Sam and Friends facts for kids

Sam and Friends was a groundbreaking puppet show created by the famous Jim Henson. It first aired in 1954 and continued to entertain audiences until 1961. This show was a very early step for Henson, who later created The Muppets and many other beloved characters.

What Was Sam and Friends?

Sam and Friends was a short, five-minute puppet show that appeared on a local television station in Washington, D.C. It was a simple show, but it allowed Jim Henson to experiment with new puppetry techniques. He learned how to make puppets look directly at the camera, which was a big deal at the time!

Who Was Behind the Show?

The show was the brainchild of Jim Henson. He was a very creative person who loved puppets. Sam and Friends was one of his first big projects. It helped him develop the skills and ideas that would later make him famous around the world.

Meet the Puppets!

Sam and Friends featured a fun cast of characters. Some of them became very well-known later on!

• Sam: The main character, a friendly puppet.
• Kermit: Yes, the famous Kermit the Frog made his very first appearance on this show! He looked a bit different back then, more like a lizard.
• Icky Gunk: A unique and memorable character.
• Wilkins and Wontkins: These two were often seen in commercials that were part of the show.
• Harry the Hipster: A cool and jazzy puppet.
• Omar: Another one of the show's interesting puppets.
• Yorick: A skull puppet, which was quite unusual!

What Happened to the Episodes?

Even though Sam and Friends was a popular show, many of its episodes are now lost. This often happened with old television shows because the recordings were expensive to keep. Fans of the show have tried to remember and describe what happened in the missing episodes.

Here are some of the episodes that have been found or partly found:

• Chet Huntley: This episode has been fully found.
• Horse Named Bill: Only half of this episode has been found.
• Old Black Magic: This episode is fully found.
• Singing in the Rain: This episode has also been fully found.
• Weather Warehouse: Most of this episode is lost, but a short clip still exists.
• Glowworm or Inchworm: This episode is lost.
• Omar Cooking: The video for this episode was found, but it has no sound.
• Where Hunger Is From: This episode is fully found.
• I’ve Got You Under My Skin: This episode is also fully found.