Talking TV history at Edinburgh's Filmhouse

I felt honoured this week to be asked along to introduce an upcoming event at Edinburgh's Filmhouse as part of the cinema's mini-festival celebrating the life and work of Jim Henson, Muppets, Music and Magic.

Between Monday 18 and Thursday 28 April, fans of Henson and the Muppets will be able to see eight films and nine compilations of Henson's work, from his earliest attempts at making commercials right up to the productions he was working on before he passed away in 1990.

I'm a huge fan of Henson and think he created some of the most innovative television ever made, leaving the entertainment industry a much duller place when he died at an early age. His legacy is continued by his friends and colleagues, including Muppet producer, Martin Baker, whom I interviewed for both the Edinburgh Evening News and ReelScotland ahead of his appearance at Filmhouse over the Easter weekend.

I'll be doing a Q&A with Martin at the screening of Muppet History 101, an impressive 100 minutes look through the Henson vaults at how his brand of humour became a global success. The talk takes place on Saturday 23 April at 18.15.

Here's a clip from an early Henson production, Sam and Friends:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9R5dov0VIw]

© Photography courtesy of The Jim Henson Company, The Muppets Studio, LLC, and Sesame Workshop