Historian makes plea over missing Muppet mural

Film historians and former Muppet cast members have launched an appeal to find photographic evidence of a lost mural they created.

In 1976, after American networks rejected The Muppet Show, creator Jim Henson struck a deal with media mogul Lord Lew Grade, who insisted the series be produced at ATV Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, which he owned.

There was a mural depicting ATV performers in the canteen which cast members defaced with Muppet characters as a prank.

But the artwork was painted over 40 years ago, and Elstree historian Howard Berry is trying to find picture evidence.

ATV ceased to exist as a company in 1983 and the BBC took control of the Borehamwood studio in 1984.

At that point, the mural was covered with white paint and it remained that way until buildings at the site were demolished last year.

Berry, who is also a lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, said: "ATV kind of became the Muppet studio as a result and they felt like it was their home.

"The mural plays a part of them really feeling like this was the Muppet studio."

The original mural depicted dancers, but also household names such as William Shakespeare.

Dave Goelz, known for voicing the character Gonzo, said he came up with the prank of changing the artwork overnight.

In an interview with Berry, he said: "A bunch of us got a ladder in the studio and went up and traced all those figures - and then we drew our characters back in the shop on cardboard slightly larger than the figures in the mural... we went up and stuck them on over the figures on the mural."

Goelz joked that he was "too stupid" to take a photo but that "in those days, we didn't have cell phones".

"One person said that the executives at the studio did not like it - they were furious that we defaced their mural," said the American puppeteer.

As part of Berry's Elstree Project, he took photos and documented much of the studio before the demolition began.

"It clearly means something that the crew are still talking about it 50 years later, so I think it's important to try and find evidence and images of this amazing mural," said Berry.

"There's definitely people with collections in their basement or their attics, photos in shoe boxes hidden away somewhere.

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