Let's talk Muppets and Jim Henson.

When I was a little kid, in the 80s, they used to play Muppet Show reruns that my family would all watch together. Being a child - specifically as one who grew up watching Sesame Steet - the characters had an undeniable energy and life all their own, making them real even to one who knew they were only puppets.

I've recently begun watching The Muppet Show again for the first time in 20-something years (I just finished season 1), and I have to say that being a "grown-up" has done nothing to dispell the magic for me. It's still easy to forget that there's someone (or two) controlling the characters. In fact, being an adult, some characters are that much more believable in their own right now, and impressive to consider the mechanics of. For example, it's only in rewatching the show now that I come to realize Rowlf the Dog and Dr. Teeth of Electric Mayhem are operated as two-person muppets in their musical acts, adding well enough to the illusion of their piano-playing that it can fool even a rather astute eye. It's got me wanting a muppet to play around with, myself.

It seems to me that when most people talk about the genius of Jim Henson, they dwell rather heavily on his later works like Labyrinth and the Dark Crystal, praising his advancements in realistic looking characters and creatures. I say that the Sesame Street/Muppet Show breed of muppets are the more impressive feat for their ability to make you forget that they're only lifeless husks despite their cartoony appearance.