The Jim Henson Company

1st Logo (as Jim Henson Productions) (April 26, 1991-2006)
1991-1997=

Nicknames: "Laser Kermit", "Kermit Head"

Logo: On a black background, a blue laser carves out a line across the screen. The line flips towards the screen, revealing a blue outline of Kermit the Frog, who is then filled with color from left to right. After shining brightly, Kermit is then swallowed by a dot of light that dances across the screen, which from left to right sweeps out the words:

Jim Henson _________________________________ P R O D U C T I O N S

then flies back to the logo to dot the "I".

Variants:
 * Usually, on TV shows from Jim Henson Productions, only the "dot the I" sequence of this logo plays.
 * In 1997, starting with Bear in the Big Blue House, the word "PRODUCTIONS" is replaced with "TELEVISION" (a.k.a. Jim Henson Television).
 * When Sony Pictures Home Entertainment began distributing Henson material under the Jim Henson Home Entertainment label in 1997, the dot sweeps out the word "HOME ENTERTAINMENT" instead of "PRODUCTIONS".
 * On Dinosaurs, a pteranodon flies over the logo from right to left. Sometimes, the pteranodon sits on the logo either squawking or looking left. Also, the logo is in 3D style with a slight gradient. However, season 1 and the first 8 episodes of season 2 use a still version of the normal variant.
 * On It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, a variant of the 1997 version has "The Jim Henson Company" in place of "TELEVISION" and the text below the logo is in gray instead of red.
 * There is also a still version of the logo.
 * On Muppet Meeting Films, the logo is on a regal blue background, displaying "A Muppet Meeting Film Produced by" on top of the logo. Another variant where the text fades in after the dot flies onto the "I" has the location info text "117 East 69th Street New York, NY 10021" below the logo and above the byline.
 * On the music videos for "Kokomo" and "She Drives Me Crazy", the word "RECORDS" replaces "PRODUCTIONS". It's also in place after the program/presentation of The Muppet Show, The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, where it uses the style from the Jim Henson Video logo and with the text above it with "Soundtrack Available on" (for film releases) and "Music From The Muppet Show Available On" (for The Muppet Show).
 * There is also a version with copyright info on the bottom of the screen, sometimes with the URL "[www.henson.com www.henson.com]" just above it.
 * The first North American Jim Henson Video releases including US prints of The Muppet Movie, The Great Muppet Caper (which were later plastered by the Jim Henson Pictures starting on DVD releases of the two films), the first two Muppet Show compilations, the first few releases of Muppet Babies, and The Tale of the Bunny Picnic had the logo off-center. There is also a difference on how the Kermit head was designed compared to the fixed variation, and the light dots also shine brighter (with additive blending) on this version. In the US print of Muppet Babies: Let's Build, there is a video editing error of the off-center variant that has small amount of the beginning and ending frames (including the fade out) edited out to where the logo cuts straight to the Muppet Babies intro at the end. In the UK, a centered version of this variant appears on Muppet Babies VHS tapes while other early Henson videos have the Jim Henson Video logo before the presentation.
 * On Muppet Classic Theater, the "dot the I" variant plays as the word "PRESENTS" (in the same font as "PRODUCTIONS") fades below the logo.
 * At the end of Gulliver's Travels, a silent medium-length version exists, starting with the text being wiped onto the screen.
 * At the end of The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, another shortened version exists, which starts at Kermit about to get sucked into the light.
 * On Mopatop's Shop in the UK, a still version of the "TELEVISION" variant is shown alongside the Carlton Television logo in orange or white.
 * On Jim Henson's Animal Show, it's on a blue background and Tizzy The Bee flies to the logo when the dot comes in.
 * On The Hoobs, the logo is seen with the Channel 4 "Squares" logo and the Decode Entertainment logo.
 * On some prints of Muppets Tonight, the animated "PRODUCTIONS" variant is seen alongside the 1988 BBC logo in white.

FX/SFX: The blue laser "carving", the color "filling", the dot of light "swallowing" and "sweeping" out the logo.

Music/Sounds: The long version has a weird "phaser"-like sound when the laser appears, and when the Kermit head "flips" into view, an orchestrated horn/string fanfare is heard. A whoosh, 3 timpani hits, and chimes/shining sounds are heard when the head is colored in and shines. A louder whoosh and a cymbal crescendo are heard when the head gets sucked into the dot of light, followed by a woodwind section with plucked strings and "buzz"-like sounds (not unlike a cartoon bumblebee) as the dot of light flies around, and another whoosh when it sweeps out the text. One more "buzz" is heard as the dot returns, and a "ding" and a gong hit are heard when the "I" is dotted, followed by a triumphant horn/string/woodwind chord to finish the logo. The music was composed by Miles Goodman.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * At the end of movies and shows, either the end theme plays over it, or it's silent.
 * The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss (Season 2): Three piano notes, then a held-out violin note when the logo appears after the credits. We hear a "ding" when the "I" is dotted. Later prints, including those from Amazon Prime have the logo blacked out for the 7th logo to be played after the credits.
 * On the 1994 VHS of Hey Cinderella!, the final "buzz" is partially muted, fading in just as it dots the "I".
 * On PAL VHS releases from Jim Henson Video, the long version of the music is high pitched. 90's prints of Muppet Babies with episodes that used the 4th logo's variants plastered said logos, but kept their sound effects intact.

Availability: Uncommon.
 * It was first seen as a still variant on season 1 of Dinosaurs, and the full version made its debut on The Muppet Christmas Carol on December 11, 1992.
 * The short TV version is generally left intact on most shows from the company (except for Sesame Street) as well as Muppet Time skits aired on Nick Jr.; if classic Jim Henson shows like The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock are rerun in the future, this logo might be tacked on unless a different logo is used (such as a Muppets Holding Company copyright notice, a newer Henson logo, or HIT Entertainment). Reruns of Henson shows on the Odyssey Network (currently the Hallmark Channel) in the late 90s typically used this variant.
 * The long version can be seen on several '90s VHS prints from Jim Henson Video such as Fraggle Rock: A Festive Fraggle Holiday (this VHS also uses the short version of this logo at the end, unlike the other four 1993 VHS releases which use the 4th logo), Muppet Sing-Alongs videos, and A Muppet Family Christmas, as well as films like the aforementioned Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island; it can also be seen on various Muppet Babies videos (first releases in the U.S. like Let's Build had the logo off-center) before the show's opening theme.
 * The "RECORDS" variant can be found on a promo for the album Kermit Unpigged, as seen on the 1994 VHS release of Muppet Classic Theater. Strangely, the long version can also be seen at the end of Muppet Classic Theater.
 * The "Television" variant can be still seen on Disney+ releases of The Muppet Show, despite the logo itself being retired for quite a while.

Editor's Note: A fondly-remembered logo by many people.

2nd Logo (August 18, 2000-March 10, 2003)


Nickname: "Computer Henson"

Logo: On a black background, a series of flying computer-like lasers and streaks write the green words:

THE  JIM HENSON COMPANY

with the word "THE " in superscript format.

FX/SFX: The laser "writing" effects.

Music/Sounds: A phaser sound effect with a whooshing sound, or the end theme of the show or movie.

Availability: Seen on Farscape, starting with the 15th episode of season 2, as well as Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story.

Editor's Note: The text looks very generic, but the laser effect makes up for it. It's possible this was done on purpose to differentiate Farscape from the Henson company's more family-friendly works.

3rd Logo (October 17-18, 2004)


Logo: On a black background, the white Jim Henson Company logo fades in.

FX/SFX: The logo fading in.

Music/Sounds: The opening/ending theme of the show.

Availability: Only seen on Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (April 27, 2005)


Logo: Same as the last logo, except the logo is stretched out a bit, the logo cuts in, and the Jim Henson text and line are red.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: The end theme of the movie.

Availability: Seen only on The Muppets' Wizard of Oz.

Editor's Note: None.

5th Logo (September 30, 2005; November 21, 2015; August 30, 2019; September 4, 2020-January 1, 2021)
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Logo: On a black background, a Jim Henson logo in corporate font appears in a box. Below the bar are the words "THE JIM HENSON COMPANY". The whole logo is in gold. While slowly zooming in, the logo flashes with rainbow sparks and then turns blurry before fading out.

Variants: A shorter version exists, in which the logo is sped up a bit.

FX/SFX: The rainbow effects.

Music/Sounds: The opening or closing theme of the movie/show.

Availability: Seen on MirrorMask, Jim Henson‘s Turkey Hollow, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Earth to Ned.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (November 20, 2006-201?)


Logo: On a black background, the Jim Henson Company logo in the same style as before blurs in, except "Jim Henson" is red with a white outline, and everything else is white.

FX/SFX: Just the logo blurring.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on the ''Puppet Up! Uncensored'' special on TBS and videos on the official Jim Henson Company YouTube channel.

Editors Note: None.

7th Logo (June 20, 2008- )
Logo: Against a white grainy background, we see a dragonfly buzzing from the right side of the screen to the left, leaving a star trail and before a giant spider-like creature with eyes on stalks appears, the dragonfly wipes the Jim Henson Company logo from left to right, consisting of a blue "Jim Henson" in its corporate font, with a gold line and "THE JIM HENSON COMPANY" underneath. The dragonfly flies around while the giant spider creature chases after the dragonfly by scampering off the screen. The creatures wiggle kind of like jello.

Trivia: The creatures in this logo are based on the drawings of Jim Henson.

Variants:


 * A short version exists, which cuts off most of the logo.
 * On Fraggle Rock: Rock On!, the logo is still with no dragonfly or spider creature.
 * On Harriet the Spy and Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island, the dragonfly and the spider creature wiggle more.

FX/SFX: The dragonfly buzzing and the spider creature chasing after it.

Music/Sounds: A twittering flute sound, followed by an ascending xylophone scale, then the same twittering flute sound, followed by a descending xylophone scale. The sounds of the dragonfly and the spider creature are heard faintly.

Music/Sounds Variants:
 * On Harriet the Spy, recent prints of Fraggle Rock and some episodes of Sid the Science Kid, the end theme plays over the logo.
 * On Dinosaur Train, the last second of the ending theme plays over the logo.
 * Sometimes, the logo only has the sounds of the dragonfly and the spider creature.
 * On later episodes of the French dub of Dinosaur Train, the logo (alongside the theme song) is double pitched.

Availability: Common. It was first seen on Frances and was also seen at the end of Sid the Science Kid after the KCET logo. It also appears on Dinosaur Train on PBS, as well as Pajanimals. This was also seen on repeats of Fraggle Rock on The Hub (now Discovery Family) and current Apple TV+ prints, as well as the Harriet the Spy TV series. This logo can also be on Freeform airings of the Fraggle Rock episode "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" on rare occasions. Don't count on seeing this logo on mature stuff from the company like TBS' Puppet Up! or Logo's Tinseltown though, as they tend to use the Henson Alternative logo instead. The long version appears on DVDs from the company such as the 2013 re-releases of Fraggle Rock: Complete Series Collection and Fraggle Rock: Meet the Fraggles. It also appears on Dinosaur Train: Adventure Island and at the end of various clips from their productions posted to their YouTube channel.

Editor's Note: None.

8th Logo (January 20, 2022)
Logo: On a white background, we see the red text "Jim Henson" in its traditional font and with a trademark sign beside it slowly zoom out. A gray line and the text "THE JIM HENSON COMPANY" appears underneath. The logo shines.

FX/SFX: Simple animation.

Music/Sounds: A 4-note acoustic theme with ukulele and chimes.

Availability: Brand new. Seen at the end of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock on Apple TV+. It is currently unknown whether it will appear on any other productions.

Editor's Note: None.