Secret Life of Toys
Encyclopedia
Secret Life of Toys was a 1994 series based on the 1986 TV special The Christmas Toy
. Each of the 13 30-minute episodes consisted of two 15-minute stories. The show was taped in Monheim, Germany
(near the Dutch border), and aired on the Disney channel. None of the characters were puppeteered by Jim Henson
due to his death four years prior.
The show has also aired on the BBC
in the UK
and on ABC TV in Australia
.
Other characters include:
The Christmas Toy
The Christmas Toy is a 1986 made-for-TV movie by The Jim Henson Company. It originally aired on ABC on December 6, 1986, and was originally sponsored by Kraft Foods.Originally introduced by Kermit The Frog, it was released on VHS format in 1993...
. Each of the 13 30-minute episodes consisted of two 15-minute stories. The show was taped in Monheim, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(near the Dutch border), and aired on the Disney channel. None of the characters were puppeteered by Jim Henson
Jim 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...
due to his death four years prior.
The show has also aired on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and on ABC TV in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Characters
Main characters:- Rugby Tiger (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
): A plucky tigerTigerThe tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
plush toy who is always looking for an adventure. - Mew (performed by Nigel PlaskittNigel PlaskittNigel Plaskitt is a British actor, puppeteer, producer, and both stage and television director.His voice and puppetry talents have appeared on television shows such as Pipkins, Spitting Image and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet...
): Rugby's good friend who is a catnip mouse toy that belongs to the family cat. - Raisin (performed by Louise GoldLouise GoldLouise Gold is an English singer, actress and puppeteer whose career has spanned almost four decades.From 1977, Gold was a puppeteer and voice actress for The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, and she has performed voice and puppet work on various other Muppet films and specials...
): A tomboyish rag doll. - Hortense (performed by Louise GoldLouise GoldLouise Gold is an English singer, actress and puppeteer whose career has spanned almost four decades.From 1977, Gold was a puppeteer and voice actress for The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, and she has performed voice and puppet work on various other Muppet films and specials...
): A worrying rocking horse. - Ditz (performed by Dave GoelzDave GoelzDave Goelz is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. His other Muppet characters include Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot , Beauregard the janitor and Tiny...
): A clown plush toy who can easily get mixed up. - Balthazar (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
): A really old bear plush toy who is very wise. He functions as a father-like leader to the toys, and tells them when it's safe for them to move: "All clear, everyone! They're gone!"
Other characters include:
- Daffodil (performed by Louise GoldLouise GoldLouise Gold is an English singer, actress and puppeteer whose career has spanned almost four decades.From 1977, Gold was a puppeteer and voice actress for The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, and she has performed voice and puppet work on various other Muppet films and specials...
): A breakable princess doll who lives on the top shelf. Nobody really understands her. Daffodil is arguably the oldest toy in the house, having belonged to a family that previously owned it. After her original owner grew up and moved away, she lived alone in the attic of the house for many childhoods until the current family's children found her and brought her into their playroom. She alone among the toys understands what the attic actually is. - Bunny Lamp (performed by Mike QuinnMike QuinnMichael Patrick Quinn is a former professional gridiron football quarterback. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and was also a member of the Rhein Fire, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Montreal Alouettes...
): Takes care of the lighting in the toy room and warns the toys when people are coming. - Bratty Rat (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
): A shifty rat who was purchased at a secondhand store. - Eggie (performed by Mike QuinnMike QuinnMichael Patrick Quinn is a former professional gridiron football quarterback. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and was also a member of the Rhein Fire, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Montreal Alouettes...
): A dimwitted Humpty-Dumpty-like toy egg who thinks eggs are the smartest creatures in the world. - Uncle Gerry (performed by Mike QuinnMike QuinnMichael Patrick Quinn is a former professional gridiron football quarterback. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1997 and was also a member of the Rhein Fire, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, Montreal Alouettes...
): An extremely humble tiger. The children decided to call him "Uncle" due to Gerry being given to them by their Uncle Martin. - Datz (performed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
): A paper bag puppet that looks like his brother Ditz. - Cruiser (performed by Brian HensonBrian HensonBrian Henson is an Academy Award-winning puppeteer, director, producer, and technician. The son of puppeteers Jane and Jim Henson, Brian was born in New York City, New York....
): Looks like a Fisher Price Little People figure who drives a taxi. He loves to use cool slang words. His motto is: "A dollar on the drop, and ten cents for any additional miles." - Bleep (performed by Rob MillsRob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
): A toy robot who sometimes freezes during his speech.
Episodes
- Oops! / Don't Tell Me
- Follow the Leader / Disappearing Ditz
- I'm Going to Tell... / The Cat Toy That Roared
- Rock-a-Bye Worries / The Magic Fish
- Climbers / Be Plush
- Queen Raisin / Balthazar in Beam Land
- Ditz and Datz / Mummies
- All Washed Up / Bunnochio
- More Than a Mouse / Happy Hortense to You
- Down with Dinkybeard / The Sky is Falling!
- Baby Balthazar / True Mew
- Mr. and Mrs. Rugby / I Spy
- Who Shares Wins / It's a Giveaway
Credits
- Muppet Performers: Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz and Louise Gold, Nigel Plaskitt, Mike Quinn with Marcus Hubner, Axel Rathberger, Jurgen Tombers
- Written by: Jocelyn Stevenson
- Music: PEEK-A-BOO
- Lyrics: Jocelyn Stevenson
- Muppet Characters by: Jim Henson's Muppet Workshop New York
- Workshop Supervisor: Paul Hartis with Maria Boggi, Ross Franks, Vedina Bajrektarevic
- Production Team: Dieter Viehweg, Peschka Stills, Oliver Hehemann, Jill Coley
- Set Decorator: Monica Muller
- Lighting: Detlet Sackenheim
- Cameraman: Michael Breuer
- Videotape Editor: Maria Jesus Diez
- Sound: Markus Windt
- Dubbing: Thomas Bruck, Andrew Stacey
- Set Design: Val Strazovec, Alan Cassie
- Creative Consultant: Dave Goelz
- Co-Producer: Jocelyn Stevenson
- Producer: Brian Coogan
- Executive Producer: Brian Henson
- Videotaped at info-studios Monheim
- Produced in association with: BBC, WDR (West German Broadcast), and The North Rhine Westfalia Filmstiftung
- © Jim Henson Productions, Inc. MCMXCIV
- MUPPET is a registered trademark of Jim Henson Productions, Inc.
External links
- The Secret Life of Toys at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...