Jerome Ravn Juhl (June 28, 1938 – September 25, 2005) was an American television and film writer, best known for his work withThe Muppets.

Juhl was born inSaint Paul, Minnesota; his family moved toMenlo Park, California, when he was 14. He received a bachelor's degree in theater arts fromSan Jose State University in 1961 and worked on children's shows for local television stations while in college. He metFrank Oz when they both worked for theOakland Recreation Department's Vagabond Puppet Theater as teenagers.^[1] The two later met Henson at a puppeteer gathering in California.^[2]

Juhl was recruited byJim Henson as a puppeteer and writer onSam and Friends. He focused increasingly on writing as other puppeteers, such as Frank Oz, joined the Henson stable.

Juhl was the head writer onThe Muppet Show from seasons 2 to 5 (season 1 hadJack Burns as head writer). He also wrote for the television showsFraggle Rock andThe Jim Henson Hour. He was involved in some capacity with all of theMuppet films fromThe Muppet Movie in 1979 toMuppets from Space in 1999.^[2] According to Lisa Henson, "So much of the humor, irreverence, caring and heart began with Jerry. He was, in many ways, the real voice of the Muppets."^[3]

He appeared as himself in the 1981 documentaryOf Muppets and Men: The Making of The Muppet Show, the 1984 documentaryHenson's Place, and the 1994 documentaryThe World of Jim Henson. In addition to being interviewed in all three, he also appeared in archival footage in the last two.

He was married to Susan Doerr Juhl and lived inCaspar, California. In his last few years he semi-retired from writing, but taught at local colleges, coached at local Mendocino Coast theatres such as Gloriana Opera Company, and spoke at puppeteer conventions. He died on September 25, 2005, frompancreatic cancer at the age of 67.^[a]

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Juhl co-wroteThe Muppet Movie withJack Burns, for which the two shared aSaturn Award nomination for Best Writing. He was nominated for a sharedEmmy four times, for his writing onThe Muppet Show, finally winning the award in 1981 for Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program. He was also awarded for his work onThe Jim Henson Hour (Outstanding Children's Program, 1989, 1990) andThe Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson (Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, 1991). His work onA Muppet Family Christmas won him theWGA Award for Variety – Musical, Award, Tribute, Special Event.

• Jerry Juhl atIMDb
• An interview with Jerry Juhl
• A tribute to Jerry Juhl at IGN FilmForce
• A tribute to Jerry Juhl at Jim Hill Media

• 1938 births
• 2005 deaths
• San Jose State University alumni
• Deaths from pancreatic cancer in California
• American male screenwriters
• American television writers
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Writers from Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Writers Guild of America Award winners
• American people of Danish descent
• American male television writers
• 20th-century American male writers
• 20th-century American writers
• 20th-century American screenwriters
• American puppeteers

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