Greek Myths, Part 1: Fear and Fate

After finding success with the Storyteller series, Henson planned an extended run focusing on Greek myths.  This four-episode mini-series was presented in a similar format, with a narrator telling the tales to his dog, but the time period had moved out of the medieval ages to an earlier ancient Greece.  New effects and creatures were created to tell these grand tales, allowing for deeper exploration into the world's oldest stories.

The biggest change came in the replacement of John Hurt with Michael Gambon as the Storyteller.  While Hurt presented a more humorous and passionate narration to his tales, Gambon was a tragic character, lost within the famous Labyrinth, telling stories to pass the time.

The dog is the same, though.  Maybe it's an ancestor of Hurt's dog.

The first episode that aired encapsulates that which sets Greek myths apart from the other folktales, making for a good starting point.  "Perseus and the Gorgon" contains all of the familiar tropes one expects from these ancient myths.  There is the prophecy that tries to be avoided and ends up fulfilled, a half-human, half-god hero, and a quest to kill an unbeatable monster that relies on the hero's wits and gifts from other gods to achieve victory.

Nowadays, most of the events in these tales gets ascribed to Hercules.  After all, if you've seen one demi-god hero, you've seen them all.  So, in that sense, Perseus doesn't really bring anything new to the table of heroes.  He is just a pawn that lets the story play around him.

I am a legendary hero, sir.

Fearing an oracle's vision that says Perseus will kill his grandfather King Acrisius, the aforementioned king locks his young daughter Danae in his dungeon, where Zeus impregnates her via beam of golden light.  Discovering the child, the king locks the boy and his mother in a chest, intending to drown them in the sea.  This takes them to Seriphos where the King Polydektes attempts to make Danae his wife. Perseus, a young man at this point, reaches the conclusion that if he can slay Medusa, the Gorgon woman with a head of snakes and a stare that can turn any man into stone, he and his mother will be free to go.

Don't look directly in her eyes.

Along the way, Perseus meets with other figures of Greek mythology, such as Hermes and Athena who lend him winged shoes, a cap of invisibility, a sword, and a mirror shield to fight the Gorgons.  After seeking directions from Atlas, the Titan who holds up the heavens, as well as the Gracae (who share one eye with which to see the future), Perseus fights Medusa by using his shield to look at her reflection as he swings his sword around aimlessly.

The most awkward epic battle in ancient history.

He defeats her and brings the head back to Polydektes, who foolishly wishes to see the head has proof.

Whoops! Bad call, Polydektes.

Other story threads are quickly tied up (Perseus turns Atlas to stone to give him a much needed rest from bearing the weight of the world, and he later accidentally kills his grandfather in a discuss throwing contest) and Gambon shares with us the message of the story.

We cannot fear the future.  Characters who suffered were those who tried to avoid their fates, while those who faced their fears head on succeeded.  Medusa represents all that which paralyzes us and prevents us from living our lives.  These messages are as old as history and they remain relevant to this day.  It's no wonder we enjoy revisiting these ancient tales.

Coming up are three more stories that hold more universal lessons and trace the journey of the Storyteller's own fate.

The Rise and Fall of Bean Norman Bunny, Part 1: Humble Beginnings

Late in Henson's career, there arose a young new Muppet eager to join the well-established cast of The Muppet Show.  The main crew had fixed themselves as stars in the eyes of the world, but there was one area in which they were sorely lacking: Cuteness.  Kermit's nephew Robin was young but had a complex maturity that did not resonate with children.  Meanwhile, on Sesame Street, a furry red monster named Elmo was making waves, preparing to take the street by storm.  As his popularity was rising, the Muppets needed someone who could balance out their ensemble.  Someone who was their "Elmo."  And so, the Henson crew turned to a little fuzzy face that had already made a name for himself in the saccharine television special "The Tale of the Bunny Picnic."

Bean Bunny, the littlest rabbit

While on an afternoon stroll with his daughter Cheryl, Jim Henson observed a group of rabbits convening, seemingly in the midst of an important discussion.  Suddenly, a large dog appeared and scared them all off.  He was inspired to create a springtime special focusing on the backstory of that random cute event.

Below is the full hour-long special, but I shall provide a summary for those who are allergic to an overabundance of cuteness.

As the story goes, to celebrate the arrival of spring, a large group of bunnies hold the annual Bunny Picnic.  They leave in a peaceful warren, close to a farm stocked with many delicious vegetables.  The mean old farmer, in an attempt to rid himself of the rabbit infestation, adopts an dog to kill the rabbits.  The dog is disrespected and mistreated by his master, as evidenced by the fact that he is not even bestowed with a name.  He tries his best to carry out his duties, but has many difficulties.

The Dog, both the main villain and victim of the tale

In the community of bunnies, everyone has a role to play.  Everyone contributes to the picnic, save for little Bean Bunny, who is shunned by his older brother Lugsy for being too small to help.  In order to avoid the negative criticisms of his size, Bean disassociates from reality, imagining himself to be anything but a little rabbit.

Even when he turns into a menacing dragon, he can't help but be adorable.

Bean is the first to discover the dog and no one else believes him.  But once the dog attacks, Bean uses his clever imagination to come up with a scenario to rid the warren of the beast.  Everyone pitches into help, but his bigger brother takes credit for all of the work and places himself in charge of the proceedings.  But when Lugsy gets captured by the dog, it is up to Bean to step in and prove that being little does not prevent him from doing great things.

Such as scaring off a dog in a giant bunny costume.

I do not want to spoil the climax (the huge fake rabbit is just the beginning of things), but after all is said and done, Bean Bunny is treated as a hero to his people and finally earns the respect he deserves, especially from his older brother.

He is a savior to us all!

Bean Bunny enjoyed his new fame and hoped to live out a peaceful existence in the warren, having served his purpose and made a name for himself.  But fate had different plans in store for the young buck.  His audience demanded more.  Very soon, he would be ripped from the warm rabbit den and thrown into the world of television, hype, and success, unlike anything he had ever dreamed of experiencing.  The power would soon go to his head.  His fluffy cottontail would be marking his territory all over the Muppet landscape.  This would not be the last we saw of that little pink-nosed bundle of joy.

Tomorrow, we will continue our look at one of Hollywood's most tragic stories of abuse, corruption, and self-destruction as Behind the Muppets continues.