Claim: Jim Henson founded a company.

The Jim Henson Company -LRB- also known at various times as Muppets , LLC. , Henson Associates , Ltd. , and Jim Henson Productions , Inc. -RRB- is an American entertainment company , a leading producer of children 's and family entertainment -LRB- despite some of the company 's works containing mature content -RRB- , and best known as the creators of the renowned Muppets characters . Founded in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson and performing partner and wife Jane Henson , the company is independently owned and operated by the children of its founders .   Henson has produced many successful television series , including The Muppet Show -LRB- later owned by Disney -RRB- , Fraggle Rock , Dinosaurs , Bear in the Big Blue House , and Farscape , and creates the Muppet characters for the long-running PBS television series , Sesame Street . The company has also produced many films , including The Muppet Movie , The Dark Crystal , and Labyrinth . Henson also operates Jim Henson 's Creature Shop , a puppet , animatronics , and visual effects workshop , which has created characters and effects for Henson productions , as well as outside producers .   In 1989 , the company entered merger negotiations with The Walt Disney Company , but the deal fell through following Jim Henson 's unexpected death in 1990 . Following Henson 's death and the calling off of the Disney merger , the company was taken over by Henson 's children , Lisa , Cheryl , Brian , John , and Heather , with Brian at the helm . In 2000 Henson was sold to EM.TV & Merchandising AG , a German media company , but by the end of that year , EM.TV 's stock collapsed , and the company was sold back to the Henson family in 2003 . -LRB- EM.TV had in the interim sold the rights to the Sesame Street Muppets to Sesame Workshop in 2001 . -RRB-   In 2004 , Henson sold the rights to the Muppets and Bear in the Big Blue House to The Walt Disney Company , but retains the rights to the rest of its characters , program library , and assets . , Brian , Lisa , Cheryl , and Heather Henson run the company -LRB- sibling and fellow co-owner John Henson died in February 2014 -RRB- . Brian Henson serves as chairman , while Lisa Henson serves as CEO .   Since 2000 , The Jim Henson Company has been headquartered at the Jim Henson Company Lot , the historic former Charlie Chaplin Studios , in Hollywood , California .