Muppets vs Sesame Street
If you’re a parent with a preschool-aged child, you’re likely familiar with Sesame Street, a popular children’s TV show that uses puppet characters designed by Jim Henson, as well as real actors and animations, to educate kids in a fun and engaging way. Those who haven’t seen the show or don’t have young children may not know the difference between the puppets used in many kids’ movies and programs and the ones used in Sesame Street. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the show and explain why the puppets used in the program are called Muppets.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street is a children’s TV series created for young kids by Joan Ganz Cooney. The show frequently uses a combination of Muppets (puppets created by Jim Henson), short films, real people, humor, and culture to teach kids about various subjects and facts in a fun-filled manner. While the format and content of the show have evolved since its inception, the basic objective remains the same: to educate young children through the use of puppet characters that have become household names. Now over 40 years old, the show remains as popular as ever, having won more Grammy and BAFTA awards than any real person.
Muppets
When Jim Henson created puppets in the shape of stuffed toys in 1954, few could have predicted that these creations would one day captivate the minds of young children and help teach them concepts and facts through a TV series. Henson added many characters to the original lineup and emphasized that the term “Muppets” was simply a made-up word with no specific meaning. The copyrights for all the characters featured on Sesame Street are held by Sesame Workshop, which pays royalties to The Jim Henson Company. The rest of the characters created by Henson were acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2004. Some of the most famous Muppets in history include Big Bird, Elmo, Miss Piggy, Robin the Frog, and Sam the Eagle.
Key Takeaways
- Muppets are characters created by Jim Henson, while Sesame Street is a children’s television series that uses Muppets, real actors, animations, and short films to educate preschoolers.
- Jim Henson continued to add new characters, increasing the number of Muppets over time.
- The characters used in Sesame Street are the property of Sesame Workshop, while the rest of the characters created by Jim Henson were purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2004.
