Sam and Friends
Encyclopedia
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. on WRC-TV
in black and white, and later, color
on weekdays from May 9, 1955 to December 15, 1961.
.
Early in its run, the show mostly featured the puppets lip-synching to popular songs of the day (if the song was by a female performer, the puppet would wear a wig while singing). Later, formal sketches were drawn up, many spoofing well-known television shows at the time, including Sam and Friends' lead-in show in the Washington market, The Huntley-Brinkley Report.
A popular early sketch that would be used often in subsequent Henson productions was "Inchworm", in which a character, often Kermit, would nibble on what looked like a worm, but would ultimately turn out to be the tongue or nose of the monster Big V who would devour him.
Jerry Juhl
also worked on the show toward the end of its run. Also around 1959, advertisements for Esskay Meats would appear at the end of the show.
, under the heading of "My First Big Splash".
Sam, Harry the Hipster, and Yorick appeared in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
.
In August 2010, Jane Henson donated ten puppets from the show, including the original Kermit, to the Smithsonian Institution
's National Museum of American History
.
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
television show created by puppeteer 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...
and his eventual wife Jane
Jane Henson
Jane Ann Henson is the widow of puppeteer Jim Henson. Born Jane Ann Nebel and raised in New York, she met Henson while both were freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park...
. It was taped and aired locally in Washington, D.C. on WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
in black and white, and later, color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
on weekdays from May 9, 1955 to December 15, 1961.
Plot
Sam was a bald human-looking puppet with wide eyes, large ears, and a big nose; his friends included Yorick, Harry the Hipster, and a lizard-like creature called Kermit who later evolved into Kermit the FrogKermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
.
Early in its run, the show mostly featured the puppets lip-synching to popular songs of the day (if the song was by a female performer, the puppet would wear a wig while singing). Later, formal sketches were drawn up, many spoofing well-known television shows at the time, including Sam and Friends' lead-in show in the Washington market, The Huntley-Brinkley Report.
A popular early sketch that would be used often in subsequent Henson productions was "Inchworm", in which a character, often Kermit, would nibble on what looked like a worm, but would ultimately turn out to be the tongue or nose of the monster Big V who would devour him.
Jerry Juhl
Jerry Juhl
Jerome Ravn "Jerry" Juhl 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...
also worked on the show toward the end of its run. Also around 1959, advertisements for Esskay Meats would appear at the end of the show.
Cast
- Jim HensonJim HensonJames 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...
- Sam, Harry the Hipster, Kermit the Frog, Omar, Professor Madcliffe, Yorick, Pierre the French Rat - Jane HensonJane HensonJane Ann Henson is the widow of puppeteer Jim Henson. Born Jane Ann Nebel and raised in New York, she met Henson while both were freshmen at the University of Maryland, College Park...
- Others - Jerry JuhlJerry JuhlJerome Ravn "Jerry" Juhl 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...
- Others - Bob Payne - Others
Later appearances
Sam & Friends is mentioned in chapter 2 of Kermit The Frog's book Before You LeapBefore You Leap
Before You Leap is the autobiography and self-help guide written by Muppet Kermit the Frog . It was released in September 2006.-External links:*...
, under the heading of "My First Big Splash".
Sam, Harry the Hipster, and Yorick appeared in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
The 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...
.
In August 2010, Jane Henson donated ten puppets from the show, including the original Kermit, to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
's National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
.