The Muppets "The Simpsons", "Family Guy", "The West Wing" and "Robot Chicken" have referenced 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
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz Dorothy, having been reunited with her aunt and uncle, and feeling that she is not ready to leave Kansas to become a real star, rejects, but Aunt Em says that she wants her to go with the Muppets on their Star Hunt, much to her even bigger surprise. She then sings "Good Life" on television with them at the Muppet Theater as the film ends. Whitmire and Goelz make on-screen cameos as audience members at Aunt Em's Diner during the finale. When The Walt Disney Company acquired the Muppets franchise from The Jim Henson Company in February 2004, the Muppets