Sam and Friends

infobox television
show_name = Sam and Friends


caption = In this scene from an episode of "Sam and Friends", the screen portrays a sketch in which Kermit and Harry make their thoughts appear above their heads. "Watch!"
format = comedy television series
runtime = 5 minutes per sketch (and episode)
country = USA
network = WRC-TV (NBC's owned-and-operated station in Washington, D.C.)
first_aired = May 9, 1955
last_aired = December 8, 1961
creator = Jim Henson
Jane Henson
starring = Jim Henson
Jane Henson
Bob Payne
Jerry Juhl
num_episodes = Unknown|

"Sam and Friends" was an early live-action/puppet television show created by puppeteer Jim Henson and his eventual wife Jane. It was taped and aired locally in Washington, D.C. on WRC-TV in black and whiteFact|date=February 2007 between 1954 and 1961.

Sam was a bald human-looking puppet with wide eyes, large ears, and a big nose; his Friends included Yorick, Harry the Hipster, and a lizard-like creature called Kermit who later evolved into Kermit the Frog.

Early in its run the show mostly featured the puppets lip-synching to popular songs of the day (if the song was by a female performer, the puppet would wear a wig while singing). Later, formal sketches were drawn up, many spoofing well-known television shows at the time, including Sam and Friends' lead-in show in the Washington market, "The Huntley-Brinkley Report".

A popular early sketch that would be used often in subsequent Henson productions was "Inchworm", in which a character, often Kermit, would nibble on what looked like a worm, but would ultimately turn out to be the tongue or nose of a monster, who would devour him.

Jerry Juhl also worked on the show toward the end of its run.

"Sam & Friends" is mentioned in chapter 2 of Kermit The Frog's book, "Before You Leap", under the heading of "My First Big Splash".

External links

*imdb title|0476937|Sam and Friends