MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Tonight, some 1970s celebs are coming back to visit.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE MUPPET SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS: (Singing) This is what we call The Muppet Show.
MARTIN: "The Muppet Show" is returning for a one-time special.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Sad to say that song is imprinted in my head. The original "Muppet Show" debuted almost 50 years ago. Some of the Muppets, like Kermit the Frog, go back even further to 1956.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
JIM HENSON: He started in Washington, D.C.
INSKEEP: Muppets' creator Jim Henson spoke on MORNING EDITION back in 1986. Henson made Kermit when he was a freshman in college, using his mother's old green coat. I do not think my mom would approve, but Kermit's first appearance was on a show called "Sam And Friends."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
HENSON: And the show was on late at night. It was on at 11:25, just before "The Steve Allen Show." Steve Allen was doing the "Tonight Show" in those days.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SAM AND FRIENDS")
HENSON: (As Harry the Hipster) Hey. What are you doing?
HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog) Oh, I'm taking a course in visual thinking. It teaches you how to visualize your thoughts. Watch. Q. See that?
HENSON: (As Harry the Hipster) Man, you're just a beginner. I'm an old hand at this stuff. Watch.
HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog) Hey. A real watch.
HENSON: (As Harry the Hipster) With moving parts, no less.
MARTIN: Then the Muppets went national.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
HENSON: Back in the days when we were doing "The Ed Sullivan Show"...
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW")
ED SULLIVAN: So here they are now, the Muppets.
(APPLAUSE)
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
HENSON: We had two standard endings. Any piece that we did would usually either end with the character blowing up or being eaten by somebody else.
(SOUNDBITE OF EXPLOSION)
MARTIN: They had their own show in 1976. It ran for five seasons. Movies came next.
INSKEEP: Jim Henson died in 1990 but always hoped his creations would continue.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
HENSON: To me, I really love those guys, you know. I love Kermit and Piggy and Fozzie and Gonzo. And I think they'll probably continue to live as long as the audience wants them, you know. I think we sort of take our lead from the audience.
INSKEEP: So now you decide. The latest version of "The Muppet Show" airs tonight on ABC and streams on Disney+.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MOVIN' RIGHT ALONG")
FRANK OZ: (As Fozzie Bear, singing) We're moving right along.
HENSON: (As Kermit the Frog, singing) We'll learn to share the load.
OZ: (As Fozzie Bear, singing) We don't need a map to... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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