Before There Was a Sesame Street

I mentioned in yesterday's post about Stephen Worth doing some guestblogging at Boing Boing a couple weeks ago. Here is another one that is a gem. This time it is an old clip from the Jimmy Dean Show. It was the first prime time country-western show and where the Muppets got their first national TV exposure. In this clip Jimmy and Rowlf discuss music- and friendship.



What is refreshing about this is it is so much fun to watch. Worth, in his post, had this to say:

Henson is a drop-dead genius. ... look at the brilliant feeling of ad-lib and give and take between Rowlf and Jimmy Dean in this clip. Also, keep in mind that the puppet is operated by two people- Henson operates the mouth and one hand and his wife operates the other hand. The complexity of co-ordinating that sort of co-operative performance is totally erased by the vivid performance.