#Jerry Prell

[podado-t-memes]

I just watched the new Jim Henson documentary…

Overall it was very good, well paced, great visuals and editing. I learned a lot about Jim Henson and the company that I didn’t before and more behind the scenes that I hadn’t seen/heard which is always a treat!

I cried three times. 🫣👌 I had to fight the primal urge to pause the documentary and point out to my family where and what movie/show/episode every clip was from. This was my “did you know Viggo Mortensen actually broke his toe” scene.

I will say, I do think they very QUICKLY went over the disney merger and didn’t even mention the fallout with Disney after Jim’s death.

———————

The main problem I had was that SOME puppeteers got spot lights, interviews or arrows pointing out the individuals. And while I appreciate that these individuals got some recognition (which they 100% should), I think the documentary should have been consistent and do this with every new important/fundamental puppeteer to the film.

I alreay have!!! I was able to EASILY point out Karen Prell, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash, Steve whitmire, etc. But an average viewer wouldn’t know who is who and what they contributed to the company!

I just think it’s intriguing who they chose to highlight and who they left out.

And I’ve noticed this happen in other muppet documentaries, like “Street Gang,” where they barely glossed over Richard Hunt and Jerry Nelson’s contributions to the show. (I’ve mentioned this problem here before. (Queer erasure during pride month? 🙄))

It would be such an easy problem to fix! Just a quick arrow to point out any new puppeteer or cast member to the Jim Henson Company. Maybe list their job/their characters so a main stream audience could identify them.

I can think of several founding members who are still alive today that were not interviewed. Maybe these people were asked to come in, IDK, but I would have loved to hear from more people you don’t hear from often.

I could definitely tell the documentary was really trying to avoid the “Steve Whitmire” sized elephant in the room, even though he was in SO MANY shots. I can guarantee that if he was still with the company he would have been featured heavily in the documentary.

———————

One last thing…

They interviewed Michael Frith, where was my girl Kathryn Mullen?? (His wife.) She hasn’t done anything in over a decade, are you okay?? Blink if you need help. 👁️👄👁️😐😑😐😑

[redfraggledaily]

Day 97 !

[2ndaryprotocol]

Jim Henson’s musical fantasy series ‘Fraggle Rock’ premiered on HBO this week 40 years ago. 🏡🚜🪨

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚊𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝...”

[madamegemknight]

Two years ago today, Season 3 of CGI MOTU came out! I made a fanmix about it, because I miss my blorbos caught in a horrible cycle of rebirth and recreation that forces them away from the identities they finally shaped for themselves, Tails. I miss them a lot. I'll be back.

(contains very minor spoilers for fraggle rock: back to the rock on side a's sixth track and side b's 4th track. nothing too serious but just in case 👍)

SIDE A: i shine only with the light you gave me - on the monster who forced herself into your head, and the future that she swore would be your own as long as you obeyed.

1. GHOST - Honey I'm Home // 2. Kill Lincoln - Who Am I This Time? // 3. The Mystic Knights of The Oingo Boingo - Louise // 4. The Crane Wives - Curses // 5. Kikuo - The Good Child and The Fox Spirit // 6. Karen Prell - Once Upon a Time (I Knew My Name) // 7. Lemon Demon - Spiral of Ants // 8. Steam Powered Giraffe - Eat Your Heart // 9. sodikken - people eater // 10. The Crane Wives - The Moon Will Sing

SIDE B: you've almost convinced me i'm real - on the lack of true heart lodged in your chest, and the realization that they only love you for being the person you never were.

1. Louie Zong - Signal/Noise // 2. nelward - GHOST // 3. Oingo Boingo - Same Man I Was Before // 4. Jordan Lockhart - Who Is Me? // 5. Penelope Scott - Sweet Hibiscus Tea // 6. Jerry Nelson - Once I Knew My Name // 7. Steam Powered Giraffe - Brass Goggles // 8. Five Star - System Addict // 9. Brian David Gilbert - i wish that i could wear hats // 10. Daft Punk - Touch

[muppet-facts]

Muppet Fact #644

The Encyclopedia Fragglia is a book that appears both in the show and has a real-life counterpart. The version in Fraggle Rock is a book of vast fraggle knowledge, as the encyclopedia name would suggest. In real-life, the book was a large internal production document that contained production data for each episode, like air and tape dates, the roles of performers, song titles, and director and writer credits.

In the 1990s, this document was given to two fans who were working on Muppet-related projects by Jerry Juhl. Now, a PDF of the internal production document The Encyclopedia Fragglia is available to Muppet fans.

Sources:

"Animateer Karen Prell: An Interview with Puppeteer, Animator and Writer." Kenneth Plume and Phillip Chapman. Muppet Central. September 11, 1998.

Fraggle Rock. Episode 309: "Wembley and the Mean Genie." February 25, 1985.

Fraggle Rock (animated). Episode 109: "Laundry Never Lies / What Boober's Nose Knows." 1987.

Fraggle Rock: The Encyclopedia Fragglia. Fourth Edition. Fraggle Rock Episode Guide: Shows 1 Through 96. PDF.

[muppetydyke]

Muppet Mainstage, November 11th, 2024

“All Around the World” was written by John Kongos in 1985 as a bonus record for Fraggle Rock. The song was sung by Uncle Traveling Matt (Dave Goelz) with background vocals from Gobo (Jerry Nelson), Wembley (Steve Whitmire), and Red (Karen Prell).

[codylambertdanafoster]

Cornholio Hickey and Jerry Fitzjones passing mustard on The Terror and Erebus. Or passing windy in the rails. An Irish carnie barker benjie from the land Down under where men prell with Juliet's ocean animal's genus yell. Eating bbq on shakespeare's porch is how to write it.

[lukeevansgirl22]

The Muppets Christmas Carol is funny and heart-warming!

The Muppets Christmas Carol is funny and heart-warming!

Hey guys! I’m here to do a review on the movie “The Muppets Christmas Carol!” I loved watching this movie every Christmas when I was a kid and it never gets old! The Muppets tell their version of the classic tale of an old and bitter man’s redemption on Christmas Eve. With the cast of Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, David Rudman, Karen Prell, Jessica Fox,…

[eightmuppetynotes]

Muppet Song of the Day: “Dream a Dream (and See)”

Music: Philip Balsam

Lyrics: Dennis Lee

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY'S GREEN THUMB

Unaired Episode {originally scheduled for broadcast December 6, 1986}

[Photos © Getty Images]

Directed by Marc Daniels ~ Written by Mark Tuttle

Synopsis

Lucy's energy drink breakfast is so unpalatable that the entire family dump it into a potted plant. When they come home, the plant has tripled in size. Realizing that Lucy may have invented a new miracle fertilizer, the pressure is on for her to recreate the concoction. But when Lucy can't recall the recipe, Curtis's dreams of fame and fortune wilt.

Regular Cast

Lucille Ball (Lucy Barker), Gale Gordon (Curtis McGibbon), Ann Dusenberry (Margo Barker McGibbon),  Larry Anderson (Ted McGibbon), Jenny Lewis (Becky McGibbon), Philip Amelio (Kevin McGibbon), Donovan Scott (Leonard Stoner)

[For biographies of the Regular Cast, see “One Good Grandparent Deserves Another” (S1;E1)]

Guest Cast

Jerry Prell (Reporter) was seen on television in “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless.”  Off screen he was active with New England Academy of Theater and the Hartford Conservatory.

Doris Hess (Woman with a Sick Swedish Ivy) played Tina on three episodes of “Happy Days” and small roles on “Laverne and Shirley.” Hess was particularly busy in ADR (automated dialogue replacement).  

The woman's Swedish Ivy is named Helga.

Stuart Shostak (Stuart, Photographer) took a class taught by Lucille Ball in 1979 and subsequently went to work as her personal film archivist from 1981 until her death in 1989. This is his only screen acting credit. He also served as Assistant to the Producers and warm-up comedian for the series.

The reporter calls Stuart by his real first name.  

Melvin, Agnes, and Helga (Potted Plants)

Others at the press conference are played by uncredited background performers.

This episode was filmed ninth, but scheduled to be the eleventh one broadcast. It went before the cameras on October 21, 1986.

This is the only episode written by Mark Tuttle, who was also a writer on “Three's Company,” one of Lucille Ball's favorite shows. His career started in 1963 writing for “The Beverly Hillbillies.” He had worked with director Mark Daniels on two episodes of the TV series “Private Benjamin” (1981-82).  

On December 2, 1986, just two weeks after “Life Was Lucy” was canceled, Desi Arnaz Sr. died from lung cancer at the age of 69. His final screen appearance was on “The David Letterman Show” in 1983.  These two events devastated Lucille Ball and she became despondent.

Lucy: “I'm just a big flop.”

On December 6, 1986, “Life With Lucy” (and ABC's entire Saturday night line-up) was replaced by Christmas specials.

Curtis: “I'm just going to be a small businessman with a small store.”

In this episode,Curtis becomes obsessed with making money, just like his previous “Lucy” characters Alvin Littlefield (“I Love Lucy”), Mr. Mooney (“The Lucy Show”), and Harrison Carter (“Here's Lucy”, above).

The very first time Lucille Ball was seen on “Life With Lucy” she was carrying a potted plant (a schefflera). Lucy was afraid it had spider mites.

Lucy: (To Melvin) “The free ride is over!  You either get growin' or get goin'!”  

The living room now is home to two potted plants: Agnes (on the coffee table) and Melvin (on the table behind the sofa). Lucy begins the episode saying good morning to Agnes.  Hearing Lucy say “Agnes” reminds us of Mame, the 1974 film in which one of the major characters was named Agnes Gooch (Jane Connell).

Lucy: “My mind is a blank!” Curtis: “We know that!”

Unbeknownst to Lucy, the entire family dumps Lucy's healthy breakfast (a super-strength organic energy drink) into Melvin's pot rather than swallow it. When they come home, Melvin has tripled in size!

It is worth noting that a man named Melvin Frank directed Lucille Ball in the 1960 film The Facts of Life. [The plant behind Lucy is mere coincidence!] 

Margo: (about Melvin's growth spurt) What could have made it grow so fast?” Kevin: “I know. (pointing up) Aliens!”

This episode slightly resembles the 1960 film (and stage and screen musical) Little Shop of Horrors, in which a plant mysteriously grows to enormous size. The plant's origins are also attributed to aliens! In this case, instead of blood, its life-force is derived from Lucy's energy drink. The musical film was released on December 19, 1986, just two weeks after this episode was scheduled to air, but the stage musical had been playing off-Broadway since 1982 and would out-last “Life With Lucy” by a full year.  

Curtis comes up with the name Gigant-a-Grow for Lucy's miraculous growth potion.

Curtis: “From now on, when you hear the name McGibbon, you'll think fertilizer!”

Margo tells her mother that thanks to her discovery she'll be in the encyclopedia next to Luther Burbank. Luther Burbank (1849-1926) was a pioneering horticulturalist who developed more than 800 varieties of new plants in his career. A Californian, many schools and public buildings have been named after him. In 1986 he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Curtis promises Leonard three weeks paid vacation. He plans to go to Hawaii to lie on the beach. This is the third mention of Hawaii in the series. In the first episode, Curtis had just returned from vacationing there and in the second episode guest star John Ritter says that his wife is Hawaii with the kids. Hawaii was a popular destination with Lucille Ball and her sitcom characters. It was also a favorite get-away destination of the Arnaz family, has been mentioned since the early days of “I Love Lucy”, even before it officially became a state!

On the telephone, Curtis asks a reporter if they've got a connection with “60 Minutes.” He thinks the story of Lucy's Gigant-a-Grow would be perfect for Morley Safer. The CBS TV prime time news magazine show began airing in 1968, the same year as “Here's Lucy.” Safer was a host of “60 Minutes” from 1968 until his death in 2016.  

Lucy briefly does her famous 'spider' face “ewww” when Curtis threatens to get the formula out of her head “one way or another.” Unfortunately, the moment is obscured by background music fading out to commercial and the omnipresent laugh track.

The recipe for Lucy's 11th attempt at duplicating Gigant-a-Grow:

1 ounce of ginseng extract

3 drops of lecithin

gobs of garlic powder

wonderful (God-given) wheat germ

yeast to rise it to heaven

blend on high

In “Ethel's Home Town” (ILL S4;E15) a old vaudeville gag makes it appear that a potted plant grows into a tall tree – all behind the back of Ethel Mae Potter (we never forgot her)!  

When the Ricardo's rent their Connecticut home to the Williams family in “Lucy Makes Room for Danny” (LDCH 1958), Lucy is worried if they will take care of her houseplants. When Ricky finds out she's been rescuing them against his wishes, she physically demonstrates how badly wilted they'd become.

In “Lucy's Mystery Guest” (TLS S6;E10) Lucy Carmichael is plant-sitting for a neighbor when her health nut Aunt (Mary Wickes) sprays the plant for bugs, and it promptly wilts. 

In “Lucy and Mannix are Held Hostage” (HL S4;E4) Lucy Carter suddenly starts naming and talking to her plants. Their names are Ruthie, Hugo, and Priscilla. Ruthie meets an untimely end when she is tossed out a window in an attempt to stop a robbery.  

This Day in Lucy History {had this episode aired as planned on December 6th}

"Ricky's Contract" (ILL S4;E10) – December 6, 1954

"Lucy Saves Milton Berle" (TLS S4;E12) – December 6, 1965

"Lucy in the Jungle" (HL S4;E13) – December 6, 1971

[jimhenson-themuppetmaster]

Karen Prell and Jerry Nelson on the Muppet Show

[nevertoooldtolovemuppets]

[turnstileskyline]

some henson worms!!

1. the inchworm, performed by jerry nelson, and the bug, performed by fran brill. sesame street episode 0168.

2. the worm, operated by karen prell and voiced by timothy bateson. labyrinth (1986).

3. the inchworm, operation credit unknown. the muppet show episode 316, danny kaye.

4. slimey the worm, operated by martin p. robinson and voiced by dick maitland. sesame street.

[red-fraggle]

Karen Prell and Jerry Nelson

[thevaudevilledemon]

Reasons why you should watch Fraggle Rock!

1. It is the best thing that Jim Henson and his amazing team has ever done. Yes, more so than Labyrinth. Labyrinth may have had David Bowie, but does it have Boober Fraggle?

2. Great characters, especially if you are Autistic, Wembley and Boober are very much two of my braincells and I think they can be added to the (Depressingly larger than it should be) list of characters that are not confirmed autistic, but totally are.

3. Really great theme. I can think of a couple of shows that can probably trace back their themes of unity and connections back to Fraggle Rock; The Last Airbender, Steven Universe, Friendship is Magic, probably more I can’t think of.

4. Music. Listen to the song “Let Me Be Your Song”, and then go for “Wembelin’ Fool” and “Muck and Goo” and if you aren’t convinced, you’re a lost cause. Even the Doozers have time for a song or two. Speaking of...

5. The Doozers. I mean, come on. They’re super cute.

6. Shipping fuel!!! Meet Gobo, his girlfriend Red, Her girlfriend Mokey, and his Boyfriend Wembley.

7. Did I mention Jim Henson? Because Jim Henson.

8. The late Jerry Nelson pretty much takes center stage of the show, and he was THE puppeteer on the Henson team. Also worth noting is Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Karen Prell (Who BTW did character animation for Wheatley on Portal 2, she is on the commentary tracks), Kathy Mullen and the late Richard Hunt, who also do amazing jobs in their roles.

9. Jim Henson does the character Cantus the Minstrel, who is the best.

10. The series is actually very respectful to the audience, never talking down to them, and even showing some really heavy subjects.

11. Oh yeah, there is also that stuff about its connection to the end of the Cold War, but everybody knows about that by now.

So, what are you waiting for? Get the full series on DVD, find the series online, I don’t care, just watch Fraggle Rock!

[muppetydyke]

Muppet Mainstage, July 10th, 2024

“Workin’” was written by Philip Balsam and Dennis Lee for season 1, episode 3 of Fraggle Rock (1983). The song is sung by Mokey (Kathryn Mullen), Red (Karen Prell), Gobo (Jerry Nelson), and Boober (Dave Goelz) as they explain their jobs to motivate Wembley (Steve Whitmire) to pick his own job.