Original photo by DISENY Cinematic Collection/ Alamy
It’s not easy being green, whether you’re an amphibian or a reptile — just ask Kermit, the lovable Muppet who originally debuted as a lizard-like creature. The first Kermit puppet had a slender body, rounded feet, and lacked the pointed collar the current Kermit has — features that gave off a nondescript, vaguely reptilian appearance.
It was designed in 1955 by creator Jim Henson using materials taken from his mother’s old coat, a pair of his blue jeans, and ping-pong balls for eyeballs. The resulting puppet was not assigned a specific species — Henson preferred somewhat abstract characters — but he looked more like a lizard than a frog.
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It's a factIn 1996, Kermit was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Letters from Southampton College of Long Island University for his contributions to environmental awareness. Kermit also delivered the commencement address to that year’s graduating class.
Kermit — in his original lizardy form — made his TV debut in 1955 on the comedy show Sam and Friends. Afterward, the puppet underwent alterations that gave it a more frog-like appearance, such as flippers for feet. People began informally referring to Kermit as a frog, including late-night host Johnny Carson in 1965. Henson himself began describing Kermit as a frog-type Muppet by the late ’60s, though these were still unofficial designations.
According to Henson, Kermit didn’t officially transform into a frog until the 1971 TV special The Frog Prince, by which point he was formally credited as “Kermit the Frog.” According to Disney (the current parent company of the Muppets), Henson once said that Kermit’s evolution wasn’t a carefully orchestrated decision: “He just slowly became a frog.”
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Miss Piggy’s original name was ______.
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Miss Piggy’s original name was Miss Piggy Lee.
“The Muppet Show” was produced in England.
Despite its status as an American cultural institution, The Muppet Show is a product of the United Kingdom. In the early 1970s, Jim Henson pitched the concept to many major U.S. TV networks, all of which passed on the idea. But he got a lucky break in 1975 when he was approached by British media mogul Lew Grade. Grade had seen Muppets make cameos on other TV programs and decided the characters deserved a show of their own.
The original Muppet Show was filmed at a studio in the English village of Elstree, debuting on the U.K.’s ATV on September 5, 1976, before making its U.S. debut in syndication later that month.
Bennett Kleinman is a New York City-based staff writer for Inbox Studio, and previously contributed to television programs such as "Late Show With David Letterman" and "Impractical Jokers." Bennett is also a devoted New York Yankees and New Jersey Devils fan, and thinks plain seltzer is the best drink ever invented.
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