Do Go On - 95 - Jim Henson & The Muppets

Episode Date: August 16, 2017

Did you grow up watching Sesame Street? Are you a fan of The Muppets Movie? Did you know Jim Henson was involved in Star Wars? Well strap in and learn all about it in this week's pod! Jess and Matt are still both a bit sick, and Matt also says many regretful things. So, everything is normal, basically. Support the show and get rewards like bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/DoGoOnPoTwitter: @DoGoOnPodInstagram: @DoGoOnPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/Email us: [e-mail] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey everybody, Jess and Dave, just jumping in really quickly at the top here to make sure that you are across all the details for our upcoming Christmas show. That's right, we are doing a live show in Melbourne Saturday December the 2nd, 2023, our final podcast of the year, our Christmas special. It's downstairs at Morris House, which usually be called the European beer cafe. On Saturday December the 2nd, 2023 at 4.30pm, come along, come one, come all, and get tickets at dogoonpod.com. Most weight loss programs are short-term fixes, but managing your weight needs a long-term solution,

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Visit PlanetBcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. and I'm here with Jess Perkins and Matt Stewart. Good evening. Good evening, good to be with you. Always a pleasure. And to the headlines. It felt a bit Newsy. Yeah, so it was a good evening. Good evening. I thought it was more like a late night political,

oh really serious, serious sort of. To our top story tonight. I did work experience at Channel 10 News when I was in studying journalism and my favorite part was that with a lot of the reporters, especially the women, they would talk, there was one in particular who would always talk off camera, she would, she had a really high kind of winging valley girl kind of voice. Can we hear an impression just to paint the sand? So it's my birthday tomorrow, literally it was her birthday the next day. It's my birthday tomorrow, Greg.

You're gonna remember that it's my birthday. And then when she was on air, thanks Dan. You're very good at it. Go again. The commuters were held up for up to three hours this morning due to delays on the train line. That's exactly how she sounded. Who wasn't as Sandra Sully?

Yeah, I was interned with Sandra Sully. Wow. Were you... Like did they ever talk to you about that voice and say that if you want to pursue a job in this career Pissue a job in this career. Yes. Did you want to pursue a job in this career or pursue a career in this job pardon me to rephrase it to make even less sense Did you, uh, no, at journalism school, for example, do they ever mention that if you do the news, you'll have to speak like a fuck like day one day one day one of journalism or welcome to the class. Good evening and welcome to journalism school. As opposed to your like a day where you do work and where they have to talk a bit more like this. Dropping next week, and they hold lots of...

You got a bit too commercial there actually. Commercial, okay, sorry. Commercial is like coming up after the break. When you get a lightest from Taylor Swift. What's the Triple J1? Triple J is like, you get to talk really normally, and they say it with, I would say, things like... is like you get to talk really normally and they say it with I would say things like a new one from Julia Jackson there if her album touring next week actually so

if you're in the area make sure you check that out. Sweet breaks in the words and they hold S as if if words end with S they do come out next that doesn't end with S but you know what I mean. No you mean yeah anyway. Do you think that's because they cut? I think that's taught, isn't it? Is it taught on casting similar people? I think maybe just also it becomes the style, you know? That's the style at the time.

Your favorite style of course is the 1930s, Jess. 40s. Please give us an example. The year was 1943. Jess loves that. I love it. I love it a lot. Anyway.

I think you should bring that to the triple jar, your segment. OK. 1940's Jess. Yeah, right. Good coming up with segments. Not only 40's Jess. What does that specifically entail? Jess just reads news from the 1940's.

She pretends the war never finished. Hitler has struck again! That dastardly deeds is done all over Eastern Europe! Dastardly deeds, that's good. Dundirt shape. So I was thinking, yeah. I'm always saying the things that you're too afraid to think. You're so edgy.

Yeah, real edgy. You're too afraid to think. You have dangerous thoughts. You're so edgy. Yeah, really. You're too afraid to think. You have dangerous thoughts. You're so cool. You shut the fuck up. He panics every time. Jess, it is your turn to report. It is my turn.

And I have written the worst question I've ever written. Ooh, you've written some shit question. It might look like I don't write them. At least you've written it. So I'm impressed. I wrote it. OK, not sure that I write them. At least you've written it so I'm impressed I wrote it Okay, so I dipped into the hat and my question to you gentlemen is Can you name an Oscar winner who was never actually alive?

Oh So someone who's never born So it's got to be an Oscar winner the man who was never born. Is that what the set says called? Because I love it. Yeah, it's a beautiful mystery. So an Oscar winner. It's been a trick question. Okay, I'm guessing it's a, it's a, it's some sort of a

character. A character, right? Like a Mickey Mouse type. Oh, it's Mickey Mouse. It's not Mickey Mouse. What do you the poo? No. Doctor Who.

It's gonna be a big cinematic thing, right? Is it a Disney character? You're technically yes. Dumb O. Oscar winner. No, don't think classic Disney though. Oh, Lion King. No, that's classic Disney.

Oh, it's a Toy Story guy. Woody. No. What's unclassicic? Okay, stop thinking Disney. Oh Don't think classic Disney. What was the category? Best original song I Believe I can fly only a few years ago Space jam six years ago Is it frozen? No, yeah before frozen frozen no you before frozen yeah before

frozen best original song also it's a song the song is never a lot no the song one but who performed the song oh a character oh oh name the song we'll see we get it from the time is that what's the category the category the song of the singer? Song, best original song is what they won. But what's the topic of this report? Well, it's the character. If I say the name of the song, it has their name in it.

That's the brand. I really feel like we're going to get to this theme from George. Six years ago. I don't know. Just put us out of our misery, okay? Yeah, well what is it? Well, what if I said who can you name a puppet? Who's one? An Oscar? Kermit. The frog. Who is part of the Muppet. Oh my goodness, the Muppets. The Muppets are really cool. I like the Muppets. But much like Matt. Oh, okay, so cool.

They are so cool. They are so cool. And much like Matt, they've been around for like 60 years. And was that the year that they, the Muppets, the song written by Jermaine? I mean, Bretter from, yeah. Fluttered the Concourse on the Oscar? Man or Muppet, couldn't really say, could I? Yes.

So a couple of people, so Oscar, Hogan Paul and Nick Gurney have both suggested Jim Henson and the Muppets. Oh cool. As a topic. Very cool. And it is, it is a bit cool. I didn't, I kind of wanted to look into, because I think it's really fascinating that something like puppets has been so hugely successful across so many generations. I don't mean, you know what I mean? They're like it seems like. That's amazing. That's that's pretty incredible. I was like we should have moved on, is that what you mean? Yeah, like technology improved we don't need puppets anymore. Unless we honest, it's not quite a sock. It's not quite a mop. So an answer to your question. I don't know what it is.

What was that question? It says I'm a Simpson quote and he's asked what a mop it is. It's not quite a sock. It's not quite a mop. Not got a sock. A puppet. Not got a mop. Cool. Yeah. I'm gonna get a sentence referencing. Anyway so yeah I will talk probably quite a bit about Jim Henson but obviously he's pretty much synonymous with the Muppets, so it's all about his life with the Muppets. That's great. I'm excited. Let's get stuck in Born in Greenville, Mississippi on September 24, 1936. James Morrie Henson was the younger of two children of Paul Ransom Henson, and his wife Betty, Betty, great name. Is he Stasmino Paul Ransom Henson and his wife Betty, Betty, great name.

And so is he stasmin' on name Ransom? Yes. Whoa! Paul Ransom. Never heard of that as a name. One of his big fans of the 1990s film with Mel Gibson called Ransom. Sorry, I mean Braveheart. Classic mistake.

He just rolled your eyes at yourself. I've wasted it, but I'm sorry. I loved it. He was raised as a Christian scientist and spent his early childhood in Leyland, Mississippi before moving with his family to University Park, Maryland. Is that how you say it? Yeah, it's like a yeah, where all the marries go. But apparently that's another pronounce it in Maryland, which is near Washington DC. They moved there in the late 40s. The year was late 40s. See? Jim later remembered the arrival of the family's first television as the biggest event of his adolescence. Oh no.

Go to TV. First wanked and make it. How's the saddest story ever heard? Jim, was it in the top three? Come on. First wank. Is that your number one memory from your adolescence? No.

What's the biggest event of your adolescence? It was... The year was 1940. It was, yeah, they just invented some from the olden days. The printing press. The horse. They just invented the horse. Yeah.

I was going to make it so much easier. In 1954, while attending Northwestern High School, he began working for WTOP TV, creating puppets for a satellite morning children's show called the Junior Morning Show. After he graduated from high school, Hanson enrolled at the University of Maryland as a studio arts major, thinking he might become a commercial artist. So he's a bit of a creative guy. I love it. He's hip. He's happening. He's 9 in 50s. He knows what's up. A puppetry class offered in the applied arts department introduced

him to the craft and textiles courses in the College of Home Economics and he graduated in 1960 with a BS in Home Economics. Oh, not a BS. He's got a BS in Home Econ. What would that be, Bachelor of... Shit. In Home Econ. Bachelor of Shit, Science, probably Science.

Science, right. That makes more sense. Oh, even more sense. I understand that Home Economics is very scientific. I was lying before it wasn't the horse. It was my first wink with a horse. Matthew. Printer press with the printing press. Why would you say something that you know you're going to ask me to edit out and you know I won't. Yeah, I just thought I missed an opportunity back there. I needed to double down on the wank thing. It was playing on me and I'm like, I'm going to, anyway. Anyway, so I'm just going to keep moving with Jim Henson and his BS in Home Econ. As a

freshman, he'd been asked to create Sam and Friends, which was a five minute puppet show for WRC TV. The characters on Sam and Friends were four runners of the Muppets and the show included a prototype of Henson's most famous character, Kermit the Frog. Henson would remain at WRC for seven years from 1954 to 1961. In the show, he began experimenting with techniques that would change the way puppetry had been used on television, including using the frame defined by the camera shot to allow the puppet performer to work off camera. So you know, that makes sense, right? So they'd frame it so they're all you're seeing is the puppet, not the puppet and the puppeteer. Right, before that puppeteer was pretty unconvincing, they zoomed in on the puppeteer's face. That feels like it couldn't see anything that was going on.

That feels like a fairly obvious thing to think of. Like sure, it's hard to do in a live stage show. If that's what you're doing with puppets, sure, it's hard to hide the puppeteer. But if you're doing it for TV, that seems like a fairly obvious choice. But he was apparently... The first one to make the obvious choice. Forward thinking there. Believing television puppets needed to have life and sensitivity, hence it began making characters from flexible, fabric-covered foam rubber, allowing them to express a wider array of emotions.

At a time when many puppets were made of carved wood, can't get much expression at the cast-wood. You should kind of star. Yeah. They've sort of got the one fixed expression, you know? Yeah. Because they're carved How funny is Kerman's expression when he just like he moshes his face in so funny like his whole mouth This is regret face. Yeah, yeah Kerman's regret face. It's just mush is mouth. But sometimes it's when he's mad too

Yeah, that's great. He's like And he's mouth. Yeah great. I like when he wears a suit I just like Kerman in general. He's great. I'm marrying its arm I'm marrying its arms. I mean manipulated by strings but hence and use rods to move his muppets arms allowing grading I'm sorry I've expressed a big collection of strings. He used his rod Can you bring your strings over? can need to manipulate kermit again all right this is the last time kermit you don't mean anything to me here are some strings if you do perform well today though

you're gonna have even more strings I don't like you remember that Manipulating Kermit Now we had a even younger better looking puppet try it last night and you really nailed it. So that's that's much clearer manipulation I'm still a bit sick Can I use that as excuse? Yours is like I love you. I love you. I hate you. Oh you're manipulating. You mean nothing to me, but here's the treat. I don't care about you. I'm so confused. It's so weird.

So confused can I just do the puppet show now? Dave was very quick to be able to sub in a manipulation. Oh man, I can manipulate all night long. Don't challenge me how manipulate you. I don't want to challenge you. Or be manipulated. Henson wanted the Muppets characters to speak more creatively Don't challenge me how many people you don't want to challenge you or be manipulated Henson wanted the Muppets characters to speak more creatively than what was possible for previous puppets

So he used precise mouth movements to match the dialogue whereas previously it was like more of it. Yeah, yeah, it was now much more deliberate and precise When he began working on Sam and friends, he asked fellow University of Maryland sophomore Jane Nebel to assist him. The show was a financial success, but after graduating from college, Henson began to have doubts about going to a career performing with puppets. He spent several months in Europe where he was inspired by European puppet performers who looked on their work as an art form. Ah, so before that he had not just done that pride in it.

I guess so, yeah. Oh, that's actually quite nice. I was expecting the jokes to be there, but that's a really lovely point you just made. But puppetry is not an art form. Let's be honest, there's one step above Rivernan's at best. That's amazing. I love it, I think they're awesome. That's very clever. The Thunder I love it. I think they're awesome. That's very clever. The Thunderbirds love it. Oh yeah. When he returned, when he returned to the United States, he and Jane began dating. They were married in 1959 and they had five children. Lisa Cheryl, Brian, John and Heather. Those people do not sound like a creative couple do they? No. Listen them again.

I like Brian, but the rest of those names... Well they're Jim and Jane, and they have Lisa Cheryl, Brian, John and Heather. So sorry, Cheryl, I am so sorry. They're fine names, but they're, I think when you mix them all together, they've just gone rock solid, rock solid, rock solid, Cheryl, rock solid, rock solid. You guys like Cheryl? No. Oh no. But it's not rock You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not.

You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not.

You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not.

You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're not. You're. But they're 13 years of Catholic education. Little, in fact, as they built a John on Cheryl. So, amazing. Fascinating. Now, despite the success of Salmon Friends, Hanson spent much of the next two decades

working in commercials, talk shows, and children's projects. The popularity of his work on Salmon Friends in the late 1950s led to a series of guest appearances on network talk and variety shows. Hence himself appeared as a guest on many shows including the Steve Allen show, the Jack Parr program and the Ed Sullivan show. Although apparently, Ed Sullivan misintroduced Hanson as Jim Newsom and his puppets. Good Newsom. The Marionettes not puppet! Fucking idiot! I think some of those shows you mentioned like full classic early late night American talk shows, right?

Yeah. Jim Parve heard that name. Was he the guy before Johnny Carson maybe? I was watching an interview with Johnny Carson and Jim Henson and it's like it's hard to watch. Because it's so good. Yeah. What are you saying? No, it's just kind of like an awkward stilted interview style, which is probably maybe just indicative of the time. I don't know, but he has Kermit with him in his very- Kermit's like Kermit steals the show. It's so funny. Everyone loves him. He went a little like plaid adorable. I love Sits. It's so good.

like plaid adorable. I love suits. So good. On camera. I love suits. I love them. The first, this first national television broadcast greatly increased exposure, which led to hundreds of commercial appearances by handsome characters throughout the 60s. And among the most popular of Henson's commercials was a series for the local Wilkins coffee company in Washington, D.C., in which his muppets were able to get away with a greater level of slapstick violence that might have been acceptable with human actors and would later find its way into many acts with the muppet show. So in the first Wilkins ad, a muppet named Wilkins is poised behind a cannon. Another muppet named Wontkins, get it, Wilkins Wankins. I was originally

really used Wankins, I was like, no, it's probably Wankins, I don't make more sense. So Wankins is in front of the cannon, and Wilkins asks, what do you think of Wilkins' coffee, and Wankins' response never tasted it. Wilkins fires the cannon and blows one in Ken's way, then turns the cannon directly towards the viewer and ends the ad with, now what do you think of Wilkins? That's fantastic. It's quite threatening too, which is fun. And just for full disclosure, I really enjoy Wilkins coffee. If anyone's pointing at a cannon at me.

You love coffee, don't you? I drink it every day. Six times a day. Six cups. You have six cups of coffee a day? Six mugs. Six mugs of coffee a love coffee, don't you? I drink it every day. Six times a day. Six cups. You have six cups of coffee a day? Six mugs. Six mugs of coffee a day. Yep.

Do you? Laté, espresso. Espresso, fuck. Capuchina. What's the difference between a Capuchina or a latte? Several things. I couldn't name one. Capuchina or a latte?

It's just fine. It's in the difference. I'm going to lock in foam. Oh! He's an expert. All right guys, I don't drink coffee at all. It tastes bad. Why are you putting in your mouth every day?

Stop it. Stop everyone. It's a chemical. It's like slaves to the bean. I've said it before and I'll say it again. And we've never argued with you. We are slaves to the bean. Oh, we're madty.

Oh yeah. Love the bean. Love the bean. I hate the bean. Are we Maddie? Oh yeah. Love the bean. Love the bean. I hate the bean. I'm always saying about you. We're Wilkins types. You know, you're our Wilkins. So in relation to this ad Henson later explained, Till then advertising agencies believed that the hard sell was the only way to get the message over on television. We took a very different approach. We tried to sell things by making people laugh.

The hard sell threatening people with a camera can and not a hard sell. No, it's just a way to go for comedy. First, so there's the commercial only went for seven seconds. Wow, what happens for seven seconds. And a lot happens in seven seconds. It was an immediate hit. And it was syndicated and reshup by Henson for local coffee companies across the United States.

He ultimately produced more than 300 coffee ads. So just to make ends meet, he's doing a lot of commercials as well. Is it always Wilkins and Wilkins? No, I don't think it always is, but like the muppets are being used for. It's Nescafe and not Nescafe. Nescafe and noapscafe.

No, what do you think of Noapscafe? In 1963, Hanson and his wife moved to New York City where the newly formed Muppets Inc. would reside for some time. Jane quit performing to raise their children because she was actually performing with them with him. Hanson hired writer Jerry Joule, J-U-H-L, how would you say that? Joule? Probably H. J-U-H-L here. So I'm just thinking on the way you say H again, sorry. How do I say it? H. H. That's fine, it doesn't matter. But who H H that's what it does it but who says H? I do Dave does okay this is two out of three fair enough

j-u-h-l oh dual great Jell my mom says white and it'll always be so bad she so white how white Does she say that with every quit like a whip her? No, but just white white Hwally Where is where is my white dressing crown? Wheelkins or other Hwantkins Wheelkins, why can't it's not all W's

Dave Hornicky white white white white so she puts the age before and after the W white Is it white yeah, I don't know anyway 100 million people say a Malcolm Terrible out of the Australian Prime Minister says this please instead of police please please no Please he also says medicine and not medicine. Oh my god. What is he a toddler? No, he's a tof. That's what he is Oh my god, what is he a toddler? No, he's a tof, that's what he is. Yeah, so Henson had hired writer Jerry Jewel in 1961 and puppet performer Frank Oz in 1963 to replace Jane while she was raising the kids. Henson later credited both with developing much of the humour and characters of his muppets. So Jerry Jewel, I don't know Frank Oz, but Jerry Jewel. Jerry Jewel was a, like, more of a writer.

Cool. Jewel. Henson and Oz developed a really close friendship and a performing partnership that lasted 27 years. Their teamwork is particularly evident in their portrayals of the characters of Burton Ernie, Kermit and Miss Piggy and Kermit and Foszy Bear. Why they both do both? That's so cool. Isn't that cool?

Henson does a lot of the characters himself, foicing and stuff like that. What a guy. They're just their teamwork is nice. Do you think we'll last 27 years? Surely podcasts won't be cool in 27 years. No, puppets will be though. Yeah, a good point.

You can always rely on puppets. Puppets are timeless. What I say. Hensons 1960s talk show appearances, culminated when he devised Rolf who was a piano playing anthropomorphic dog. Rolf became the first muppet to make a regular appearance on a network show, the Jimmy Dean show. Henson was so grateful for this break that he offered Jimmy Dean a 40% interest in his production company, but Dean declined, stating that Hanson deserved all the rewards for his own work. Well, that's amazing. And we're not talking about James Dean though.

Jimmy Dean. Different. Different Dean. I'm pretty sure James Dean never had his own chat show. I didn't think so either. I think he's dead by this point too. Making it very difficult but not impossible. Not impossible. In America, at two hostages, you can be whatever you want to be if you believe.

From 1963 to 1966, Henson began exploring filmmaking and produced a series of experimental films. His 9 minute experimental film Time Piece was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 1966. Incredible. He's a busy guy. Yeah, real busy guy. In 1969, television producer Joan Gans Cuny and her staff are the children's television workshop. Impressed by the quality and creativity of the Henson-led team, asked Henson and his staff to work full-time on a little show you may have heard of Did Jimmy Dean show the Jimmy Dean show?

Now I wonder if Could you tell me how to get How to get to Sesame Street play school, you know So this is a mystery. It was seen as a visionary children's program public television. It was it was gonna be huge. It's gonna be huge. It was gonna be huge, but something bad happened. And I'll tell you all about it right now. At first, at first, Henson's Muppets appeared separately from the realistic segments on Sesame Street, but after a poor test screening in Philadelphia, the show was revamped to integrate the two, placing much great emphasis on Hanson's work. So previously it would just be like small little sketches with that their market stood, and then they would just have like other segments when then they put them together to make it work.

More fluid, ladies and gentlemen, like it's just to make it all just flow. I get it. Yeah. Oh yeah. He gets it. He gets it. Though Henson would often downplay his role in Sesame Street success, Kuhny frequently praised Jim's work. And in 1990, the public broadcasting service called him the spark that ignited our fledgling broadcast service,

which is very nice. The success of Sesame Street also allowed Henson to stop producing commercials. Ah, no more coffee commercials. And he later remembered that it was a pleasure to get out of that world. Well, not a fan. Sounds more like a Wonton kind of guy.

Yeah, Wonton's. Wonton's. In addition to creating and performing Muppets characters, Henson was involved in producing various shows and animations in sets during the first two seasons of Sesame Street. So during the first season, Henson produced a series of counting films for the numbers one through ten, which always ended with a baker, voiced by Henson, falling down the stairs while carrying the featured number of desserts. I love that!

the featured number of desserts. I love that. Concurrently with the first years of Sesame Street, Henson directed Tales of Muppet Land, a short series of TV movie specials. They were comic retellings of classic fairy tales aimed at a young audience and hosted by Kermit the Frog. The series included, hey Cinderella, the Frog Prince, and the Mppet musicians of Bremen Bremen. He always ended with a baker following the town of Stas. I think that's so cute. Cinderella, blah blah blah blah. Hey, Cinderella, I'm walking here. I see him.

I see how that would go. Am I wrong? It sounds about right, yeah? It sounds about right, yeah? It sounds exactly right. Considering that the company was becoming typecast solely as a purveyor of children's entertainment, Hanson Oars and their team targeted an adult audience with a series of sketches on the first season of the groundbreaking comedy series Saturday Night Live. Oh!

Hanson recalled that, I saw what Law and Michaels was going for and I really liked it. And wanted to be a part of it. But somehow, what we were trying to do and what his writers could write for, it never really gelled. The SNL writers never got comfortable writing for their characters and frequently disparaged Henson's creations. One writer, Michael O'Donohue, said, I won't write for felt. HMMM. I want a fuckhead.

It's where he draws the line. I won't, I won't do it. I won't write for felt. I want a fuckhead. It's where he draws the line. I won't, I won't do it. I won't. Real uppity. What a fuckhead. Huh? What's his name? Michael O'Donning here.

I'm putting a member book. Yeah, he won't work in this town, Melbourne. Never again. We'll get the word out. Unless it really wants to. Unless he starts writing for felt. Yeah. It's gonna prove it.

These are our demands. Around the time of Hanson's characters, final appearance on SNL, he began developing two projects featuring the Muppets, a Broadway show and a weekly television series. Ambitious. Yeah, at the same time. In 1976, a series was initially rejected by the American Networks who believed that Muppets would appeal only to children. So then Hanson pitched the show to the British Impressario. Oh, that sounds good. Impressario.

Impressario. Oh, the Impressario. He pitched it to the British Impressario, Lou Grayd, to finance the show. The show would be shot in the UK and syndicated worldwide. That same year he scrapped plans for his Broadway show and moved his creative team to England where the Muppet Show began taping. The Muppet Show featured Kermit as the host and a variety of other memorable characters, notably Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great and Fosy Bear, along with other characters such as

Animal. notably Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great and Foszy Bear, along with other characters such as Animal, Dream Animal, and all so cool, the drama. Cormorants' role in the Muppet Show was often compared by his co-workers to Henson's role in the Muppet's production, a shy, gentle boss with a whim of steel, who ran things as firmly as it is possible to run an explosion in a mattress factory. Carol Spinney, the puppet performer of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, remembered that Hanson would never say he didn't like something.

He would just go, hmm, that was famous. And if you liked it, he would say, lovely. Wow. Sorry, it was a real bad. It was a subtle feedback. It was a real bad, if you went, hmm, he went,

oh, he started crying. It was his equivalent of, you are the weakest link, goodbye. If you got it too, in a week, you know you are going to be fired. You fired, Donald Trump. Hmm, hmm, hmm. So yeah, he was, um, Henten himself even recognized Kermit as an alter ego though he thought that Kermit was bolder than he was. He once said of Kermit, he can say things I hold back. I love that. I think that's really cute.

Wow, he can go from a two-way. That's your Kermit impression? Oh, yeah. Hello pig. Pig? You're doing pharma hoggit? Isn't he called Miss Piggy Pig? He calls her Piggy. I don't think so.

What's her name? Well, you haven't been there for the pillow talk like I have. Ew. Why are you watching the Muppets of Pillow Talk? That's their time. Hey, it's all about time. It's not day. Oh, sorry. Gross. Probably. Matt doesn't. Do you, do the noise you make when you're going along with one of my dumb jokes. Hmm. Oh.

Hmm. Is that it? No. I don't know. You'd have to do a dumb joke. Nice to have you. Tense out from that. Car force.

Tense out that it was actually Matt going. No good. Yeah, no good. It was his idea. He's never said lovely though, so that's not good. Okay, so in 1979, three years after the start of the Muppet Show, the Muppets appeared in their first theatrical feature film, The Muppet Movie. The movie was both a critical and financial success. It made 65 million US dollars domestically and was at the time the 61st highest-grossing film ever made. Wow, top 61!

Top 61, that's where you want to be. Yeah. That's where you want to be. Yeah. That's where you want to be. Ever. 61. Ever at the time. Ever and their puppets. Top 61. Top 61. I'm my dream. I really hope the guy that said he wouldn't write for felt when along and saw how successful. What a fuck. Fuck. I mean his show was pretty successful too, right? Still running, but still. Fuck! Still! I'm looking this guy, what's his name?

Michael O'Donohue. Michael O'Donohue. It's a good name though. Never working in a stand again, we can remember him. I know a guy called Michael O'Donohue. Do you? Is he working in a stand? Yeah.

Oh fuck. That's a trivia host. He fucked it. He fucked it. Yeah well I mean that's all right. If he's just working as a trivia host. Happy for that? Okay, let's slide Michael. If he's just working with a trivia host. Happy for that?

Okay. Let's slide, Michael. I mean just. Wow, Matt. Look, I'd look down upon trivia hosts. Okay. It's interesting, because you are one. Yeah, self-loathing trivia hosts.

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Now is the time. Mycomputercareer.edu. Now a song from the film. You may know it. The Rainbow Connection. Sound by Kermit? Oh, I don't think I know it. The Rainbow Connection. For lovers and dreamers and me. I'm really not the Kermit the Frog fan. I thought I was. I had to learn it on piano so I do yeah I do remember it I could only remember it from the title that must that's not where it starts

How does it start? Why are there so many songs about rainbows? What's on the other side? Not really nailing the melody there, sort of forgotten it. Rainbows are visions, but only illusions. Rainbows have nothing to hide. So when it's them,ump, tears to believe them. When it thump, wait and see.

Someday we'll find them. The rainbow connection for lovers and dreamers and me. Please cuddle that up. Praver. So that song that you just heard beautifully performed was sung by Henson as Kermit and it hit number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Top 25! Was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Okay, I didn't really impress you.

That's quite impressive. It's Top 25 more impressive for you than Top 25. Is it Top 25 of all time? It's a bangin' tune. We build what hot 100? Bangin' tune. Bangin' tune. In 1981, a Henson directed sequel, The Great Muppet Kaper, followed, and Henson decided to end the still-popular Muppet show

and concertrata-making films. Oh, he ended it himself. Hmm, interesting. He's like, we're not doing TV anymore. We're movie stars now, baby. From time to time, the Muppet characters continue to appear and made for TV movies and television specials.

In addition to his own puppetry projects, Henson aided others in their work. This is pretty interesting. I didn't know this at all. In 1979, he was asked by the producers of the Star Wars sequel sequel The Empire Strikes Back to aid make up artist Stuart Freiborne in the creation and articulation of Jedi Master Yoda. He helped make Yoda.

He does have a little bit of a Muppet Evalue about it. Oh, there you go. Yoda is cool and also Frank Oz. Right. Voices Yoda. Well, I was about to say, Henson suggested to George Lucas, who was a Muppets fan, that he used Frank Oz as the puppeteer and voice of Yoda. So yeah, you're right. I didn't know that.

Oz voiced Yoda in the Empire Strikes Back, and each of the four subsequent Star Wars films. So he was the voice of Yoda, always. Yoda is cool. Yeah, that is so cool. So there was no Yoda in the first Star Wars. That's bad that I don't know that I'm getting. No. We've really got to get someone in the door Star Wars episode.

He's got to go to the Dagobar system to meet up with Yoda. Right, and that's episode two. Sorry. Five. Four. Five. Numbers are hard. It's very confusing.

The naturalistic life like Yoda became one of the most popular characters of the Star Wars franchise, and Lucas even lobbied unsuccessfully to have Oz nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Oh, and that could... Please! Come on! Go on! Go on!

Tama ni tete gajou! He did good! In 1982, Henson founded the Jim Henson Foundation to promote and develop the art of puppetry in the United States. You got to get the message out there. You know, it's kind of like Houdini with the magic. Is that Houdini was doing that? Yeah, yeah.

It was the same thing. Magic society, whatever. Magic societies and... Puppetry society. Henson's just getting the good word out there about that. I put them in the same sort of bracket. Puppetry, magic, river dance. The thing with both of them, and maybe river dance, is that... They're all really cool is what I was getting at.

Super cool. Is when they're done really well, it's genuinely very impressive. It's when it's like shit magicians or crap puppets, you're like, fuck off, these guys are white. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. I think, yeah, that's the same with maybe everything. No, disagree.

Dissagree wholeheartedly. I think even the worst comedians are still true artists. So the worst comedians are better than the best puppeteers? Yeah, is that what you're saying? That's what I'm saying. Definitely not. As I continue this report about this the best puppeteers. Is that what you're saying? That's what I'm saying. Definitely not. As I continue this report about this incredibly impressive puppeteer. Mmm.

Around this time, he began creating darker and more realistic fantasy films that did not feature the Muppets and displayed a growing, brooding interest in mortality. 1982's The Dark Crystal was a financial and critical success, and a year later, the Muppets starring the Muppets Take Manhattan, which was directed by Frank Oz,

did Fair Box Off Business, grossing 25 million domestically? Fair Box Off Business. Like a phrase that. Fair Box Off. Thank you. And I got 25 million. What's that?

471 all-time, other time? Fair box. Thank you. And I got 25 million. What's that? 471 all-time at the time? It ranked as one of the top 40 films of 1984. Top 40! Of that year. 1984! However, 1986's Labyrinth. Oh yeah David Bowie. Dance, magic dance. It was similar to his dark crystal film I was a fantasy and he directed it by himself. It was considered in part due to its cost a commercial disappointment. It was okay, cult classic. It is now but it didn't do very well at originally. Really? People didn't like Bowie's cod piece.

Despite some positive reviews, the New York Times called it a fabulous film. The commercial failure of the Labyrinth demoralized Hanson to the point that his son Brian remembered the time of its release as being the closest I've seen him to turning in on himself and getting quite depressed. Oh, that's so sad because it's such a famous...

Well, that's it, yeah, as you mentioned, it later became a cult classic. Oh, I've been in his lifetime. No, I'm watching it, well, I'm quite possibly, but I remember watching it in primary school. Yeah, I saw it in primary school. And that was late 90s. And it came out in 86. So I don't think it would have been his lifetime

that it sort of reached its popularity. Oh, but he vanked off all over again, except that he had a lot of other successes. Now, I'm handsome and his wife separated the same year, although they remained really close for the rest of his life. Jane later said that Jim was so involved with his work that he had very little time to spend with her or their children. All five of his children began working with muppets at an early age, partly because, as Cheryl hints and remembered, one of the best ways of being around him was to work with him. Oh, Cheryl, bloody hell.

I couldn't talk to your dad unless you're holding a puppet. Hi, dad! I got a beat school! Pretty good. Can I have 20 bucks to go to the movies? Oh, of course you can! I'm the, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, shake his hand, you shook his mouth at hand, shake his really, dead, dead, I don't know what you're talking about! So he was still engaged in creating children's television such as the

successful 80s show Fraggle Rock and the animated Muppet Babies, Henson continued to explore darker mature themes with the Folk Tale and Mythology orientated show The Storyteller, which won an Emmy for outstanding children's program. The next year Henson returned to television with the Jim Henson hour, which mixed light-hearted Muppet fare with the riskier material. What happened there was a sort of normal Muppuppet and then like now tonight's porn film. Big bird got a big bird there. So there's chicken fillets.

Big bird's a man. He showed his chicken fillets. They told man. It's an April Tall Man. The show was critically received and won Henson another Emmy for outstanding directing in a variety or music program. Okay, what has critically received me? Like they they acknowledge that it existed. Well received. We have sent the critics the tapes. They told us they got them no opinions yet. It was well received smartass. So it did win him in Emmy but it was canceled after 13 episodes due to low ratings. Oh that sucks.

I don't know what it's going to be. That works. He blamed NBC for constantly rescheduling the show. That's always a risk isn't it? It's a bad sign when they're shuffling it around. But the kiss of death that is. Now I'm with Jim on this one. Fucking NBC, you piece of the trash.

Matt's just taking out the big dose. I got Michael Adonio NBC, the list goes on. You can't help it. In late 1989, Henson enters negotiations to sell his company to the Walt Disney company for almost $150 million, hoping that with Disney handling business matters, he would be able to spend a lot more time on the creative side of things.

14 years later, after the initial negotiations began, Disney purchased them up at intellectual properties from the Jim Henson company for $75 million in 2004. I've said all they paid for, it feel like it would be worth more than that. I think they must have... I'm not 100% sure on how it worked. I think they sort of bought the Muppets and then later also bought all the intellectual, probably like after Jim Henson had died.

I see. I'm not really sure exactly how... It's a little bit confusing there, but it basically meant that the acquisition consisted of the rights and trademarks to the Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House characters, as well as to the Muppets film, Muppet Films and Television Library. But exceptions included the Sesame Street characters, because they were previously sold to the Sesame Workshop, the Frigal Rock characters which were retained by Hanson and the distribution rights to the Muppets Take Manhattan, Muppets from Space and Kermit Swampies which remained with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Tell you what, it must be nice being very successful but it gets complicated, doesn't it?

Yeah, I wonder. It's interesting how Sesame Street bought the Sesame Street characters the workshop whatever But what does that mean for characters like Kermit? There's a few that cross between the two or his currently the only one, but yeah, I wonder what that means for him They yeah, you're right cuz like have rights to Kermit, but then so does Sony for those movies and so does Disney or whoever Yeah, that'd be confusing. It's so confusing.

It's like the Marvel thing all over again. Yeah, it's a mess. As part of the acquisition, Disney formed the Muppets Holding Company, which was later renamed the Muppets Studio, which was wholly owned subsidiary responsible for managing the characters and franchise. So as a result, the term Muppet became a legal trademark owned by Disney, although Sesame Workshop continues to apply the term to their characters under

the exclusive license from Disney. It's very complicated. It's a mess. I don't really, I don't get it. Okay, so on the 12th of May 1990, which is a good year, Hanson travelled such a casual ad in that one. Hanson, he travelled to North Carolina with his daughter Cheryl, your favourite of his children. He's a lovely Cheryl. To visit his father and stepmother. They both returned to New York on the 13th of May, so it's just a quick trip up and back. And Hanson cancelled a muppet recording session scheduled for the 14th of the next day. That night, Hanson's wife Jane, who was, I mean they were separated, but they were still mates, she came to visit him. That night, Hanson suffered a medical emergency. He was having trouble breathing and he began coughing up blood.

He suggested to his wife that he might be dying, but did not want to be to take time from his schedule to visit a hospital. Oh, no, it is her, it is her, it is her, it is her, it is her, but two hours later, he finally agreed to be taken by taxi to New York Hospital, and he arrived there about five o'clock in the morning. He stopped breathing in an extra reveal

he had abscesses on his lungs. I think I'm dying, but I don't want it. Hey. That doesn't, now but I'm not. The logic there doesn't quite. I'm the same, but if I reckon I'd be in a similar situation, I don't want to go to the hospital and them tell me that I shouldn't have bothered them.

I know that sounds crazy, but I feel that way. I feel that way, like, do, like, is this, because I, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, But that's exactly what some people said, because he was raised as a Christian scientist. Some people were like, that's why he didn't want to go to hospital, better than other people.

He gave that up in his 20s. All right, right. Jane was like, he just wouldn't have wanted to bother anyone. She is. That's fine. So he's got abscesses on his lungs. He was placed on a ventilator, but his condition deteriorated

rapidly, despite aggressive treatment with multiple antibiotics. Following 20 hours in intensive care in New York hospital, he died on the 16th of May at 1.21am and he was only 53 years old. What is an abscess on the lungs? Another one to add to the list. Things to panic about it night News of Hanson's death spread quickly and fans from around the world responded with tributes and condolences So it's really quick then Yeah, I'm saying he didn't think he was sick like the day before and then yeah within within two days, Druckin' and Hewley was, he had passed away.

Or can he be gone to hospital early? He would have pulled through? Who knows? Have you ever been feeling unwell at all? Have you lately done that? Oh, so I put this on me. I've had a cough for about two weeks, and I've been thinking about calling the ambulance for about two weeks.

I reckon call a doctor for sure. Could you mind at ease? Yeah. Yeah, maybe just walk yourself down there. Yeah, thanks. I might do it. But, maybe just walk yourself down there. Yeah, thanks. I might do it. But I don't want to bother that. I thought he was older. He, I guess when I was, I was, I was a kid when he died, he would have sent 53 probably was old then. We weren't born yet. Yeah, exactly. You guys were quite young. I say I was a kid. I mean, I was, hello, we weren't born yet. We were quite young. You were quite young. I mean, you're in your

mum's bellies. Yeah, we're right up in there. Life starts a conception. You know what? You know where I stand on this. We do not know. We do not understand. So on the 21st of May, Hanson's public memorial service was conducted in New York City, the Cathedral of St John the Divine. Another was conducted on the July 2nd at St Paul's Cathedral in London. In accordance with Hanson's letters, no one in attendance wore black, and the dirty dozen brass band finished the service by performing when the saints go marching in. Harry Belafonte.

You know who's song that is. I do know who's song that is. The Sanctuary Saints. I think the Saints came up with it. I think it's our results. How does it go? Free start. I'm afraid to stop. How do we stop this? Oh my god, we got the full encore version. One more time, Saints fans. That's what they'd say after the game. That is what they'd say. And they'd play it again.

If we ever won, we've lost many in a row. At time of recording. I think hopefully by the time of this being played we've won a've lost many in a row at time of recording I think hopefully by the time I've been played with one or a couple or hopefully the finals will have started and you'll be out of your misery yeah so how are you Vela Fonte saying turn the world around just a song that he had debuted on the Muppet Show as each member of the congregation waved with a puppet performers rod. So everybody had a performer's rod and they all had a... I don't know how in a good time.

I have to be very excited to get my performers rod. Do you know that somebody's memorial service you fucking monster? Cookie Monster. And it's a nice because they all had different individual brightly colored foam butterflies on their performance rods. Yeah, you got to be real excited for the butterflies coming out, but yeah, yeah, that's. He got a butterfly on your rod. Oh my goodness, that means I'm having a great time. No, it's awesome, that's really nice. That's very sweet. Later, Big Bird performed by Carol Spinney

walked out on stage and sang her at the Frog Singers' song, Bein' Green. Just weird that Big Bird sang it, but still sweet. Wow. Yeah, that one, Dave. Oh. Hey, Pig. So that one?

No. You're a farmer, hoggard. That's not a thing at all. That's the one about it not being easy. Yeah, I know that. I don't know that one. not a farmer, Hoggett. That's not a thing at all. That's the one about it not being easy. Yeah, I know that. I don't know that one. I know. You're being green.

Yellow, you're being feathered, fuckhead. Big bed was heard to be heckled. That's being green. Oh, I know it, but I can't think of the tune now. Oh, I should have known. Of course, I should have known. Well, I have a big listening party after this. In the final minutes of the 2. half hour service, six of the core

muppet performers, Dave Goals, Frank Oz, Kevin Clash, Steve Whitmeer, Jerry Nelson and Richard Hunt, sang in their characters' voices a medley of Jim Henson's favorite songs, eventually ending with a performance of just one person. It all began with Richard Hunt singing alone as Scooter. Hence an employee Chris Barry writes that during each verse each Muppeteer joined in with their own Muppet until the stage was filled with all the Muppets performing and their beloved characters. Holy shit, I would have been crying or acting.

Yeah, well that's the thing. Is this televised? No. The funeral was later described by Life magazine as an epic and almost unbearably moving event. Well, women so uplifting and so sad at the same time. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And the image of a growing number of performers seeing just one person was recreated for the 1990 television special, The Muppet Celebrate

Jim Henson. And it also inspired screenwriter Richard Curtis, who attended the London service, to write the growing orchestra wedding scene for his 2003 film Love Actually. Do you remember that scene? Love actually where there, and somebody starts singing, and then it's like a whole band, so people stand up with different instruments. And then it's like, oh, there's a whole orchestra here.

Really spitting on Jim Hansen's grave, Curtis? Don't. Don't you? Are a lot of actually fan. I'm a Richard Curtis fan. Yeah big time Big time he'll never work in this town again. Oh my god now you're turning on Richard Curtis He's in the book. He's in the book. Oh my god Unless he writes for felt Oh, I can't, I can't. Unless he writes for Felt. It's my one demand.

Yeah. The Jim Henson Company and the Jim Henson Foundation continued after his death, producing new series and specials. Jim Henson's Creature Shop, which was founded by Henson, also continues to build creatures for a large number of other films in series.

For example, the sci-fi production of Farscape and the film adaptation of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And it's considered one of the most advanced and well-respected creators of film creatures. Which is pretty cool. His son Brian and daughter Lisa are currently the co-chairs and co-ceos of the company. Where's Cheryl? His daughter Cheryl is the president of the foundation. Right. Right Cheryl. I still love you.

Fuck, you would quick to jump there. Hanson is honored as both him as himself and as Kermit the Frog on the Hollywood walk of fame. That's cool. Only three other people have received this honor. So what beastie? Being recognized as Kermit the Frog. Three other people.

Disney and the Bugs Bunny girl. Yeah, and who else? Mel Blank. Mel Blank. Mel Blank is for both himself and Bugs Bunny. Yeah, three other people Disney and the bugs bunny girl Yeah, and who else male blank male blank male blank is For both himself and bugs bunny and yes, you're right Disney for himself and Mickey and who else might be For themselves and their characters one that I it's it was kind of like okay really who played Alph No, Bart Simpson no more recent out time out time No, Bart Simpson? No. More recent, our time. Oh, our time.

Bart Simpson's not our time, according to Jess there. You mean even more recently than Bart Simpson? Even more recently than Bart Simpson. Family guy guy? Oh my god, no, it's not... It's Mike Myers with Trek. Oh, okay. Oh, I know.

I love Mike Myers. Me too, but I just think like... He makes me horny, baby. But do we put him on the same level as Walt Disney? Yes. Okay, fair enough. Art is art. Like Myers, he's giving me a felt rod right now. He would write for felt and you know he would.

Oh, he definitely would. In 2011, the Muppets featured in a seventh film, intended to serve as a creative reboot for the characters. Disney had been furthering development on a Muppets featured in a seventh film intended to serve as a creative reboot for the characters. Disney had been furthering development on a Muppet film since 2008, when it considered adapting an unused screenplay written by Jerry Joule. Director by James Bobbin, written by Jason Seagull and Nicholas Stoller. It starred Jason Seagull, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper and Rashida Jones. And the film was met with widespread, widespread critical acclaim. I saw that at the cinema and I don't usually like musicals,

but I enjoyed it. I loved it. It got an Academy Award win for Best Original Song, I could mention it at the start for Man or Muppet, written by Brett McKenzie from Flight of the Concord. It was a great film. And after this successful performance of the Muppets, Disney Greenlit a sequel in March 2012.

And that was Muppets most wanted, which was released in 2014, had Ricky Gervais Tenefe and Ty Burrell and supporting roles. I haven't seen that one yet. I didn't see that one either. I watched it on a flight, but I fell asleep during it. The cool thing about was Jason Seagull riding

and starring at what's the story that sort of wrote about himself in forgetting Sarah Marshall. Yeah. I know how he plays the guy like that wants to write sort of muff at Star Things. And then he wrote the Muppet movie. What a dream. Yeah, it's very cool.

Yeah. Very cool. Very cool. Very cool. You know, you know, one of the guys you mentioned Steve Whitmore, he was one who took over the Kermans voice and he recently got sacked and it's broken his heart. But I read Brian. Henson.

He was a Brian Henderson who was a newsreader in the like, no, he's a something. Anyway, yeah, apparently he was like, yeah, it was about time. He was a real, I think he was kind of calling him a bit of an asshole, but you know, there's two sides to every story, but of course. Disney gave me ass. I don't think it was under Brian's control, but... Gave me ass. Gave me ass. The big felled ass. So that basically brings me to the end, but I will just recap with, you know,

the Muppets have created eight films, received four Academy Award nominations and won win, featured in ten different television series, two TV films, twenty-seven TV specials, and they've had a box office gross of over 450 million. And that's just the Muppets, like Jim Henson obviously did other things as well, but just the Muppets alone have achieved all of that. That's sick. That is amazing. I guess it's the lesson here. You should try and make the most of your time and work really hard because it could go at any time or don't work

too hard because you'll wear yourself out. And it could go at any time. Yeah. I'm worried about that. I think about that. Like would he have lived longer if he hadn't worked so hard or would that have happened anyway So it was great that he made the most of his day and if he didn't work so hard would he have been as happy was he happy? You know It's like a Jerry spring of final thought, isn't it? Hey look after yourselves And each other No what a well that's an amazing guy. Yeah, cool dude. Great beard. I like

him. Yeah, I like him too. And it was one of those situations I was really bad. I'm like, wow, he's really impressive. I hope he doesn't turn out to do something creepy later in life. Charlie, the only saddish part was when his wife said that his work meant that he didn't have any time for his kids. Oh, fuck. That was a bit brutal. But I think we can all describe him as lovely. Hmm. Ha ha ha ha. Oh, shut me down there.

But as always, we need to obviously thank some people. We need to thank everyone that's listening to this episode. Thank you so much. If you are new to the show, we do appreciate that. We don't often just chat out to the new people, but I go back and check out all our episodes. We do I imagine that people find different topics when they're searching for them. So if you found them up it's thank you so much We'd like to thank people that support us on patreon, which is The way that some of the listeners can give back to the show and keep the well oiled machine running, we need felt for our puppets.

Yeah. That's what we need. Or we the puppets? I think so. Cool. I think we are. Can I thank someone? We'd love to thank some people from Patreon that support us over at patreon.com.

So let's do one part who we got Matt. I got maybe my favorite guy from Coventry in England. Oh. Yeah, maybe. Jerome Williams. It's a real rock solid name that reminds you of Jerome Williams. Yeah. Rock solid. I was describing boring names, Rock solid before.

I mean, this one is you could use this for anything. That's a first of all. Name a scenario, a person in any scenario. Author. Jerome Williams. Author, Jerome Williams. Please make him welcome to this book recital. Author. Drone Williams. Author, Drone Williams. Please, make him welcome to this book recital. Famous scuba diver.

Scuba diver. Please, make Jerome Williams welcome as he dives into the water at this book recital. Any singer-songwriter. Sing a songwriter. Please, make him welcome to the stage. Jerome Williams has he dives into the water below at this book recital. It would work for any name whatsoever, Jerome Williams. So good. So good. I'm going to name a character. Next time I write something,

there's going to be Jerome Williams in it. Oh wow, what an honor. So you Jerome? Shut the fuck up. I can't, I could never just be nice to you. You don't, you never believe me. I'd also love to thank a Perth man. I'm a shooting person, trying not Perth in Scotland or another Perth, but anyway. No, it is Perth W a Perth W a Chimath Sorry Chimath would Giratney What a fucking legend. I like to go and chummy boy because that's his email address, but Sick name again. I got a couple of banging names

Chimath were J, jatni. Sorry I'm gonna say it one more time. Chimath, word, juratni. I feel like you may have pronounced Chimath's name so badly that even he hasn't recognized it. You're talking about him? He's laughing at home going up. Chimath?

Hey, to be that guy, I have his name and mispronounced after pledging to the show and supporting him. I'll hang on. No, I'm not on this. Chimath would geratni. That's it. No doubt about it in my mind. Thanks, Chimath.

No doubt, no doubt. I would like to thank some people, May I? Please. Thank you so much. I would like to thank Big Support of the show all the way from Canada, some of the nicest people in the world, including Dean Brett. Never trust him out with two first names except Dean. I reckon I can trust him.

I bet that's you. No, I've only just realized. Oh, I've never thought of you having two first names either. No, no. I'm sure it's traditionally a surname. The way you've spelled it, yes. Yeah. Anyway, Dean Brett, I think we can trust, I think that rule.

He'll be the exception to that rule. Thanks, Dean. We'd love to come to Canada one day, so hopefully you'll be on number one ticket holder. And maybe you could even let us sleep in your guest room. Oh, wonder if he's got a moose house. That's not too much to a moose house? Yeah, we could sleep, you know, in California, like on the OEC, they have a pool house. Actually, my big family, they'll have a moose house. That's a great assumption. So I'll just have a little house. Actually, my big camera, they have a moose house. That's a great assumption.

So I'll just have a little house next to their moose. Is the fridge filled with chocolate mousse? Yes. My word it is. By law. Oh my word it is. I would also like to think a little closer to home. In fact, very close to where I grew up in Clayton, Victoria, Vivian Richards.

Vivian Richards. Vivian Richards. Vivian Richards. The famous master blaster. Weston the Incricut player. Now, now lives in Clayton. One of the greatest batsmen of all time is subscribing to our podcast. That's cool. Viv. I went to Union Clay I didn't know the great man was nearby. I feel that I feel that this may not be it may be a different Vivian Richards and has learnt to Cop this their whole life. Oh sorry and now here we are. So thank you Vivian Richards. Vivian Richards Unisex name Vivian. I wouldn't I didn't Can be can be both. I definitely thought that was a female name. Hmm.

I wonder, I wonder what we got here. But I mean, I'm, I've been wrong before. I've only known two Vivians, Viv Rich's and Vivian on the young ones. Adrian, have you seen the character here? What about Vivian Rich's in Clayton? I've three, possibly, depending on five's gender. Only two male viewers. Male, that's what I'm saying, yep. So what are you thinking? It's a, anyway, it doesn't matter. We don't see bloody sex here. No, and we're not going to assume. We very rarely

see sex. I wish I could see sex here. Oh, I'd love to thank, if may a long-term supporter of the show big time and big thanks all the way They'll be in Cumbria in England and I would like to thank Scott Clark Scotty! Scott Clark we appreciate a lot of a lot of support over the time from Scott Clark there. Thank you. Scott Dog. Scott Dog. I'm so sorry I'm just following what he's saying. Scott Clark there. Thank you. Scott Dog. Scott Dog. I'm so sorry. I'm just following what he's saying.

Scott Dog, we have a winner. And I would also like to thank from Cumbria to San Bernardino in California. Oh, California. Oh, no. I reckon that this person may have a pool house. Wow. And they may live in Orange County. No shit. I think they may know Seth.

From the wrong side of the tracks? Yeah, the other guy. Ryan. Was it Ryan? Ryan's the bad boy. The bad boy. And I feel like this may be a bad boy. The bad boy of San Bernardino. Christian Esponosa.

Oh, that is a... That's a cool California name. Christian Espinosa. Great name. Yeah. Was there a Simpsons character called Espinosa? No, there's someone. Well, that can think of it. There's a character in Castle called Espinosa. I'm sure you're probably thinking of that. Yeah. Copping. Yeah. Right. Yes, but no, yeah. My mom and I love that. I'm thinking of it. Yeah, it's a cop called Espanosa.

Yeah. It's Castle. Well, Christian, thank you so much for the whole support. No, you're the king of our castle. And Hank, can I just say thanks to you guys. The listeners at home. No, you two specifically. Oh, okay.

You want to keep. Sure, what happened? I just want to be you. What's your angle here? No, no, angle. What do you want? I'm just a being you. What's your angle here? No, no angle. What do you want? Nothing. I don't want any ideas.

Money? Just wanted to say thank you. You're really great. You're good friends to me. You're very supportive. I can't take this seriously. What is she? She's playing.

Is this another bullying tactic? Is she telling me that I'm so cool now? I think so. You are both so cool. Don't drag me into this. Matt is so cool. Come on. Sorry, Matt, I have to turn on you. Otherwise, everyone will bully me.

How come you assume I'm bullying when I'm trying to be nice? Yeah. All right, I accept it, and I appreciate your thanks. I do not reciprocate. Interesting. But I accept it. So thank you.

And thanks to everyone over at patreon.com. So let's do go on part of his sports to show No, they really want to thank me or I love to think just but I just can't Just could not bring myself to do it. I think you're off here. I'll never go on the record. I was thanking you The friendly people at home don't need to hear this no, no, but if you do log on to patreon and support us there you get bonus episodes you can yeah, you can get a benefit. There's all these different reward tears and you can get a shout out man. How sad does that sound reward tears? We're crying to a little jar and send it to you Hey, if you pass enough, I'll do it. I'll do it. You still haven't helped and watermelon you ask whole

Because you refuse to film it you refuse. I do not refuse I because you refuse to film it. You refuse. I do not refuse. I refuse to look, but I will press record and close my roof. Alright, I'll do it. I will be doing it. Thanks so much guys for getting in. Thanks so much for supporting the show guys over at Patreon.

And if you want to get in contact at any time, Patreon or not, the email is always open. Do go on pod at gmail.com and you can get in contact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at do go on pod all the links to all our social media and stuff is in the description of the episode We have such tiny portions of our listeners who follow us on the social media is if you don't you should do it. We do extra stuff on there Yeah we do

Fuck me! You don't have to. Fuck I hate myself already. What all? Do whatever you like. I'm sorry. Oh why was I jumping on them there? Fine if I don't want to. But I was like, sure I don't have to. I'd love it if they did though. That'd be nice but. I'd say you become one of our favorites. It's interacting with us. Yeah we get to know you know. But anyway next week I did a vote for the first time out to everyone. So if you follow us on social medias You'll see stuff like that when it pops up. I did a vote. Anyone could vote Patreon or not on what topic you're doing on what topic I'm doing is gonna be a Canadian topic next week to celebrate some sort of Canadian milestone

Which hopefully I'll figure out what that is by next week. 150th birthday of the country. Yeah Right and yeah, of course you can get in contact at any time so just a topic but until next week. You're 150th birthday of the country. Yeah. Right, and yeah, of course you can get in contact at any time, so just a topic. But until next week we'll say, be good and I will say, goodbye. Bye, dude. Bye. Thanks, Jess. Appreciate you. I know.

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