 Henson's idol Edgar Bergen died at age 75 during production of the film, and Henson dedicated it to his memory.Henson as Kermit sang "The Rainbow Connection", and it hit number 25 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.The Henson-directed "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981) followed, and Henson decided to end the "Muppet Show" to concentrate on making films, though the Muppet characters continued to appear in TV movies and specials.