Outer Space/The Heartless Giant is the first episode of The Jim Henson Hour.
The first half of the episode introduces us to Muppetelevision, a modernized version of The Muppet Show in which Kermit the Frog runs a TV studio, and introduces us to several new characters, including the robotic Digit (Dave Goelz) and the CGI puppet Waldo (Steve Whitmire), also featuring Gonzo from the prior Muppet shows and films. This episode is a parody of science fiction shows, and contains sketches such as "Miss Galaxy Beauty Pageant" and "The Adventures of Space Guy". The closing number is a rendition of "Chattanooga Choo Choo" performed by the Muppets and their alternate-universe counterparts, the Teppums. Louie Anderson guest stars.
The second half of the episode consists of The Storyteller episode The Heartless Giant, which first aired as part of this show. The plot concerns a giant with (literally) no heart who has been locked in a cell in the king's palace after terrorizing a kingdom "in the far north of the world". The youngest of the king's three sons forms a friendship with the giant and eventually sets him free, leading the evil giant to go on another destructive rampage. Years later, both the prince's older brothers have disappeared while searching for the giant, and the prince chooses to go look for him himself. The episode was directed by Jim Henson himself.
Outer Space contains examples of
- Alternate Self: The Teppums ("Muppets" spelled backwards), who are versions of Muppets Kermit, Digit, and Gonzo from outer space.
- Beauty Contest: The "Miss Galaxy" beauty pageant. All the contestants are grotesque alien Muppets with surprisingly feminine voices.
- Bunnies for Cuteness: Parodied with the overly-cute Bean Bunny, who, in a science fiction-themed sketch, transforms the space hero Space Guy into a pink bunny with his "cuteness ray".
- Not Zilla: "Codzilla", a vaguely fishlike Godzilla parody who has dinner with Louie Anderson in a parody of My Dinner with Andre.
The Heartless Giant contains examples of
- And I Must Scream: Leo's two brothers were conscious the entire time that they had been turned into stone by the giant.
- Even Evil Has Standards: The eponymous Sealed Evil in a Can tricks a prince into letting him escape and proceeds to go on a rampage throughout the kingdom. However, he conspicuously never harms the prince and is actually quite friendly to him even as he knows that the prince is trying to kill him to undo his mistake. Much like the similarly heartless Davy Jones of Franchise/Pirates of the Caribbean, the giant embodies the Tin Man trope and is presented sympathetically.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The giant, who is locked into a giant-sized cell after being captured by the king, and stays there for many years until he is able to persuade the king's youngest son to free him.
- Taken for Granite: The eponymous "Heartless Giant" turns Leo's brothers to stone, along with several others. When they are freed it's revealed that they were alive and conscious the whole time and forced to witness the Giant's crimes. It's a factor in their decision to kill the Giant by destroying his heart, despite Leo's conviction that the Giant would turn good if his heart was restored.
- Tin Man: The title character of "The Heartless Giant" claims to be "heartless", but shows plenty of emotion and even falls into Even Evil Has Standards.
