a lot of intricate sets and puppets. However, they already spent that money in season one. I hoped that since the initial big outlay of funds already happened that they’d have room to keep growing. And it’s all especially a downer because of season one’s bleak ending. I need to know what happens to Deet!

Luckily Lisa Henson said they’re still exploring their options. After confirming the series’ cancelation, she told io9, “We know fans are eager to learn how this chapter of The Dark Crystal saga concludes and we’ll look for ways to tell that story in the future. Our company has a legacy of creating rich and complex worlds that require technical innovation, artistic excellence, and masterful storytelling. Our history also includes productions that are enduring, often finding and growing their audience over time and proving again and again that fantasy and science fiction genres reflect eternal messages and truths that are always relevant.”

Netflix

Perhaps another streaming service will recognize the potential of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. I have never been more ready to start a fan petition. We need this hopeful, magical story more than ever.

Featured Image: Netflix

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of The Jedi Mind, available for pre-order now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Arista Records

The show’s earworm of a theme song begins with the line “It’s time to play the music.” And for good reason. The irreverent comedy and lovable characters contribute to the charm and longevity of the Muppets. However, there’s something truly electric about the show’s musical numbers. And since we here at Nerdist love us some Muppet songs, we thought it might be time to praise the music. Here are our choices for the best musical numbers in the show:

5. The Muppet Country Trio – “To Morrow”

This Kingston Trio homage is one of the show’s more simply staged musical numbers. The twangy little music group has a special power over us though. That’s because the three band member puppets look like their puppeteers, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson. While all their personalities, as well as their collaborators’, was all over the show, the trio serves up an extremely clever bit of reverse fourth-wall-breaking.

4. “Time In a Bottle”

As zany as the show could get, sometimes the things that stick with us the most are the extremely poignant numbers. Especially ones like this cover of Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle.” It depicts an aged scientist’s futile attempts to reclaim his youth. The song is a deep and moving look at accepting our own mortality, made all the more bittersweet given the tragic early deaths of both Jim Henson and Croce. 

3. “Mahna Mahna”

Do doo de-do-do.

2. “In The Navy”

The Village People expertly served up gay anthems as disco hits for the masses. That made seeing even the most conservative of grandmas thrusting their hands into the air in the shape of the YMCA on the dance floor at your cousin’s very straight wedding a common sight. Henson and company were no doubt extremely aware of the subversive nature of the group’s music. They served it up even further by taking “In The Navy” and making it work perfectly for their all-ages variety show.

1. Harry Belafonte – “Earth Song”

Jim Henson loved the power of puppetry far beyond the realm of the Muppets. Some of the best moments on The Muppet Show were when they would expand into puppets that weren’t their primary design style—like this number with Belafonte. It’s hard to find the long version of this song online these days, which is sad because the entire sequence is beautiful. Belafonte gently reassures Fozzie while he struggles with his creativity by telling him a story from African Folklore that inspired him. That leads into a performance with puppets that breaks out of the typical Muppet mold. It allowed Belafonte to share a cultural element that often wasn’t seen on television at the time. Or still today. The song was such a favorite of Henson’s that Belafonte sang it at his memorial service. 

Honorable Mention – “Just One Person”

This performance technically didn’t happen on The Muppet Show (although Bernadette Peters and the rest of the company performed another version of the song). This came from the ending of the tribute special released to honor the passing of Jim Henson. The special gave young fans a way to say goodbye to him and understand his loss. As a child at the time that it happened, it remains a defining memory for me. This song will never not make me cry as I remember sitting in front of my family’s TV hearing the Muppets sing it, as well as the performance at his televised memorial service.

As an adult, knowing that real people coping with the loss of someone who they truly loved is underneath the stage using the world Henson created to help others say goodbye makes it all the more powerful. 

Reactions to Muppets music can be personal. So we know that this list might not match up perfectly with your own. What are your picks?

Featured Image: Arista Records

Riley Silverman is a Nerdist contributing writer. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram. Her comedy album ‘Intimate Apparel’ is available digitally online.

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Artist Iris Compiet found inspiration in Brian Froud’s work when she was a child. Fast forward to the present and she’s the artist for Insight Editions’ upcoming The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra. The book features a foreword by Brian Froud. “Every single fantasy or faerie artist probably has the same story when talking about Brian Froud because we all discovered him through either Labyrinth or The Dark Crystal. In my case it was definitely the Faeries book he did together with Alan Lee. I think I picked that up when I was seven years old,” Compiet tells Nerdist.

Insight Editions

Faeries opened a whole new world for Iris. Flipping through the book’s lovingly illustrated pages she realized that doing art as a career was actually possible. Because she set out to become an artist and has succeeded, she now jokes to Brian and Alan that it’s their fault she doesn’t have a steady paying job. Though she initially had some resistance to creating faerie art because of how the professional art world in the Netherlands (and in many locations, to be honest) looked down their nose at it and expected all faerie drawings to be like Tinker Bell. Not the weirdly wonderful faeries Iris had seen in Brian and Alan’s collection. But then faeries found her. She created a whole world called Faeries of the Faultlines.

That led her to connecting to the Frouds. Wendy Froud visited an art show in the United States where Iris was participating—so was Wendy’s husband, Brian Froud. Wendy bought some of Iris’ work, and later Iris emailed Wendy to ask if Brian would write the foreword for Faeries of the Faultlines. He loved Iris’ art and their friendship started then. When The Dark Crystal Bestiary came about, Brian, the conceptual designer for Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s The Dark Crystal, couldn’t do it… but he recommended Iris. She came full circle. And she stepped into some big shoes.

Iris Compiet

“There’s a legacy with The Dark Crystal,” Iris says. “So many of us grew up with this, so many have good memories of this. That was definitely a scary thing to be handed because I want to honor what’s already there and then try and give my twist on it. I do want to put myself in there as well, because that’s the only way I can create and only way I can create something that I feel has soul and is right.”

The Dark Crystal Bestiary explores Thra’s many fantastical denizens from the film, the Age of Resistance TV series, and the books and comics. Readers will see friends they know such as Aughra and also some illustrations of characters they haven’t seen yet. As Iris sketched and painted, she recalls it took her a while to get away from the notion that the illustrations had to look like Brian’s work. She’s not Brian. They both draw faeries, but the comparisons end there. She found a mental switch that worked, “Just let that be and just do whatever you can to honor what has been before. Add to it and to explore that world of Froud and be an explorer and document what you see,” Iris says.

Iris Compiet

Along the way, she visited Brian and Wendy to share her work on the bestiary so far and got a stamp of approval. That encouraged her to continue on her path. And she wasn’t bringing Thra’s creatures to life in a vacuum. Iris’ illustrations accompany text by Adam Cesare. Adam wrote the descriptions of the creatures using what’s known about them. He and Iris checked in with each other regularly, and also with The Jim Henson Company to make sure they were on the right track.

Iris Compiet

For all of the illustrations, Iris researched however she could, including watching The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance multiple times and pausing at just the right moment for reference on not only how a creature looks but also how it moves and interacts with the world. Then there were characters like Aughra, who felt like a friend. Iris says, “She felt very familiar and I felt very comfortable painting Aughra. I watched everything, but especially to see how she moves. I want to have a sense of movement in my pieces because that’s life,and I want that life in those pieces. So I hope I succeeded in that to just have those moments of how she moves her body and how she just looks at you with that one eye.”

Iris Compiet

Capturing a character or creature just so is why Iris does so many sketches, some of them featured in this article. She estimates that she scanned over 1,000 images and 200 of those made it into The Dark Crystal Bestiary. It’s all about taking the time to discover whatever she can about a creature. Take the tortle (above). Look at the detailing on his feet and the way his mouth is open in one of the sketches. The tortle’s skin presented a certain challenge as well. Iris explains, “These tortles have skin that’s stone and stuff like that. So I do research for that.”

Iris Compiet

And then take the gangly Raunip. “I can tell his body, with the really long limbs will move in a different way,” Iris says. “His middle finger is just a little longer than the others. This all different than our bodies. So I do the stick figures just to get a feel for that character. He’s described as being mischievous. He’s just a bit of a trickster and I’m trying to find poses that convey that idea of him being that kind of a creature.”

With a being like Lore, the TV series blessed Iris with a lot of information. His body is comprised of stacks of rocks, which made for some interesting movement. Iris points out the design was already there for Lore, but beyond looking at Lore’s scenes in Age of Resistance, she got to peek behind the curtain. She recalls, “I’ve been very, very lucky to see all of Brian’s original artwork for Age of Resistance. So he just gave me some of his stacks of paper or paintings and he was like, ‘Here look.’ It was so unreal to go through all of these designs and see how Lore evolved. I would’ve loved being on board for that. Even if it was just a fly on the wall. But yeah, I had it easy. It was already done.”

Iris Compiet

The natural world inspires Iris. She’ll reference herself for certain poses or moods as well, but she definitely turns to existing animals. She looks at the world around her and considers how that could translate to a fictional creature. The connection to something in the actual world makes a creature from Thra or any other fantasy universe more believable. It creates roots in something known, and that makes it easier for our brains to take a leap. And that’s at the core of it for Iris—illustrating a vivid world. She says, “It’s all about bringing to life, a world that we feel is alive.”

The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra arrives on October 13. You can place a pre-order now.

Featured Image: Iris Compiet

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of The Jedi Mind, available for pre-order now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Do you remember Jim Henson’s The Storyteller? The short-lived series is one of Henson’s best creations. It retold European folk tales in a live-action format with a combination of actors and puppets. The show is narrated by the titular storyteller, played by John Hurt. He sat before a fire and told these folkloric stories to his talking dog. The Storyteller originally aired in 1987. Later, The Jim Henson Hour featured some reruns from the series.

Maybe you didn’t see the show. Or maybe you’re a big fan waiting to see more of the beloved series (outside of Archaia’s Storyteller comics). Regardless of where you stand, you’re in luck, because a new version of The Storyteller is in the works. This time as an augmented reality (AR) experience. This innovative and groundbreaking continuation will come in the form of a trackable storybook. And instead of John Hurt, acclaimed author Neil Gaiman will narrate. (This follows previous reports that Gaiman was involved in a Storyteller reboot of sorts.)

The Jim Henson Company

Details are still scarce, but we do know that a demo of The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens will occur at the Siggraph virtual conference starting August 17, with a live Q&A the week of August 24 to discuss the project’s tracking module.

Here’s more about The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens from a press release about the project:

The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens is an extension of The Jim Henson Company’s popular franchise, that re-envisions folk stories, legends, and fables from around the world. In The Seven Ravens, a young girl sets out on an adventure to save her seven brothers from a curse that turned them into ravens. The AR book experience will allow people to interact with, explore, and re-explore the detailed and robust world of The Storyteller through the lens of The Seven Ravens tale.

Sounds pretty cool if you ask us! The Jim Henson Company and Felix & Paul Studios are producing The Storyteller: The Seven Ravens with the support from the Canadian Media Fund, Magic Leap Independent Creators Program, Epic MegaGrants, and SODEC Quebec.

We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

Featured Image: The Jim Henson Company

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These are weird times. And weird times call for weird media. Cue the latest in WTF television: Earth to Ned, a new talk show series from Disney+. What makes this so strange? It’s hosted by a Jim Henson puppet alien. And don’t worry, we have a trailer to really drill in the surrealism of this thing.

You know what? Sure. This actually looks kind of cute. Aliens interviewing Billy Dee Williams? Seems perfectly 2020 to us.

Earth to Ned comes from The Jim Henson Company and stars host Ned and his lieutenant Cornelius. The two aliens call off the invasion of Earth when they fall in love with our culture. And what better way to celebrate Earth’s culture than with its greatest commodity: celebrities!

Disney+

Here’s more about Earth to Ned from the Disney+ press release:

Broadcasting from the bridge of their spaceship, hidden deep underground, Ned and Cornelius interview Earth’s greatest resource, celebrities. With the help of the ship’s artificial intelligence, BETI, and the destructive CLODs (Cloned Living Organisms of Destruction), Ned must keep his show a secret from his home planet or suffer the wrath of his father, the Admiral of the Galactic Fleet. 

Each episode focuses on a topic or theme that is both equally unique to earthlings and fascinating to Ned, including comedy, sports, social media, and fashion. Ned beams in celebrity guests from across the known universe to put on the ultimate chat show, and the more he learns about our human culture, the more obsessed he becomes.

Guests include stars from Disney properties like the aforementioned Billy Dee Williams, Gina Carano from The Mandalorian, and Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Non-Disney stars like Rachel Bloom, Eli Roth, Joel McHale, Andy Richter, NeNe Leakes, RuPaul, and others will also appear.

The first 10 episodes of Earth to Ned will hit Disney+ on September 4.

Featured Image: Disney+

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Talk about a nostalgia bomb! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tami Stronach—who you probably know best as the Childlike Empress “Moon Child” from The NeverEndingStory—will star in a new fantasy film. Even better? The film will feature puppets created by The Jim Henson Creature Shop. It’s like we were just transported back into the ‘80s!

It gets even more nostalgic. The film, titled Man & Witch, will also star The Goonies’ Sean Astin, Cheers’ Rhea Perlman, and Back to the Future’s Christopher Lloyd. It’s described as an “homage to lo-fi fantasy films of the 1980s.” Um, yes please.

Warner Bros. Pictures

The producers of Man & Witch also added that the film is a “comic adventure that both fulfills and subverts the expectations of what a fantasy universe can be.” Stronach will play the titular witch who loses her heart to a goatherd when he hires her to break a curse by an evil wizard.

Stronach’s husband, Greg Steinbruner, wrote the script, and Rob Margolies is set to direct. The Jim Henson Creature Shop will create puppets for the talking sheep, goose, and dog characters.

No word yet on if the film is intended for the streaming crowd or if it will make its way to theaters. Casting is still underway and filming is set to begin late this fall, providing COVID-19 doesn’t hinder production. (Late fall seems a bit optimistic, if you ask us.)

Netflix

After The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, we’re more than game for the return of puppetry to the big and small screen. It’s not proper ‘80s nostalgia without it, after all. And with Jim Henson’s crew working behind-the-scenes, we have to imagine Man & Witch will be something special. Here’s to hoping anyway!

No release date is yet announced but we’ll see you posted as new information becomes available.

Featured Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

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Fans of Jim Henson’s fantasy classic Labyrinth were shocked to learn that a sequel was on its way, with director Scott Derickson of Doctor Strange fame at the helm. The beloved film has become iconic, and many wonder how a proper sequel can be made now that David Bowie, who played Jareth the Goblin King, has left this earthly plane. But we have some ideas on who the new Jareth should be (assuming the character is even in it). And of course, the internet has ideas about this as well.

TriStar Pictures

Personally, I think the best way to move forward is to gender-swap the role. Instead of a Goblin King, let’s try a Goblin Queen. It could be explained that this magical being can choose whatever human form it wishes, and now chooses to be female. Or maybe it’s a different labyrinth in a different kingdom, this time with a woman as monarch. Whichever way they choose to do it, we think the ideal choice here is to go for Goblin Queen.

And no, not the classic X-Men villain, who was a clone of Jean Grey named Madelyne that barely wore any clothes. Different universe, folks. Also, no actual human could wear that costume.

Marvel Comics

Judging from the internet, the odds-on favorite to replace Bowie is none other than superstar Janelle Monae, as either the Goblin Queen or the Goblin King. (We are good with either.) She’s also one of our top choices for the role. Just imagine her in those outfits!

Of course, if you want to really tie it in to the original film, why not Jennifer Connelly herself as the new Goblin Monarch? That, folks, is the sound of all of our heads exploding at this genius casting choice.

If they want to go for someone who really evokes Bowie, another good choice seems to be none other than Tilda Swinton. Although unlike Janelle or Jennifer, we’re not really sure Tilda can sing.

But you know who can sing? Lady Gaga. And as we know, she sure loves her some Bowie. We can totally see her in the blonde wig and the pirate boots trying to kidnap your baby.

But what if the producers decided to go the traditional route and cast a man? Not our choice, but if they do, which fellas make our short list? One fellow who could definitely rock those royal outfits is Pose star Billy Porter. Anyone who has seen his fierce red carpet fashion already knows he can work an extravagant Goblin King style look like it’s nobody’s business.

There are also a lot of people rooting for singer/actor Harry Styles to become the new Goblin King. In many ways, he is the obvious choice, but does he have what it takes to fill Bowie’s boots? He might be the most controversial choice for being a bit too “safe,” but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t do the role justice.

And they might not be considered big enough “names” to take over the role for David Bowie, but several of the queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race would be ideal Goblin Kings. Or Queens. Or both! My personal pick would be the one and only Alaska 5000. I know they could bring it.

Of course, these names are just the tip of the iceberg. But as we said, David Bowie left some impressive boots to fill. Who will attempt to do so will surely be the subject of controversy no matter who it might be!

Featured Image: TriStar Pictures

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Never underestimate the power of the ‘stalge. How many movies that under-performed in their initial theatrical runs are now massive cult favorites because of VHS and cable? You probably didn’t even know Clue, The Iron Giant, and The Shawshank Redemption (!) were all disappointments at the box office. But we love them! They found life later on and now they’re classics. In recent years, the love for Jim Henson’s high-fantasy films has seen a resurgence. The Dark Crystal found renewed interest with its excellent Netflix series; now Henson’s other fantasy classic, Labyrinth, is getting a long-awaited sequel.

TriStar

From Deadline, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson will take on a sequel to Labyrinth for TriStar Pictures. Maggie Levin, who wrote and directed the Into the Dark episode My Valentine for Hulu, will write the script. Derrickson, of course, stepped away from Marvel’s Doctor Strange sequel for creative differences. That led to Spider-Man director Sam Raimi to take over.

As for Labyrinth, the 1986 movie was Jim Henson’s last film as director. It received mixed reviews at the time and was a box office disappointment. However, a generation of kids have discovered it on home video and fell in love with its dark fairy tale vibe, inventive character designs, and whimsical narrative. It represents some of conceptual designer Brian Froud’s most accomplished work. And, not for nothing, David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin King is the stuff dreams are made of.

TriStar

From 2006 to 2010, Tokyopop published a four-volume comic book sequel, Return to Labyrinth. It followed Toby, “the babe” from the original movie, ten years after his sister Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) defeated Jareth. But, of course, Jareth wasn’t really gone, and still wanted Toby for his heir. In January 2016, Guardians of the Galaxy writer Nicole Perlman announced she was working on a “spin-off” to the movie, though that project fell through.

No word on what exactly a “sequel” to Labyrinth will look like at this point. Considering it’s already almost 35 years later and Henson and Bowie are both no longer with us. But there are certainly no shortage of creative and skilled people working at the Henson Company currently; if a Labyrinth sequel can capture any of the magic that The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance did, we’ll be dancing our magic dance all the way home from the cinema.

Featured Image: TriStar

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

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There may never again be a single name that bears a stronger association with the world of puppetry than Jim Henson. After pioneering a puppeteering major at his alma mater of the University of Maryland, Henson made good on his studies with the creation of the Muppets. Henson and his creations inevitably earned reverence as cultural touchstones thanks to work on programs like Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and The Muppet Show, and in movies like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and the varied big screen adventures of Kermit the Frog and company.

This morning, we’ve stumbled upon a relic from before Henson soared so high: a 1969 video recording of Henson and Muppet designer Don Sahlin teaching viewers at home how they can make remarkable puppets with simple household items.

The video, which now lives happily on YouTube thanks to the Iowa PBS YouTube channel, first broadcast via a 1969 episode of “Volume See,” a children’s program from Iowa Public Television of yore. By this point, Henson had earned some notability as a puppeteer, having brought his characters to home audiences by way of television institutions like The Ed Sullivan Show and The Jimmy Dean Show, as well as commercials for a variety of projects. All this predated the massive cultural explosion of Sesame Street, which would likewise premiere in 1969 and would kick off appearances on Saturday Night Live, ditto major Henson developments like The Muppet Show and, not long after, The Muppet Movie.

Universal Pictures/ITC Entertainment

In this gem of a video, which demonstrates both Henson’s ingenuity and gentle touch, the puppeteer advises folks at home on how to make their own works of art without the benefit of a grand budget or plentiful resources. Henson shows viewers that they can make puppets out of simple items like tennis balls, Styrofoam cups, wooden spoons, potatoes and pears, socks, dishmops, paper envelopes, and pieces of cardboard; furthermore, the likes of rubber bands and double-sided tape can suffice in holding these creations together.

While Henson admits that he and his team use urethane foam rubber and cloth for their Muppets, he encourages fans to use whatever they have at their disposal to bring to life the marvelous characters and creatures in their imaginations.

Featured Image: Iowa PBS

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If you’ve ever wanted to bring the magical world of Jim Henson home then you’re in luck as hobby company BrokenToad are currently running a Kickstarter that will allow you to own a multitude of miniatures based on Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

BrokenToad, The Henson Company

The officially licensed highly detailed 1/10 scale busts and 1/24 scale full figure resin miniatures focus on your favorite characters and creatures from both of Henson’s most famous fantasy films. Whether you’re a fan of the Gelfling or love a Skeksie—or if you just always wanted to paint your own miniature Jennifer Connelly—you’ll likely be charmed by these stunning sculpts.

The team are clearly as passionate about Henson as we are, sharing on their project page, “Many factors that have lead us to our love of model sculpture, one of the most influential of these has been the great Jim Henson. We spent much of our youth immersed in the worlds Jim created and are so excited to have been given the opportunity to work with The Jim Henson Company and to create miniature models of our favorite characters.” The gorgeous collection of miniatures were sculpted by Alastair Reid, Barruz Studio, James W Cain, Joaquin Palacios, and Lucas Pina Penichet.

BrokenToad, The Henson Company

We’re definitely going to be practicing our painting so that we can do these lovely creations justice. Who knows, maybe if we’re lucky, miniature painter extraordinaire Henry Cavill will give us a private lesson! The worlds of Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are ones that we here at Nerdist are incredibly passionate about, so these lovely collectibles are perfectly aligned with our interests and our need for new hobbies to take up our frequently more freed up time.

You can get a look at more of the stunning miniatures in our gallery below!

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson CompanyBrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

BrokenToad, The Jim Henson Company

Header Image: BrokenToad, The Henson Company

The post These Miniatures Bring Jim Henson’s Magical Worlds to Life appeared first on Nerdist.

There’s nothing like some Muppet fun to lift everyone’s spirits. According to Deadline, Apple TV+ is rebooting the beloved 1980s series Fraggle Rock for a new generation. Fraggle Rock featured a host of colorful (and sometimes creepy) creatures, music, and fun to introduce concepts like friendship, conflict, and identity to children. The new series, Fraggle Rock: Rock On! is bringing back familiar friends like Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Red, Boober, and Uncle Traveling Mat for a series of mini-episodes about friendship in a social-distancing world.

Apple TV+ released an adorable teaser with Gobo popping up to play his instrument. He hangs from the ceiling, does a jig, and is all ready to rock out with his friends… from a distance.

The first of several mini-episodes is already available for free streaming on the app. Subsequent episodes will drop every Tuesday. Kids (and those who love nostalgic TV) will see how all the Fraggles stay connected with each other in their separate cave areas. There will be music, laughter, funny guests, and Doozertubes to bring a ton of joy in a moment where everyone needs it. It’s honestly a great way to introduce a wacky, lovely little show to a new generation of kids.

Like the original series, the Jim Henson Company is also behind Fraggle Rock: Rock On!. But the process for filming the series is certainly different in the midst of a pandemic. The new show is shot on several iPhones from the creative team’s respective homes to keep in line with stay-at-home orders.

Hopefully, Fraggle Rock: Rock On! will help kids navigate the pressures of physical distance from friends and family. And maybe a few adults will get a chance to escape from all the pressure and let a few Fraggles remind them that everything is going to be just fine.

Featured Image: Apple TV+

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Swashbuckling! Valiant! And cute as heck?! Sir Didymus from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth is a standout character in a crazily creative film that’s already packed with unforgettable personalities. The knightly fox and his noble steed Ambrosius are immediately unforgettable, and it’s not a stretch to say we’d all like to have a companion as true as Sir Didymus ourselves.

Disney / Jim Henson

Crafter Kristy O‘s expert eyes caught a peek at the stuffed toy in the movie that inspires Sir Didymus, and she realized she could make her own with a lot of components she already had around the house. The key piece? A store-bought stuffed squirrel. She teaches you how to make your own Sir Didymus out of a Beanie Baby, yarn, felt, and fabric. We want to give it a hug right now.

On her crafting blog, Kristy tells you everything you need to make your own stuffed Sir Didymus. It all starts with a Beanie Baby named “Nuts the Squirrel,” who can be found readily online at an affordable price used. (We spotted one auction with an opening bid of $25,000 for a mint condition plush. Maybe don’t get that one.)

Even if you’ve never threaded a needle in your life, Kristy explains the steps to crafting the cute plush so well that you’ll feel like a sewing pro just reading the walkthrough.

Obviously a huge Labyrinth fan, Kristy has also stitched together cuddly Ludo and Firey plush toys, Jareth’s amulet, and more.

Take a look through Kristy’s Instagram and blog for more pop culture and film inspired crafts and replicas. (This Prince Adam portrait from Beauty and the Beast is uncanny.) Whether you call yourself a crafter or not, you’ll be inspired to pick up the scissors and paint after looking through the artist’s amazing creations.

Featured Image: TriStar Pictures

Kelly Knox is a freelance writer in Seattle, WA who writes for Star Wars, DC Comics, and more. Follow her on Twitter.

The post How to Make a LABYRINTH Plush from a Beanie Baby appeared first on Nerdist.

If you’ve recently fallen in love with Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and can’t wait to dive back into that world, then we have some very good news for you. Penguin Random House has teamed up with the show’s writer, linguist specialist, and the author of four brilliant Dark Crystal books, J.M. Lee to create a new gift book just in time for Christmas. We’re even more excited to reveal three exclusive pages that give you a taste of just how immersive Heroes of the Resistance: A Guide to the Characters of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance really is.

Penguin Random House

The official description of the book hints at the scope of the gorgeous tome. “Meet the extraordinary cast of creatures from Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. This exclusive character guide, featuring stunning full-color photos from the show, will have you feeling as knowledgeable about the world of Thra and its inhabitants as the wise and all-knowing Aughra.” The pages that we’ve got to share with you focus on a few of the most intriguing and brilliant new additions to The Dark Crystal canon. Up first is the strange and seemingly immortal creature from the new series, Lore.

Penguin Random House

As you can see, there are no spoilers here, just imaginative world-building that is a must-read for fans of the gorgeous fantasy series and the film that it acts as a prequel to. The book features spreads about fan favorite characters, from the Podling Paladin Hup to Deet’s fathers, Lath’N and Mitjan. Lee crafts cute summaries about each of their personalities, journeys, and the part they play in the greater story of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Heroes of the Resistance doesn’t just focus on the courageous critters that fill the world of Thra. It also offers up insight on some of the mythical beings and fauna like The Sanctuary Tree, which plays such a key role in sparking the adventures of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

Penguin Random House

The awesome hardcover book a great way to introduce potential fans new to the sprawling Dark Crystal canon. The book spans the massive world of the new series and is filled with a whole bunch of rad writing and info about your fave characters. It also features some killer double page spreads on core players including one of our favorites, the heroic gelfling and hero of Thra, Deet. In addition, Heroes of the Resistance highlights important Dark Crystal terminology, like Dreamfasting and The Darkening.

Penguin Random House

Not only is it the perfect gift for any Henson and Dark Crystal fans, but it’s also a great companion to the inevitable rewatch of the rad fantasy series that we will all be doing as the cold evenings draw in and we get ready for the fantastical holiday season!

This lovely guide to all things The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance hits book store shelves on Nov. 12, 2019.

Header Image: Penguin Random House

The post Get Acquainted With DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE’S Heroes In This Gorgeous New Book (Exclusive) appeared first on Nerdist.

The evenings are drawing in, the clocks are about to go back, and the wind is whipping around our feet as we wander down the fall streets. That means it’s the perfect time to pick up some fantastical books to read, and luckily for all of us, Random House is rereleasing J.M. Lee’s wonderful Dark Crystal novels which tie directly into the brilliant Netflix prequel series Age of Resistance.

Netflix

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance stunned fans who had grown up with the classic Jim Henson film as it expanded on the world of the Gelfling and the Skeksis, setting up the great war and epic journey that we saw Kira and Jen embark on in the ’82 fantasy flick. But before Netflix blessed us all with the ten-episode masterpiece, one of the show’s writers and linguistics specialists—who helped create the podling language in the series—J.M. Lee was laying the groundwork for the story in a series of brilliant YA novels set years before the original film that are available in your local bookstores in a new gorgeous format with wonderful illustrations from Cody Godbey.

Beginning with Shadows of the Dark Crystal, the books introduced readers to a new cast of characters who viewers of the show will likely be familiar with. The first book in the series centers on the Gelfling Naia (Hannah John-Kamen) who has to head to the Castle of the Crystal after her brother Gurjin is put on trial for treason by the Skeksis. It’s a heartbreaking arc that fans of Age of Resistance will immediately recognize, as Gurjin (Harris Dickinson) in the series is Rian’s best friend who is captured after the pair see their bird-like overlords using the Crystal of Truth to drain a Gelfling of her essence. It’s the shocking reveal that sparks the titular resistance and the first book in Lee’s series gives a whole different insight into the strife and tragedy of Gurjin’s struggle, as well as Naia’s eventual hunt for Rian (Taron Egerton).

Netflix

The second book, Songs of the Dark Crystal, follows directly from the last and centers on another member of the Age of Resistance roster in Kylan (Shazad Latif), a young song teller who aligned himself with his friend Naia at the end of Shadows. With the pair run from the Skeksis, we follow them as they try to find a way to help the Gelfling clans prepare for the darkness that is spreading throughout Thra. The third and fourth stories in the series, Tides of the Dark Crystal and Flames of The Dark Crystal both add to the mythology and world of Dark Crystal, with Tides introducing the Sifan Coast and Flames acting as a finale of the four-book series, which all acts as a spectacular prelude to the popular Netflix show—the script for which was completed before Tides and Flames were released. Other fan-fave characters who make an appearance include Tavra (Caitriona Balfe), skekSo (Jason Isaacs/Jerry Nelson), and skekMal (Ralph Ineson) amongst others.

It’s the perfect time to catch up with the books as on November 12, J.M. Lee is releasing two more tie-in gift books from the series: Heroes of the Resistance: A Guide to the Characters of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Aughra’s Wisdom of Thra.

Header Image: Penguin Random House

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While Muppets projects have come and gone with regular consistency since Jim Henson first created the puppet ensemble in the ’50s, this year saw the revival of one of Henson’s other beloved works, 1982 film The Dark Crystal, with the widely successful Netflix prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Now another, more unexpected piece of Henson’s oeuvre is set to be revisited. According to Variety, Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame is working on a remake of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas.

HBO

According to the Variety report, “Flight of the Conchords’ own Rhymenoceros, Bret McKenzie, has signed on to pen the script and write the music for Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas, based on the 1970s ABC special from The Jim Henson Company. Henson’s 1977 TV special was based on the children’s book of the same name by Russell Hoban. McKenzie also has the option to direct the new adaptation, which follows a poor otter family who risks everything for the chance to win the cash prize of a talent contest for Christmas, but a decision has not yet been made. The ABC special used the classic Henson puppet technology that made Henson’s The Muppets famous and even included an introduction by Kermit the Frog.”

It’s a very interesting collaboration that will likely get fans talking, especially as apparently it isn’t even set to find a home at the Mouse House or its new streaming service, in fact, according to Variety, it’s going to “be shopped to buyers, as no distributor is currently on board.” While the upcoming project currently lacks a distributor, we’re incredibly excited to see what McKenzie, who has a background in making fun musical comedy, does with his iteration of the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band.

Released in 1977, the original television special has become something of a cult classic to those who grew up with it, especially due to the intricate detail and heartfelt plot that featured a cast of very cute critters and of course, a classic Christmas morality tale about greed, poverty, good triumphing over evil, and animals playing in bands.

We’re very excited to see what McKenzie puts together and which of his very talented friends he brings along for the ride. As for how close it’ll stick to the original, we’ll just have to keep our ears to the ground and our jugs at the ready as at the moment this is a project in the very earliest of days, and as we know with new Muppet projects that can mean their future is anything but certain.

Header Image: The Jim Henson Company

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Netflix’s prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is easily one of our favorite shows of 2019. It looked gorgeous, expanded the world in ways we never imagined, and featured complex and compelling characters in a rich and engrossing story. We weren’t totally surprised by how much we adored it though, since we’ve been obsessed with the original 1982 film for decades. Now our love for all things Thra has been turned into one of the most gorgeous LEGO sets we’ve ever seen… but we all have some work to do to make it a reality.

Brent Waller, who previously designed a Seinfeld 30th Anniversary set and a massive LEGO Wayne Manor, has proposed an original The Dark Crystal build to LEGO Ideas that we wish we could dreamfast with. The 1100-piece collection features three locales from the movie: Aughra’s Orrery, a rocky exterior adorned with Thra plantlife, and the Dark Crystal itself in its holding spot in the Skeksis’ castle. It also includes mini-figs of Jen, Kira, Aughra and Fizzgig, as well as brick builds for the Chamblerlain, the Mystic, a landstrider, and a Garthim.

Brent Waller/LEGO Ideas

As of this writing, the set has already received over 1,800 supporters in just eight days time. For it to be formally considered by LEGO, which could lead to it becoming an actual collection that will be produced for consumers, it must reach 10,000 in its allotted time. With the project having 588 days left to reach that number, we’re optimistic it will be reached. (Note: even enough support doesn’t guarantee it will be accepted.)

Brent Waller/LEGO Ideas

We’ve seen some really beautiful LEGO sets that manage to perfectly capture its subject, and this is as good as any we’ve ever come across. WE MUST HAVE IT. So please, go vote for it and help make that a reality. Especially because then he can get working on an Age of Resistance follow-up set.

Featured Image: Brent Waller/LEGO Ideas

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Blooper reels are always a joy, but as the official Netflix Twitter account proved today, they’re at least a million times better when they’re filled with puppets. Yep, we now have a Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance blooper reel and it is arguably the purest and most joyous thing that has ever been put to screen.

Turns out that the only thing better than a blooper reel is a blooper reel featuring puppets! pic.twitter.com/B6Pi34pH4k

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) September 25, 2019

Louis Leterrier’s gorgeous fantasy puppet masterpiece has taken critics and viewers by storm since it debuted at the end of August, and this sweet, sumptuous, and silly blooper reel is the perfect chaser to the dark magic of the show. Filled with a whole bunch of puppeteering magic, the short showcases just how much fun everyone making the show must have had—plus it includes a lot of that good, good Podling action.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the Gelfiling and Skeksis united in song, you’ll be happy as it seems like a lot of down time was spent making the intricate puppets sing popular ditties. Another highlight is the cast of cute puppets messing up their lines/directions and reacting to it in numerous cute and funny ways. Some of our favorite moments include Hup losing his wig, the Skeksis singing the Eric Carmen classic “All By Myself,” Rian admonishing his fellow Gelfling for messing up their intense dream fast session, as well as all of the Gelfling dancing and screaming… so much cute puppet screaming!

Netflix

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to Jim Henson’s classic ’80s fantasy flick and follows three young Gelflings as they try to defeat the evil Skeksis and save the world of Thra from the monstrous birdlike despots. It’s an epic adventure that showcases the vast talent and potential that the art of puppeteering holds and is, without hyperbole, one of the most unique and exciting entries into fantasy canon in years. It’s currently streaming on Netflix and is a must watch for fans of fantasy, experimental film making, puppets, and magic. Plus, the baby from Labyrinth worked on the series!

We’re obsessed with this beacon of joy in the dark depths of 2019 and want Netflix to release at least ten more hours of this incredible behind-the-scenes footage. Please, streaming gods, we implore you for the sake of Thra and our mortal souls, release a two-hour follow-up that is literally nothing but puppet bloopers. It’s what we all need in the face of the constant horrifying news cycle and burning earth.

Header Image: Netflix

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Warning: This post contains major spoilers for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The Dark Crystal movie ends on a triumphant note. Jen and Kira return the lost shard during the Great Conjunction, reuniting the Mystics and the Skeksis; the UrSkeks leave for their home world and Thra is left to reclaim its former glory. But not everything is fixed. Thanks to the cruelty of the Skeksis, only two Gelflings remain in the world. This painful fact is further underlined by the new prequel series Age of Resistance, which features seven thriving Gelfling clans and many great heroes. Even though the TV series also ends in victory, at some point soon thereafter Rian, Brea, Deet, and all the rest will be killed, as their race is all but eradicated. This inevitable tragedy doesn’t exactly fit with the hopeful spirit of The Dark Crystal franchise.

In The Dark Crystal movie, we knew the Gelflings were all but gone. That was the reality on Thra, so Jen and Kira’s victory over the Skeksis wasn’t diminished by how things were long ago. There was nothing they could have done to bring their clans and families back; all they could do was save Thra, which they did. It’s like seeing Luke Skywalker help Darth Vader defeat the Emperor. In that moment the countless deaths the Empire was responsible for previously doesn’t make Luke’s victory meaningless. You celebrate the defeat of the evil that remained.

Universal Pictures

But Age of Resistance makes us confront the past in a way not even the Star Wars prequel trilogy does. The extermination of the Gelflings exceeds even the horror of what happened to the Jedi. New Force users will always be born in the galaxy far, far away, but Jen and Kira are far more likely to be the last Gelflings ever than they are to repopulate Thra. We knew this before Age of Resistance, but experiencing the lives of the seven Gelfling clans and the bravery of its great heroes makes the sadness of their story far more real. Brea and Rian are no longer anonymous faces in the past. It won’t be as easy celebrating Jen and Kira’s victory knowing Deet’s sacrifices are likely lost to time forever. Age of Resistance has made the tragedy of the Gelfling story far more personal, and that makes their fate much harder to ignore even when they stand victorious at the end of both the show and film.

But even still, Age of Resistance might actually be the key to giving The Dark Crystal a happier ending for the Gelflings. Rather than offer the despair of the inevitable, the series might have shown us how more Gelflings will survive the Darkening in ways we’ve never known before.

Netflix

The world of Thra and the spread of the Gelflings across its lands far exceeded anything even hinted at in the movie. Jen was able to traverse the lands in a matter of days, as were the slow-moving Mystics, who left their home to return to the Crystal Palace. The film made Thra seem far smaller than we now know it to be, especially since an entire clan lived underneath the ground too.

While smaller than the others, “said to number less than three dozen,” the Grottan Gelflings not only lived farther from the Skeksis’ reach, “their life span is told to be unheard of, lasting three to four times as long as other Gelfling.” It’s not impossible that deep below the surface, hidden away along with their allies and fellow Grot cave born the Arathim, a band of ageless Gelflings were always hiding, waiting to return safely. With the Gelfling clans uniting at the end of the prequel series, they easily could have taken many others with them too. And although we still don’t know Deet’s ultimate fate (beyond a vision of her—or someone who looks like her—carrying the baby Kira), her powers to absorb the Darkening could even provide a shield to hide all of them while also protecting them from the spoiled earth of the caves.

Netflix

That’s not even the only hiding place the show presented as a possibility. The Dousan clan, the Gelflings “obsessed with death,” live far away from all the others on the shifting sands of Crystal Sea. It’s remote enough the Heretic safely lived there, and even the Hunter needed help traversing it. While dangerous, it offers a place far from the Skeksis for the Gelflings to wait until the prophecy of the Chosen One can be fulfilled.

“Gelfling all dead,” said Aughra when she first met Jen, proving not even the great oracle of Thra knew everything about the fate of the race. And if two could survive the Garthim War, why not others, especially when they had lands to hide among.

Of course, this might be the faintest of light among the dark, but what is The Dark Crystal if not a story of hope? And when it comes to the fate of the Gelflings, Age of Resistance has given us a way to have more of it than ever.

Featured Image: Netflix

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Warning: This post contains major spoilers for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance features countless great characters, but perhaps none braver or nobler than Hup—Podling, paladin, and protector of Deet. Hup never wavered in the face of danger; his courage, combined with his selflessness and his dream to aim far beyond what the world expected of him, made him a creature worthy of the Crystal of Truth, and also of our love and respect.

It was clear from the first time we met Hup that he was a special Podling, as he came to the rescue of a stranger being attacked by a fearsome spitter. While others spent the season running from the Arathim, Hup ran towards one. However, it was also clear in that moment that the life of a paladin was uniquely risky for a diminutive being like himself, as during the showdown he found himself hanging on by a thread—literally. Of course, that’s also how we learned that Hup is the best kind of hero: one without ego, as Deet used his body to fight back against the horrible creature.

Hup wasn’t trying to become the first Podling paladin for his own honor or pride; Hup wanted to serve Thra and his fellow denizens for their sake. If that meant looking foolish or being laughed at by doubters, it didn’t matter to him. Only doing his duty managed.

Netflix

His incredible selflessness was only matched by his bravery. Countless times—including when he defended Deet at Stone-in-the-Wood, protected her from the Gobbles, and took up arms against the Hunter—Hup remained steadfast in his self-appointed position no matter his opponent’s size or advantage. Physical stature, just like your lot in life, is no barricade against heroism when you have the heart of a warrior. But even though Hup was fearless in battle and resolute during hardships (like when he defiantly sang in jail), Hup still knew a type of fear that made him even more lovable. He feared failing his friend.

Netflix

“Hup want to protect Deet,” he said through tears, admitting his sword was only a “silly spoon.” When the risk to his friend appeared to be too great for him, Hup called himself no paladin. “Hup nobody.” How many brave protectors can admit to themselves, let alone the world, when they are in over their Podling heads? All he wanted in life was to be a paladin and a servant of Thra, but when he thought his dream would get someone else hurt, he was willing to walk away from all of it. Hup wasn’t just a great and selfless soldier, he was a kind and good friend who put others above himself, even when it meant giving up on himself. Hup could deal with hurting himself, but not seeing someone else suffer.

But as Deet said, as she reminded the usually cheery and full of life Hup of all the ways he had already kept her safe, he was already a paladin in the truest sense. A title doesn’t make a Skeksis a true lord of the crystal, nor does a title make someone a real paladin or the All Maudra. And being a Podling doesn’t mean you can’t be a great hero. All denizens of Thra, like all of us, are defined by what they do, not what the world says they are. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

And some, like Hup, stand tall with nothing more than a spoon and a big heart.

Featured Image: Netflix

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We can debate until the next Great Conjunction what we love best about The Dark Crystal movie, but ultimately there is a clear and indisputable answer to this. No, it’s not the lore of Thra and the crystal, nor is it the Gelflings or the Skeksis. It’s not even the amazing puppetry that brought the fantasy story to life. The unquestionable best part about the movie always have been and always will be Fizzgig, that adorable rolling ball of fur who we would still very much like to adopt.

Now, we’d like to take all of his ancestors home too, because Netflix’s new prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is bringing way more of those lovable fuzzballs to the screen. And to celebrate the release of the show, they let an entire fizzgig chorus “sing” the official theme song.

We’ve always thought of a fizzgig as being more dog-like, but when it comes to singing they’re obviously far more cat-like. And while this song will now be stuck in our head for a few weeks (especially since we’ve watched this way more times than we’d like to admit), that’s totally fine. Every time we hum it we’ll be reminded of the fizzgigs—and that’s never a bad thing.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the show yet and this your first introduction to the theme song for it, you can check it out here on Spotify. Composer Daniel Pemberton’s score is one of our favorite parts of the series.

The real question is why stop here? We already love Pemberton’s track “Aughra Awakes”—which we already told you about—but maybe we’d love it even more if the fizzgig chorus gave it a go.

Fizzgig has been our favorite thing on Thra for almost four decades already.

Every episode of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is now available to stream on Netflix.

Featured Image: Netflix

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Rivaling the anticipation for the nerdgasm voice cast and the intriguing new story of Netflix’s Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is the burning desire to get our eyes on some of that delicious art. Before a single frame of film is shot, painstaking hours are spent designing each and every character. Die-hard fans of the original Dark Crystal film and its spiritual sibling Labyrinth have already dehydrated ourselves drooling over the thick tomes of artwork created by Brian & Wendy Froud for those films.

And now with the new series coming out, our thirst is quenched yet again thanks to these Nerdist exclusive previews from the upcoming behind-the-scenes book, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: Inside the Epic Return to Thra. You know it’s epic if it has two colons in the title!

Insight Editions

Inside the Epic Return to Thra takes us through the show’s creative journey to the screen. The behind the scenes book details how the film’s director Louis Letterier and producer Lisa Henson worked alongside Brian Froud and utilized the magic of the world-renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Insight Editions

We also learn from these sneak preview pages how the return to the world of Dark Crystal carries on the family legacy of the first film. Not only is Lisa Henson producing, but also Toby Froud worked as the design supervisor. Labyrinth fans may remember the young Froud as the actual baby Toby kidnapped by David Bowie’s Jerith in the film.

Insight Editions

The book is packed with exclusive cast and crew interviews, concept art, set photography, puppet designs and more. A must-have for anyone who can’t get enough Henson, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: Inside the Epic Return to Thra releases on November 9th and can be pre-ordered here.

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance premieres this Friday, August 30th on Netflix.

Featured Image: Netflix

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One of the key things that united all of the writers was their love for the original property and the giants who made it, as Grillo-Marxuach passionately explained. “In our writer’s room, we had a framed picture of Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Gary Kurtz. You’re literally talking about three people who were gods to me when I was a kid, and it was deeply humbling to know that we were treading on that ground and that we had the responsibility of doing honor to the legacy of these three men and everybody who worked on the original.”

Jen in the original Dark Crystal film (C) The Henson Company 1982

As the writers joked, the film isn’t called The Light Crystal. That exploration of darkness is key to the longevity of the franchise and the success of the new iteration of the show, so finding a balance between fantasy and fear was key to the group reinventing the series for Netflix. For Matthews, it was something that had always appealed about the original property. “I actually found that there was something incredibly comforting in the idea that here’s the thing that scares you and here’s why. Things that really terrify you are often going on beyond the peripheries and you can’t always get a handle on them, but here is something you can understand and connect with. And there’s also something so beautiful about how weird this world is.”

Grillo-Marxuach agreed, adding, “Jim Henson clearly was a believer that fairy tales have to serve a function, and that children could take a lot more than they were given. There are moments in the show and there are moments in the film that are genuinely terrifying. Now, mind you, neither the show and other films are intended solely for young people. They are intended for a broad audience. But I think that the darkness is there because a lot of our audience is going to be able to handle that and to hear and to see these concepts that are a little bit more disturbing than the standard fare. And I think that that’s something that serves a purpose.”

The Skeksies in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (C) Netflix, The Henson Company 2019

When it came to crafting the world of The Dark Crystal, the team was lucky enough to have the complete backing of the Henson Company and the master puppeteer’s family. It was a moving experience for Grillo-Marxuach. “Lisa Henson is an executive producer on this thing. This is her father’s proudest moment, the thing he worked hardest on, and that he loved the most of anything. So it’s not as if we’re sort of taking the legacy and running with it unsupervised, you know? J.M. Lee who wrote the YA books joined us in the writer’s room to work on the script. He was a great resource. The Henson Company has somebody in the house who is literally tasked with keeping Jim Henson’s legacy in order and we have access to all of that material.”

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance isn’t just a coming together of ages of storytelling and filmmaking with the melding of practical and digital; it also brings together two eras of creators and fans. Addis explained how the power of the love that people have for the film shaped the team working on the show. “We had a lot of people from the original involved. Gary Kurtz came to the set before he passed away. A lot of people have very strong connections to the movie. [Andy] Samberg called when the show was announced and he came into the writer’s room and said ‘I’ll hold your broom.’ And we were like, ‘There are much better uses for your talents.’ People just have a very strong attachment to this property.”

Header image: Netflix / The Henson Company

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We’re counting down the days until Netflix drops the full season of their new series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, the prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson film. The trailers and behind-the-scenes looks show what promises to be a beautiful, imaginative, and dense world of puppeteering magic, something that is sure to pull all sorts of nostalgic heartstrings. The show arrives this Friday, but in the meantime we’ve got a preview of a track from the show’s score, composed by Daniel Pemberton. The song is called “Aughra Awakes” and is track 5 on the soundtrack.

The score is divided into two volumes, with the first conducted by Pemberton, and the second by Pemberton and Samuel Sim. Pemberton has previously worked on the scores for films like The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Molly’s Game, and All the Money in the World, while Sim is known for his work on BBC’s Dunkirk.

While both volumes will first make their way to audiences on digital platforms, they will also be available on CD and vinyl in the coming months, released exclusively through Music.Film Recordings. We can’t wait to get our hands on a physical copy of this beautiful music, but until then, we’re going to keep listening to “Aughra Awakes” on repeat.

Header Image Credit: Netflix

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No duo of best friends are more iconic and lovable than Bert and Ernie. Maybe you and your BFF come close–please forgive us for being skeptical—but Bert and Ernie are basically the perfect pair. Sure, they’re complete opposites in just about every way, but that’s what makes them the bestest of best buddies.

Bert and Ernie have their own book coming this September called The Importance of Being Ernie (and Bert). Designed for grown-ups, it gives some tips on cultivating your own friendships. Pick up the book along with a rubber duckie, and you’ve got the greatest gift ever for your BFF.

This might be one of the happiest books you’ll ever pick up. You’ll discover if you’re a Bert or an Ernie—a starry-eyed daydreamer or an endlessly practical planner, messy or organized, a socialite or a loner—or a little bit of both. Each flip of the page reveals more about the joy of being an Ernie or a Bert, with the message that no matter which one you are, your best buddy will always be there for you.

The Importance of Being Ernie (or Bert) is just the latest in a series of books that readers of any age will love, whether you’re four or 40. Cookie Monster’s The Joy of Cookies and Oscar the Grouch’s The Pursuit of Grouchiness are also written from the point of view of their respective monsters with all of their personality. Cookie Monster even stopped by The Late Show With Stephen Colbert earlier this year to share a few cookie crumbs of wisdom.

You’ll find all three of these books at your favorite bookstore. Pick them up as the perfect present for the holidays now (or any time at all) to show your best buddy how much they mean to you.

All Images: Macmillan

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But what about new fans just experiencing this world for the first time? A new “Everything You Need to Know” video explains the who, what, and why of the mystical world of the Dark Crystal for newbies who are just now discovering this saga. And it gives fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of this sure to be groundbreaking show.

As you can see from the video above, many members of the voice cast like Taron Egerton and Natalie Dormer were fans of the original film as kids. And clearly, stepping into the world of Thra themselves has been something of a dream come true for them. And another profoundly cool aspect of this new series is that many of Jim Henson’s original collaborators have returned to work on this show as well, including the legendary Brian and Wendy Froud. But this time, their son Toby Froud is will them. That’s a name hardcore Henson fans might recognize as the baby from the other ’80s Jim Henson classic, Labyrinth.

Age of Resistance executive producer Lisa Henson has followed in her father’s footsteps and is keeping the world of pupeteering alive in the 21st Century. Here’s hoping this new series ushers in a new age of puppet-based entertainment that expand the horizons of what’s possible in this type of storytelling.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance season one drops on August 30th.

Images: Netflix

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The first behind-the-scenes look at Netflix’s new series Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance managed to blow everyone’s socks off. Now we have a new full length trailer for the new series, and it is indeed a thing of beauty to behold.

Based on the Jim Henson’s 1982 cult classic film, The Dark Crystal, Netflix’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance tells a new story. It’s one set many years before the events of the original movie, and realized combining classic puppetry with cutting edge modern visual effects. In this prequel series, the world of Thra is dying. The Crystal of Truth is at the heart of Thra, a source of untold power. But it is damaged, corrupted by the evil Skeksis, and a sickness spreads across the land. When three Gelfling uncover the horrific truth behind the power of the Skeksis, an adventure unfolds as the fires of rebellion are lit and an epic battle for the planet begins.

Age of Resistance has an insane voice cast, with actors from a metric ton of genre favorite projects. Included in this impressive ensemble as the heroic Gelflings are Taron Egerton (Kingsman), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) as Deet, Caitriona Balfe (Outlander) as Tavra, Helena Bonham Carter (Harry Potter), Harris Dickinson (Maleficent 2), Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones), Eddie Izzard (Ocean’s Thirteen), Theo James (Divergent), Toby Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger), Shazad Latif (Star Trek: Discovery), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox), Mark Strong (Shazam!), Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), and Hannah John-Kamen (Game of Thrones).

The roles of the Skeksis and Mystics are being brought to life by Harvey Fierstein (Hairspray), Ralph Ineson (Game of Thrones), Jason Isaacs (The OA), Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (True Detective), Simon Pegg (Star Trek), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) and Muppet puppeteer Donna Kimball as Aughra. And last but certainly not least, two bonafide genre legends join the cast– Star Wars’ Mark Hamill and Aliens’ own Sigourney Weaver, playing the Narrator.

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance drops on Netflix on August 30th.

Images: Jim Henson Company / Netflix

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Whether you’ve loved Sesame Street since you were a kid, or you’re endlessly entertained by their pop culture savvy and humor as an adult, chances are you have at least one favorite character. We’d bet our cookies that it’s Cookie Monster. So would Hasbro’s Haslab, and they want to give you the chance to take one of your favorite fuzzy friends home with you in their latest crowdfunding campaign.

Hasbro Senior Product Design Manager Bill Rawley is leading the charge to get a total of 3000 backers for the project. In celebration of 50 years of Sesame Street, the team chatted with Muppet fans before deciding that Cookie Monster was the best companion to bring you some sunny days. Cookie is a fully posable, 30 inch tall replica of the classic Sesame Street character. Haslab has paid attention to every detail from fingers to toes, including Cookie’s soft blue fur to his perfectly googly eyes.

Rawley obtained those details following some one-on-one time from the actual Cookie Monster himself, which Rawley describes as “truly an unforgettable moment”. He took measurements in order to make their version as true to life as possible. With a full skeleton, blue plush, and fur, Cookie Monster weighs in at 10 pounds of soft, squishable fun. While the replica is pricey at about $300, this lovable monster is truly a collector’s item that the entire family can enjoy.

If you’ve ever dreamed of hugging one of your favorite Sesame Street or Muppet characters, this is probably as close to the real thing that 3000 people can get. (We’re not the only ones who’ve dreamed of a Cookie Monster hug, right?)

The campaign is running from now until the end of the day on August 25, 2019. If the campaign is successful, Cookie Monster will be nom-nom-nomming in homes by spring 2020.

All Images: Hasbro

The post C Is for Crowdfunding a Life-Sized Cookie Monster appeared first on Nerdist.

During the Hall H panel, Netflix premiered a sneak peek clip of The Making of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. The two minute video provides us with great behind-the-scenes looks and insights into the making of the show. Artists from the original film discuss the intricate, handcrafted details that go into the set pieces and characters that are shown on screen. Executive producer Lisa Henson highlights how important the craftsmanship is to the look and feel of the Dark Crystal universe.

Gavin Bocquet, the production designer, stresses how important it is to capture the feel of the original film while also pushing it forward. You can tell that the creative team behind Age of Resistance is dedicated to keeping most of the work practical, like in the original. This clip does show how new technology, like green screens, can really elevate the puppets’ performances. 

Director Louis Leterrier remarks that they want audiences to forget they’re watching puppets act. Even in this clip, where we can see some of the performers, the puppets still feel very real and convincing. We’re also incredibly impressed with the sheer scope of Age of Resistance, and can’t wait to learn about the show’s places, battles, and creatures. Even with new technology, Age of Resistance still feels deeply rooted in Henson’s unique vision.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will drop August 30, 2019 on Netflix. While you wait, you might want to refresh yourself on the history of The Dark Crystal world.

Featured Image: Netflix / The Jim Henson Company

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With The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance moving ever closer to our screens, we’ve been locked away in our mountaintop aerie trying to work out just where the film fits into the sprawling canonical timeline of the Dark Crystal franchise. Though Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s 1982 masterpiece has never had an on-screen sequel, the magical universe that contains Gelflings, Skeksis, Garthim, and many more fantastical creatures has continued to grow via novels and comics. To get a full idea of where in the timeline the new Netflix series sits, we’re looking back at the history of the radical fantasy franchise.

The Age of Innocence

The earliest recorded time in The Dark Crystal is known as The Age of Innocence and the key event here was the birth of Aughra the Astronomer. Fans will likely recognize the one-eyed mystic from the original movie. She played a key part in Jen’s quest but this was decades before the events of the movie and also a very long time before the prequel series is set. Other notable moments in the canon are the birth of Aughra’s son and the connection that the astronomer made with the Gelfling who taught her about Dreamfasting, or telepathic communication.

The First Great Conjunction

In the world of Dark Crystal, a conjunction is an “astronomical event where the three suns of Thra—the Greater Sun, Rose Sun and Dying Sun—appear to converge at a single point in the sky.” They often align with massive changes in the culture, history, and eras of Thra. The ability to tracking the conjunctions is why astronomer Aughra is so vital to the world. Story-wise, this is a huge moment as The First Great Conjunction saw the arrival of the powerful alien beings known as The UrSkeks, sparking what is known as…

The Age of Harmony

The UrSkeks essentially function as gods in the world of Dark Crystal. Like so many deities before them, they are credited for bringing enlightenment to the world of the Gelfling. This was the era when the elfish creatures thrived after being gifted with the knowledge and skills to build and evolve. The strange omnipotent beings also have a deep connection with Aughra, who was the first Thra native to lay eyes on them. The sight almost blinded her but she was later healed by the UrSkeks, allowing her to take on her role as astronomer in the mountaintop observatory (built by the alien race) that fans will know from the cult film.

The Second Great Conjunction – The Age of Division

After the second strange space alignment, the world of Thra was thrown into disarray. The main reason that this era matter is because it was when the Skeksis began to betray the world and take control of the Castle of the Crystal and the magic artifact inside it. From what we know and what we’ve seen from the trailers, this seems like the most likely moment for Age of Resistance to take place.

Age of Resistance?

According to the official Dark Crystal timeline, it seems like the series will be set during the so-called Age of Division, but before the Garthim War. This is a relatively new addition to the history that the site holds, but it describes the adventures of a young Gelfling called Rian (Taron Egerton) set alongside Naia (Hannah John-Kamen) who will also star in Age of Resistance. This is particularly interesting as the latter character has been the focus of a series of Dark Crystal books by J.M. Lee; this cements the fact that the previous canon will definitely be a part of the new vision for Thra and the Dark Crystal.

The Garthim War

If you’ve watched the original Dark Crystal, you’ll know that the Garthim are dark and evil creatures who have been turned by the Skekis and their control of the crystal. We got a glimpse at some in the last trailer for Age of Resistance so know that we’ll be seeing them in the new show. The Garthim War was the spark of the war that killed all of the Gelfling except for Jen and Kira who survived and went on to restore the crystal and beat the Skeksis in Dark Crystal.

The Third Great Conjunction – The Age of Power

This is basically the happy ending that we know; the Gelfling are restored and take back control of the Crystal Shards. It’ll be interesting to see what the new series adds to what is essentially an already finished story, and we cannot wait to learn all the secrets of the Age of Resistance.

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Image: Netflix/The Jim Henson Company

Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance hits Netflix on August 30.

Images: Netflix, Jim Henson Studio

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