http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqGYwAaYpDo

Muppets creator, Jim Henson and Joan Ganz Cooney, founder of the Children’s Television Workshop, talk in 1989 about the original purpose and impact of Sesame Street. Discover how Cooney hopes that the show will contribute to peace in the Middle East, and more about the spread of the show from the United States to Germany, Latin America and the Arab/Israeli world.

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Jim Henson & Joan Ganz Cooney Remember 20 Years of Sesame Street appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ascrDgZfE

Caroll Spinney, a Sesame Street actor, describes the evolution of Big Bird and shares the major change he made in the character and the voice, to the surprise of creator Jim Henson. The original Big Bird was a raggedy creature, according to Caroll, with dirty feet and almost no feathers above his eyeballs.

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Caroll Spinney Shares the Evolution of Big Bird appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQokBYbP2Lo

Fran Brill discusses creating the first female Sesame Street characters with Jim Henson. Brill shares that when she tried out for Sesame Street in its second season, she knew nothing about puppets. She offers insight into what made Jim Henson – and the show and its message – so wonderful.

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Fran Brill Talks About Sesame Street's First Female Characters appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU9xqZ-mZRc

Richard Hunt talks about his first directing job, which was Fraggle Rock, a live puppet television show created by Jim Henson and featured Muppet-like Fraggles. Calling directing a fun challenge, when he wasn’t directing, he performed the voice and facial features of Junior Gorg. Fraggle Rock ran from 1983 to 1987, while Richard Hunt died on January 2, 1992.

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Fraggle Rock's Junior Gorg On Directing The Show appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6R2HQHzJC4

Arsenio Hall interviews Jim Henson on May 4, 1990, the last time Hanson performed as Kermit the Frog. Two weeks later, he died from a streptococcal infection. Henson speaks about the Muppets’ visit to Disney World and the crumbling relationship between Kermit and Miss Piggy. This is also the first public appearance of Clifford, a new Muppet in the Electric Mayhem rock band, voiced by Elmo's Kevin Clash.

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Jim Henson’s Final Public Interview appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8epDvQ20U_Q

Joan Ganz Cooney, founder of Children’s Television Workshop, talks about the creation of well-known Jim Henson characters that appear on Sesame Street, including Ernie and Bert, the Cookie Monster, Grover and more. Find out what special privilege only Kermit has and much more.

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Joan Ganz Cooney & the Creation of Sesame Street Characters appeared first on Witnify.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Bvcxn5ugs

Steve Whitmire talks about becoming the voice of Kermit the Frog after creator Jim Henson dies and Eric Jacobson shares what it’s been like to take over the characters (including Miss Piggy) of Frank Oz, who now directs. Jim Henson was the voice of Kermit for 35 years and Whitmire works hard to keep the character and voice consistent with the original vision while still giving Kermit room to grow.

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Meet the 'New' Voices of Kermit & Miss Piggy appeared first on Witnify.