Henson

Jim Henson Co. Re-Structures Television Department

In order to increase its network and cable programming portfolio, The Jim Henson Co. has hired Eric Poticha as vp of Television and Halle Stanford as head of children's television. Poticha will develop new comedy and drama series, miniseries and features for television as well as develop future Muppet projects to be produced by Henson for The Walt Disney Co. Stanford will lead development and production of all preschool and children's programming for both television and direct-to-video projects in animated and live-action formats.

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Kelley Oien Perez Moves Up in Jim Henson Co. Creative Affairs

The Jim Henson Co. has promoted Kelley Oien Perez from director of childrens television to vp, creative affairs. In her new role, Perez will continue to develop preschool and childrens programming for both television and direct-to-video productions in animated and liveaction formats. She will also work closely with HIT Ent. on pre-school projects for the co-production agreement recently announced by the two companies.

The first of these projects is FRANCES, currently in pre-production and based on the best-selling FRANCES TREASURY series of books.

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MGM & Jim Henson Co. Sign Two-Year Pact

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) and The Jim Henson Co. have signed a two-year first-look deal to produce live-action feature films. The Henson-MGM deal came together after a successful relationship working together on the hit family comedy GOOD BOY!, a live-action film produced by Jim Henson Pictures, which one of the most profitable releases for MGM in 2003.

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HIT Scores Jim Henson Distribution Agreement

HIT Entertainment has reached a five-year global rights and production venture agreement to distribute The Jim Henson Companys classic family properties across many platforms, including television, home entertainment and consumer products.

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Muppets Moving to Mouse House

Kermit and his Muppets pals have decided to move into the uproarious mouse house, having been acquired by The Walt Disney Co. in a deal announced Feb. 17, 2004, on the heels of Disney rejecting Comcasts hostile bid to buy the entertainment conglomerate. Disney has been trying for some time to acquire from Jim Henson Co.

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Cult Fave Farscape Gets Four-Hour Miniseries

Jim Henson Co. will begin production Dec. 15 in Australia on a four-hour miniseries based on the cult favorite TV series FARSCAPE, reported SCI FI WIRE. Citing sources close to the production, the story will pick up and resolve issues left open at the end of the cancelled series. Stars Ben Browder and Claudia Black among others will be reprising their roles. The miniseries has no television distribution deal to date. Both Jim Henson Co. and the Sci Fi Channel had no comment on the rumor.

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Henson Heirs and Peter Schube To Head Jim Henson Co.

Brian Henson, who led the Henson familys recent acquisition of Jim Henson Co. from EM.TV & Merchandising AG, and his sister Lisa Henson, two of the late Jim Hensons five children, have been named co-chairs and co-ceos of the company. Peter Schube, formerly evp of business and legal affairs, has been named president/coo. In their new roles, Brian and Lisa Henson and Schube have assumed responsibilities previously held by Charles H.

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Henson Family Buys Back Muppet Company For $89 Million

The Henson family is the winning bidder to buy 100% of The Jim Henson Company from German kids TV outfit EM.TV Merchandising AG for $89 million. Recently Disney, Saban and Sony Pictures had appeared to be the likely buyers. The Henson heirs sold the company to EM.TV three years ago for $680 million and now are set to pay $78 million in cash plus $11 million of the Henson Co. assets.

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EM.TV Sells Muppets Stake

All the speculation that the Muppets might join Mickey Mouse as part of the Disney family seems to have been for naught, as German entertainment company EM.TV and Merchandising AG announced that it has completed a letter of intent with a U.S. investment group for the partial sale of The Jim Henson Company, Inc. (JHC). EM.TV acquired 100 percent of Jim Henson in 2000 and then put the company on the block in 2001.

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Animator Tex Henson Dies At 78

$Animator Tex Henson Dies At 78$

William "Tex" Henson, who supervised animation on ROCKY & BULLWINKLE and was a force behind the popularity of CHIP 'N DALE, died Monday, December 2, 2002 of head injuries after being hit by a pickup truck in Dallas, Texas. He was 78 years old. Born in Dallas, Henson moved to California to join Disney Studios in 1944, where he was an animator on films such as SONG OF THE SOUTH, PECOS BILL and PETER AND THE WOLF. He was also one of the forces behind Chip & Dale's leap from bit players to outright stars. The chipmunk duo went on to star in 23 theatrical cartoons.

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EM.TV Moves Ahead With Restructuring Plan

Troubled German media company EM.TVs new CEO Werner Klatten is close to closing the previously announced purchase of a 25.1% stake (approximately 36.2 million shares) in the company from founder and former president Thomas Haffa. Klatten is working with a venture capital firm to secure financing for the deal, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of January 2002. The acquisition is currently estimated at US$60 million.

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Henson ANIMATIONWorld

Jim Henson's Designs And Doodles: A Muppet Sketchbook

What did the Muppets look like before they were "the Muppets?" This new book reveals Jim Henson's first sketches and concepts. Will Ryan reviews.

In Reviews | ANIMATIONWorld

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EM.TV Hires Wall Street Firm To Sell Henson

Embattled German media group EM.TV has hired Wall Street investment firm Allen & Co. to sell the Henson Co. The top candidates to buy the creator of Kermit are Walt Disney and the management of Henson itself. This action comes only a year after EM.TV purchased Henson from heirs of founder Jim Henson for US$680 million. Rumors have surfaced that the Henson heirs haven't nearly earned that amount due to the plummet of EM.TV's stock price.

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New President For Jim Henson Television

Angus Fletcher has beenpromoted to president of the Jim Henson Television Group - Europe,the company has recently announced. Fletcher, who is based in London,will oversee all current and future television development,production and programming, and report to Charlie Rivkin, presidentand CEO of the Jim Henson Company. As executive vice president,Fletcher doubled the company's television program library.Currently, he is co-creator and executive producer on THE HOOBS, a

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Disney Interested In Buying Henson From EM.TV

New reports have the Walt Disney Co. throwing its name into the hat to help bail out German producer EM.TV & Merchandising by purchasing its Jim Henson Co. EM.TV acquired the Muppet makers last February in a cash and stock transaction valued at US$680 million. However, rumors have voiced former president and CEO Brian Henson's disapproval over the deal due to the devaluation of the company's stock. In the past, when the Jim Henson Co. was privately held, Disney and the Muppet masters had signed a licensing deal with each other that brought Henson-owned characters to Disney theme parks.

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Henson Set To Helm Jack & The Beanstalk Miniseries

The chairman of Jim Henson Co., Brian Henson, has signed on to direct CBS' four-hour miniseries JACK AND THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY. The production will start within the next two months in London with the Creature Shop handling the job of bringing the land of giants to the small screen. Henson and Bill Haber will executive produce the program with writer James V. Hart. Martin G. Baker and Tom Smith are producing and Alex Rockwell co-producing.

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MuppeToons In 3D

Jim Henson Interactive (JHI), the interactive division of The Jim Henson Company, released the first of a series of MuppeToons on its Muppetworld Web site. This collaboration between Pulse Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company and its award-winning Jim Henson's Creature Shop will feature the first 3D version of Kermit the Frog and Fozzie the Bear.

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German EM.TV Acquires The Muppets

Munich-based EM.TV & Merchandising has acquired the Jim Henson Co. in a

cash and stock transaction valued at US$680 million. The German company now

owns the rights to the Muppets and Sesame Street characters. The purchase

gives EM.TV "some of the most powerful and enduring kids and family brands

worldwide and. . . access to the world's biggest and most important media

market," said Thomas Haffa, EM.TV CEO. "In addition, our investment in

Henson will give us a position in cable networks, which will open up new

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Margaret Loesch's New Odyssey

Respected TV executive Margaret Loesch, who moved to the Jim Henson Company a year ago as president of its television group, has been named the president and CEO of the 30-million subscriber Odyssey cable channel. This comes after an announcement that Hallmark and The Jim Henson Company have bought a "substantial" stake in the religious network. Loesch's new responsibilities include developing original programming from Hallmark, Henson, Odyssey and National Interfaith Cable Coalition (NICC) and integrating it with the already well-established libraries of Hallmark and Henson.

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