Sam and Friends

Sam and Friends
Titlecard for Sam and Friends which was used around the late 1950s to 1961.
Created by	Jim Henson Jane Nebel
Starring	Jim Henson Jane Nebel Bob Payne Jerry Juhl
Country of origin	United States
No.of episodes	1,000 +
Production
Running time	5 minutes per sketch (and episode)
Original release
Network	WRC-TV(NBCO&OinWashington, D.C.)
Release	May 9, 1955(1955-05-09)– December 15, 1961(1961-12-15)

Sam and Friendsis an Americanlive-actionandpuppetsketch comedytelevision seriesand a lead-in toThe Tonight Showcreated bypuppeteerJim Hensonand his eventual wifeJane Nebel.It was aired live twice daily as a local series inWashington, D.C.,onWRC-TVinblack and white,and latercolor,on weeknights from May 9, 1955, to December 15, 1961. However, most of the original episodes were never recorded, and are consideredlost.A few surviving episodes can be viewed at thePaley Center for Mediabut many can also be found on video websites likeYouTube,such as those digitally archived byThe Jim Henson Company.Some have been documented by either the Henson Archives or newspaper articles published while the show was still on air.

Plot

The series focused mostly on Sam, a bald-headed, big-eared human who escaped the harshness of everyday life with the help of abstract friends that he created based on parts of his life. His friends included Yorick, Harry the Hipster, Professor Madcliffe, Chicken Liver, and a lizard-like character named Kermit (who later evolved intoKermit the Frog).

Early in its run, the show mostly featured the puppets lip-syncing to popular songs of the day (if the song was by a female performer, the puppet would wear a wig while singing). Later, formal sketches were drawn up, many spoofing well-known television shows at the time, including the series which followedSam and Friendsin the Washington market,The Huntley–Brinkley Report.

A popular early sketch that would be used often in subsequent Henson productions was "Glowworm", in which a character, often Kermit, would nibble on what looked like a worm, but would ultimately turn out to be the tongue or nose of the monster Big V, who would devour him.

Bob Payneonce substituted for Jim Henson while he was in Europe.Jerry Juhlalso worked on the show toward the end of its run where he substituted for Jane Henson. Starting in 1959, advertisements forEsskay Meatswould appear at the end of the show, as well as Wilkins Coffee (the latter featured two Muppets created exclusively for the spots, "Wilkins" and "Wontkins" ).

While Payne, Juhl, and Jane Henson all puppeteered in the series alongside him, Jim Henson provided all of the voices himself (unless the voices were taken from arecord).

Characters

Kermit (left) and Harry the Hipster (right) in the "Visual Thinking" sketch.

Harry:Man, you're just a beginner. I'm an old hand at this stuff. Watch!
Kermit:Hey, a real watch!
Harry:With moving parts, no less.

Main article:List of Muppets

• Sam (performed byJim Henson) – A bald-headed humanoid-like character who is the main character. Only footage of him lip-syncing to a song currently survives. His head was made from papier-mâché.
• Kermit(performed by Jim Henson) – Areptilian-amphibiouscreature. He was prominently featured in many sketches that lead him to popularity, though he would not be referred to as afroguntil a decade later.
• Harry the Hipster (performed by Jim Henson) – Abeatnik.He resembled a blacksock puppetwith shades and spoke in a hip slang. Harry was one of the first Muppets designed and built by Jim Henson.
• Yorick(performed by Jim Henson) – A voracious puppet that resembled arockhead. Yorick has been known for appearing with supporting Muppets, whom he would attempt to eat. His puppet was made of papier-mâché with a tube in his mouth that allowed him to swallow things.
• Professor Madcliffe (performed by Jim Henson) – A tall-headed professor with big eyes and a mustache. He had a loud and energetic personality. He made most of his appearances in commercials.
• Chicken Liver (performed by Jim Henson) – A humanoid character with a tall head and a big nose. He has been described as "a dramatic storyteller", and believed that the show lacked culture.
• Hank and Frank – Two bald humanoids that served as the show's bit players. They took on the roles ofChet HuntleyandDavid Brinkleyin a spoof interview with Kermit.
• Mushmellon – A small yellow monster with a permanent grimace. He was a favorite among younger audiences.
• Icky Gunk – A sinister-looking greensnake-like character sporting a pair of arms.
• Henrietta (performed byJerry Juhl) – A pink female creature of indeterminable species.
• Moldy Hay – A humanoid character with orange-red skin, a big nose, and hair over his eyes.
• Omar (performed by Jim Henson) – A beaked humanoid with a papier-mâché face. He was described as "the nomadic type".
• Pierre the FrenchRat(performed by Jim Henson) – He was one of Jim Henson's first puppets. Pierre was embodied as a puppet made from plastic wood.
• Bernice (performed byBob Payne) - A female humanoid.

Cast

Sam and Friendscast

Actor	Role
Jim Henson	Sam Harry the Hipster Kermit Chicken Liver Omar Professor Madcliffe Yorick Pierre the French Rat Others
Jane Henson	Others
Jerry Juhl	Henrietta Others
Bob Payne	Bernice Others

Surviving episodes

• Powder-Burn (August 20, 1959): A pun-filledGunsmokeparody with Marshall Dilly (Chicken Liver) preparing for a showdown with Black Bart (Yorick) which results in a game of chess.
• Poison to Poison (October 29, 1959): Lip-synching to theSpike Jonestrack "Poisen to Poisen",Harry the Hipster (as"Ed Burrow") interviews Chicken Liver (asAlfred Hitchcock) in his rather horrifying home.
• The Westerners (circa November 1960): Lip-synching to a recording ofBob and Ray's act The Westerners, Kermit and Chicken Liver play two cowboys who are having a little trouble getting off their horses.
• Huntley and Brinkley (January 6, 1961): In a parody ofThe Huntley-Brinkley Report,Kermit hosts an interview withNBC NewsanchormenChet HuntleyandDavid Brinkley(as Hank and Frank).
• Visual Thinking (circa April 1961): In a mix of puppetry and animation, Harry demonstrates the Art of Visual Thinking to Kermit—and what it does to you once it gets out of control.
• Weather Warehouse (September 29, 1961): Harry demonstrates to a skeptical Kermit his new business for selling weather, and gives him a tour of the warehouse.
• Chef Omar (November 13, 1961): Omar prepares a chef salad, which blows up in his face when he serves it flaming.
• Final Episode (December 15, 1961): Kermit sings a song, then discusses the end of the series with Harry—who blows up all the scenery and equipment since they won't need it anymore.

Songs

• C'est Si Bon(January 19, 1959): In a French village setting, Moldy Hay lip-synchs toStan Freberg'srendition of "C'est Si Bon",with Hank and Frank repeating his dialogue too literally as a backup choir.
• Glow Worm(circa April 1961): Humming along to "The Glow-Worm",Kermit is bugged by some inchworm-like fingers and is later met with a human hand.
• A Horse Named Bill: Kermit lip-synchs and plays the banjo to a recording of "A Horse Named Bill."
• Hunger is From (February 12, 1960): Lip-synching to "Hunger is From",Yorick details his midnight snacking while eating a plate full of food.
• I've Got You Under My Skin(195?): Icky Gunk (sporting a blonde, curly wig), and Hank and Frank serve as chorus singers in a lip-synched rendition of Stan Freberg's "I've Got You Under My Skin"while Kermit, in spoken dialogue, messes up the lyrics.
• Singin' in the Rain(November 19, 1959): A little girl Muppet lip-synchs to an uptempo version of "Singin' in the Rain"as water begins to pour. Eventually, she is submerged in a water-filled bucket.
• That Old Black Magic(January 26, 1959): Kermit and Sam lip-synch to a recording of "That Old Black Magic"byLouis PrimaandKeely Smith.To date, this is the only survivingSam and Friendsepisode to feature Sam himself.
• Miss Cone (December 9, 1960): An animated episode made with cutouts and synced to the titular song by Ken Nordine and The Frank Katz Group.

In popular culture

Sam and Friendsis mentioned in chapter 2 of Kermit the Frog's bookBefore You Leap,under the heading of "My First Big Splash".

Yorick made a cameo in aSesame Streetsketch in Season 1.

Henrietta appeared inThe Muppets on Puppetsduring Rowlf the Dog's mixed-up fairy tale sketch portraying thefairy godmother.In this appearance, Henrietta was also performed byJerry Juhl.

Sam, Harry the Hipster, and Yorick appeared inThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years.

In Spring 2010, early puppet characters were rejoined in Henson Alternative'sStuffed and Unstrung,fortwomusical piecesthat aren't improvised and no cuss words.

In August 2010, Jane Henson donated ten puppets from the show (including the original Kermit) to theSmithsonian Institution'sNational Museum of American History.

In July 2016,Hyattsville, Maryland,installed a memorial to Jim Henson in the city's Magruder Park, featuring a large planter embossed with images of characters fromSam and Friendsand benches inscribed with quotes from Henson.

Yorick made a visual appearance in the 2021Muppet Babiesepisode "Summer's Disaster-Piece", where he replaces the head onThomas Gainsborough's paintingThe Blue Boy.

External links

• Sam and FriendsonMuppet Wiki
• Sam and FriendsatIMDb