The Muppets 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. Created by Jim and Jane Henson in 1955, they are the namesake for the Disney media franchise that encompasses television, music, film, and other media associated with the characters. The Muppets originated in the short-form television series "Sam and Friends", which aired from 1955 to 1961. Following appearances on late night talk shows and in advertising during the 1960s, the Muppets began appearing on "Sesame Street" in 1969. The Muppets attained celebrity status and international recognition through their
The Muppets puppeteer, referred to as the "Muppet performer", holds the character above their head or in front of their body, with one hand operating the head and mouth and the other manipulating the hands and arms, either with two separate control rods or - in the case of "live-hand" Muppets - wearing the hands similarly to gloves. One consequence of this design is that most Muppets are left-handed, with the performer using their right hand to operate the head while operating the arm rod with their left hand. In the case of more complex Muppets, several puppeteers may control a single