The classic game show What’s My Line? was a TV staple through the 1950s through the 70s, which was also an important developmental era for Jim Henson and the Muppets. So naturally, the two entities managed to cross paths many times. That includes its spoofs on Sesame Street (including “What’s My Part?,” “What’s My Letter?,” and “What’s My Job?“) and the direct connection of regular panelist Bennett Cerf and his son, Sesame Street writer Chris Cerf. But also, as you’ve likely deduced from the title of this article: Jim Henson himself.
The premise of What’s My Line?, for those of you who don’t spend your days glued to the Game Show Network, involves a mystery guest and a panel of celebrities who ask yes-or-no questions to try and decipher who they are or why they’re notable. In 1973, Big Bird appeared (along with his pal Caroll Spinney), and while that’s cool as all heck, there’s another episode that’s celebrating a milestone anniversary that we want to talk about.
On November 16, 1974 – 50 years ago this week – Jim Henson appeared as the mystery guest on What’s My Line? It’s an interesting time for Jim. He’s been known in the entertainment world for his advertising work and appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show, and Sesame Street is just five years old – long enough to solidify his reputation as an icon, but not even close to the level of fame he’ll have a few years later. For many fans, looking back at this era in hindsight, there’s still a question of exactly how famous Jim Henson was, and how recognizable his name and face might be. His appearance on What’s My Line? is proof that Jim was already becoming a household name.
I have a lot to say about the episode, but if you’d rather just watch it than listen to me ramble, give it a gander below.
Okay, let’s break this thing down.
Despite being famous for not being on camera, Jim is obviously well-enough known that the panel members need to wear masks. As if that wasn’t enough, he even needs to disguise his voice, though it’s a bit more likely that someone might recognize the Kermity timbres in the way he speaks.
Jim seems absolutely delighted to be there. Entering to a huge reaction from the audience, he sits down and brings out the real star – Kermit the Frog, complete with his rarely-seen double collar. The panel is tasked with sussing out the identity and occupation of the mystery guest, and as they take turns asking questions, they’re only allowed 10 “no” answers before forfeiting the game.
For each question, Jim pulls an old Muppet gag out of the vault. By giving Kermit a cowboy hat and a blonde pigtail wig, Kermit has a complete change of personality, and along with it a couple of voices that not only sound nothing like Kermit, they don’t even sound like any other voice Jim had assigned to another character. It reminds me of Jim’s demonstration of how the Whatnot Muppets work from The Muppets on Puppets. Move some features, change some costuming, and any puppet can become someone completely new. I can’t imagine any other What’s My Line? guest being able to pull off the same trick so expertly.
The line of questioning is almost bizarre. The panelists have no idea there are technically two entities answering their questions. Their questions include:
- Is it a human being? (“I think so, yes.”)
- Do you have to have a degree to do what you do?
- Are you dressed in something that is what we city folks consider unusual? (“I would say part of me.”)
- Are you with someone or something? (“Yes.”)
- Are you with a thing more than a one? (“No, I don’t think so. I wouldn’t say ‘thing,’ I would find that rather insulting.”)
- Are you with a puppet? (“Well, partly, yes. One might say yes to that question.”)
- Do you perform in television?
- Do you have a regular program?
- Do I hear wheels going around somewhere? (Kermit gives a shocked look to the audience)
Interestingly, about half of these questions could be answered in multiple ways. Is the Kermit puppet considered something you wear? Is Kermit a something or a someone? There’s certainly some inadvertent trickery happening here to throw the panelists off the mark.
With all these questions above, would you have figured out that the mystery guest is Jim Henson??
Of the four panelists – Arlene Francis, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Jack Cassidy, and Soupy Sales – it’s no surprise that Soupy is the one who figures it out. Not only is he “the biggest fan” of Jim’s work, as he claims in this episode, but he’d worked with Jim prior to this. Kermit confirms this by giving Soupy a warm greeting as if they’re old pals. Soupy says that they worked together on The Jimmy Dean Show and “the old Ed Sullivan thing,” and while those may both be true, we know that they collaborated on the 1968 special The Pied Piper of Astroworld, a bizarre promotional video for a theme park in Houston starring Soupy as the titular Pied Piper, with appearances by Rowlf the Dog, Rufus, the Southern Colonel, and a few other Muppets.
Now that Jim’s identity has been revealed, he gets a few minutes for some basic Q&A. They’re not the most probing questions – he’s asked which characters he’s known for (with Sesame Street being his most prominent project, he calls out Big Bird, Oscar, Ernie, and Bert), and he’s asked how he decides what the characters will be, which we know is the sort of question that requires a lot more time than they have to answer properly.
At this point, Kermit is tired of being ignored and starts to get sassy. Could this be Jim’s desire to shift attention away from himself? Whatever his reason, it’s proof that the frog is always more entertaining than the guy with the beard. But more importantly, Jim recognizes that no one wants to hear him talk when the real star is sitting silently to his side.
Jim talks a bit about his plans for the Muppets. He says he wants to try something different, like an adult television show and a theater show. After only a few years of Sesame Street, he’s already thinking about his next challenge. And as we know, one of his predictions will come true just two years later with The Muppet Show. The theater show, on the other hand, isn’t as clear. We presume Jim was talking about “The Muppets at Lincoln Center” – an unproduced stage show that sounds like it would’ve been incredible.
Kermit gets to field a question: “How long did it take you to come up with the idea and to finally get Jim Henson right?” That’s a nice turn, giving Kermit credit for the creation of Jim. Kermit quips, “The beard was the hardest part.”
Dr. Joyce Brothers – having education on her mind – asks Jim if they plan on using The Cookie Monster to teach nutrition, and Jim responds by saying that they’re already at work on it with a commercial for The Nutrition Council. The problem is, there’s no such thing as The Nutrition Council! Jim likely meant The Ad Council, which produced this ad featuring Cookie eating healthy, 30 years before the big “A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food” campaign.
Soupy Sales, reminding us that he’s not just a Jim Henson fan but a Joe Raposo one as well, asks if Kermit was the inspiration for the classic song “Bein’ Green.” And if that doesn’t sound like a song cue, then I don’t know what is! Kermit then goes on to croon us with his greatest hit (at least for the next few years, until “Rainbow Connection” comes along).
Despite having “lost” the game, Jim greets the panel and heads backstage, where he waits as the next two contestants take their turns. The first is Maxine Brady, who wrote a book about how to win at Scrabble. Naturally, this inspired Jim to include a scene in Sex and Violence where Nigel, Sam the Eagle, and Floyd play Scrabble, and Nigel plays the word “Gribaziggy.” Nigel almost certainly bought Brady’s book.
The third guest is the legendary Dick Cavett, who worked with Jim Henson and the Muppets several times, including two memorable appearances on The Dick Cavett Show. Cavett steals a strategy from Jim and disguises his voice as well. That thief.
And now, 50 years later, we’re still looking back on this appearance with admiration. Jim Henson gets this chance to be celebrated at a time in his career when he might’ve thought he was at the top, but he has so much higher yet to go. While his appearance is a delightful surprise for the What’s My Line? panelists, it’s even more so for us who get to see a different side of Jim that still entertains us five decades later.
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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
