The show aired live twice daily as a local series in Washington, D.C., on WRC-TV in black and white, and later color[citation needed], on weeknights from May 9, 1955, to December 15, 1961. However, due to network budget issues,[1] most of the original episodes were never preserved to film/kinescope, and are considered lost.
A few of the show's surviving episodes can be viewed at the Paley Center for Media, but many can also be found on video websites like YouTube,[2][3] such as those digitally archived by The Jim Henson Company. Some have also been documented by either the Henson Archives or newspaper articles published while the show was still on air.
Plot
The series centers around Sam, a bald-headed, big-eared man who escaped the harshness of everyday life with the help of abstract friends that he created based on parts of his life. His friends included Yorick, Professor Madcliffe, Chicken Liver, Harry the Hipster, and Kermit.
Early in its run, the show mostly featured the puppets lip-syncing to popular songs of the day (if the song was by a female performer, the puppet would wear a wig while singing). Later, formal sketches were drawn up, many spoofing well-known television shows at the time, including the series which followed Sam and Friends in the Washington market, The Huntley–Brinkley Report.
A popular early sketch that would be used often in subsequent Henson productions was "Glow-Worm", in which a character, often Kermit, would nibble on what looked like a worm, but would ultimately turn out to be the tongue or nose of the monster Big V, who would devour him.
Bob Payne once substituted for Jim Henson while he was in Europe. Jerry Juhl also worked on the show toward the end of its run where he substituted for Jane Henson. Starting in 1959, advertisements for Esskay Meats would appear at the end of the show, as well as Wilkins Coffee (the latter featured two Muppets created exclusively for the spots, Wilkins and Wontkins).
While Payne, Juhl, and Jane Henson all puppeteered in the series alongside him, Jim Henson provided all of the voices himself (unless the voices were taken from a record).
Sam (performed by Jim Henson) – A bald-headed man who is the main character. Only footage of him lip-syncing to a song currently survives. His head was made from papier-mâché.
Kermit (performed by Jim Henson) – A lizard-like creature. He was prominently featured in many sketches that lead him to popularity, though he would not be referred to as a frog until a decade later.
Harry the Hipster (performed by Jim Henson) – A black sock puppet. Harry was one of the first Muppets designed and built by Jim Henson.
Yorick (performed by Jim Henson) – A voracious puppet that resembled a rock head. Yorick has been known for appearing with supporting Muppets, whom he would attempt to eat. His puppet was made of papier-mâché with a tube in his mouth that allowed him to swallow things.
Professor Madcliffe (performed by Jim Henson) – A tall-headed professor with big eyes and a mustache. He had a loud and energetic personality. He made most of his appearances in commercials.
Chicken Liver (performed by Jim Henson) – A humanoid character with a tall head and a big nose. He has been described as "a dramatic storyteller", and believed that the show lacked culture.
Hank and Frank – Two bald humanoids that served as the show's bit players. They took on the roles of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in a spoof interview with Kermit.
Mushmellon – A small yellow monster with a permanent grimace. He was a favorite among younger audiences.
Icky Gunk – A green snake sporting a pair of arms.
Henrietta (performed by Jerry Juhl) – A pink female creature of indeterminable species.
Moldy Hay – A humanoid character with orange-red skin, a big nose, and hair over his eyes.
Omar (performed by Jim Henson) – A beaked humanoid with a papier-mâché face. He was described as "the nomadic type".
Pierre the French Rat (performed by Jim Henson) – A French rat. He was one of Jim Henson's first puppets built and was embodied as a puppet made from plastic wood.
Bernice (performed by Bob Payne) - A female humanoid.
Powder-Burn (August 20, 1959): A pun-filled Gunsmoke parody with Marshall Dilly (Chicken Liver) preparing for a showdown with Black Bart (Yorick) which results in a game of chess.
The Westerners (circa November 1960): Lip-synching to a recording of Bob and Ray's act The Westerners, Kermit and Chicken Liver play two cowboys who are having a little trouble getting off their horses.
Visual Thinking (circa April 1961): In a mix of puppetry and animation, Harry demonstrates the Art of Visual Thinking to Kermit—and what it does to you once it gets out of control.
Weather Warehouse (September 29, 1961): Harry demonstrates to a skeptical Kermit his new business for selling weather, and gives him a tour of the warehouse.
Chef Omar (November 13, 1961): Omar prepares a chef salad, which blows up in his face when he serves it flaming.
Last Sam Show (December 15, 1961): Kermit and Harry sing a song about the show's sponsor, Esskay Meats, then Kermit lip-syncs to Bob Gibson’s recording of "I Come for to Sing". After both songs, Kermit discusses the end of the series with Harry—who blows up all the scenery and equipment since they won't need it anymore.
Songs
That Old Black Magic (January 26, 1959): Kermit and Sam lip-synch to a recording of "That Old Black Magic" by Louis Prima and Keely Smith. To date, this is the only surviving Sam and Friends episode to feature Sam himself.
I've Got You Under My Skin (October 7, 1959): Icky Gunk (sporting a blonde, curly wig), and Hank and Frank serve as chorus singers in a lip-synched rendition of Stan Freberg's "I've Got You Under My Skin" while Kermit, in spoken dialogue, messes up the lyrics.
C'est Si Bon (October 12, 1959): In a French village setting, Moldy Hay lip-synchs to Stan Freberg's rendition of "C'est Si Bon", with Hank and Frank repeating his dialogue too literally as a backup choir.
Singin' in the Rain (November 19, 1959): A little girl Muppet lip-synchs to a sped-up version of Edie Adams’s rendition of "Singin' in the Rain" as water begins to pour. Eventually, she is submerged in a water-filled bucket.
A Horse Named Bill (March 15, 1960): Kermit lip-synchs and plays the banjo to Bob Gibson’s rendition of "A Horse Named Bill."
Miss Cone (December 9, 1960): An animated episode made with cutouts and synced to the titular song by Ken Nordine and The Frank Katz Group.
Glow Worm (circa April 1961): Humming along to "The Glow-Worm", Kermit is bugged by some inchworm-like fingers and is later met with a human hand.
In popular culture
Sam and Friends is mentioned in chapter 2 of Kermit the Frog's book Before You Leap, under the heading of "My First Big Splash".
Yorick made a cameo appearance in a Sesame Street sketch from Season 1 in which he eats the letter R.[6]
Henrietta appeared in The Muppets on Puppets during Rowlf the Dog's mixed-up fairy tale sketch portraying the fairy godmother. In this appearance, Henrietta was also performed by Jerry Juhl.
Sam, Harry the Hipster, and Yorick made an appearance in The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years. Sam and Harry can be seen at a table together as Harry questions Kermit's modern appearance while Yorick is hiding next to him.[7] The three later reappear at a table with Jim Henson as he is handed a bill by Grover.[8]
In July 2016, Hyattsville, Maryland, installed a memorial to Jim Henson in the city's Magruder Park, featuring a large planter embossed with images of characters from Sam and Friends and benches inscribed with quotes from Henson.[12]
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