The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson is a TV special that aired on CBS in November 1990, about six months after the passing of Jim Henson.
The plot revolves around the Muppets receiving a letter from Kermit, who is away traveling, asking them to put on a production number that would be a tribute to a man named Jim Henson. The problem is that they don't know who this Henson guy is. As the Muppets learn about the man, and Fozzie has a stressful time trying to put the show together, celebrity guests like Carol Burnett, John Denver, Ray Charles, Harry Belafonte and Steven Spielberg discuss Henson and introduce highlights from his illustrious career.
This is notably one of the first Muppet productions to be produced following Henson's death, and also the first time Steve Whitmire would perform his signature character, Kermit the Frog. This would also be one of the last productions to feature Muppet performer Richard Hunt, who would die from AIDS-related complications in 1992.
This special includes examples of
- Be Yourself: Robin tells this to Fozzie when he believes that they have nothing to create a proper tribute to Jim Henson.Fozzie: Oh, but Robin, all we have is silly songs and whoopee cushions.
Robin: Maybe that's enough. Well, that's what Uncle Kermit says: "Take what you got, and fly with it."
Fozzie: Fly with it? Kermit says that?
Robin: I think he learned it from Jim. - The Cameo: As the Muppets sing the final verse of "Just One Person", characters from Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock suddenly appear to join them.
- Creator Cameo: Frank Oz appears as himself to talk about his friendship and work with Henson.
- Dance Party Ending: At the end, when Kermit asks his friends if they have "something silly" for the tribute, they're more than glad to show that they do.
- Electric Joybuzzer: When Gonzo brings in his friend Whoopee Cushions, he introduces his wife Joy, who pulls this trick on Fozzie. As Whoopee says, "her maiden name was Buzzer".
- Entertainingly Wrong: When Rizzo finds one of Gonzo's old paychecks and sees that Jim Henson signed it, he concludes that Henson was an accountant and hires a parade of accountants to perform in the tribute.
- Fourth-Wall Mail Slot: The Muppets learn that Jim died by reading several letters from Jim's fans reacting to the news, including a child's drawing of Kermit reading "We will miss you, Jim Henson."
- Heroic BSoD: After learning of Jim Henson's death and reading letters from his fans, Fozzie decides to cancel the tribute number, believing that nothing the Muppets could do would be worthy of the man. It takes Robin to teach him that they can do it because Kermit knows they can.
- Melting-Film Effect: While the Muppets watch a film of Henson's early career, the film suddenly stops and melts before cutting to Bean Bunny tangled up in film next to the smoking projector.
- Mondegreen Gag: When Fozzie tells Scooter that the tribute should be a "biking number", Scooter mishears him and assumes he said "Viking number", resulting in him bringing in a horde of Vikings.Fozzie: I said a biking number! You know, bikes, bicycles, as in "Schwinn"?
Scooter: We don't have a Schwinn. We got a Sven. - O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The normally zany Muppets are rendered subdued, saddened and quiet as they read the letters about Jim Henson's death. Even Statler and Waldorf don't have anything to say.
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Reality Subtext: The Muppets attempting to stage a show without Kermit to guide them is no doubt based on the Muppet Performers' feelings about having to perform with their creative leader now gone. - Really Dead Montage: There is a montage of Jim Henson at work on his many projects, set to Ray Charles singing "Bein' Green".
- The Television Talks Back: As the Muppets watch Carol Burnett and John Denver introduce their respective segments on various TV monitors, they begin to talk over them until the guests themselves tell them to be quiet.
- Wham Line: When the Muppets find a bunch of letters from Jim's fans and decide to read them, they are stunned when they learn what the letters were about.Fozzie: (reading) "I feel very sorry that your best friend Jim died, a—" (freezes) Wha...? Died?
Gonzo: Jim died? But we were just starting to get to know him. - Whoopee Cushion: Gonzo hires an anthropomorphic one named Whoopee Cushions to appear in the tribute.
