The 50th Anniversary of The Muppet Show

It was 50 years ago today that The Muppet Show debuted on ITV in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it aired in first run syndication on local stations. While the Muppets had appeared in various projects before The Muppet Show and have appeared in various projects since, it may well remain what the Muppets are best known for. What is more, it introduced new Muppets who remain important to the franchise to this day.As is well known, the Muppets were the creation of Jim Henson. They first appeared on Sam and Friends, a locally produced puppet-sketch comedy show that aired on WRC in Washington, DC and later in syndication. Among the characters was Kermit, a lizard-like creature who would later be established as a frog. From Sam and Friends, the Muppets went onto appear on such shows as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Hollywood Palace, The Mike Douglas Show, and Dinah!. Rowlf the Dog was even a regular on The Jimmy Dean Show. The Muppets,…