Who was the executive producer of HBO’s first original series?

In 1981, the legendary Muppet creator Jim Henson(1936-1990) decided to end “The Muppet Show” after a 5-year run, feeling it best for the series to go out on top. In 1982, his company released the cult classic film “The Dark Crystal”. But Jim Henson, never one to sit still for long, already had a new project in mind, one he believed could peacefully change the world… "Fraggle Rock".

Jim envisioned a subterranean realm full of strange but funny species who believed in solving problems through competition or cooperation, and where conflict was always the last resort. At the time, the subscription-based network Home Box Office (HBO) was looking to break into original programming with a weekly series, and Henson was just the creative mind they were looking for to create a new show.

"Fraggle Rock" premiered on January 10, 1983, with its ‘Unity Among Differences’ theme creating an international resonance. In fact, once in syndication in 1989, it became the first western series to air on TV in the Soviet Union. The show had a five-season run and concluded with its 96th episode on March 30, 1987.