Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Jim

Written by Ed Castle.

JIM

Performed by...
Jim Henson

First appearance...
The Perry Como Winter Show (1972)

Most recent appearance...
The Muppet Show Episode 322: Roy Rogers & Dale Evans (1978)

Best known role...
Banjo player for The Country Trio; puppet representation of Jim Henson

WHO IS JIM?
Jim is the banjo player for the Country Trio band, alongside Jerry on guitar and Frank on bass. He first appeared with the band on The Perry Como Winter Show in 1972 where they performed "You Don't Mess Around with Jim." The following year Jim returned to TV with the band on The Dick Cavett Show to perform the classic tune "Mamma Don't Allow."

Jim would later appear briefly in The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence pilot in 1975 sitting in with the Electric Mayhem. When The Muppet Show began in 1976, Jim would make a few appearances both with the Trio and solo. His first Muppet Show appearance was with the Trio in perhaps their most well-known performance of "To Morrow" in Episode 105: Rita Moreno. In the song, Jim took the lead vocals as the traveler who was visiting the fabled city of Morrow, Ohio. The Trio also performed "In The Summertime" in Episode 123: Kaye Ballard, where Jim once again sang the lead vocals.

Jim's final notable appearance was in Episode 322: Roy Rogers & Dale Evans in Season 3 where he and Jerry performed the song "A Four Legged Friend" while atop a pair of cows. It should be noted that in this sketch Jim referred to Jerry as "Tex".

Jim also appeared in the book The Muppet Show Diary 1979, a schedule book published in the United Kingdom, treating the year itself as if it were the special guest star of an episode of The Muppet Show. Jim was also notably immortalized in action figure form, as released by Palisades Toys in 2004, packaged in a special red-curtained box featuring a veritable who's who of Muppet characters, as well as biographical information and photos of Jim Henson himself.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED JIM?
Without Jim Henson, there would be no Muppets...  Jim is a Muppet representation of Jim Henson...  It helps preserve the legacy and respect due to Jim himself, enough said.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com

Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: The Mutations

Written by Ed Castle.

THE MUTATIONS

Performed by...
Various

First appearance...
The Muppet Show Episode 102: Connie Stevens (1976)

Most recent appearance...
Muppets Most Wanted (2014)

Best known role...
Monsters seen in The Muppet Show opening arches; backup singers for Connie Stevens



WHO ARE THE MUTATIONS?
The Mutations are a trio of purple full-bodied Muppet monsters whose name is a parody of the singing group, The Temptations.  They first appeared on Episode 102 of The Muppet Show as Connie Stevens' back-up singers in "A Teenager in Love." In most of their subsequent appearances, the three would mostly be depicted as dancers rather than singers.  Except for their heights, which vary depending on who is performing them, the Mutations are otherwise indistinguishable from each other.

Although they were introduced as a group, they would also be featured individually in later appearances. Two Mutations, for example, appeared in "The Muppet Show Theme" (alongside Sweetums, Thog, and Timmy Monster) starting in the second season. Other times, only one Mutation would appear in musical numbers, such as in Episode 307 during Alice Cooper's song "School's Out" with other Muppet monsters.

The Mutations have been seen in promotional photos for Muppets Most Wanted during the big wedding scene at the Tower of London.

WHY DO THE MUPPETS NEED THE MUTATIONS?
When filling background roles, Mutations are a good option for the Muppets. If they have a female guest star who needs a dance partner like Madeline Khan in the song "Feet"; full-bodied Muppets are called for for roles in a production number like Tony or Rico in "Copacabana"; or just hanging back to guide guests to their seats as potential ushers at the London wedding, a Mutation's always at hand.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com