Where to begin? The Muppet Show? Or Sesame Street? And what about Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, the Swedish Chef, or—a personal favorite—Statler and Waldorf, the two curmudgeonly critics who heckle from their box seats? Jim Henson’s impact on generations of children—their learning, their delight—is indelible. He revolutionized the manner in which puppets are presented on television. And they weren’t just eye-catching, they were genuinely funny. They had personalities—like people, but softer. It’s a testament to Henson’s genius that his characters live on today, enchanting newbies. In Jim Henson Idea Man, Ron Howard pulls back the curtain on the puppeteer’s career, and also his largely unexplored personal life. —Jack Sullivan