Jim Henson's The Muppet Show ended after only five seasons, despite its popularity in the 1970s. After finding success in children's programming with Sesame Street, Henson was eager to prove he could make projects with a broader, more adult focus. That resulted in The Muppet Show, the genesis for what would become an entertainment empire that's still going strong to this day.
The Muppet Show was essentially a comedy sketch program (heavily influenced by vaudeville), but instead of humans it utilized the likes of Kermit The Frog, Fozzy Bear, and Miss Piggy. It was basically a more family-friendly version of Saturday Night Live, a show Henson also worked on during its first year. The Muppet Show premiered in 1976 and was a huge hit with both young and old audiences, eventually winning several Emmys during its run.
So if it was so popular, why The Muppet Show end after season 5? There are actually a few reasons for the show's somewhat abrupt end. By the late '70s, the Muppets were already making the transition to the big screen, an ambition Henson had long harbored. Films like The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper were wildly successful, and after the latter, Henson decided to concentrate full time on film instead of television.
By The Muppet Show season 5, the writers felt they were running out of ideas and didn't want the show to get stale. The Muppets still appeared regularly in other TV shows, but their own series closed up shop in 1981 as the Muppets made the transition to movie stars. In addition to the creative reasons, there was also the financial reality of the situation. With five seasons and 120 episodes under his belt, Henson could comfortably sell the show into syndication, which was a massive consideration in that era of television. The Muppet Show may not have been producing new episodes, but it continued to delight children and their parents for many more years in syndication.
Henson would go on to great creative success before his tragic death in 1990. He would branch out with more serious, innovative films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, and played a crucial role in the creation of Yoda for Star Wars (frequent Muppet puppeteer Frank Oz voiced and performed the ancient Jedi Master). But Henson's rightful legacy is unquestionably the Muppets, and with all five seasons of The Muppet Show now streaming on Disney+, a whole new generation can delight in his greatest creation.