List of Muppets

The Muppets are a group of comedic puppet characters originally created by Jim Henson who have appeared in multiple television series and films since the 1950s. The majority of the characters listed here originated on The Muppet Show, a television series that aired from 1976 to 1981. Since then, several more characters have been introduced in other television series, as well as theatrical films.

The first Muppet characters appeared as early as 1955, in Sam and Friends, a Washington, D.C.-based show that was on the air for six years. Kermit the Frog was one of the show's regulars, and thus was one of Henson's first Muppet creations. The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television program Sesame Street. Henson was initially reluctant to become involved with Sesame Street because he feared being pigeon-holed as a children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals. The characters created for that series are now owned by the Sesame Workshop, the producers of Sesame Street, and are now considered a separate franchise.

Sweetums (Parks and Recreation)

"Sweetums" is the 15th episode of the second season of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation, and the 21st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on February 4, 2010. In the episode, the Parks and Recreation Department hosts a public forum to discuss a sponsorship agreement with local candy manufacturer, Sweetums. Leslie and Ann warn the public of the dangers of supposedly nutritious snack bars called "Nutriyums", which are filled with simple sugars, notably high fructose corn syrup.

The episode was written by Alan Yang and directed by Dean Holland. "Sweetums" addressed several issues including the politics of corporate sponsorship, the use of propaganda and free gifts to manipulate public opinion, and the dangers of corn syrup-related products, which are regularly available in vending machines at public places, such as schools, parks or municipal buildings.

The episode featured a guest performance by Justin Theroux as Leslie's boyfriend, Justin Anderson. According to Nielsen Media Research, "Sweetums" was seen by 4.87 million households, and drew the season's highest rating among viewers aged between 18 and 49. The episode received positive reviews from critics.