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The Muppet Show is returning to TV with a contemporary grown-up reboot.

The show has been commissioned by ABC and promises a “more adult” take on much-loved characters such as Kermit.

The Muppet Show series will be filmed in a “contemporary, documentary-style” and will explore their personal lives and relationships.

For the first time ever, the series will explore the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, break-ups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires.The Muppets on ABC

The Big Bang Theory‘s producer Bill Prady is behind the series.

The recent pilot got a standing ovation at an ABC screening last month, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The Muppets, created by puppeteer Jim Henson, first appeared on TV in the 1950s, getting their own show in the 1970s.

They recently made a return to the big screen in 2011’s The Muppets and 2014’s Muppets Most Wanted, featuring Ricky Gervais.

Their TV comeback series is one of several new comedies picked up by ABC after the US pilot season.

Black and white film The Artist has triumphed at the Oscars, winning five awards including best picture, best director and best actor for Jean Dujardin.

Michel Hazanavicius , The Artist director- winning on his first ever nomination – thanked the dog, Uggie, who appears in the film but added: “I don’t think he cares.”

Jean Dujardin said of his character: “If George Valentin could speak, he would say <<Wow! Victorie! Genial! Merci!>>”

The Artist also won the Oscars for best original score and best costumes.

Martin Scorsese’s Hugo also won five Oscars, mainly in technical categories.

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady – her 17th Oscar nomination and third Oscar win.

The actress thanked the Academy “for this inexplicably wonderful career”.

“When they called my name I had this feeling I could hear half of America going: <<Aww no. Not her again>>. But, you know, whatever.

“I look out here and I see my life before my eyes. My old friends, my new friends. This is such a great honor but the thing that counts the most for me is the friendships… Thank you. All of you, departed and here.”

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady - her 17th Oscar nomination and third Oscar win

Meryl Streep won best actress for her portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady - her 17th Oscar nomination and third Oscar win

Jean Dujardin broke into his native French language in celebration shouting: “Wow, victory!”

“Thank you to the Academy. It’s funny because in 1929, it wasn’t Billy Crystal but Douglas Fairbanks who hosted the first Oscars ceremony. Tickets cost $5 and it lasted 15 minutes. Times have changed.”

1929 was the last year that a silent movie won an Oscar.

Canadian actor Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at 82 by taking the best supporting actor prize.

He was widely tipped to win for his portrayal of a father who comes out as a gay man after his wife dies in Beginners.

Christopher Plummer thanked his real-life wife who, he said, deserved “the Nobel Peace Prize for coming to my rescue every day”.

The Help‘s Octavia Spencer won the best supporting actress Oscar and gave an emotional acceptance speech, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

“Thank you Steven Spielberg for changing my life…oh my God, thank you… I’m freaking out,” Octavia Spencer told the audience, after struggling up to the stage in a floor-length gown.

Best adapted screenplay went to Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for The Descendants, starring George Clooney.

Veteran screenwriter and director Woody Allen won best original screenplay for Midnight in Paris but was not there to collect the award.

The first two awards of the night went to Hugo for cinematography and art direction.

Robert Richardson was cinematographer on Martin Scorsese’s 3D film and Francesca Lo Schiavo was art director.

And later, the film about an orphan who lives in a train station picked up a further three Oscars, all in technical categories.

Best sound editing was won by Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty.

Hugo’s Tom Fleishman and John Midgley won the Oscar for sound mixing and the film also picked up the award for best visual effects.

Rango won best animation, a first Academy award and nomination for director Gore Verbinski, who said it was “made by grown-ups acting like a bunch of children”.

The film features the voice of Johnny Depp, who plays a chameleon.

Best animated short film was The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.

The Oscar for costume design went to Mark Bridges for The Artist, who thanked the Academy “for making a lifelong dream come true”.

The best make-up prize went to J Roy Helland and British artist Mark Coulier for The Iron Lady.

Iran’s A Separation became the first Iranian film to win an Oscar when Sandra Bullock presented director Asghar Farhadi with best foreign language film.

Set in contemporary Iran, it tells the story of a marriage break-down.

Best film editing went to Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall for Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – the pair also won last year for The Social Network. Both films were directed by David Fincher.

The Oscar for best original song was won by Bret Mackenzie for Man or Muppet from the soundtrack to The Muppets.

Best documentary went to Undefeated, a film about an inner city American football team whose fortunes are turned around by a new coach.

The executive producer of the film was rapper Sean “P Diddy” Combs.

Northern Ireland film The Shore won the best live action short film.

Saving Face, about a British-Pakastani doctor who helps women who have been injured in acid attacks, won best documentary short.

Earlier, Morgan Freeman introduced the evening before a comic video was shown of George Clooney waking up host Billy Crystal with a kiss – in a parody of his nominated film The Descendants.

Freeman said: “All of us are mesmerized by the magic of the movies. This magnificent event allows us to celebrate the present and look back at its magnificent past”.

Billy Crystal hosted the 84th Oscars ceremony at the Kodak theatre in Los Angeles.

He joked: “This is my ninth time – just call me War Horse.”

On the red carpet, British comedy actor Sacha Baron Cohen turned up dressed in a white military uniform and sporting a beard and sunglasses, promoting his upcoming film The Dictator.

Sacha Baron Cohen arrived holding an urn he jokingly claimed contained the ashes of Kim Jong Il, the late leader of North Korea.

He then tipped the container on to American Idol host Ryan Seacrest.

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Full list of winners Academy Awards 2012

 

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

BEST ACTOR

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

BEST ACTRESS

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christopher Plummer – Beginners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Octavia Spencer – The Help

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Separation – Iran

BEST ANIMATION

Rango

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

French black and white film The Artist won three of the biggest prizes: best picture, best actor and best director for Michel Hazanavicius (pictured)

French black and white film The Artist won three of the biggest prizes: best picture, best actor and best director for Michel Hazanavicius (pictured)

BEST ART DIRECTION

Hugo – Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Hugo – Robert Richardson

BEST SOUND MIXING

Hugo – Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

BEST SOUND EDITING

Hugo – Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Man or Muppet, from The Muppets – music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Artist – Ludovic Bource

BEST COSTUMES

The Artist – Mark Bridges

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Undefeated

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Saving Face

BEST FILM EDITING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

The Shore

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Hugo – Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

BEST MAKE-UP

The Iron Lady – Mark Coulier and J Roy Helland

 

BEST PICTURE

War Horse

The Tree of Life

The Artist

Moneyball

The Descendants

Midnight in Paris

The Help

Hugo

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

Alexander Payne – The Descendants

Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris

Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life

BEST ACTOR

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Demian Bichir – A Better Life

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

George Clooney – The Descendants

Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis – The Help

Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn

Jonah Hill – Moneyball

Nick Nolte – Warrior

Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo – The Artist

Jessica Chastain – The Help

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer – The Help

The silent black and white French film The Artist is the clear favorite to take the coveted best picture prize at Oscars 2012

The silent black and white French film The Artist is the clear favorite to take the coveted best picture prize at Oscars 2012

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Bullhead – Belgium

Footnote – Israel

In Darkness – Poland

Monsieur Lazhar – Canada

A Separation – Iran

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig

Margin Call – JC Chandor

Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen

A Separation – Asghar Farhadi

BEST ANIMATION

A Cat in Paris

Chico and Rita

Kung Fu Panda 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Hugo – John Logan

The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin.

Tinker Tailor Solider Spy – Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan

BEST ART DIRECTION

The Artist

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

War Horse

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Artist

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

The Tree of Life

War Horse

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Moneyball

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

War Horse

BEST SOUND EDITING

Drive

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

War Horse

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Man or Muppet from The Muppets – music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie

Real in Rio from Rio – music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown and lyrics by Siedah Garrett

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Adventures of Tintin

The Artist

Hugo

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

BEST COSTUMES

Anonymous

The Artist

Hugo

Jane Eyre

W.E.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Hell and Back Again

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Pina

Undefeated

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement

God is the Bigger Elvis

Incident in New Baghdad

Saving Face

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

BEST FILM EDITING

The Artist

The Descendants

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Moneyball

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Dimanche/Sunday

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

La Luna

A Morning Stroll

Wild Life

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Penecost

Raju

The Shore

Time Freak

Tuba Atlantic

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hugo

Real Steel

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

BEST MAKE-UP

Albert Nobbs

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Iron Lady

 

BEST PICTURE

War Horse

The Tree of Life

The Artist

Moneyball

The Descendants

Midnight in Paris

The Help

Hugo

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist

Alexander Payne – The Descendants

Martin Scorsese – Hugo

Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris

Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life

BEST ACTOR

Jean Dujardin – The Artist

Demian Bichir – A Better Life

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

George Clooney – The Descendants

Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis – The Help

Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn

Jonah Hill – Moneyball

Nick Nolte – Warrior

Christopher Plummer – Beginners

Max von Sydow – Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo – The Artist

Jessica Chastain – The Help

Melissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids

Janet McTeer – Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer – The Help

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Bullhead – Belgium

Footnote – Israel

In Darkness – Poland

Monsieur Lazhar – Canada

A Separation – Iran

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Artist – Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids – Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig

Margin Call – JC Chandor

Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen

A Separation – Asghar Farhadi

BEST ANIMATION

A Cat in Paris

Chico and Rita

Kung Fu Panda 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Hugo – John Logan

The Ides of March – George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

Moneyball – Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin.

Tinker Tailor Solider Spy – Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan

BEST ART DIRECTION

The Artist

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

War Horse

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Artist

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

The Tree of Life

War Horse

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Moneyball

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

War Horse

BEST SOUND EDITING

Drive

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

War Horse

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Man or Muppet from The Muppets – music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie

Real in Rio from Rio – music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown and lyrics by Siedah Garrett

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Adventures of Tintin

The Artist

Hugo

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

War Horse

BEST COSTUMES

Anonymous

The Artist

Hugo

Jane Eyre

W.E.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Hell and Back Again

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory

Pina

Undefeated

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement

God is the Bigger Elvis

Incident in New Baghdad

Saving Face

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

BEST FILM EDITING

The Artist

The Descendants

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hugo

Moneyball

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Dimanche/Sunday

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

La Luna

A Morning Stroll

Wild Life

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Penecost

Raju

The Shore

Time Freak

Tuba Atlantic

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Hugo

Real Steel

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

BEST MAKE-UP

Albert Nobbs

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Iron Lady

Researchers from Queensland University of Technology found that while fame – and unhealthy lifestyles – did increase the risk of premature death for musicians, there is no “spike” aged 27.

When Amy Winehouse died earlier this year at the age of 27, she joined a group of high-profile rockers who shared her taste for hard living, all of whom died at the same age – the “27 club”.

Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison of The Doors and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones all died aged 27.

It’s led some to speculate that there is some reason that the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle tends to take its toll on musicians when they hit 27.

Kurt Cobain also commited suicide at the same age.

When Amy Winehouse died earlier this year at the age of 27, she joined a group of high-profile rockers who shared her taste for hard living, all of whom died at the same age – the “27 club”

When Amy Winehouse died earlier this year at the age of 27, she joined a group of high-profile rockers who shared her taste for hard living, all of whom died at the same age – the “27 club”

 

Musicians in their 20’s and 30’s are two to three times more likely to die than the general population – but the deaths of so many famous musicians at that exact age is just a coincidence.

Lead researcher on the project, Associate Professor Adrian Barnett from the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) said: “In order to test the <<27 club>> hypothesis, we compared the deaths of famous musicians to the general UK population.”

“We included 1,046 musicians (solo artists and band members) who had a number one album in the UK charts between 1956 and 2007.

“During this period 71 (7%) of the musicians died.

“Our sample included crooners, heavy metal stars, rock ‘n’ rollers and even Muppets (the actors, not the puppets) and this all added up to 21,750 musician years.”

Prof. Adrian Barnett said the research team used mathematical analysis to determine the significance of age 27.

“We found no peak in the risk of death at this age, however, musicians in their 20s and 30s were two to three times more likely to die prematurely than the general UK population,” he said.

“Our research also found some evidence of a cluster of deaths in those aged 20 to 40 in the 1970s and early 1980s.

“Interestingly, there were no deaths in this age group in the late 1980s and we speculate that this could be due to better treatments for heroin overdose, or the change in the music scene from the hard rock 1970s to the pop dominated 1980s.”

“The <<27 club>> is based on myth, but warn that musicians have a generally increased risk of dying throughout their 20s and 30s.”

James Bobin, director of the hit children’s movie The Muppets, defended his stars – Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy – saying the iconic puppets are not communists.

Commentators on Fox Business News sparked controversy – and some outrage -when they claimed the new movie is liberal propaganda because the villain is an oil executive named Tex Richman.

James Bobin says the remarks were from two commentators trying to fill airtime.

“Cable news is 24 hours long so you have to fill it up with something. No, the Muppets are not communist,” James Bobin told the Hollywood Reporter.

James Bobin, director of the hit children's movie The Muppets, defended his stars - Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy - saying the iconic puppets are not communists

James Bobin, director of the hit children's movie The Muppets, defended his stars - Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy - saying the iconic puppets are not communists

In a segment on the Fox Business News show Follow the Money, host Eric Bolling asked guest Dan Gainor whether the movie was liberal propaganda.

“This oil muppet, evil man that he is, is called Tex Richman,” Eric Bolling said.

“It’s amazing how low the left will go just to stoop to give your kids the anti-corporate message,” Dan Gainor replied.

Later in the segment Eric Bolling asks: “Is liberal Hollywood using class warfare to brainwash our kids?”

The answer, James Bobin says, is absolutely not.

“It’s a very strange turn of events to hear a question like that,” he said.

“And the character of Tex Richman is not an allegory for capitalism in any way. The character is called Tex Richman. It’s a joke. Clearly he is a classic, old school bad guy. He’s bad not because he works for an oil company but because he’s evil. No, it’s not a communist movie in any way.”

James Bobin was at the Dubai Film Festival in the United Arab Emirates when he spoke out about the accusations against Jim Henson’s famous muppets.

The director also dished on working with the infamously difficult Miss Piggy: “She was a doll… obviously.”

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Paul Frank’s sock puppet-inspired simian Julius The Monkey makes its debut as a 41-foot-tall balloon at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011 in front of millions of spectators today.

Sporting a jetpack, Julius joins 14 other giant balloons, including fellow newcomer B., a freakish creation from filmmaker Tim Burton. Video game character Sonic the Hedgehog returns after an 18-year absence.

The helium heavies were inflated on Wednesday across the street from the western side of Central Park. Thousands of people, many families with children in tow, were drawn to the spectacle of the balloons lying as if asleep on the streets, held down by weighted nets.

Standing in front of the famed Snoopy balloon, lying on its side, eight-year-old Emilio Rios said he was glad that there was something to keep the helium giant from getting away.

“Otherwise, it would float up to space, and aliens would see it,” Emilio Rios said.

“They would be the ones with the parade.”

Lindsay Ravetz, 9, said she loved seeing all the characters

“It’s just, like, cool,” she said.

It was cool even for many of the adults. Brooklyn resident, Leslie McCarthy from, who said she’s over 60, has been attending the parade since she was a little girl. And the excitement of seeing the big balloons hasn’t worn off.

“I used to think this parade was put on for me,” she said.

Paul Frank's sock puppet-inspired simian Julius The Monkey makes its debut as a 41-foot-tall balloon at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011

Paul Frank's sock puppet-inspired simian Julius The Monkey makes its debut as a 41-foot-tall balloon at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2011

 

Besides the popular giant helium balloons, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade also is expected to feature more than 40 other balloon creations, 27 floats, 800 clowns and 1,600 cheerleaders.

Organizers say Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne and the Muppets of Sesame Street will participate, some taking the stage at the end of the route in Herald Square and others performing on floats.

About 3.5 million people are expected to crowd the Manhattan parade route on Thursday, while an additional 50 million watch from home.

National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Morrin said a storm was expected to speed away by Thursday morning, leaving mostly sunny skies and 10mph winds, well below city guidelines for grounding balloons.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade spokeswoman Holly Thomas said officials were monitoring the weather.

“The flight of our giant character balloons is based on real conditions about an hour before the parade begins and not advance forecasts,” Holly Thomas said in an email.

“There is no indication in any current weather models that the flight of these balloons will be affected.”

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 77th Street and heads south on Central Park West to Seventh Avenue, before moving to Sixth Avenue and ending at Macy’s Herald Square.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade got its start in 1924 and included live animals such as camels, goats and elephants. It was not until 1927 that the live animals were replaced by giant helium balloons. The parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 because rubber and helium were needed for World War II.

Since the beginning, the balloons have been based on popular cultural characters and holiday themes. Returning favourites this year include Buzz Lightyear, Clumsy Smurf, SpongeBob SquarePants and Kermit the Frog.

Also making their first appearances at this year’s parade are a pair of bike-powered balloons, one featuring a bulldog character and an elf balloon designed by Queens resident Keith Lapinig, who won a nationwide contest.

All the balloons are created at Macy’s Parade Studio, and each undergoes testing for flight patterns, aerodynamics, buoyancy and lift.

Over 12,000 cubic feet of helium to keep the new Julius the Monkey balloon afloat, which stands 41ft tall.

Also making their first appearances at this year’s parade are B., a freakish creation from filmmaker Tim Burton, a pair of bike-powered balloons, one featuring a bulldog character and an elf balloon designed by Queens resident Keith Lapinig, who won a nationwide contest

24 hoses and 20 tons of sand were used to tie the inflated characters down before the big event.

Organizers say Mary J. Blige, Cee Lo Green, Avril Lavigne and the Muppets of Sesame Street will participate, some taking the stage at the end of the route in Herald Square and others performing on floats.

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Google celebrates Jim Henson 75th birthday anniversary featuring a doodle with 5 Muppets.

 

Jim Henson Google Doodle

Jim Henson Google Doodle

 

The logo is HTML5-powered and it is interactive, clicking on the circle below each character, it follows the cursor with its eyes, and double-clicking on one, it opens its mouth. One of them throw its glasses, and other eats its neighbor.

Brian Henson, Jim Henson‘s son, is now chairman of the Jim Henson Company.

He loved gadgets and technology. Following his lead, The Jim Henson Company continues to develop cutting-edge technology for animatronics and digital animation, like this cool Google doodle celebrating Jim’s 75th birthday. But I think even he would have found it hilarious the way today some people feel that when they’ve got their smartphone, they no longer need their brain.” Brian wrote in Google’s blog.

 

"The Muppets were a family" for Jim Henson.

"The Muppets were a family" for Jim Henson.

 

He loved dogs, particularly goofy ones. And he lived for those moments when everyone laughed so hard they couldn’t talk,” Brian Henson said. He recalled his father’s passion for games, being allowed to stay up late to watch his father’s appearance on TV, and his father’s feeling that “the Muppets were a family.”

This is the second time when Google pays tribute to Jim Henson on its homepage. Google replaced its logo with a rotating cast of Sesame Street characters honoring the 40th anniversary of the television show Sesame Street, two years ago. Jim Henson was asked to help with this show in 1969.

 

Jim Henson helped with Sesame Street show

Jim Henson helped with Sesame Street show

 

Born in Greenville, Miss., in 1936, Henson created his fuzzy, goggle-eyed puppets in the ‘50s, and they soon began appearing on local television while he attended the University of Maryland (where he met his future wife and the show’s co-producer, Jane Nebel).

In 1969, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and the rest of the lovable furry troupe began to appear on PBS’s new ”Sesame Street.” By the ‘70s, the Muppets gained a hit prime-time show (and Miss Piggy) and, soon, hit the big screen. (Their newest feature film is November’s ”The Muppets,” starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams.)” The Washington Post about Jim Henson.

 

Jim Henson and Kermit

Jim Henson and Kermit

 

 

Jim Henson was born on September 24, 1936 and died on May 16, 1990. The Public Broadcasting Service, which hosted Sesame Street, said he was ”the spark that ignited our fledgling broadcast service.”(New York Times)

 

Jim Henson was “our era’s Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, W. C. Fields and Marx Brothers,” said the chairman and chief executive of the company that produced Sesame Street. (New York Times)

Jim Henson Google doodle inspired people to create interesting animation, the Muppets singing Rolling in the Deep (Adele), Boom Boom Pow (the Black Eyed Peas), or Earth Angel (The Penguins), or Chop Suey! (System of a Down).

 

Dinosaurs was the last show Jim Henson produced.

Dinosaurs was the last show Jim Henson produced.

 

Jim Henson died of septic shock caused by lungs abscesses (Streptococcus pyogenes). On May 21, a public memorial service was held in New York City at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine and . another one was held on July 2 at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London.

 

No one wore black (it was Jim Henson wish). Dixieland jazz band sang When The Saints Go Marching In, Harry Belafonte sang Turn the World Around (the song he had debuted on The Muppet Show), Big Bird (Caroll Spinney) sang Kermit the Frog’s signature song, Bein’ Green. Six of the core Muppet performers sang Jim Henson’s favorite songs, then Just One Person began with Richard Hunt singing alone, as Scooter.

As each verse progressed, each Muppeteer joined in with their own Muppets until the stage was filled with all the Muppet performers and their beloved characters,” Chris Barry recalled.

This image was recreated for the 1990 television special The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson and inspired Richard Curtis to write the growing-orchestra wedding scene of his 2003 film Love Actually.

 

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 Jim Henson Google Doodle: Muppets sing Boom Boom Pow (video)

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