Lighthouse Island from The Jim Henson Hour

[DoctorM]

That's interesting information. Where did you find all that info? I guess it must have been the kind of anthology series with the same setting but different characters per show. It's hard to beleive that a Henson-produced production would employ another effects company to make animatronic characters (according to Muppet Wiki the creature shop justr supplied effects).

Any idea of the pilot was made but unsold before The Jim Henson Hour began, or if it was intended to be a regular series outside of The Jim Henson Hour, or if it would have been a regualr part of JHH (if the show had continued)?

My source is a member of the cast. I was perplexed as well. I would have thought that all creature work would have been by the creature workshop as well. I asked twice about this, but was told again that the sea monster and the tentacle were "build by Lucas' people on the west coast". That seemed pretty specific.

In fact, when the sea monster arrived they were afraid it was too small and were going to return it to be rebuilt (at a large expense). Instead they pulled a prank and had it jump out at somebody sent on a pointless errand. It proved to be scary enough as it was.

I believe I was told that Lighthouse Island was filmed the year before the JHH with the intention of it being a pilot. I suspect that means separate, and possible even before the JHH was in production.

I can only tell you what I was told, I can't prove it though.

 

[DoctorM]

I have some more info for you.

Like I said, the tentacle and the sea monster were built at ILM. The sea monster was operated by then ILM puppeteer Kirk Thatcher: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Kirk_Thatcher

This would have been 1987, the year before he went to work for Jim Henson directly.

I commented that LHI was definitely filmed as a pilot a year prior to the JHH. I'm guessing they had it laying around and the JHH was a good place to burn it off.

As far as the source of my information, it comes directly from a cast member.

I also was passing on the story about when the sea monster arrived on set from California. It was smaller than they expected (about 3 feet). They were going to send it back at a pretty serious expense to be rebuilt.

Instead they played a practical joke, sent someone out on a fools errand, and had the monster jump out at them. The monster proved scary enough so they kept it.

 

[WhiteLion]

I actually signed up for these forums to ask a specific question. In the intro, they pan over a blue house and a Muppet hangs it's head out of the window and looks around. Can anyone confirm what kind of creature it was? It looks like a leftover Labyrinth goblin. I know they reused the bear from Polar Bear King and the griffin from Dream Child, so it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Scooterforever]

Oooh, I absolutely loved Lighthouse Island. Cracking good fantasy by Jerry Juhl!