Jerry Juhl
Encyclopedia
Jerome Ravn "Jerry" Juhl (July 27, 1938 – September 26, 2005) was an American
television and movie writer
, best known for his work with Jim Henson
's "Muppets
".
Juhl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; his family moved to Menlo Park, California
, when he was 14. He received a bachelor's degree in theater arts from San Jose State University
in 1961 and worked on children's shows for local television stations while in college. He met Frank Oz
when they both worked for the Oakland Recreation Department
's Vagabond Puppet Theater as teenagers. The two later met Henson at a puppeteer gathering in California.
Juhl was recruited by Henson as a puppeteer and writer on Sam and Friends
. He focused increasingly on writing as other puppeteers, such as Frank Oz
, joined the Henson stable.
Juhl was the head writer on The Muppet Show
. He also wrote for the television shows Fraggle Rock
, and The Jim Henson Hour
. He was involved in some capacity with all of the Muppet films from the first "Muppet Movie" in 1979 to "Muppets From Space" in 1999. According to Lisa Henson, "So much of the humour, irreverence, caring and heart began with Jerry. He was, in many ways, the real voice of the Muppets."
He appeared as himself in the 1981 documentary
Of Muppets and Men: The Making of "The Muppet Show", the 1984 documentary Henson's Place, and the 1994 documentary The World of Jim Henson. In addition to being interviewed in all three, he also appeared in archival footage in the last two.
He was married to Susan Doerr Juhl and lived in Caspar, California
. In his last few years he semi-retired from writing, but taught at local colleges and spoke at puppeteer conventions.
In August 2005 Juhl was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
and died five weeks later. He was cremated. His ashes are located at the Neptune Society Columbarium in San Francisco.
with Jack Burns
, for which the two shared a Saturn Award
nomination for Best Writing. He was nominated for a shared Emmy
four times, for his writing on The Muppet Show, finally winning the award in 1981 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. He was also awarded for his work on The Jim Henson Hour
(Outstanding Children's Program, 1989, 1990) and The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, 1991). His work on A Muppet Family Christmas
won him the WGA Award
for Variety - Musical, Award, Tribute, Special Event.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television and movie writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, best known for his work with Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's "Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
".
Juhl was born in St. Paul, Minnesota; his family moved to Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
, when he was 14. He received a bachelor's degree in theater arts from San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
in 1961 and worked on children's shows for local television stations while in college. He met Frank Oz
Frank Oz
Frank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
when they both worked for the Oakland Recreation Department
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
's Vagabond Puppet Theater as teenagers. The two later met Henson at a puppeteer gathering in California.
Juhl was recruited by Henson as a puppeteer and writer on Sam and Friends
Sam and Friends
Sam and Friends was an early live-action/puppet television show created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane. It was taped and aired locally in Washington, D.C...
. He focused increasingly on writing as other puppeteers, such as Frank Oz
Frank Oz
Frank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
, joined the Henson stable.
Juhl was the head writer on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
. He also wrote for the television shows Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
, and The Jim Henson Hour
The Jim Henson Hour
The Jim Henson Hour was a short-lived television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the popular Muppet characters. Only nine of the twelve episodes produced managed to air on NBC before the low-rated...
. He was involved in some capacity with all of the Muppet films from the first "Muppet Movie" in 1979 to "Muppets From Space" in 1999. According to Lisa Henson, "So much of the humour, irreverence, caring and heart began with Jerry. He was, in many ways, the real voice of the Muppets."
He appeared as himself in the 1981 documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Of Muppets and Men: The Making of "The Muppet Show", the 1984 documentary Henson's Place, and the 1994 documentary The World of Jim Henson. In addition to being interviewed in all three, he also appeared in archival footage in the last two.
He was married to Susan Doerr Juhl and lived in Caspar, California
Caspar, California
Caspar is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located north of Mendocino, at an elevation of 82 feet . Caspar is located on the Pacific Ocean. In the Caspar area is the historic Point Cabrillo Light Station, which was built in 1909...
. In his last few years he semi-retired from writing, but taught at local colleges and spoke at puppeteer conventions.
In August 2005 Juhl was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
and died five weeks later. He was cremated. His ashes are located at the Neptune Society Columbarium in San Francisco.
Awards
He co-wrote The Muppet MovieThe Muppet Movie
The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
with Jack Burns
Jack Burns
Jack Burns is an American comedian and voice actor.-Biography:In 1959, he began his career as a comedy team with George Carlin when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas...
, for which the two shared a Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
nomination for Best Writing. He was nominated for a shared Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
four times, for his writing on The Muppet Show, finally winning the award in 1981 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. He was also awarded for his work on The Jim Henson Hour
The Jim Henson Hour
The Jim Henson Hour was a short-lived television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the popular Muppet characters. Only nine of the twelve episodes produced managed to air on NBC before the low-rated...
(Outstanding Children's Program, 1989, 1990) and The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, 1991). His work on A Muppet Family Christmas
A Muppet Family Christmas
A Muppet Family Christmas is a 1987 Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets.This is one of the very few Muppet productions to feature Muppets associated with all four of the major Muppet franchises: The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies...
won him the WGA Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
for Variety - Musical, Award, Tribute, Special Event.
Filmography
Jerry Juhl was the writer, unless otherwise mentioned.- Sam and FriendsSam and FriendsSam and Friends was an early live-action/puppet television show created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane. It was taped and aired locally in Washington, D.C...
(1955–1961, Muppeteer) - The Cube (1969)
- Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
(1969–1975) - The Great Santa Claus SwitchThe Great Santa Claus SwitchThe Great Santa Claus Switch was a Jim Henson television special featuring his Muppets. It first aired on CBS in December 1970. It was directed by John Moffitt, written by Jerry Juhl, with music by Joe Raposo and puppets by Don Sahlin.-Plot:...
(1970) - Tales from Muppetland: The Frog Prince (1972, Muppeteer for Taminella)
- The Muppet Musicians of BremenThe Muppet Musicians of BremenThe Muppet Musicians of Bremen is an adaptation of The Bremen Town Musicians, featuring Muppets. Kermit the Frog hosts the film. The story begins when Leroy the Donkey, T.R. the Rooster, Rover Joe the Hound Dog and Catgut the Pussycat run away from their abusive owners and become travelling...
(1972) - The Muppets Valentine ShowThe Muppets Valentine ShowThe Muppets Valentine Show aired on ABC on January 30, 1974. It was one of two pilots produced during the planning stages for The Muppet Show...
(1974) - The Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
(writer 1976, head writer 1977-1981) - Emmet Otter's Jug-Band ChristmasEmmet Otter's Jug-Band ChristmasEmmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas is a children's storybook by Russell Hoban which was first published in 1971. In 1977 it was adapted into a television special by Jim Henson with songs by Paul Williams...
(1977) - The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979)
- The Muppet MovieThe Muppet MovieThe Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. Released in 1979, the film was produced by Henson Associates, Children's Television Workshop and ITC Entertainment....
(1979) - The Great Muppet CaperThe Great Muppet CaperThe Great Muppet Caper is a 1981 mystery comedy film directed by Jim Henson. It is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Henson's Muppets. This film was produced by Henson Associates, ITC Entertainment and Universal Pictures, and premiered on 26 July 1981. The...
(1981) - Fraggle RockFraggle RockFraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
(1983, writer and creative producer) - Muppet Video: Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff (1985)
- Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook (1985)
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 YearsThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 YearsThe Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years is a 1985 one-hour special that aired on CBS starring Jim Henson's Muppets.-Plot:The Muppets, the characters from Sesame Street, the characters from Sam and Friends, Uncle Traveling Matt and Sprocket the Dog from Fraggle Rock, and other Muppet-related...
(1986) - A Muppet Family ChristmasA Muppet Family ChristmasA Muppet Family Christmas is a 1987 Christmas television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets.This is one of the very few Muppet productions to feature Muppets associated with all four of the major Muppet franchises: The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies...
(1987) - The Jim Henson HourThe Jim Henson HourThe Jim Henson Hour was a short-lived television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the popular Muppet characters. Only nine of the twelve episodes produced managed to air on NBC before the low-rated...
(1989, writer and co-producer) - Living with Dinosaurs (1989, co-producer)
- The Muppets at Walt Disney WorldThe Muppets at Walt Disney WorldThe Muppets at Walt Disney World is a television special starring Jim Henson's Muppets at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. This was the last Muppets project that Jim Henson worked on before his death on May 16, 1990. The special aired on NBC May 6, 1990.-Plot:In this...
(1990) - The Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 musical comedy film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, directed by Brian Henson, produced by The Jim Henson Company, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
(1992, screenplay, co-producer) - Muppet Treasure IslandMuppet Treasure IslandMuppet Treasure Island is a 1996 American musical film based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island. It is the fifth feature film to star The Muppets and was directed by Jim Henson's son Brian Henson....
(1996) - Muppets from SpaceMuppets from SpaceMuppets from Space is a 1999 science fiction comedy film and the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. The film was directed by Tim Hill, produced by Jim Henson Pictures, and released to theaters...
(1999)
External links
- An interview with Jerry Juhl
- A tribute to Jerry Juhl at IGN FilmForce
- A tribute to Jerry Juhl at Jim Hill Media