The Muppets to be a vital component of its increasing popularity, providing an "effective and pleasurable viewing" method of presentation for the series' educational curriculum. In the early 1970s, the Muppets continued their presence in television, primarily appearing in "The Land of Gorch" segments during the first season of "Saturday Night Live". As his involvement with "Sesame Street" continued, Henson mused about the possibility of creating a network television series featuring the Muppets; as opposed to "Sesame Street", however, this proposed series would be aimed at a more adult audience and focus largely on sketch comedy. Two pilot specials, "The Muppets Valentine
The Muppets other series such as "30 Rock". Following Disney's acquisition of the Muppets, puppets created by The Jim Henson Company are no longer referred to as Muppets. Puppets created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, such as those in "Labyrinth" and "The Dark Crystal", have never been considered Muppets, as they are generally more complex in design and performance than regular Muppets. The "Star Wars" character Yoda was originally performed by Frank Oz, one of Henson's regular performers, and is often described as a Muppet in media and reference works; he is not, however, and Henson was not involved in the character's