Summary
Although Jim Henson is best known for creatingThe Muppet Show, he also had a significant role onSaturday Night Liveat the start of his career.SNLhas been on the air for over 40 years and has featured a wide range of comedians, actors, and musicians. It has also helped propel the careers of several writers and comics, including Henson himself. WithSNLseason 50on the way, it has been a long time since Henson joined the show back in 1975.
Jim Henson joinedSNLduring its first season in the mid-1970sbefore it was known just how big the show would get. With him, he brought several muppets in hopes of creating a successful adult puppetry skit for the comedy show. Henson and his muppets joinedSNLshortly after Henson created muppets forSesame Street, the children’s television show. While his work onSNLwas a big jump fromSesame Street, Henson hoped that his work would find a new, broader audience.
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Jim Henson Worked On Saturday Night Live Season 1
Jim Henson Hoped It Would Help Expand His Career
After working withSesame Streetto develop muppets for the educational series,Henson was worried he would be forced to create children’s content for the rest of his career. Not wanting to be limited, with the help of his agent, Henson was able to land a role inSaturday Night Live’s first season in 1975. The role consisted of creating new muppets for the show to create a recurring adult puppetry skit on the sketch comedy series. While the idea of Henson’s work being shown to an adult audience was an exciting prospect, audience reception was generally negative.
The skit was a stark contrast to the general style of sketches thatSaturday Night Livebecame known for. Moreover, Henson himself was not able to write the sketches due to union laws and, as a result, he often clashed with the writers of the show. The lack of interest from the writers, in combination with the crude nature of the skit’s humor and the contrast toSNL’s other skits, meantHenson’s early version of the muppets failed that first yearand shortly after, the muppets disappeared fromSNL.
Jim Henson’s The Land Of Gorch Muppet Skit On SNL Explained
A Skit Centered On The Grotesque And Crude
Henson’s muppet skit was called “The Land of Gorch” and was centered around a royal family from a different world. The muppets made crude jokes and often alluded to drugs, sex, and alcohol in a way that fit the general vibe ofSNL’s humor. The muppets' behavior and dialogue were a distant contrast to that of the muppets that were introduced onSesame Streetshortly before the firstSNLseason.The characters in the skits were also vastly different from the muppets as they are known today, with names such as Ploobis, Peuta, and Wiss.
Despite the unpopularity, “The Land of Gorch” had 11 sketches spread throughout the first season ofSNL. Henson had likely hoped that the sketches would gain popularity as time went on, but unfortunately,the skits fell flat with the audience. While the skits were unsuccessful in capturing the audience’s interest, they did lay the groundwork needed for the futureThe Muppet Show, which aired shortly after and featured the muppets as they are known today.The Muppet Showis vastly different from “The Land of Gorch,” but it did maintain the humorous surreality and absurdity of the muppets.
Why The Muppets' SNL Skit Was Canceled
An Unpopular Skit Led To One Of The Most Beloved Pop Culture References Today
There were a few reasons whySNL’s muppet skit failed. The main reason was likely that while the vision for the muppet skit was Henson’s, the writing was not his own. The Writers Guild of America was particularly strict on who could write for the show and only writers employed bySNLcould write skits forSNL. Therefore, Henson could contribute the idea for the skit, create the muppets, and act on the show, butHenson could not write the sketches. His vision for the skit could only go so far.
Another reason why the skit was canceled was because of creative differences between the writers and Henson. Since Henson could not write the sketches himself, the role fell to the young writers atSNL.Unfortunately, those same writers dismissed the muppets and disliked having to write the sketches.The Saturday Paperquoted one writer who, referring to the sketches, said “I don’t write for felt.” Despite the early cancelation of “The Land Of Gorch,“the skit helped to formThe Muppet Showthe following year, which remains one of the most beloved pop culture references today.
During his time onSNL, Henson also created pilot episodes forThe Muppet Show,but the show was not picked up as a consistent TV show until 1976, shortly after Henson’s time onSNL. With the help of Frank Oz, who also helped Henson create “The Land Of Gorch” skits, Henson ranThe Muppet Showfrom 1976 to 1981. The show was similar toSNLin that it also featured guest stars and comedy skits.The Muppet Showintroduced the widely loved characters Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. Disney has since bought The Muppets, toFrank Oz’s dismay.
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Jim Henson’s Time On SNL Will Be Featured In Saturday Night
Henson Is Not The Only Comedian That Will Be Featured In The Movie
Jim Henson’s experience onSNLwill be featured in the upcoming movie,Saturday Night. The movie, directed by Jason Reitman, will follow the cast and events that led up to the first episode ofSaturday Night Livein 1975. The characters will feature majorSNLnames, including Lorne Michaels, Dan Ackroyd, and George Carlin, played by Gabriel LaBelle, Dylan O’Brien, and Matthew Rhys, respectively. Given the cultural phenomenon thatSNLbecame, it will be interesting to see how it all began and see actors portray famous comedians of the 1970s.
Saturday Nightwill be released on August 15, 2025 in the United States.
Henson will be played by Nicholas Braun who is best known for playing Greg Hirsch in the hit HBO seriesSuccession. Besides his work in TV, Braun is also known for playing roles in several movies, including the rom-comsChalet Girlin 2011 andThe Perks of Being A Wallflowerin 2012. Given Henson’s significant role in the first season ofSaturday Night Live, it will be interesting to watch how Braun brings Henson back to life on screen, especially as he will be portraying Henson before he reached his success withThe Muppet Show.
Saturday Night Live
Cast
Saturday Night Live is a live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels, premiering in 1975. It features comedy sketches parodying contemporary culture and politics, performed by a rotating cast. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest and includes musical performances.
