Muppet Video

This was the original home video division of Henson Associates, Inc., which later became The Jim Henson Company. In Australia, it was one of eight labels Publishing and Broadcasting Video (later Communications and Entertainment Ltd) distributed. In the United States, most of the company's output was distributed by the Walt Disney Telecommunications and Non-Theatrical Company. RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video distributed the company's content in the UK.

In 1985, Henson Associates moved American distribution to Playhouse Video. The label was folded by 1987. Internationally, it was succeeded by Jim Henson Presents.

1st Logo (1983-1984)

Visuals: The screen fades into a shot of the stacked blue text "MUPPET HOME VIDEO", with "MUPPET" being from the Muppets franchise logo at the time, zooming out with a heavy trail effect extending forwards. As it becomes fully visible, the trail recedes backwards and inverts its path towards the back of the logo, revealing a dark blue background with several lavender dots scattered all across it. The background zooms in slightly as the dots occasionally increase in brightness to resemble 8-pointed stars.

Variant: At the beginning of the preview reel, the logo transitions into the first preview with a large flash.

Technique: Live-action lighting and video feedback effects.

Audio: "Flash", by Keith Mansfield (the pilot theme for Press Your Luck and the theme of the Australian Thorn EMI Video logo). The beginning logo has an announcer say "Welcome to a whole new world of Muppet fantasy."

Availability

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Media Title	Format	Date of Release	Country / Region	Additional Notes
The Frog Prince OSCA	VHS	1983	Australia
Hey Cinderella! OSCA	VHS	1983	Australia
The Muppet Musicians of Bremen OSCA	VHS	1983	Australia

2nd Logo (1983-1984)

Visuals: On a white background, the same "MUPPET" logo from before is seen at the bottom of the screen, but in a yellow-orange gradient color and with a drawing of Kermit the Frog resting on top of it, smiling as he has his hand on his head and the other on the text. Below is the text "HOME VIDEO" in black.

Trivia:

• This logo was painted by legendary movie poster artist Drew Struzan.
• A variant of the print logo exists reading "MUPPETMUSIC" in place of "MUPPET", as well as Kermit holding an eighth note like a guitar or banjo, on the box art of Doozer Music, but the video shows the next logo instead.

Technique: A painted card.

Audio: None.

Availability

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Media Title	Format	Date of Release	Country / Region	Additional Notes
The Frog Prince OSCA	VHS, Betamax	1983	United States	The 1978 Walt Disney Home Entertainment logo is used on the LaserDisc release.
Hey Cinderella! OSCA	VHS, Betamax	1983	United States	The 1978 Walt Disney Home Entertainment logo is used on the LaserDisc release.
The Muppet Musicians of Bremen OSCA	VHS, Betamax	1983	United States	The 1978 Walt Disney Home Entertainment logo is used on the LaserDisc release.

3rd Logo (1983-1985)

Visuals: On a navy blue space background, a white line draws along the bottom, of which an odd white outline blob pops up in the middle. It's filled in to reveal Kermit the Frog, who stares in awe as two comets shoot over his head in opposite directions. A star faintly pings in the top left, and the arched large text reading "MUPPET", in a font similar to the logo for The Muppet Show and colored yellow-orange with a red backing, flies in and settles over Kermit. The white text reading "HOME VIDEO" then fades in below with Kermit between both words. He then stares at them and nods his head before fading out.

Trivia: Kermit was probably operated by Jim Henson in this logo.

Variant: On the Australian VHS of The Dark Crystal, a raw version of the logo was used in which Kermit is looking down at the line, and the space background, the pink line and the word "MUPPET" disappear at the end, leaving Kermit and the "HOME VIDEO" text behind on a black background. The rest of the logo then cuts to black.

Technique: Computer animation, with Kermit in live-action.

Audio: A warbly "outer space" synth scale, then a series of synth whooshes. Composed in F major.

Availability

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Media Title	Format	Date of Release	Country / Region	Additional Notes
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas OSCA	VHS, Betamax	1983	United States
Fraggle Songs: Volume One OSCA	VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc	1983	United States
Doozer Music OSCA	VHS, Betamax	1984	United States
The Dark Crystal OSCA	VHS	1984	Australia	Uses the uncut Raw version of the logo
Fraggle Rock 1 - Capture the Moon OSCA	VHS	1984	United Kingdom
Fraggle Rock 2 - Marooned OSCA	VHS	1984	United Kingdom
Fraggle Rock 3 - The Minstrels OSCA	VHS	1984	United Kingdom
Fraggle Rock 4 - The Great Radish Famine OSCA	VHS	1984	United Kingdom

4th Logo (1985-1987)

Visuals: After the Playhouse Video logo finishes, the background changes to a blue-red gradient background and the Playhouse logo flies and rolls to the top left. As this appears, 3 rings colored red, yellow, and white fly in, as well as the letters in the word "MUPPET", colored olive with a white outline on the "M" and a slightly different design compared to the other logos (but still influenced by the Muppets logo), fly in all over the screen and settle in the center as they zoom out. The rings bounce and flip all over the screen before merging into one large ring, an oblong shape consisting of a navy blue inside along with a black, white, and red borders slide in from all sides of the screen and meet in the center, several white dots swirl around everything, and an olive diamond with a white outline and a upside down black triangle outline inside of it flies down from the upper left corner. As they all meet in the center, the outlines appear on the rest of "MUPPET", the dots rearrange themselves along the border of the oblong, and the ring zooms in back into view. Upon coming together, the diamond is filled with the stacked text "JIM HENSON'S", "V I D E O" appears in the gap below "MUPPET", and the dots turn into chasing lights, making the entire logo resemble a marquee sign.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Audio: The music from the 1983 logo but with a few added tinkling sounds at the end, accompanied by an announcer saying "Don't miss coming attractions at the end of this cassette."

Availability

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Media Title	Format	Date of Release	Country / Region	Additional Notes
Children's Songs and Stories with the Muppets OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Country Music with the Muppets OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Rock Music with the Muppets OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
The Kermit and Piggy Story OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Muppet Moments OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
The Muppet Revue OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Muppet Treasures OSCA	VHS	1985	United States
Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets OSCA	VHS	1985	United States