Cheryl Wagner
Encyclopedia
Cheryl Wagner, the creator of The Big Comfy Couch
, is a Gemini Award
and Emmy award- winning Canadian children’s television writer, showrunner and producer who began her career as a performer in both theatre and on the screen. Her Halifax-based touring Merrytime Clown and Puppet Company in which Wagner worked as a clown
and puppeteer
from 1977 to 1980 provided a fertile ground for her later work as a producer and writer in children's entertainment.
's Fraggle Rock
lured Wagner back to her hometown of Toronto to work as a puppeteer for the full five years and 96 episodes of the series from 1982-87. Wagner was Jim Henson's right hand when he performed his Fraggle characters Cantus and Convincing John. For season 2 to season 5 (1984 to 1987), Wagner provided the voice for the character Ma Gorg.
In 1984, Wagner performed as the meddling social worker Miss Finch [body suit] for the CTW Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird
.
Other television puppetry work included Annie on CBC's long-running preschool series Mr. Dressup
and the role of Mrs. Pennypacker on TVO's Today's Special
.
through his company Radical Sheep Productions
. The show, broadcast by YTV/Treehouse
in Canada and throughout the US on PBS-affiliates, features a young clown Loonette and her side-kick Molly the Doll and their adventures on and around a very big green couch. Wagner was the showrunner/story editor for The Big Comfy Couch' s 100 episodes that spanned a production arc from 1992 to 2006 and won:
With Radical Sheep, Wagner also worked as producer on the Gemini nominated preschool puppet series Panda Bear Daycare and Ruffus The Dog.
In 1998, Wagner returned to Halifax and joined forces with Jeff Rosen
and Michael Donovan at Halifax Film (now DHX Media
) to develop and produce animation properties: the preschool Gemini-award winning stop motion series Poko
and the CG series Bo On The Go!
, both seen on Kids' CBC
. She also wrote the bible and 8 scripts for Catalyst/Cellar Door’s classical animation family series Eckhart, set on Prince Edward Island
which aired on Teletoon
.
, Prince Edward Island
and is President of Periscope Pictures Inc.. Wagner produced and directed their preschool 15 x 5 minute webseries Bunny Bop!
which went on-line February 3, 2011, just in time for the Chinese New Year
of the Rabbit.
The Big Comfy Couch
The Big Comfy Couch is a Canadian children's television series about Loonette the Clown and her doll Molly, who solve everyday problems on their "Big Comfy Couch". It aired from 1992 until early 2006. Re-runs of the show are still being aired on Treehouse TV. It was produced by Cheryl Wagner and...
, is a Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
and Emmy award- winning Canadian children’s television writer, showrunner and producer who began her career as a performer in both theatre and on the screen. Her Halifax-based touring Merrytime Clown and Puppet Company in which Wagner worked as a clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
and puppeteer
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
from 1977 to 1980 provided a fertile ground for her later work as a producer and writer in children's entertainment.
Puppeteering
Jim HensonJim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
's Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
lured Wagner back to her hometown of Toronto to work as a puppeteer for the full five years and 96 episodes of the series from 1982-87. Wagner was Jim Henson's right hand when he performed his Fraggle characters Cantus and Convincing John. For season 2 to season 5 (1984 to 1987), Wagner provided the voice for the character Ma Gorg.
In 1984, Wagner performed as the meddling social worker Miss Finch [body suit] for the CTW Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird
Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird
Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird is a 1985 American road film directed by Ken Kwapis, starring many Sesame Street characters . This was the first of two Sesame Street feature films, followed in 1999 by The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland...
.
Other television puppetry work included Annie on CBC's long-running preschool series Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup
Mr. Dressup is a Canadian children's television series produced by CBC Television that ran from 1967 to 1996.The series starred Ernie Coombs as Mr. Dressup. The show aired every weekday morning, and each day Mr...
and the role of Mrs. Pennypacker on TVO's Today's Special
Today's Special
Today's Special is a Canadian children's television show produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario from 1982 to 1987. It also ran on Nickelodeon and the Faith and Values Channel as well as many PBS stations throughout the United States. It was set in a department store, based on the flagship...
.
Producer
Post-Fraggle, Wagner joined forces with fellow puppeteer Rob Mills to develop and produce her clown and puppet series The Big Comfy CouchThe Big Comfy Couch
The Big Comfy Couch is a Canadian children's television series about Loonette the Clown and her doll Molly, who solve everyday problems on their "Big Comfy Couch". It aired from 1992 until early 2006. Re-runs of the show are still being aired on Treehouse TV. It was produced by Cheryl Wagner and...
through his company Radical Sheep Productions
Radical Sheep Productions
Radical Sheep Productions is a Canadian children's television series production company. Radical Sheep's most popular production is The Big Comfy Couch....
. The show, broadcast by YTV/Treehouse
Treehouse
A treehouse, tree house, or treefort is a habitable structure built in trees. "Treehouse" may also refer to:*Tree House, Crawley, a listed 14th-century building in Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom; originally the manor house....
in Canada and throughout the US on PBS-affiliates, features a young clown Loonette and her side-kick Molly the Doll and their adventures on and around a very big green couch. Wagner was the showrunner/story editor for The Big Comfy Couch
- the 1993 Alliance for Children and Television Award Of Excellence
- the 1995 Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for Best Children’s Program
- the 21st Annual Midsouth Emmy award for Best Children's Program and Best Set Design in 2007
With Radical Sheep, Wagner also worked as producer on the Gemini nominated preschool puppet series Panda Bear Daycare and Ruffus The Dog.
In 1998, Wagner returned to Halifax and joined forces with Jeff Rosen
Jeff Rosen
Jeff Rosen is the award-winning Creator and Executive Producer of globally viewed children's and family entertainment. Jeff is Creative Head, for DHX Media, Halifax. Television Series include Animal Mechanicals, Poko, Bo on the Go, The Mighty Jungle, and Pirates...
and Michael Donovan at Halifax Film (now DHX Media
DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. is a Canadian media production company formed in 2006 by the merger of Halifax Film Company and Decode Entertainment. The DHX name derives from the combination of Decode and Halifax. Studio B Productions was acquired by DHX Media in December 2007...
) to develop and produce animation properties: the preschool Gemini-award winning stop motion series Poko
Poko
Poko is a stop motion TV series about a young boy, his pet dog, and his toy monkey. Produced in Canada by , a DHX Media Company, Poko began production in 2003 and is now in its third season. Poko is broadcast in Canada on CBC Television in the Kids' CBC programming block, and in Australia by ABC...
and the CG series Bo On The Go!
Bo On The Go!
Bo on the Go! is a Canadian children's television show produced by Halifax Film, a DHX Media Company, in association with CBC Television.The show emphasizes the importance movement for children through a plot element called "Animoves," animations demonstrating specific body movements young viewers...
, both seen on Kids' CBC
Kids' CBC
Kids' CBC is a preschool commercial-free programming block aired weekday mornings on CBC Television.Currently, the hosts of the block are Patty Sullivan and Sid Bobb.-History:...
. She also wrote the bible and 8 scripts for Catalyst/Cellar Door’s classical animation family series Eckhart, set on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
which aired on Teletoon
Teletoon
Teletoon is a Canadian Category A specialty channel that broadcasts animation programming. Teletoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc., a joint venture between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment. Its name is a portmanteau of television and cartoon and has no connection with the television channel...
.
Directing
Cheryl Wagner is now based in CharlottetownCharlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
and is President of Periscope Pictures Inc.. Wagner produced and directed their preschool 15 x 5 minute webseries Bunny Bop!
Bunny Bop!
Bunny Bop! was created and directed by Cheryl Wagner, the creator and showrunner of the Gemini Award and Emmy award-winning preschool TV series, The Big Comfy Couch. It is her directorial debut. The Series bible and webisodes were written by Cheryl Wagner and...
which went on-line February 3, 2011, just in time for the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
of the Rabbit.
External links
- Cheryl Wagner at the Muppets Wiki
- Article at The Guardian
- RadSheep
- Bunny Bop
- Catalyst Entertainment