The Muppets industry and popular culture in the United States, receiving recognition from various cultural institutions and organizations, including the American Film Institute, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Library of Congress, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Muppets were created by puppeteer Jim Henson in the 1950s, beginning with Kermit the Frog, who would become Henson's most recognizable character. Originally conceived for an adult audience, Henson claimed, and later retracted, that he coined the term "Muppet" as a portmanteau of the words "marionette" and "puppet". In 1955, the Muppets were introduced in "Sam and Friends", a short-form television series
The Muppets Kermit appeared on "Hollywood Squares" and as one of the celebrity commentators on VH1's "I Love" documentary series. Kermit and the Muppets (and also Bear from "Bear in the Big Blue House") have also made many appearances on "The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon". On July 25, 2007, the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta announced the opening of a new Jim Henson Wing, which would house anywhere from 500 to 700 retired Muppets. The new wing, first set to open in 2012 with films, sketches, and other materials from the Jim Henson Company archives, eventually opened as a