1.
Museum of the Moving Image (New York City)
–
The Museum of the Moving Image is a media museum located in Astoria, Queens in a former building of the historic Astoria Studios. The museum originally opened in 1988 as the American Museum of the Moving Image, the museum began a $67 million expansion in March 2008 and reopened in January 2011. The expansion was designed by architect Thomas Leeser, the exhibits include significant audio/visual components designed to promote an understanding of the history of the industry and an understanding of how it has evolved. Panel discussions about current movies are frequently held at the museum and it is also home to one of the most significant collections of video games and gaming hardware. The museums attendance has grown from 60,000 in 2000 to a figure of 120,000 in 2011. The foundations work was a success, revitalized the site and consumers interest in the industry and this was followed, days later, by the opening of the British museum of the same name. It also re-created moments from television and video history and allowed visitors the opportunity to watch television in a TV lounge from the days of television. In March 2008, the museum broke ground for a $65 million expansion that doubled the size and added a new theater. The museum opened its redesigned and expanded building, designed by Leeser Architecture, on January 15,2011
2.
New York City
–
The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2015 population of 8,550,405 distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. Located at the tip of the state of New York. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. Situated on one of the worlds largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, the five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product of nearly US$1.39 trillion, in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion. NYCs MSA and CSA GDP are higher than all but 11 and 12 countries, New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the countrys largest city since 1790, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world, the names of many of the citys bridges, tapered skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattans real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, Manhattans Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, during the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, movement of the ice sheet would contribute to the separation of what are now Long Island and Staten Island. The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown and he claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August and he proceeded to sail up what the Dutch would name the North River, named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange
3.
New York (state)
–
New York is a state in the northeastern United States, and is the 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated U. S. state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015, New York City is the most populous city in the United States, the New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State, two-thirds of the states population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% lives on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York, the next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany. New York has a diverse geography and these more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys—the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley, which forms the core of the Erie Canal. Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario, between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls. The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes, New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York. The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade, the British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664. The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were similar to those of the present-day state, New York is home to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. On April 17,1524 Verrazanno entered New York Bay, by way of the now called the Narrows into the northern bay which he named Santa Margherita. Verrazzano described it as a vast coastline with a delta in which every kind of ship could pass and he adds. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats and he landed on the tip of Manhattan and possibly on the furthest point of Long Island. Verrazannos stay was interrupted by a storm which pushed him north towards Marthas Vineyard, in 1540 French traders from New France built a chateau on Castle Island, within present-day Albany, due to flooding, it was abandoned the next year. In 1614, the Dutch under the command of Hendrick Corstiaensen, rebuilt the French chateau, Fort Nassau was the first Dutch settlement in North America, and was located along the Hudson River, also within present-day Albany. The small fort served as a trading post and warehouse, located on the Hudson River flood plain, the rudimentary fort was washed away by flooding in 1617, and abandoned for good after Fort Orange was built nearby in 1623. Henry Hudsons 1609 voyage marked the beginning of European involvement with the area, sailing for the Dutch East India Company and looking for a passage to Asia, he entered the Upper New York Bay on September 11 of that year
4.
Jim Henson
–
James Maury Henson was an American puppeteer, artist, cartoonist, inventor, screenwriter, film director and producer who achieved international fame as the creator of the Muppets. Born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in Leland, Mississippi, while he was a freshman at the University of Maryland, College Park, he created Sam and Friends, a five-minute sketch-comedy puppet show that appeared on television. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in economics, he produced coffee advertisements. Feeling the need for more output, Henson founded Muppets Inc. in 1958. Henson became famous in the 1960s when he joined the educational television program Sesame Street. He also appeared on the comedy show Saturday Night Live. In 1976, after scrapping plans for a Broadway show, he produced The Muppet Show and he won fame for his creations, particularly Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, and Ernie, and was involved with Sesame Street for over 20 years. Rowlf the Dog was a cast member on the Jimmy Dean Show in the early 60s, during the later years of his life, he also founded the Jim Henson Foundation and Jim Hensons Creature Shop. His involvement in two television programs—The Storyteller and The Jim Henson Hour—led to Emmy Award wins, in the weeks after his death, he was celebrated in a wave of tributes. He was posthumously inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, and as a Disney Legend in 2011. He was raised as a Christian Scientist and spent his childhood in Leland, Mississippi, before moving with his family to University Park, Maryland, near Washington. In 1954, while attending Northwestern High School, he working for WTOP-TV. After graduating from school, Henson enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park, as a studio arts major. A puppetry class offered in the arts department introduced him to the craft and textiles courses in the College of Home economics. As a freshman, he had asked to create Sam and Friends. The characters on Sam and Friends were forerunners of Muppets, Henson would remain at WRC for seven years, from 1954 to 1961. A marionettes arms are manipulated by strings, but Henson used rods to move his Muppets arms, when Henson began work on Sam and Friends, he asked fellow University of Maryland sophomore Jane Nebel to assist him. The show was a success, but after graduating from college
5.
The Muppet Show
–
The Muppet Show is a family-oriented comedy-variety television series that was produced by puppeteer Jim Henson and features The Muppets. The programmes were recorded at ATVs Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, England, the series shows a vaudeville or music hall-style song-and-dance variety show, as well as glimpses behind the scenes of such a show. Kermit the Frog stars as a showrunner who tries to control of the antics of the other Muppet characters. The show was known for physical slapstick, sometimes absurdist comedy. Each episode also featured a human guest star, as the shows popularity rose, many celebrities were eager to perform with the Muppets on television and in film. Many of the puppeteers also worked on Sesame Street, Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns were two of the show writers. The music was performed by Jack Parnell and his orchestra, since 1969, Sesame Street had given Jim Hensons Muppet creations exposure, however, Henson began to perceive that he was pigeonholed as a childrens entertainer. He sought to create a programme that could be enjoyed by young, Two specials were produced and aired on ABC that are considered pilots for The Muppet Show. Neither led to the sale of a network series. However, the prime-time access rule had just been enacted, which took the 7,30 to 8 pm ET slot from the networks and turned it over to their affiliates. CBS suggested it would be interested in Hensons proposal as a series it could purchase for its owned-and-operated stations. According to the pitch reel, Rowan & Martins Laugh-In co-creator George Schlatter was originally going to be involved. Henson put aside his misgivings about syndication and accepted, the Muppet Show Theme is the shows theme song. It is the opening and closing theme for episode of The Muppet Show and was performed by The Muppets in a scene of The Muppets. Each episode ended with an instrumental performance of The Muppet Show Theme by the Muppet orchestra before Statler. Some last laugh sequences featured other Muppets on the balcony, for example, in one episode, the Muppets of Sesame Street appeared behind the duo who told them, How should we know how to get to Sesame Street. We dont even know how to get out of this stupid theater box, every series, the TV version of the song was presented with re-worked lyrics. While the opening sequence evolved visually over the course of the five series
6.
Dog City
–
The show contained both animation by Nelvana, and puppetry by Jim Henson Productions. Dog City was originally a thirty-nine-minute long TV movie, broadcast in 1989 as an episode of The Jim Henson Hour, featuring the characters as puppets. In Dog City, The Movie, Ace Yu inherits a bar-restaurant called the Dog House following the death of his Uncle Harry and is harassed for protection money by crime syndicate boss Bugsy Them, refusing to pay or fight him, Bugsy kidnaps Aces love interest Colleen. There are car chases and shoot-em-ups and rubber duckies involved in the action, in the end, Ace defeats Bugsy and gets the girl. Ace Yu - A German Shepherd adopted by Chinese Pekingese parents, although Aces puppet is a Hand-Rod Puppet, it is later modified into a Live-Hand Puppet when it was used to play Elliot in the TV series. Rosie Ogravy - A Rough Collie who serves as Aces love interest, Bugsy Them - A vain bulldog crime boss who is proud of his tail. His puppet is used to play Bruno in the TV series. Miss Belle - A poodle that is the key associate of Bugsy Them, Mad Dog - Bugsy Thems dimwitted St. Bernard henchman. His puppet is used to play Bowser in the TV series. Scruffy - Bugsy Thems henchman who is always scratching at his fleas, laughing Boy - Bugsy Thems henchman who is always laughing and cracking jokes. Bubba - The bartender at the Dog House and he is a recycled and modified version of the Wolfhound from The Muppet Show. Mac - The waiter at the Dog House, although Steve Whitmire performed Mac in most scenes, Mac was performed by Rickey Boyd in scenes where Mac was sweeping. Rowlf the Dog - He is the narrator of the TV movie, Dog City, The Movie was released to regions 1 and 2. The companys YouTube channel has 6 clips from the pilot in a playlist called Dogs of Anarchy, the animated portions of the show focused on a canine private investigator named Ace Hart. The Muppet portions of the focused on the interactions between Ace Hart and his animator Eliot Shag. Eliot would illustrate the stories while Ace would go traverse through it, in one episode, Eliot even enters Dog City himself to join Ace in solving a mystery. A recurring gag was that many of the characters in the cartoon were based on the residents of Eliots apartment building. The bulldog crime-boss Bugsy Vile was inspired by the buildings grouchy bulldog superintendent Bruno, Aces love interest Colleen was based on Eliots deep feelings for his neighbor Rosie, and so on
7.
Nelvana
–
Nelvana Ltd. is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1971 and known for its work in childrens animation. It was named by founders Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert and Clive A. Smith after a Canadian comic book created by Adrian Dingle in the 1940s. The companys production logo is a bear looking at the North Star. Corus Entertainment, a spin-off from Shaw Communications, has owned the company since September 2000, most of its films, shows and specials are based on licensed properties, mainly childrens literature, but original programming is also part of its roster. It ventured into the world of action from its establishment. Nelvana also distributes internationally six Nickelodeon shows, Oh Yeah, cartoons, Taina, The Fairly OddParents, ChalkZone, My Life as a Teenage Robot, and Danny Phantom. As of 2001, its library comprises more than 1,650 cumulative half-hours of original programming, the company has international offices in France, Ireland and Japan. Nelvana’s content has aired in over 150 countries and has received over 70 major international awards including Emmys. Nelvana started in 1971 when two graduates of York University, Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert, teamed up with a Vitaphone animator-designer Clive A. Smith in Toronto, Ontario. Hirsh and Loubert, who had a passion for filmmaking, had founded a small company called Laff Arts in the late 1960s. Smith, whose interest was in rock n roll music, had previously been among the crew for the Beatles animated series and their 1968 film, Yellow Submarine. Hirsh has commented on the background of Nelvanas founding, Clive is an animator, at the time, there was no production industry per se in Canada, either in animation or in television production. There were stations making local shows, but you didnt have people making programs for sale around the world, so, blissfully unaware of all it would involve, we decided to start a company in Toronto. Soon after they saw a collection of comic books from the 1940s. In turn, they made a television documentary for the CBC focusing on Canadian comics. Their two-year travelling tour of the art from the National Gallery of Canada, Comic Art Traditions in Canada, 1941-45, meanwhile, Hirsh and Loubert collaborated on a related primer from Peter Martin and Associates, The Great Canadian Comic Books. A derelict apartment in downtown Toronto served as the companys first building, to create zooms, Hirsh recalled of his early experience with this machine, we would pile up phone books under the art work. Under those conditions, Nelvana was involved in the production of documentaries, in the area of part-time animation work, they made ten C$1,500 fillers for the CBC
8.
The Muppet Movie
–
The Muppet Movie is a 1979 musical road comedy film and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. Directed by James Frawley and produced by Jim Henson, the screenplay was written by The Muppet Show writers Jerry Juhl. In 2009, the film was deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by the Library of Congress, the Muppets have gathered in a theatre, in a Hollywood film studio, to screen their new biographical film, The Muppet Movie. As Kermit continuously declines Docs offers, Hopper resorts to increasingly vicious means of persuasion, meeting Fozzie Bear, who works as a hapless comedian in the El Sleezo Cafe, Kermit invites Fozzie to accompany him. The two set out in a 1951 Studebaker loaned to Fozzie by his hibernating uncle, the duo’s journey includes misadventures which introduce them to a variety of eccentric human and Muppet characters, including Dr. While Kermit and Miss Piggy form a relationship over dinner that night, Doc Hopper, after receiving a job offer, however, she promptly abandons a devastated Kermit. After an incident in the theater where the projector briefly breaks down, with film tangled around the Swedish Chef, who was the projectionist, having been joined by Rowlf the Dog and reunited with Miss Piggy, the Muppets continue their journey. Fozzies 1946 Ford Woodie station wagon trade-in breaks down in the New Mexico desert, during a campfire that night, the group sadly considers that they may miss the audition tomorrow, and Kermit wanders off, ashamed of himself for seemingly bringing his friends on a fruitless journey. Upon consulting a more optimistic vision of himself, Kermit remembers that it was not just his friends belief in the dream that brought them this far, but also his own faith in himself. Reinvigorated, he returns to camp to find that the Electric Mayhem and Scooter have read the script in advance, just as it seems they are finally on their way, the group is warned by Max that Doc Hopper has hired an assassin named Snake Walker to kill Kermit. While confronting Hopper, Kermit explains his motivations, attempting to appeal to Hopper’s own hopes and dreams and they are saved only when one of Dr. Bunsens inventions, insta-grow pills, temporarily turns Animal into a giant, causing Hopper and his men to flee. The Muppets proceed to Hollywood, and after getting by his secretary, Miss Tracy, via causing her allergic reactions to their dander and fur, are hired by producer, the Muppets attempt to make their first movie involving a surreal pastiche of their experiences. However, in their stunned silence of the chain of events. As the screening ends, Sweetums jumps through the theaters screen, charles Durning as Doc Hopper, a businessman, entrepreneur, and restaurateur. Austin Pendleton as Max, Doc Hoppers shy right-hand man and sidekick, scott Walker as Snake Walker, an assassin who specializes in killing frogs. Lawrence Gabriel Jr as Sailor Ira F. Grubman as Bartender H. B, bunsen Honeydew, Doglion Caroll Spinney as Big Bird Frank Oz appears in a cameo as a biker who beats up Fozzie Bear while Steve Whitmire appears as a man in the Bogen County Fair. Also, director Tim Burton is one of the puppeteers in the shot of the film. John Landis is also in the shot, performing Grover
9.
Yoda
–
Yoda is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas, first appearing in the 1980 film The Empire Strikes Back. In the original films, he trains Luke Skywalker to fight against the Galactic Empire, in the prequel films, he serves as the Grand Master of the Jedi Order and as a high-ranking general of Clone Troopers in the Clone Wars. Frank Oz provided Yodas voice in each film and used his skills as a puppeteer in the trilogy and Star Wars. For some walking scenes in Episodes V and I, dwarf actors Deep Roy, the make-up artist Stuart Freeborn based Yodas face partly on his own and partly on Albert Einsteins. In The Phantom Menace, he was redesigned to look younger and he was computer-generated for two distant shots, but remained mostly a puppet. The puppet was re-designed by Nick Dudman from Stuart Freeborns original design, in Revenge of the Sith, his face appears in several big close-ups, demanding highly detailed CGI work. His performance was designed to be consistent with the limitations of the puppet version. Rob Coleman was responsible for the new incarnation to the series. Yoda was recreated in CGI for the 2011 Blu-ray release of The Phantom Menace, a clip of the new CG Yoda from The Phantom Menace was first seen in the featurette The Chosen One, included in the 2005 DVD release of Revenge of the Sith. The 2012 theatrical 3D release of The Phantom Menace also features the CG version of Yoda, Grand Jedi Master Yoda is among the oldest and most powerful known Jedi Masters in the Star Wars universe. Series creator George Lucas opted to have details of the characters life history remain unknown. Yodas race and home world have not been named in any media, canonical or otherwise, Yodas speech syntax has been analyzed and discussed by academic syntacticians, who found it somewhat inconsistent, but could extrapolate that it has object–subject–verb word order. In the Star Wars prequel films, he instructs several younglings in the Jedi Temple before they are assigned to a master and this was displayed in a scene in Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones. In The Empire Strikes Back he mentioned that he had been training Jedi for 800 years, Yoda makes his first film appearance in The Empire Strikes Back. Luke Skywalker arrives on Dagobah to seek his guidance, having been instructed to do so by the Force ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yoda does not initially identify himself to Luke and instead tests his patience by presenting himself as a comical and senile backwater individual, Luke is shocked when he finally realizes that this small, elderly creature is the powerful Jedi Master he was seeking. Finding that Luke has the same anger and recklessness which caused his fathers downfall, Yoda is reluctant to teach him in the ways of the Force, and agrees only at Obi-Wans behest. Before finishing his training, however, Luke chooses to leave Dagobah in order to confront Darth Vader, Yoda and Obi-Wan warn him that he is not ready to face Vader and is being lured into a trap, but Luke leaves anyway, promising to return
10.
The Empire Strikes Back
–
The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan wrote the screenplay, with George Lucas writing the films story, the film is set three years after Star Wars. The Galactic Empire, under the leadership of the villainous Darth Vader and the Emperor, is in pursuit of Luke Skywalker, while Vader chases a small band of Lukes friends—Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and others—across the galaxy, Luke studies the Force under Jedi Master Yoda. When Vader captures Lukes friends, Luke must decide whether to complete his training and become a full Jedi Knight or to confront Vader, following a difficult production, The Empire Strikes Back was released on May 21,1980. The film ranks #3 on Empires 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time and it became the highest-grossing film of 1980 and, to date, has earned more than $538 million worldwide from its original run and several re-releases. When adjusted for inflation, it is the sequel of all time. The film was followed by a sequel, titled Return of the Jedi, in 2010, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant. Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance has been driven from their base on Yavin IV by the Galactic Empire. The Rebels, led by Princess Leia, have set up their new base on the ice planet Hoth, the Imperial fleet, led by Darth Vader, continues to hunt for the Rebels’ new base by dispatching probe droids across the galaxy. While investigating a meteor strike, Luke Skywalker is injured and captured by a wampa. He manages to escape from its cave with his lightsaber, the ghost of his late mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, instructs him to go to the Dagobah system to train under Jedi Master Yoda. He is found by Han Solo, who kills his tauntaun, Han and Luke make it through the night and are rescued by a search party. On patrol, Han and Chewbacca discover the meteor Luke had planned to investigate is actually a probe droid, the Empire launches a large-scale attack, using AT-AT Walkers to capture the base. Despite heavy resistance, the Walkers destroy the shield generator. Han and Leia escape on the Millennium Falcon with C-3PO and Chewbacca and they hide in an asteroid field, where Han and Leia grow closer, and eventually, kiss. Vader summons bounty hunters, including the notorious Boba Fett, to assist in finding the Falcon, Luke, meanwhile, escapes with R2-D2 in his X-wing fighter and crash-lands on the swamp planet Dagobah. He meets a creature who is revealed to be Yoda, after conferring with Obi-Wans spirit. Yoda trains Luke as a Jedi and raises his sunken ship from the swamp with the power of the Force, after evading the Empire, Han sets a course for Cloud City, a floating colony in the skies of the gas giant planet Bespin
11.
Between the Lions
–
Between the Lions is a PBS Kids puppet television series designed to promote reading. The show was a co-production between WGBH in Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd. in New York City, in association with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, the show has won seven Daytime Emmy awards between 2001 and 2007. The target audience is children 5–8 years old and it has the same puppet style as Sesame Street and several season 2 episodes, notably in Dance in Smarty Pants, had a few characters from Sesame Street guest appearing. The show premiered on April 3,2000, replacing The Puzzle Place, between the Lions started its 10th and final season on September 20,2010, and the series finale aired on November 22 of that same year. It aired on PBS Kids until reruns ceased on August 31,2011, some episodes even have featured adaptions of well-known folktales or ancient myths or fables, while others have featured popular storybooks such as Click, Clack, Moo. Cows that Type, or shown the lions learning or benefiting from the lessons presented by the story, a distinctive feature of the series is that it is virtually never set outside of the library, as it usually chronicles the lions experiences within it. Another segment features a pair of pigeons named Walter and Clay comically infuriating a living bust of the deceased founder. Busterfield III, located in a section of the library. The main characters are the lion cubs Lionel and Leona and their parents Theo and Cleo, busterfield III – A grumpy, armless, and legless rock statue that is the founder of the library, which is named after him, and lives on the second floor. He is often annoyed by the antics of Walter and Clay Pigeon and, being a statue. He is more annoyed by anyone calling him Buster since he hates being called that for some reason and it is unknown if he knows the main characters or not, but it is possible that he might know them. Walter and Clay Pigeon – The two birds that Barnaby talks to, and they talk to him, thats why he says, dont call me Buster. Walter is the pigeon and Clay is the female pigeon. Walter and Clay Pigeon are true urban birds, but lets just say theyre not the brightest lights in the sky—without each others help. That means Walter doesnt manage to say complete sentences without Clays help, dr. Alexander Graham Nitwhite is a pelican scientist. In his skits, he announces to Watson that hes discovered the word in the entire English language with a certain letter combination. However, his discoveries always turn out to be incorrect, as Watson inadvertently points out, as such and his name is a pun on Alexander Graham Bell, the creator of the telephone. Information Hen – The librarys information specialist, Each time she appears, she gives information about the library and reading to various callers
12.
Fraggle Rock
–
Fraggle Rock is a British/American/Canadian childrens live action puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim Henson. Fraggle Rock was co-produced by British television company Television South, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, U. S. pay television service Home Box Office and Henson Associates. Fraggle Rock debuted in 1983 as one of the first shows involving the collaboration of Henson International Television, the co-production brought together British regional ITV franchise-holder Television South, CBC Television, United States pay-television service Home Box Office and Henson Associates. Filming took place on a Toronto sound-stage, the avant-garde poet bpNichol worked as one of the shows writers. In the early days of development, the called the Fraggles Woozles pending the devising of a more suitable name. Henson described the Fraggle Rock series as a high-energy, raucous musical romp, the producers made the series with the intention of it airing in various forms internationally. That concept grew out of Jim Hensons experience adapting Sesame Street to the requirements of foreign markets, the human wraparound segments were produced separately in several countries, so the viewer could always relate to the world of the program. The series has appeared now in over ten countries and languages, the head producer was Wesley James Tomlinson. The main version, filmed in Toronto, features an inventor named Doc and this wraparound was also used in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Republic Of Ireland, Scandinavia, Spain and Eastern Europe. Dutch, Scandinavian, Spanish and Eastern European shows were dubbed in their respective languages, the British inserts were filmed at the TVS Studios in Southampton, and later at the TVS Television Theatre in Gillingham, Kent and presents Fraggle Rock as a rocky sea-island with a lighthouse. Exterior footage was that of St. Anthonys Lighthouse located near Falmouth in Cornwall, the lighthouse keeper is The Captain, a retired sailor who lives with his faithful dog Sprocket. In the third following the death of Fulton Mackay, the role was filled by John Gordon Sinclair as P. K. Up to 35 of these British wraparounds are now missing, believed wiped, only 57 are known to remain. Nickelodeon repeated it in the UK from 1993, as did Boomerang, the episodes shown were the Canadian versions. In the German version, the takes place beneath the workshop of the inventor Doc. The series was named Die Fraggles with 85 of the 96 produced episodes being presented in German, in France, the wraparound segments take place in a bakery with its version of Doc who worked as a baker and a French alter-ego for Sprocket called Croquette. Doc inherited the home from his eccentric Uncle Georges, thus, when the frame story required the use of a mechanical device, Doc would find yet another of Uncle Georgess machines. Plot-lines also frequently involved the elegant but unseen Madame Pontaven, not all of the 96 episodes were produced in French
13.
The Dark Crystal
–
The Dark Crystal is a 1982 American–British fantasy adventure film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz and stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, and Percy Edwards. The plot revolves around Jen, an elf-like Gelfling on a quest to restore balance to his world by returning a lost shard to a powerful. Although marketed as a film, it was notably darker than the creators previous material. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking, the primary concept artist was the fantasy illustrator Brian Froud, famous for his distinctive fairy and dwarf designs. Froud also collaborated with Henson and Oz for their project, the 1986 film Labyrinth. The Dark Crystal was produced by Gary Kurtz, while the screenplay was written by David Odell, the films score was composed by Trevor Jones. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment, the British production company responsible for producing The Muppet Show, the film earned mixed to positive reviews from multiple critics, particularly commenting on its special effects. Jen, an elf-like Gelfling taken in by the Mystics after his clan was killed, is told by his Mystic master that he must heal the Crystal, if he fails to do so before the planets three suns align, then the Skeksis will rule forever. The Skeksis emperor and Jens master die simultaneously, a duel ensues between the Skeksis Chamberlain and General, both of whom desire the throne. The General wins, taking power and exiling the Chamberlain, learning of Jens existence, the Skeksis send large crab-like creatures called Garthim to track him. Jen reaches Aughra and is taken to her home, which contains an enormous orrery she uses to predict the motions of the heavens and she has a box full of shards, from which Jen selects the correct one by playing music on his flute to cause it to resonate. Aughra tells Jen of the upcoming Great Conjunction, the alignment of the three suns, but he learns little of its connection to the shard, suddenly the Garthim appear and destroy Aughras home taking her prisoner as Jen flees. Hearing the call of the Crystal, the Mystics leave their valley to travel to the Skeksis castle, Jen meets Kira, another surviving Gelfling who can communicate with animals, and her pet Fizzgig. They discover that they have a connection, which Kira calls dreamfasting. They stay for a night with the Podlings, who raised Kira after the death of her parents, the Garthim raid the village, capturing most of the Podlings, but Kira, Jen, and Fizzgig flee when the Chamberlain stops the Garthim from attacking them. Jen and Kira discover a ruined Gelfling city with ancient writing describing a prophecy and they are interrupted by the Chamberlain, who claims that the Skeksis want to make peace and wants the Gelflings to return to the castle with him, but they distrust him and refuse. Riding on Landstriders, the Gelflings arrive at the Skeksis castle, while trying to free the captured Podlings, Kira, Jen, and Fizzgig descend to the bottom of the castles dry moat and use a lower-level entrance to gain access. They are followed by the Chamberlain, who repeats his peace offer, the General reinstates him to his former position, and the Skeksis Scientist tries to drain Kiras life essence for the General to drink so that he can regain his youth
14.
Allegra's Window
–
The series deals with the daily life of a precocious, imaginative puppet named Allegra, and featured live actors, puppets and animation a la Sesame Street. The show was created by Jan Fleming, John Hoffman and Jim Jinkins, two of the puppeteers, Kathryn Mullen and Anthony Asbury, would later work together on the PBS series Between the Lions as the performers of Lionel and Leona Lion. The series also spawned a series of music videos aired during interstitials that aired on Nick Jr, in the 2010s, the first season was released on iTunes and Amazon Video. However, the series was released for viewing on Noggins new paid-subscription service. The series follows Allegra through the triumphs, trials. She and her big brother Rondo, along with her best friend Lindi, at the end of each episode, Allegra sits at her window and reflects on all the lessons she has learned. There were also segments that feature talking musical instruments that live on the wall of Reeds Music shop, special character Daphne Dolphin also appears with her friend Salvatore Intieri later in the series. Over 100 original songs were created for the series, under the oversight of musical director Donald Sibesky and that evening she remarked that it would be a great name for the little girl at the center of the project she was working on. Allegra – The main protagonist of the series and she is just learning about the world outside of her home, and as such is often quite naive. She mostly encounters problems and is relied on her friends to find a solution. She also is known for having curly hair, which Rondo points out. Rondo – The older brother of Allegra, although he often tries to act tough, he has a great deal of love and protection for his sister. It is mentioned that he is in the first grade by Allegra, Lindi – A yellow dog who is Allegras best friend. She is less naive than Allegra and often acts as her voice of reason and she has a love for dance, especially ballet. Riff – The pesky and rude neighborhood cat and Rondos best friend, although he frequently takes advantage of Allegras naivety, his favorite target is Mr. Cook. Mr. Cook – The town baker who is frequently the butt of Riffs antics and he is generally upbeat and always speaks in third person. Poco – Mr. Cooks young nephew, the youngest character on the show, he is very childlike and looks up to Allegra, Rondo, Lindi, and sometimes even Riff. Like his uncle, he speaks in third person
15.
Dragon Con
–
Dragon Con is a North America multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place once each year in Atlanta, Georgia. It is operated by a private corporation, with the help of a 1. Dragon Con has hosted the 1990 Origins Game Fair and the 1995 North American Science Fiction Convention, Dragon Con was launched in 1987, as a project of a local science fiction and gaming group, the Dragon Alliance of Gamers and Role-Players. It was founded by a board of directors including John Bunnell, David Cody, Robert Dennis, Mike Helba, Pat Henry, and Ed Kramer. The name Dragon for the club was derived from Kramers Dragon Computer, the inaugural Dragon*Con flyers debuted at the 1986 Atlanta Worldcon, ConFederation. Within a year, Dragon*Con had been selected to be the host of the 1990 Origins convention, thomas E. Fullers Atlanta Radio Theatre Company performed H. P. Lovecrafts Call of Cthulhu, which was broadcast via radio live from onsite. The 1988 convention included guests Alan Dean Foster, Fred Saberhagen, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Gary Gygax, in 1989, it drew 2,400 fans, and the event had moved to the Omni Hotel and Convention Center. In 1990, the convention had doubled again, added a Comics Expo, hosted the Origins convention, this time with Guest of Honor Tom Clancy, and expanded to include the Atlanta Sheraton hotel. In 1991 the first Robot Battles robotic competition event was added to the list of Dragon*Con events, in 1993, Dragon*Con was the home of the Wizard Fan Awards. By 1995, when Dragon*Con hosted the North American Science Fiction Convention, attendance had grown to over 14,000 fans, in 1999, Dragon*Cons TrekTrak introduced the first Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant, an annual event that has since garnered national media attention. Kramers relationship with the convention was ended in July 2013 in a merger, at which point the name of the convention. In 2002, Dragon*Con began hosting a parade through downtown Atlanta, which ran from Centennial Olympic Park to the Marriott Marquis, in 2005, Dragon*Con raised USD $20,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation. R. R. The Bloodhound Gang, Spocks Beard, and Mindless Self Indulgence, in 1998, Dragon Con established the Julie Award, in honor of Julius Schwartz, bestowed for universal achievement spanning multiple genres, selected each year by a panel of industry professionals. The inaugural recipient was science fiction and fantasy Grandmaster Ray Bradbury, the award process consists of a nomination step, where each voter can nominate one work of choice in every category, and a voting step where the nominated works are voted for to receive the award. The nominations and votes are collected electronically, participation is freely available to everyone, without any pay or requirement of membership. The finalist shortlist for the first edition of the awards was announced on August 11,2016, voting lasted until August 31,2016, with the winners announced on September 4. According to statistics provided by Georgia State University, Robinson College of Business, Dragon Con brought in over $21 million
16.
Karen Prell
–
Karen Leigh Prell is an animator and puppeteer. She was the performer of Red Fraggle in Fraggle Rock, Prell was born in Florida but grew up in Seattle, Washington. She also performed some characters in other Jim Henson films and has enjoyed a significant second career as an animator for such studios as Pixar. In Sesame Street, she performed Deena Monster, which was a character in the classic Sesame Street. Her website includes notes about working with Jim Henson and pictures of her custom puppets, Prell married fellow muppeteer Mike Quinn. They lived for a decade in England before moving to California to work for Pixar, after divorcing, Karen Prell and Mike Quinn continue to work together on different projects. She was an animator for Geri’s Game and also worked on animation of A Bugs Life, Prell currently works as an animator with Valve Corporation. Outside of her works on shows, Prell has made public appearances performing Red Fraggle, at Dragon Con 2013, Karen Prell was joined by fellow puppeteer Kathryn Mullen as part of the 30th Anniversary of Fraggle Rock where they performed their respective characters
17.
Little Muppet Monsters
–
Little Muppet Monsters is a Saturday morning television series featuring the Muppets that aired three episodes on CBS in 1985. The first season of Muppet Babies did so well in the ratings and they called the hour-long package Muppets, Babies and Monsters. The show was anchored by three young Muppet monsters, Tug, Molly, and Boo, the three have started their own basement show following an incident where Scooter has them put in the basement after Molly and Boo played water polo in the living room. They are joined by Nicky Napoleon and his Emperor Penguins as their music act, storyboard director Scott Shaw discussed the show in MuppetZine issue #3. The concept of this second half-hour was neither simple nor particularly well-developed, a trio of new Muppet Monster Kids, working from the basement of the adult Muppets home, create their own television station which broadcasts only to the TV sets in the house upstairs. Although thirteen episodes were produced, only three of them ever aired, according to Muppet performer Kathryn Mullen, and the Henson Company archives, Marvel Productions failed to deliver the full seasons animated segments in time for airing. CBS responded by rerunning episodes of Muppet Babies to fill the half hour until Marvel finished the series animated segments. Due to high ratings from the Muppet Babies reruns, the decided not to pick up the remaining episodes of Little Muppet Monsters. The three completed episodes never appeared on television after their initial airdates, plans to officially re-release the three episodes have not been made. Robinson - Rat, Cow, Walrus Greg Berg - Fozzie Bear, Dr. Julius Strangepork Bob Bergen - Dr. com
18.
Penguin
–
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, with one species. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, most penguins feed on krill, fish, squid and other forms of sealife caught while swimming underwater. They spend about half of their lives on land and half in the oceans, although almost all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates, such as Antarctica. In fact, only a few species of penguin live so far south, several species are found in the temperate zone, and one species, the Galápagos penguin, lives near the equator. The largest living species is the penguin, on average adults are about 1.1 m tall. The smallest penguin species is the little penguin, also known as the fairy penguin. Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are found in temperate or even tropical climates. Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human, the word penguin first appears in the 16th century as a synonym for great auk. The etymology of the penguin is still debated. The English word is not apparently of French, Breton or Spanish origin, an alternative etymology links the word to Latin pinguis, which means fat or oil. Support for this etymology can be found in the alternative Germanic word for penguin, fettgans or fat-goose, the number of extant penguin species is debated. Depending on which authority is followed, penguin biodiversity varies between 17 and 20 living species, all in the subfamily Spheniscinae. Some sources consider the white-flippered penguin a separate Eudyptula species, while others treat it as a subspecies of the little penguin, similarly, it is still unclear whether the royal penguin is merely a color morph of the macaroni penguin. The status of the penguins is also unclear. Updated after Marples, Acosta Hospitaleche, and Ksepka et al, CADIC P21 Delphinornis – Palaeeudyptinae, basal, new subfamily 1. Marambiornis – Palaeeudyptinae, basal, new subfamily 1, mesetaornis – Palaeeudyptinae, basal, new subfamily 1. Tonniornis Wimanornis Duntroonornis – possibly Spheniscinae Korora Kairuku Platydyptes – possibly not monophyletic, further examination in 1980 resulted in placement as Aves incertae sedis
19.
Rat
–
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. True rats are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, many members of other rodent genera and families are also referred to as rats, and share many characteristics with true rats. Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size, generally, when someone discovers a large muroid rodent, its common name includes the term rat, while if it is smaller, the name includes the term mouse. The muroid family is broad and complex, and the common terms rat, scientifically, the terms are not confined to members of the Rattus and Mus genera, for example, the pack rat and cotton mouse. The best-known rat species are the black rat and the brown rat, the group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats, and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most Old World mice, which are their relatives, the term rat is also used in the names of other small mammals which are not true rats. Examples include the North American pack rats, a number of species loosely called kangaroo rats, Rats such as the bandicoot rat are murine rodents related to true rats, but are not members of the genus Rattus. Male rats are called bucks, unmated females are called does, pregnant or parent females are called dams, a group of rats is referred to as a mischief. The common species are opportunistic survivors and often live with and near humans, therefore and they may cause substantial food losses, especially in developing countries. However, the distributed and problematic commensal species of rats are a minority in this diverse genus. Many species of rats are island endemics and some have become endangered due to loss or competition with the brown. Wild rodents, including rats, can carry many different zoonotic pathogens, such as Leptospira, Toxoplasma gondii, another zoonotic disease linked to the rat is the foot-and-mouth disease. The average lifespan of any given rat depends on species is being discussed. The black and brown rats diverged from other Old World rats during the beginning of the Pleistocene in the forests of Asia, specially bred rats have been kept as pets at least since the late 19th century. Pet rats are typically variants of the brown rat, but black rats. Pet rats behave differently from their wild counterparts depending on how many generations they have kept as pets. Pet rats do not pose any more of a risk than pets such as cats or dogs. Tamed rats are generally friendly and can be taught to perform selected behaviors, in 1895, Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts established a population of domestic albino brown rats to study the effects of diet and for other physiological studies
20.
Sesame Street
–
Sesame Street is a long-running American childrens television series, produced by Sesame Workshop and created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The program is known for its content, and images communicated through the use of Jim Hensons Muppets, animation, short films, humor. The show has undergone significant changes throughout its history, with the creation of Sesame Street, producers and writers of a childrens television show used, for the first time, educational goals and a curriculum to shape its content. It was also the first time a shows educational effects were studied, the show was initially funded by government and private foundations but has become somewhat self-supporting due to revenues from licensing arrangements, international sales, and other media. By 2006, there were independently produced versions, or co-productions, in 2001 there were over 120 million viewers of various international versions of Sesame Street, and by the shows 40th anniversary in 2009, it was broadcast in more than 140 countries. By its 40th anniversary in 2009, Sesame Street was the childrens television show in the United States. A1996 survey found that 95% of all American preschoolers had watched the show by the time they were three years old, in 2008, it was estimated that 77 million Americans had watched the series as children. As of 2014, Sesame Street has won 167 Emmy Awards and 8 Grammy Awards—more than any other childrens show, Sesame Street was conceived in 1966 during discussions between television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and Carnegie Foundation vice president Lloyd Morrisett. Their goal was to create a television show that would master the addictive qualities of television and do something good with them. The program premiered on television stations on November 10,1969. It was the first preschool educational television program to base its contents and production values on laboratory, initial responses to the show included adulatory reviews, some controversy, and high ratings. By its 40th anniversary in 2009, Sesame Street was broadcast in over 120 countries, Sesame Street has evolved from its initial inception. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become an American institution, the cast and crew expanded during this time, with emphasis on the hiring of women crew members and the addition of minorities to the cast. The shows success continued into the 1980s, Sesame Streets curriculum has expanded to include more affective topics such as relationships, ethics, and emotions. After the turn of the 21st century, Sesame Street made major structural changes, for example, starting in 2002, its format became more narrative and included ongoing storylines. After its thirtieth anniversary in 1999 and due to the popularity of the Muppet Elmo, upon its fortieth anniversary in 2009, the show received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy at the 36th Daytime Emmy Awards. In April 2017, Sesame Street will introduce a new puppet called Julia with Autism to the show, and will be voiced by Stacey Gordon, who started Puppet Pie and has a son on the autism spectrum. From its first episode, Sesame Street has structured its format by using a visual style, fast-moving action, humor
21.
Prairie dog
–
Prairie dogs are herbivorous burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. The five species are, black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnisons, Utah and they are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States, they range primarily to the west of the Mississippi River, despite the name, they are not canines. Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning call, which similar to a dogs bark. The name was in use at least as early as 1774, the 1804 journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition note that in September 1804, they discovered a Village of an animal the French Call the Prairie Dog. Its genus, Cynomys, derives from the Greek for dog mouse, the black-tailed prairie dog was first described by Lewis and Clark in 1804. Lewis described it in detail in 1806, calling it the barking squirrel.5 and 1.5 kilograms. Sexual dimorphism in body mass in the prairie dog varies 105 to 136% between the sexes, among the species, black-tailed prairie dogs tend to be the least sexually dimorphic, and white-tailed prairie dogs tend to be the most sexually dimorphic. Prairie dogs are herbivorous, though they eat some insects. They feed primarily on grasses and small seeds, in the fall, they eat broadleaf forbs. In the winter, lactating and pregnant females supplement their diets with snow for extra water and they also will eat roots, seeds, fruit, and buds. Grasses of various species are eaten, white-tailed prairie dogs have been observed to kill ground squirrels, a competing herbivore. Prairie dogs live mainly at altitudes ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 ft above sea level, the areas where they live can get as warm as 38 °C in the summer and as cold as −37 °C in the winter. As prairie dogs live in areas prone to environmental threats, including hailstorms, blizzards, burrows help prairie dogs control their body temperature as they are 5–10 °C during the winter and 15–25 °C in the summer. Prairie dog burrows are 5–10 m long and 2–3 m below the ground, the entrance holes are generally 10–30 cm in diameter. Prairie dog burrows can have up to six entrances, sometimes the entrances are simply flat holes in the ground, while at other times they are surrounded by mounds of soil either left as piles or hard packed. Some mounds, known as dome craters, can be as high as 0. 2–0.3 m high, other mounds, known as rim craters, can be as high as 1 m. Dome craters and rim craters serve as observation posts used by the animals to watch for predators and they also protect the burrows from flooding
22.
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss
–
The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss is an live-action/puppet television series based on characters created by Dr. Seuss, produced by The Jim Henson Company. It aired from October 13,1996 to December 28,1998 on the Nickelodeon channel, in many respects seasons one and two of the program are very different shows. The two seasons have completely different intro and outro credit sequences and songs reflecting their differing orientations, the virtual settings seen in this show are created by Jim Hensons Creature Shop. Each episode is a story based on Dr. Seuss characters such as Yertle the Turtle. The unifying element is that the stories are introduced and commented on by The Cat in the Hat who serves as host of the show. Occasionally The Cat in the Hat himself appears in the episode, reprising his role as a bit of a trickster, Season one is notable for hewing closely to many of the themes of the original Dr. Seuss stories which often had a strong moral overtone. As a result, some episodes have distinctly dark or sinister elements which, like some Dr. Seuss books, for season two the show was reworked along the lines of a more traditional childrens program. The Cat in the Hat lives in a playhouse with his Little Cats A through Z, aside from the residents of the house there are usually visitors based on Dr. Seuss characters. Each episode revolves around a theme and features one or two songs about the theme, the action shifts between The Cat in the Hat and what is going on in his playhouse and shorter related story interludes, which he shows to the audience by means of his Wubbuloscope. These story vignettes take place in locations like, Seussville - A contemporary city where Sarah Hall Small. Jungle of Nool - A jungle that is home to Horton the Elephant, Morton the Elephant-Bird, Jane Kangaroo, Junior Kangaroo, Kingdom of Didd - A Rennasiance-like kingdom which is ruled by King Derwin. Mount Crumpitt - The Grinch lives here, the tone of season two is much lighter, no doubt the result of bringing in a number of comedic writers such as Adam Felber and Mo Rocca. The Cat in the Hat is no longer a trickster and instead has assumed the role of a friendly and enthusiastic host who is helpful, nurturing, the Cat in the Hat - - The main character of the series. Terrence McBird - A bird that joins the main cast in Season 2, Little Cat A - Little Cat A appeared from The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and is seen as one of the Cat in the Hats sidekicks. Little Cat B - Little Cat B appeared from The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and is seen as one of the Cat in the Hats sidekicks. Little Cat C - Little Cat C appeared from The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and is seen as one of the Cat in the Hats sidekicks. Little Cat F - Little Cat F appeared from The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and is seen in Season 2 at the Cat in the Hats playhouse. Little Cat G - Little Cat G appeared from The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and is seen in Season 2 at the Cat in the Hats playhouse
23.
A Muppet Family Christmas
–
A Muppet Family Christmas is a Christmas television special starring Jim Hensons Muppets. Shot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the special was first broadcast on December 16,1987 on ABC, Fozzie Bear is driving many of the Muppets to his mother Emilys farm for Christmas while they all sing Christmas Carols. Unbeknownst to Fozzie Bear, Emily Bear is preparing to go to Malibu for the holiday and rent her farmhouse to Doc and Sprocket, Doc and Sprocket have arrived when Fozzie Bear and the other Muppets enter, disrupting Emily and Docs plans for the holidays. Just then the telephone rings, the call is from Miss Piggy who tells Kermit that she is at a session and will be late. More Muppets arrive, and they begin to prepare for Christmas, after the performance, Fozzie goes into the house where he tells Kermit about his new act. During Fozzies description, Kermit answers the phone where Miss Piggy tells Kermit that she is doing a little Christmas shopping before she goes to the farm house, a group of carolers arrives, proving to be Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street Muppets. All of the Muppets continue to prepare for Christmas as the news comes on TV that the worst blizzard in 50 years is approaching the area, Kermit realizes that Miss Piggy is out in the storm. Fozzie Bear and Emily go over where everyone is going to sleep, the Sesame Street Muppets perform a pageant of Twas the Night Before Christmas. Kermit gets a call from Miss Piggy stating that her limo got stuck in the snow, Fozzie approaches Kermit stating that now is a good time to show him his new comedy act with the Snowman. While Doc is looking for Miss Piggy, Kermit is called to the basement, where he and Robin find a Fraggle Hole, finally, all of the Muppets sing carols and exchange gifts. This special also features an onscreen guest cameo by Jim Henson, the snowman and Fozzie joke and sing the song Sleigh Ride when hearing Rowlf inside playing the piano. The home movie featuring Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, the Muppets sing Home for the Holidays, after Miss Piggys grand belated arrival, then later Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day during the final medley. A brief shot of Fozzie Bear and Elmo lighting a Christmas tree, Fozzie tells his mother, Emily Bear, that he is too old to have a stocking hung for him, then changes his mind. TV Guide ranked the special #8 on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list, the Official Website A Muppet Family Christmas at the Internet Movie Database
24.
Frog
–
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. The oldest fossil proto-frog appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforests. There are approximately 4,800 recorded species, accounting for over 85% of extant amphibian species and they are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. The body plan of a frog is generally characterized by a stout body, protruding eyes, cleft tongue, limbs folded underneath. Besides living in water and on dry land, the adults of some species are adapted for living underground or in trees. The skin of the frog is glandular, with secretions ranging from distasteful to toxic, Frogs skins vary in colour from well-camouflaged dappled brown, grey and green to vivid patterns of bright red or yellow and black to advertise toxicity and warn off predators. Frogs typically lay their eggs in water, the eggs hatch into aquatic larvae called tadpoles that have tails and internal gills. They have highly specialized rasping mouth parts suitable for herbivorous, omnivorous or planktivorous diets, the life cycle is completed when they metamorphose into adults. A few species deposit eggs on land or bypass the tadpole stage, adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist and a few feed on fruit. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass and they are an important food source for predators and part of the food web dynamics of many of the worlds ecosystems. The skin is semi-permeable, making them susceptible to dehydration, so they live in moist places or have special adaptations to deal with dry habitats. Frogs are valued as food by humans and also have many roles in literature, symbolism. Frog populations have declined significantly since the 1950s, more than one third of species are considered to be threatened with extinction and over one hundred and twenty are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s. The number of malformations among frogs is on the rise and a fungal disease. Conservation biologists are working to understand the causes of these problems, the name frog derives from Old English frogga, abbreviated to frox, forsc, and frosc, probably deriving from Proto-Indo-European preu = to jump. About 88% of amphibian species are classified in the order Anura and these include around 4,810 species in 33 families, of which the Leptodactylidae, Hylidae and Ranidae are the richest in species. The use of the common frog and toad has no taxonomic justification. From a classification perspective, all members of the order Anura are frogs, there are numerous exceptions to this rule
25.
Gopher
–
Pocket gophers, commonly referred to as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. About 35 species of live in Central and North America. They are commonly known for their extensive tunneling activities, Gophers are endemic to North and Central America. The name pocket gopher on its own may be used to refer to any of a number of genera within the family and these are the true gophers, however several ground squirrels in the distantly related family Sciuridae are often called gophers, as well. The origin of the word gopher is uncertain, french gaufre, meaning waffle, has been suggested, on account of the gophers tunnels resembling the honeycomb-like pattern of holes in a waffle. Another suggestion is that the word is of Muskogean origin, Gophers weigh around 0.5 lb, and are about 6–8 in long in body length, with a tail 1–2 in long. A few species reach weights approaching 1 kg, within any species, the males are larger than the females and can be nearly double their weight. Their lifespans are normally one to three years assuming no diseases or predation, the maximum lifespan for the pocket gopher is about five years. Some gophers, such as those in the genus Geomys, have lifespans that have been documented as up to seven years in the wild, most gophers have brown fur that often closely matches the color of the soil in which they live. Their most characteristic features are their large cheek pouches, from which the pocket in their name derives. These pouches are fur-lined, can be turned out. Gophers have small eyes and a short, hairy tail, which use to feel around tunnels when they walk backwards. Pocket gophers have been found to carry external parasites. Common predators of the gopher include weasels, snakes, and hawks, all pocket gophers create a network of tunnel systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food. They are larder hoarders, and their cheek pouches are used for transporting back to their burrows. Unlike ground squirrels, gophers do not live in large communities, tunnel entrances can be identified by small piles of loose soil covering the opening. Their burrows can be found in areas where the soil is softer. They often appear in gardens, lawns, or farms
26.
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together
–
John Denver and the Muppets, A Christmas Together is a 1979 Christmas television special starring Jim Hensons Muppets and singer/songwriter John Denver. The special first aired December 5,1979 on ABC, the special has never been released in any standard home media video format and there are currently no plans to release it. The special opens with Denver and the Muppets singing The Twelve Days of Christmas, during the discussion of her number, Miss Piggy confronts Denver in her dressing room about their presumably mutual attraction. Miss Piggy, as a doll named Fifi, sings I Will Wait for You to Denver, the program concludes with Denver reciting the story of Jesus birth and joining the Muppets to sing Stille Nacht/Silent Night while the children in the audience join in. Better known is the album of the same name, which featured 13 tracks of traditional Christmas carols. All releases of the album contain a different recording of The Twelve Days of Christmas than that featured in the TV special, a sheet music edition was also released containing most of the songs and musical scores from the special. This is the listing for the full version of the soundtrack. - bass guitar, arranger Glen D
27.
Labyrinth (film)
–
Labyrinth is a 1986 British-American adventure musical fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, executive-produced by George Lucas, and based upon conceptual designs by Brian Froud. The film revolves around 15-year-old Sarahs quest to reach the center of an enormous otherworldly maze to rescue her infant brother Toby, who Sarah wished away to Jareth, the Goblin King. With the exception of Connelly and Bowie, most of the significant characters are played by puppets produced by Jim Hensons Creature Shop. The film started as a collaboration between Henson and Froud, with ideas for the film first being discussed between them following a screening of their previous collaboration, The Dark Crystal. Terry Jones of Monty Python wrote the first draft of the films early in 1984. Labyrinth was shot on location in Upper Nyack, Piermont and Haverstraw in New York, the New York Times reported that Labyrinth had a budget of $25 million. The film was a box office disappointment, grossing $12.9 million during its U. S. theatrical run. The commercial failure demoralized Henson to the extent that his son Brian remembered the time of the release as one of the most difficult periods of his fathers career. It would be the last feature directed by Henson before his death in 1990. Although it was met with a critical response upon its initial release. A four-volume comic sequel to the film, Return to Labyrinth, was published by Tokyopop between 2006 and 2010, in 2012, Archaia Studios Press announced they were developing a graphic novel prequel to the film. In January 2016, it was announced that a reboot was in development, fifteen-year-old Sarah Williams rehearses a play in the park with her dog Merlin but becomes distracted by a line she is unable to remember while being watched by a barn owl. Realizing she is late to babysit her baby brother Toby, she rushes home and is confronted by her stepmother Irene before she, Sarah has many toys that she has grown out of and realizes that Toby is in possession of her treasured teddy bear Lancelot. Frustrated by this and his constant crying, Sarah rashly wishes Toby be taken away by the Goblin King Jareth and she is shocked when Toby disappears and the Goblin King confronts her then transports her to his kingdom. He refuses to return the baby, but gives Sarah thirteen hours to solve his Labyrinth, Sarah meets a dwarfish man named Hoggle, who aids her in entering the Labyrinth. She has trouble finding turns and corners but then meets a talking worm who inadvertently sends her in the wrong direction, Sarah ends up in an oubliette where she reunites with Hoggle. After they confront Jareth and escape one of his traps, the two encounter a large beast named Ludo, Hoggle cowardly flees while Sarah befriends Ludo. After another riddle, she loses him in a forest, Hoggle encounters Jareth, who gives him a peach and instructs him to give it to Sarah, calling his loyalty into question as he was supposed to lead her out of the maze
28.
Goblin
–
A goblin is a monstrous creature from European folklore, first attested in stories from the Middle Ages. They are ascribed various and conflicting abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin and they are almost always small and grotesque, mischievous or outright evil, and greedy, especially for gold and jewelry. They often have magical abilities similar to a fairy or demon, similar creatures include brownies, dwarves, gnomes, imps, and kobolds. Alternative spellings include gobblin, gobeline, gobling, goblyn, and it may be related both to German kobold and to Medieval Latin cabalus, or *gobalus, itself from Greek κόβαλος, rogue, knave, imp, goblin. Moreover, these names are not from Normandy, where the word gobelin. German Kobold contains the Germanic root kov- which means originally a hollow in the earth, the word is probably related to Dial. Norman gobe hollow in a cliff, with simple suffix -lin or double suffixation -el-in The Welsh coblyn, a Pukwudgie is a type of Goblin from Wamponoag folklore as well as Cryptozoology A Redcap is a type of Goblin who dyes its hat in Human Blood in Anglo-Scottish border folklore. Kallikantzaros are Goblins from Southeastern European and Anatolian folklore, hobgoblins are Friendly Trickster Goblins from English, Scottish, and Pilgrim folklore and literature. The Benevolent Goblin, from Gesta Romanorum The Erlking is a malevolent goblin from German legend, the Goblin Pony, from The Grey Fairy Book The Goblins at the Bath House, from A Book of Ghosts and Goblins The Goblins Turned to Stone. King Gobb Mill Goblins appear in Norwegian folklore, Goblins are featured in the Hans Christian Andersen Fairy tales, The Elf Mound, The Goblin and the Grocer, and The Goblin and the Woman. Many Asian lagyt creatures have been likened to, or translated as and they are especially important mythical creatures in Korean folklore. They usually appear in childrens books, in Bangladesh, Santal people belief in Gudrobonga which is very similar to goblins. The Gap of Goeblin, a hole and underground tunnel in Mortain, cow is an old Scots word for Goblin, while cad means nasty. Dens and lairs refers to goblin homes, the Goblins, a comedy play by Sir John Suckling The Goblins Who Stole A Sexton is a short story by Charles Dickens where goblins torment a gravedigger for being cruel on Christmas. Goblin Market, a poem by Christina Rossetti The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald depicts the Goblins as grotesque humanoids, vulnerable to sunlight, song, and pressure on their feet. Davy and the Goblin by Charles E. Carryl J. R. R. Tolkien generally used the terms goblin and orc synonymously in The Hobbit and these works, featuring goblins of almost-human stature, generally informed the depiction of goblins in later fiction and games. Thompson adds that, in The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien has abandoned all pretence at depicting goblins in a comic light, Goblins are also present as the first tier creature in the Orc faction in Heroes of Might and Magic V, Tribes of the East. Goblins are recurring enemies in the Final Fantasy franchise, where they usually appear near the beginning of each game
29.
Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird
–
Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird is a 1985 American musical road-comedy film film, directed by Ken Kwapis, starring many Sesame Street characters. This was the first of two Sesame Street feature films, followed in 1999 by The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, the film was produced by the Childrens Television Workshop and Warner Bros. and filmed at the Toronto International Studios, and on location in the Greater Toronto Area. This is also the final Muppet film to be released before the deaths of Jim Henson and Richard Hunt. At the beginning of the film, the members of the Feathered Friends Board of Birds discuss their situation about Big Bird, the groups social worker Miss Finch is sent to Sesame Street to find Big Bird a worthy bird family and bring him to the selected family. After leaving Sesame Street, New York City, New York, Miss Finch brings Big Bird to the town of Oceanview. The dodos all think very poorly of non birds, even saying he should have a bird as a best friend instead of Mr. Snuffleupagus. When Big Bird runs away from his new home and ends up on the news and his friends back on Sesame Street also see the news and band together to find him before Miss Finch does. In a Volkswagen Beetle is the group of Gordon, Olivia, Linda, Count von Count departs in his Countmobile. Ernie and Bert go out to search in an airplane, Maria, much to her dismay, has to ride with Oscar the Grouch, Telly Monster, and Homer Honker in Oscars Sloppy Jalopy. They all head out across America in search for their beloved Big Bird, Oscar, however, decides to go his own route wanting to have some fun, which greatly annoys Maria and Telly. Big Bird has various adventures in his attempt to get home, first, he hitches a ride with a turkey truck driver who tells him not to give up trying to get to his goal. He then meets two kids named Ruthie and Floyd at a farm and stays with them for a while and he ends up having to leave because of Miss Finchs arrival. While out imagining his friend Mr. Snuffleupagus in a cornfield, Big Bird is spotted by Ernie, but he doesnt know that they are in it and thinks its Miss Finch wanting to take him back to the dodos. When Ernie steers it towards Big Bird, he flees in fright and they want to capture him to put him on display. Eventually he arrives in Toadstool, Indiana, shortly after arriving, Miss Finch finds him there and gives chase through the city. On the outskirts, the Sleaze Brothers have set up their carnival and they then put him in their hiding cage. Shortly afterwards, they decide to paint him blue and tout him as The Bluebird of Happiness, however, his performance is not one of happiness but of sadness as he sings a song about wishing to be back home with his friends. After the show, two kids sneak backstage to see him, upon noticing them, he asks them to call Sesame Street to tell his friends where he is
30.
The Christmas Toy
–
The film, which originally aired on April 23,1996 on ABC, was sponsored by Kraft Foods. Originally introduced by Kermit The Frog, it was released on VHS format in 2004, in 2017, HIT Entertainment released the special on DVD, but edited out Kermits opening introduction due to legal issues. The film later inspired a television series called Secret Life of Toys. When no people are around, the toys still play in the playroom, but since a toy will be frozen forever if a person catches it out of position, they have to be very careful. Its Christmas Eve, and Rugby the Tiger remembers how he was the favorite Christmas toy last year and wants to be the favorite again this year, as not to be replaced by another toy. However, he doesnt stop to think that if Jamie unwrapped him again this year, shed see him out of his place that she usually puts him. Its up to Apple the Doll, whom Rugby supplanted as favorite toy, but Rugby wont believe her, and tries to get into the Christmas package and lets Meteora, Queen of the Asteroids loose. Unfortunately, she doesnt know shes a toy, and thinks shes landed among aliens, and its up to Apple, Mew, and the other toys to get Rugby out of the box and Meteora back in it before theyre found and frozen forever. But Mew is caught, and frozen, only then does Rugby realize what a good friend Mew has been to him, and how selfishly he has been acting. Rugby sings, telling Mew how much he cares for him and this brings Mew back to life, and then the other toys also know how to revive their other frozen friends. On the morning of Christmas Day, Jamie and Jessie enjoy their new toys alongside their current toys, while the kids are away, the toys sing Together at Christmas. Kermit joins in at the end of the special, baker Executive Producer, Diana Birkenfield A Henson Associates Production The Christmas Toy at the Internet Movie Database The Christmas Toy on Muppet Wiki, an external wiki
31.
The Great Muppet Caper
–
The Great Muppet Caper is a 1981 British-American mystery musical comedy film directed by Jim Henson about the Muppets who must travel to London, England to stop a jewel heist. It is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, the film was a British-American venture produced by Henson Associates and ITC Entertainment, and released by Universal Pictures1 on 26 June 1981. It is also the only Muppet feature film directed by Henson, shot in Great Britain in 1980, the film was released shortly after the final season of The Muppet Show. Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo the Great play newspaper reporters for the Daily Chronicle. Kermit and Fozzie, specifically, are playing identical twin reporters, while Gonzo is too busy taking pictures of a chicken, prominent London fashion designer Lady Holiday gets robbed of her jewels. When Kermit seeks out Lady Holiday in her office however, he finds the alluring Miss Piggy. After the robbery, Miss Piggys charade is revealed and she flees, leaving Kermit behind, however, Gonzo is under a nearby table and overhears the plot. Kermits crew, along with their friends from the Happiness Hotel, decide to intercept, Carla, Marla and Darla confront Piggy, only to be immediately dispatched by a flurry of furious karate chops. As the police arrive, all charges against Piggy are dropped, Nicky and his fashion model-accomplices are arrested, a constant theme of the movie is that the characters break the fourth wall, and acknowledge that theyre in a movie. Charles Grodin as Nicky Holiday, Lady Holidays brother and he commits jewel heists on his sister assisted by three of her fashion models, Carla, Darla, and Marla. Diana Rigg as Lady Holiday, a famous British fashion designer who has been the victim of a jewel heist. Erica Creer as Marla Kate Howard as Carla Della Finch as Darla Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, joan Sanderson as Dorcas, Nevilles apathetic and somewhat dull mannered wife. Sanderson previously appeared alongside John Cleese in the Fawlty Towers episode Communication Problems, jack Warden as Mr. Mike Tarkenian, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Chronicle. Ustinov had previously guest-starred in a episode of The Muppet Show. Michael Robbins as Henderson, the Mallory Gallerys security guard, peter Hughes as Stanley, a Maitre D at the Dubonnet Club and an old acquaintance and favoured patron of Lady Holiday. Peggy Aitchison as a guard at the prison where Miss Piggy is detained, tommy Godfrey as a bus conductor. Richard Hunt as a driver of a car, jerry Nelson as a man in a park. Christine Nelson as the daughter, who mistakes Kermit for a bear, until her father corrects her saying hes a frog
32.
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
–
The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson is a one-hour special that aired on CBS on November 21,1990. It marked Steve Whitmires first onscreen performance as Kermit the Frog and this was also one of Richard Hunts final puppetry works before his death in 1992. Kermit the Frog is away traveling, leaving Fozzie Bear and the other Muppets in charge of the production number. On the day of the show, the Muppets receive a letter from Kermit informing them the number is meant to pay tribute to Jim Henson. However, the group is unfamiliar with who Henson is, the rest of the special depicts the Muppets figuring out Jim Hensons relation to them, while simultaneously creating the production number. As the Muppets are nearing the presentation of their tribute number, One letter addressed to Kermit initially starts out cheerfully, but then turns to sorrow when the letter reveals that Henson has since died. Shocked, the Muppets take turns reading different letters from fans, finally, Fozzie decides to cancel the production number, deeming it improper for the occasion. Kermits nephew Robin tries to convince Fozzie otherwise by breaking into Just One Person, eventually the song becomes a large musical number with characters from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock joining in. As the Muppets finish singing, Kermit arrives and congratulates the group on finding the way of honoring Jim Henson. Kermit decides to enact Fozzies original production number and addresses the audience, robinson, David Rudman, Cheryl Henson, Bill Prady Produced and Directed by, Don Mischer Co-Produced by, Martin G. Baker and David J. T. B. Productions, The Al Hirt Show, National Broadcasting Company, Inc, the Jack Parr Show, Andrew Solt Productions, TVS Television LTD. The Wilkins Corporation Special Thanks to, The Muppet Workshop Henson Associates, the Walt Disney Company The set used for this special intentionally combines elements from the backstage set used in The Muppet Show and the control room set used in The Jim Henson Hour. Later syndicated alongside The Muppet Show and this would be the last time Richard Hunt performed Scooter. He died two years after the release of this special, the logo for the special incorporated characters from all three of Hensons most widely known productions, with Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie joined by Gobo Fraggle, a Doozer, and Cookie Monster. The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson at Internet Movie Database The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson at Muppet Wiki
33.
The Muppets Take Manhattan
–
The Muppets Take Manhattan is a 1984 American musical comedy film directed by Frank Oz. The film was produced by Henson Associates and TriStar Pictures, and was filmed on location in New York City during the summer of 1983 and it was the first film to be directed solely by Oz, as he previously co-directed The Dark Crystal with Henson. The film introduced the Muppet Babies, as versions of the Muppet characters in a fantasy sequence. The Muppet Babies later received their own Saturday morning animated television series, upon the suggestion of taking the show to Broadway, the Muppets proceed with the idea, certain they will become stars instantly. Arriving in Manhattan, the group meet producer Martin Price but soon discover he is a con artist named Murray Plotsky upon the arrival of the police, Plotsky is arrested, leaving the Muppetss hopes dashed. They try other theatrical producers to no avail, leading to their morale, attempting to promote the show, Kermit first poses as an eccentric producer bragging about the musicals quality but the producer he meets discards the script after Kermit makes his exit. Kermit then poses as a playwright, having the rats insert a caricature picture at Sardis restaurant by replacing it with Liza Minnellis picture. When Liza Minnelli comes in and notices it missing, she asks Vincent Sardi Jr. if she did something wrong to get it removed, when the rats are exposed, Vincent Sardi Jr. discover Lizas picture near Kermit. This causes Kermit and the rats to get out of the restaurant. While in Central Park, Jenny comforts Kermit about his losses, when a thief steals her purse, Miss Piggy borrows a pair of rollerskates and furiously gives chase until she captures him, but reunites with Kermit in the process and they make up. Piggy takes a job at Petes diner while Kermit receives several letters from his friends who have taken up numerous jobs around the United States and he then receives a letter from producer Bernard Crawford who is interested in the musical. However, the letter was sent by his son, Ronnie Crawford. Bernard himself is hesitant but agrees to fund the show, a thrilled Kermit heads back to the diner but is so happy that he walks into oncoming traffic and is immobilized when he gets struck by a passing motorcar. The rest of the Muppets are summoned back to New York, at the hospital, Kermits doctor discovers that he has lost memory of his life. He makes his way to Madison Avenue, where he finds a trio of frogs who work in advertising, the rest of the Muppets search for Kermit where one attempt involved Gonzo trying to persuade Mayor Edward I. Koch to assist. Bill, Gill, Jill, and Kermit end up visiting Petes diner where Kermits friends recognize him when he plays the opening number with spoons. At the Biltmore Theatre on opening night, the Muppets try to help Kermit remember, Kermit regains his memories and, realizing the show needs more Muppets, requests the Madison Avenue frogs, the dogs, the bears, the chickens, and others to become supernumeracies. The show is a success, culminating in what is intended to be a wedding between Kermit and Miss Piggys characters, only for a real minister to appear
34.
Chronicle Books
–
Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children. The company was established in 1967 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, in 1999 it was bought by Nion McEvoy, great-grandson of M. H. de Young, founder of the Chronicle, from other family members who were selling off the companys assets. At the time Chronicle Books had a staff of 130 and published 300 books per year, in 2000 McEvoy set up the McEvoy Group as a holding company. In 2006 the McEvoy Group purchased Spin magazine in connection with the owners of San Franciscos 7x7 magazine, McEvoy sold off the magazines by 2014. Chronicle Books publishes books in such as architecture, art, culture, interior design, cooking, childrens books, gardening, pop culture, fiction, food, travel. It has published a number of New York Times Best Sellers, rabbit. by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh. Other best sellers have included The Beatles Anthology, Whats Your Poo Telling You, in March 2006 the company published Between the Bridge and the River, a novel by Craig Ferguson. Chronicle Books has published at least 25 books in The Art of, series that showcase the evolution of artwork and stories of animated films, including many by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, DreamWorks and Blue Sky Studios. The company also sells custom publishing service and gift accessories, category, Chronicle Books books Chronicle Books website
35.
Sunday Sun
–
The Sunday Sun is a regional Sunday newspaper in North East England, Cumbria and the Scottish Borders, published in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Trinity Mirror. First published on 31 August 1919 as The Sunday Sun, the name was changed to the Sunday Sun between 1954 and 1967 and it is the sister paper of the weekday newspapers the Evening Chronicle and The Journal. It is unconnected to national newspaper The Sun, whose Sunday edition is The Sun on Sunday, in 2002, owners NCJ were sued by Jimmy Nail for publishing allegations relating to the actors behavior during the filming of the third series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Since October 2013, the Chronicle, Journal and Sunday Sun have been banned from Newcastle United F. C. due to the coverage of a fans protest march
36.
IMDb
–
In 1998 it became a subsidiary of Amazon Inc, who were then able to use it as an advertising resource for selling DVDs and videotapes. As of January 2017, IMDb has approximately 4.1 million titles and 7.7 million personalities in its database, the site enables registered users to submit new material and edits to existing entries. Although all data is checked before going live, the system has open to abuse. The site also featured message boards which stimulate regular debates and dialogue among authenticated users, IMDb shutdown the message boards permanently on February 20,2017. Anyone with a connection can read the movie and talent pages of IMDb. A registration process is however, to contribute info to the site. A registered user chooses a name for themselves, and is given a profile page. These badges range from total contributions made, to independent categories such as photos, trivia, bios, if a registered user or visitor happens to be in the entertainment industry, and has an IMDb page, that user/visitor can add photos to that page by enrolling in IMDbPRO. Actors, crew, and industry executives can post their own resume and this fee enrolls them in a membership called IMDbPro. PRO can be accessed by anyone willing to pay the fee, which is $19.99 USD per month, or if paid annually, $149.99, which comes to approximately $12.50 per month USD. Membership enables a user to access the rank order of each industry personality, as well as agent contact information for any actor, producer, director etc. that has an IMDb page. Enrolling in PRO for industry personnel, enables those members the ability to upload a head shot to open their page, as well as the ability to upload hundreds of photos to accompany their page. Anyone can register as a user, and contribute to the site as well as enjoy its content, however those users enrolled in PRO have greater access and privileges. IMDb originated with a Usenet posting by British film fan and computer programmer Col Needham entitled Those Eyes, others with similar interests soon responded with additions or different lists of their own. Needham subsequently started an Actors List, while Dave Knight began a Directors List, and Andy Krieg took over THE LIST from Hank Driskill, which would later be renamed the Actress List. Both lists had been restricted to people who were alive and working, the goal of the participants now was to make the lists as inclusive as possible. By late 1990, the lists included almost 10,000 movies and television series correlated with actors and actresses appearing therein. On October 17,1990, Needham developed and posted a collection of Unix shell scripts which could be used to search the four lists, at the time, it was known as the rec. arts. movies movie database
37.
The Muppets
–
The Muppets are an ensemble cast of puppet characters known for their self-aware, burlesque, and meta-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. The Muppets debuted on the television program Sam and Friends, which aired from 1955 to 1961, after appearing on skits in several late night talk shows and advertising commercials during the 1960s, the Muppets began appearing on Sesame Street in 1969. In the late 1970s and into the 1980s, the Muppets diversified into theatrical films, including The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper. The Walt Disney Company began involvement with the Muppets in the late 1980s, Disney acquired the rights to the Muppets in 2004, allowing the characters to gain broader public exposure than in previous years. Under Disneys control, the Muppets enjoyed revitalized success, starring in two films—The Muppets and Muppets Most Wanted —as well as a primetime television series on ABC. The Muppets were created by puppeteer Jim Henson in the 1950s, beginning with Kermit the Frog, in 1955, the Muppets were introduced on Sam and Friends, a television program that aired on WRC-TV in Washington D. C. Instead, Henson utilized the natural four-sided frame of a set that viewers would already be watching through as the programs theatre. During the 1960s, the characters—notably Kermit and Rowlf the Dog—appeared on skits in several late-night talk shows and advertising commercials, Rowlf became the first Muppet with a regular spot on network television when he began appearing as Jimmy Deans sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show. In 1966, Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett began developing a television program targeted towards children. Produced by the Childrens Television Workshop, the show debuted as Sesame Street in 1969, by the early 1970s, the Muppets continued their presence in television, namely appearing in The Land of Gorch segments during the first season of Saturday Night Live. As his involvement with Sesame Street continued, Henson mused about the possibility of creating a television series featuring the Muppets. Two pilot specials, The Muppets Valentine Show and The Muppet Show, Sex and Violence, aired on ABC in 1974 and 1975, respectively. Debuting in 1976, The Muppet Show introduced characters such as Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and Animal, as well as showcasing regulars Kermit and Rowlf. Through its syndication, The Muppet Show became increasingly popular due to its sketch comedy variety format, unique brand of humor, the show went on to receive twenty-one Primetime Emmy Award nominations during its run, and winning four awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series in 1978. Altogether, the three films received four Academy Award nominations, by 1983, Henson had introduced another television series, Fraggle Rock, which ran on HBO in the United States until 1987. By the late 1980s, Henson entered discussions with Michael Eisner and The Walt Disney Company, in which the latter would acquire Jim Henson Productions and in turn, Disney was interested in purchasing the company for $150 million. In addition to the company and Muppet characters, Eisner expressed a desire to include the Sesame Street characters as part of the acquisition, Henson, declined the proposal, however, consistently referring to such a motive as a non-starter for the deal. As discussions between the two continued, Henson and Walt Disney Imagineering preemptively began developing Muppet-themed attractions for the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World
38.
The Muppets Studio
–
In the late-1980s, Jim Henson had been in talks with Disney CEO Michael Eisner to sell Jim Henson Productions to the Walt Disney Company. In August 1989, the two announced a deal for Disney to purchase Jim Henson Productions for $150 million. The deal fell through several months after Jim Hensons death in 1990, despite the collapse of the merger deal, by 1992, Disney and Jim Henson Productions had already struck a number of deals, Exclusive domestic rights to Henson theme park attractions in the western U. S. The Henson family subsequently sold the entirety of the Jim Henson Company to German conglomerate EM. TV in 2000, in 2003, the Henson family repurchased The Jim Henson Company from EM. TV. The acquired Muppet assets were placed into The Muppets Holding Company with Chris Curtin as general manager within Disney Consumer Products. A new website was launched in November 2004 and the Muppets made an appearance on the 2004 Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live, the first Muppet production under complete Disney control, The Muppets Wizard of Oz, went into production immediately and aired on ABC in May 2005. On July 30,2005, Animal and Pepe the King Prawn made appearance on The X Games 11 Preview show of All Access on ESPN2, while Bear first appeared under Disneys control in the reality show, Breakfast With Bear in 2005. A fiftieth birthday tour for Kermit, Kermits World Tour was planned with a leadership changes made just days before the tour began. The tour made its initial three stops before being canceled, Kermit, Texas, Johnson Space Center tour and cake with The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall, NYC. Following Eisners exit from the Disney company, new CEO Bob Iger removed the head of the Muppets Holding Company, since that time, the company has been attempting to define the role of The Muppets within the Disney corporate structure. Muppet Holdings new general manager instead licensed the Muppets out to TF1 and that same year, Disney contracted with Puppet Heap to rebuild, maintain, and create puppet characters for the Muppets Studio. In April 2007, the Muppets Holding Company changed its name to The Muppets Studio under new leadership by Special Events Group SVP Lylle Breier, in 2008, The Muppets Studio began a licensing agreement with F. A. O. Schwarz, to create a Muppet-themed boutique where customers can design their own Muppet, the company was transferred in 2014 to Disneys new media unit, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media Labs. On April 3,2015, a series of shorts named Muppets Moments premiered on Disney Junior, the series features conversations between the Muppets and young children
39.
Kermit the Frog
–
Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character and Jim Hensons most well-known creation. Henson originally performed Kermit until his death on May 16,1990 and he was voiced by Frank Welker in Muppet Babies and occasionally in other animation projects. Kermit performed the hit singles Bein Green in 1970 and Rainbow Connection in 1979 for The Muppet Movie, the latter song reached No.25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The earliest trace of Kermit first appeared in 1955 on WRC-TVs Sam and this prototype Kermit was created from a discarded spring coat belonging to Hensons mother and two ping pong ball halves for eyes. Initially, Kermit was a lizard-like creature and he subsequently made a number of television appearances before his status as a frog was established. His collar was added at the time to him seem more frog-like. The origin of Kermits name is a subject of some debate and it is often claimed that Kermit was named after Hensons childhood friend Kermit Scott, from Leland, Mississippi. Joy DiMenna, the daughter of Kermit Kalman Cohen who worked as a sound engineer at WBAL-TV during Jim Hensons time with Sam and Friends. Both were NBC affiliates then, and WBAL carried the show, Mr. Henson was introduced to members of the sound and camera crew, including Mr. Cohen. When he heard his name, Jim turned around, snapped his fingers and said to his wife, as Sesame Street is localized for some different markets that speak languages other than English, Kermit is often renamed. In Portugal, he is called Cocas, o Sapo, and in Brazil, his name is similar, Caco, in most of Hispanic America, his name is la rana René. In Spain, he is named Gustavo, in the Arabic version, he is known as Kamel, which is a common Arabic male name that means perfect. In Hungary, he is called Breki, in Turkey, although he is known as Kermit on The Muppet Show, in Sesame Street episodes, he was called Kurbağacık. With the release of The Muppets in 2011, most of the countries have begun using Kermit as the characters name. Jim Henson originated the character in 1955 on his television series, Sam. He continued to perform the character until his death in 1990, Hensons last known performance as Kermit was for an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show to promote The Muppets at Walt Disney World. Henson died twelve days after that appearance, following Hensons death, veteran Muppet performer Steve Whitmire was named Kermits new performer. His first public performance as Kermit was at the end of the television special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson and he has remained Kermits principal performer since then
40.
Miss Piggy
–
Miss Piggy is a Muppet character known for her breakout role in Jim Hensons The Muppet Show. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy is notable for her volatile personality, tendency to use French phrases in her speech. She was also known for her romantic relationship with Kermit the Frog. Frank Oz performed the character from 1976 to 2000 and was succeeded by Eric Jacobson in 2001, in 1996, TV Guide ranked her number 23 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list. She had to enter beauty contests to survive, as single women do. She has a lot of vulnerability which she has to hide, during development of The Muppet Show, Oz assigned a hook for each Muppet he performed, Miss Piggys hook was a truck driver wanting to be a woman. Oz has also stated that while Fozzie Bear is a two-dimensional character, Piggy is convinced she is destined for stardom, and nothing will stand in her way. She has a nature, at times determined to convey an image of feminine charm. Kermit the Frog has learned this all too well, when she isnt smothering him in kisses, shes sending him flying through the air with a karate chop. Since the debut of The Muppet Show, the relationship between Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog has been subject to substantial coverage and commentary by the media, throughout The Muppet Shows run, Miss Piggys romantic pursuit for Kermit was consistently expressed. Kermit, however, constantly rebuffed Piggys feelings, eventually, in the films, Kermit began returning her affections and even marries her in The Muppets Take Manhattan. However, subsequent events suggest that the marriage was simply fictional and it is mentioned by Miss Piggy, however, in The Muppets, A Celebration of 30 years that Kermit was a happily-married frog. This marriage isnt referenced in Muppets Most Wanted and the two get married again in this film, Miss Piggy and Kermit formally ended their romantic relationship on May 10,1990. The decision was made by Jim Henson Productions and a publicity campaign titled The Pig of the Nineties was scheduled to follow, an autobiography of Piggy was expected to be published as part of the effort. However, shortly after the announcement on May 16, Jim Henson died, the two eventually resumed their relationship. In 2015, Miss Piggy and Kermit ended their relationship for a second time. Some commentators said the relationship should end permanently since she regularly abused him, in the end, its better for everyone that Kermit and Piggy have gone their separate ways. For the frog, it means the end of a long, abusive relationship, on at least three separate incidents, she attempts to coerce Kermit into a relationship, beating him when he refuses
41.
Fozzie Bear
–
Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character known for his lack of innate and effective comedy skills. Fozzie is a bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat. The character debuted on The Muppet Show, as the shows stand-up comic, shortly after telling the joke, he was usually the target of ridicule, particularly from balcony hecklers Statler and Waldorf. Fozzies characterization was developed by Frank Oz, who performed Fozzie until 2000, Eric Jacobson has since become the characters principal performer. Though it is thought that Fozzies name is a pun of Frank Oz, the character was actually named after Al Fuzzie. Hensons wife, Jane, was a member of the sorority, Fozzie Bear was originally Ozs main character. The popularity of Miss Piggy overtook Fozzies, but he remained popular, one of his largest roles ever was in A Muppet Family Christmas, where he took all of his friends to his mothers farm for Christmas. In 1988, a video titled Hey, Youre as Funny as Fozzie Bear. was released, during the 1990s, his roles became much smaller, due to the fact that Oz had turned his focus to directing non-Muppet films and reduced his time with the Muppets. Fozzie was only a character in the Muppet films of that decade. However, he returned to prominence when Eric Jacobson took over beginning with Its a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, the original puppet is kept in the teddy bear museum in Stratford-upon-Avon, founded by Gyles Brandreth. Frank Oz first performed Fozzie in 1976 on The Muppet Show and he remained Fozzies main performer until he retired from the role in 2000. In 2001, Eric Jacobson became Fozzies new main performer and has continued to perform the bear since then, kevin Clash puppeteered Fozzie for much of the production of Muppet Treasure Island. Victor Yerrid performed Fozzie for a 2006 Disney Cruise Line stage show, voice actor Greg Berg provided Fozzies voice for the Saturday morning cartoon Muppet Babies, as well as its short-lived spin-off, Little Muppet Monsters. The character regards Kermit the Frog as his best friend, Fozzie and Kermit have also frequently been paired together in many movies, books, and specials. In The Muppet Movie, Fozzie is the first Muppet that Kermit meets on his journey, after Fozzies unsuccessful comedy performance at the El Sleezo Cafe, Kermit invited Fozzie to come to Hollywood with him. The two friends sing the duet Movin Right Along in the film, several episodes show Fozzie as dedicated to Kermit, usually responding to his instructions with a chipper Yes sir. On those rare occasions when Kermit must be away from the theater, he invariably leaves Fozzie in charge of the show, in The Great Muppet Caper, Fozzie and Kermit are portrayed as twin brothers. Fozzies mother, Emily Bear, appeared in A Muppet Family Christmas special, to Fozzies surprise, she was friends with Statler and Waldorf, despite the heckling they inflict on him
42.
Gonzo (Muppet)
–
Gonzo, also known as The Great Gonzo and Gonzo the Great, is a Muppet character known for his eccentric passion for stunt performance. Aside for his enthusiasm for performance art, another defining trait of Gonzos is the ambiguity of his species. Developed and performed by Dave Goelz, Gonzo made his first appearance in the 1970 special The Great Santa Claus Switch, originally a minor figure in The Muppet Show, he soon evolved into one of the franchises primary characters. Gonzo has appeared in every Muppet film, including The Muppet Christmas Carol, in Muppets Most Wanted, Gonzo was referred to as Zongo by Constantine, a dead ringer for Kermit the Frog in appearances, who has escaped from a maximum security prison in Siberia, Russia. In the first season of The Muppet Show, the character had sad, the producers noticed that he worked better in a more energetic form and modified the eyes to have movable eyelids which helped make him a more active character than ever. As such, he one of the principal characters in the series. Gonzo is known for his wild-eyed, optimistic attitude, yet he is something of an intellectual. In his revised incarnation, Gonzo, rather than feeling misunderstood by the audience, was dedicated to performing for its own sake, regardless of audience reaction. In one episode, after Kermit decides to cancel a jousting sketch, Gonzo, in armor for the sketch, forces Kermit, at lance-point, to reverse the decision. Floyd Pepper, also in armor for the sketch, observes the exchange with amusement, then asks Gonzo, regarding the sketch, several of Gonzos stunts have often gone wrong or do actually work in wrong ways. Statler and Waldorf have actually been victim to several of Gonzos stunts including a stunt in which Gonzo intends to drive a motorcycle off a ramp into the box of the hecklers. Although the stunt works, Gonzo loses control of his bike and crashes it into the box and it is plausibly arguable that Gonzos penchant for death-defying acts came from a Muppet Character Shop idea for a spoof of Evel Knievel. His most well-known running gag is playing the final note of the opening The Muppet Show theme with unexpected. In the first season, Gonzo did not use a trumpet, in episode number 47 of the series—with John Cleese as the special guest—Gonzo successfully hits the note with his trumpet and then looks at the trumpet in surprise. Gonzo has several memorable performances such as his song from The Muppet Movie, Im Going to Go Back There Someday, or his rendition of My Way. Other acts include, tap-dancing Top Hat in a vat of oatmeal, hypnotizing chickens, catching cannonballs, according to Walter in The Muppets, he recited Hamlet while jumping his motorbike through a flaming hoop. He also played the part of Charles Dickens in The Muppet Christmas Carol, after the Muppets attempt to recruit him, he literally blows up his business and joins them. In the 2015 television series The Muppets, Gonzo is a major character, unlike most of the central Muppets characters, Gonzo is not a puppet version of a human or a recognizable animal
.jpg)
