THE MUPPETS
Created by Jim Henson in 1955, The Muppets is an iconic American entertainment franchise celebrated for its ensemble puppet characters, absurdist humor, slapstick comedy, and musical variety format. Owned by The Walt Disney Company under The Muppets Studio, the franchise spans seven decades of feature films, television series, video games, and publications.
Cronologia
Panoramica
The Muppets franchise was created in 1955 by visionary puppeteer Jim Henson and has grown into one of the most recognizable properties in global pop culture.
Known for its distinct blend of meta-textual comedy, slapstick, fourth-wall breaking, and musical entertainment, the franchise follows an ensemble cast featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo the Great, and Animal.
Originally produced under Jim Henson Productions, the core IP was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in February 2004 and is currently managed by The Muppets Studio. Across its 70-year presence, the franchise boasts 12 feature-length movies (theatrical and television releases), over two dozen series and network specials, nearly 20 official video games, and an extensive library of comics and books, stretching from its 1950s origins to major releases like 'The Muppet Show 50th Anniversary Special' in 2026.
Origini
The franchise debuted in 1955 with 'Sam and Friends,' a local live-action puppet television show created by Jim Henson for Washington, D.C.'s WRC-TV, featuring early incarnations of Kermit.
Through the late 1960s and early 1970s, Henson expanded the troupe's reach via TV specials like 'The Muppets on Puppets' (1970), 'Hey, Cinderella!' (1970), and 'The Great Santa Claus Switch' (1970).
Following pilot presentations 'The Muppet Valentine Show' (1974) and 'The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence' (1975), the franchise launched 'The Muppet Show' in 1976. The syndicated variety series ran for five seasons through 1981, catapulting the characters to global stardom and laying the foundation for their 1979 theatrical film debut, 'The Muppet Movie'.
Personaggi
I PEZZI DI THE MUPPETS
Collezionismo
For media and pop-culture collectors, The Muppets offer a wide spectrum of vintage and modern physical items across multi-generational formats. Gaming collectors target rare vintage titles spanning from the 1983 Atari 2600 game 'Pigs in Space' to late 1980s NES cartridges, Game Boy Color/Advance releases, and PlayStation classics like 'Muppet RaceMania' and 'Muppet Monster Adventure'.
In print, highly sought items include original 1980s 'Muppet Magazine' issues, Marvel Comics film adaptations, and Roger Langridge’s critically acclaimed 'The Muppet Show Comic Book' run published by BOOM! Studios between 2009 and 2011. Physical media collectors also note historical rarities: while feature films enjoy physical home releases, the 2015 primetime ABC mockumentary series 'The Muppets' never received an official DVD or Blu-ray release, making physical media archives from earlier eras key focal points for historical preservation.
The 2015 ABC series never received a physical media release, streaming exclusively on digital platforms like Disney+.
