 Logo used since 2001 | |
 The Jim Henson Company Lot in Los Angeles, pictured in 2006. | |
| Formerly | Muppets, Inc. (1958–1976; 1985) Henson Associates, Inc. (1976–1987) Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (1987–1997) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | November 20, 1958 |
| Founders | Jim and Jane Henson |
| Headquarters | Jim Henson Company Lot, , U.S. |
Key people | Brian Henson (chairman) Lisa Henson (president & CEO) |
| Products | Puppetry, Animation, Computer graphics, Digital puppetry, Entertainment |
| Brands | |
| Owner | Henson family |
| Parent | EM.TV & Merchandising AG (2000–2003) |
| Divisions | Jim Henson's Creature Shop Henson Recording Studios Jim Henson Animation Studios Henson Alternative |
| Website | henson |
The Jim Henson Company, formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (commonly referred to as Henson), is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for its innovations in the field of puppetry, particularly through the creation of Kermit the Frog and the Muppets characters.[1]
Brian Henson is chairman and Lisa Henson is CEO. Since 2000, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered at the Jim Henson Company Lot, the historic former Charlie Chaplin Studios, in Hollywood.
The company was established in November 1958 by puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson,[2] and is currently independently owned and operated by their children. Henson has produced many successful television series, including The Muppet Show (1976–1981), Fraggle Rock (1983–1987), and Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2006); as well, the company designed the Muppet characters for Sesame Street (1969–present).
The company has also produced theatrical films, including The Muppet Movie (1979), The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). Henson also operates Jim Henson's Creature Shop, an animatronics and visual effects studio which has created characters and effects for both Henson productions and outside projects.[3] In 1989, the company entered merger negotiations with The Walt Disney Company, which were canceled following Jim Henson's death in 1990.
Subsequently, control of the company was assumed by Henson's children: Lisa, Cheryl, Brian, John, and Heather. In 2000, Henson was sold to German media company EM.TV & Merchandising AG; by the end of that year, however, EM.TV's stock collapsed, and the Henson family re-acquired the company in 2003.
In the interim, EM.TV sold the rights to the Sesame Street Muppets to Sesame Workshop in early January 2001,[4] following a December 2000 announcement. Henson sold The Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House properties to Disney in 2004, but retains the remainder of its program library and assets.
As of 2024[update], Brian, Lisa, Cheryl, and Heather Henson maintain control of the company. Jane Henson died in April 2013 and John Henson died in February 2014.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Gritten, David (August 19, 1990). "The Next Muppetmeister?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ Jones, Jim Henson: The Biography (2013). p. 75.
- ^ Eller, Claudia; Philips, Chuck (May 12, 1995). "Sony Nears Deal With Jim Henson Productions". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
- ^ "Sesame Street". Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.