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The Muppets are an ensemble cast of puppet characters known for their endearing personalities, quirky humor, and heartwarming stories. Created by Jim Henson, the Muppets have been entertaining audiences of all ages through various television shows, films, and other media since the 1950s. Henson launched his career in puppetry career in 1954 with the creation of Pierre the French Rat for a brief run of a show called The Junior Morning Show, which ran for just 3 weeks before getting canceled. While still in college, Jim Henson started Sam and Friends, a series of five-minute episodes that aired on WRC-TV twice daily after the news. 

Jim Henson was a revolutionary puppeteer and was admired for his innovative approaches. He favored complex puppets with moving mouths and hands over simple puppets that bobbed around the stage. He also strayed away from puppetry norms and did away with the standard stage set-up, instead letting his puppets roam free on screen. Henson's distinct puppet designs were used in commercials and were eventually featured on TV shows like The Jimmy Dean Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. Many of the characters used for these projects and TV appearances were later re-introduced on The Muppet Show. 

In 1969, Henson was asked to create puppets for a new children's television show that would later become Sesame Street. Alothough he was reluctant to agree, fearful that his Muppets would be typecast as children entertainers, the characters on Sesame Street quickly became some of the most influential characters in childnren's television programming and the show is still running today. He later went on to create The Muppet Show in 1976 , a variety show hosted by Kermit the Frog and a cast of characters that quickly became household names. While The Muppet Show is still a kid's show, it appealed to older audiences as well. 

The Jim Henson Company is still operating today under the guidance of  his children, though Disney now owns the Muppet characters and uses them in new works.