TV Review: Syfy’s ‘Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge’

Any child growing up in the 70’s and 80’s- nix that, just ANY child knows the works of puppeteer and amazing artist Jim Henson. If you don’t know his name, you know his works: The Dark Crystal. The Muppets. Sesame Street. If there was any type of animatronic creature, you can best be sure that Jim Henson had a hand in it.

Since Jim passed away 1990, his son Brian Henson has been handling the affairs of The Jim Henson Company, and Brian has teamed with Syfy to bring to the station a new reality/competition show designed towards creature fabrication. “Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge” puts ten costume creators and artists inside the Creature Shop at Jim Henson Studios and through a series of challenges, each fabricator is able to showcase their particular talents and imagination. In the pilot, the artists are asked to create a sea creature that has never been seen before, something that would be lingering along the ocean floor. They are then broken up into pairs to complete the creature creation before filming a short screen test that will be seen by people who are behind the creature creations of some of the biggest blockbusters in Hollywood (Hello, Beth Hathaway from Jurassic Park!). Over the series, the artists will be judged and summarily eliminated until at the end, there is only one standing, and that one person will receive a $100,000 prize. Not settling for that, Brian Henson is also offering the winner a job at Jim Henson Studios. For many of the artists who are struggling to break into the industry, it’s the chance of a lifetime.

Of course with any reality show, you’re going to get your squabbles and backstabbing. I think nowadays there can’t be any type of competition without strife, but the real focus needs to be on the art. I think this will be a good show to watch, especially if you have a child or little one who is taking an interest in art or even cosplay.

“Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge” premieres on Tuesday, 25 March, at 10E/9C.

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