Two very different people will have in-depth shows about them streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu in quick succession of each other: beloved Muppets creator Jim Henson and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld.
The Disney Plus documentary about Jim Henson is made by Oscar-winning director Ron Howard. Jim Henson Idea Man follows his life from his early years operating puppets on kids’ TV to his creation of Sesame Street and The Muppet Show and beyond. According to Disney, we’ll be getting unprecedented access to Jim’s personal archives in what promises to be a fascinating look into the mind of a true original.
The subject of the second show, a limited series biopic of the Karl Lagerfeld called Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, was considerably less likeable than the good-vibes-spreading Henson. The blurb says he was a “complex and iconic personality”. Others, such as actor Jameela Jamil, who wrote on Twitter (as seen by CBS News) after his death, prefer “ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist”. The show focuses on his 1970s friendship and rivalry with another huge name, Yves Saint Laurent.
Should you watch Becoming Karl Lagerfeld?
As a designer, Lagerfeld was phenomenal. He successfully modernised the Chanel fashion house and his vision had a global impact not just on what people wore, but on what their clothes were made from. In 2018, Chanel made headlines worldwide when it announced it would no longer use animal skins or fur, a move that helped make the fashion industry slightly less cruel.
But as a person Lagerfeld was – deliberately – infuriating, and his anti-fur credentials are a good example of that: his rejection of fur took place just a year after his Haute Fourrure, a deliberately provocative celebration of all things fur-themed for the fashion house Fendi.
Lagerfeld was a self-proclaimed contrarian, a waspish, sharp-tongued character who would say terrible things about women and about pretty much anybody else to cause considerable offence. For someone who brought so much beauty into the world, he espoused some pretty ugly views – although as that was largely towards the end of his life, the show’s 1970s setting means we’re likely to see a more likeable version of Lagerfeld than the caricature he would alter become.
Jim Henson Idea Man will be streaming from May 31 and Becoming Karl Lagerfeld will be available from June 7. Both shows will stream on Hulu and on Disney Plus, the best streaming services.
