Oceans/Lighthouse Island is the second episode of The Jim Henson Hour.
The first half of the episode is the standard Muppetelevision segment, with this week being an ocean-themed episode with a Green Aesop. It features aquatic-based skits such as "The Karate Squid 3", "The Underwater Life of Jacques Roach", and Merlin the Magician (played by Rowlf the Dog) seeing a man with a fish stuck in his head, as well as an environmental fable about pollution, narrated by the Muppet Clifford (Kevin Clash). Ted Danson guest stars.
The second half of the episode is the short TV film Lighthouse Island. A young man named Zeb Norman comes to a strange town on a small island, looking for a gift for his fiancée, Rosalie. He ends up accompanying a witch named Clara Buford on a quest to retrieve a magic pearl that can cause its owner to change shape. In the end, Rosalie is revealed to be a mermaid, and Zeb uses the pearl to turn into a merman himself, and they both jump into the sea and live Happily Ever After.
Oceans contains examples of
- Earth Day Episode: Serves as one.
- Green Aesop: The entire thing, but especially the sketch with Clifford and Ted Danson.
Lighthouse Island contains examples of
- MacGuffin: The pearl.
- Shapeshifting: Anyone who possesses the pearl can change shape. Fred, the owner of the pearl, transforms into various creatures during the course of the story.
- Twist Ending: Rosalie (whom Zeb has never met) turns out to be a mermaid.
