(James Maury) (1936-1990) US puppeteer who created the television Muppet characters, including Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Fozzie Bear. The Muppets became popular on the children’s educational TV series Sesame Street, which first appeared in 1969 and soon became regular viewing in over 80 countries. In 1976 Henson created The Muppet Show, which ran for five years and became one of the world’s most widely seen TV programs, reaching 235 million viewers in 100 countries. Three Muppet movies followed.