Latest news with #puppets
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds boldly finding out if "puppet episode" still feels like a creative gimmick
Hey, friends. Can you join us over here for a second, away from the hubbub? We just wanted to touch base real fast, check in, and ask the question that's the elephant in the room this afternoon: Are we all kind of over seeing TV characters getting turned into puppets? Or is it just us? This question brought to you by the San Diego Comic-Con panel for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which opened with a clip showcasing that Anson Mount's Captain Pike is going to get turned into a puppet for an episode of the show's (still far-off) fourth season. And, yup: That's a puppet that looks kind of like Mount, sitting in a Star Trek chair, saying Captain Pike stuff. Neat! (Feel free to accuse us of being joyless cynics here—after all, the show did bring in the Jim Henson Creature Shop to work on the episode, and the puppet certainly looks good—but this is the kind of trick that feels like it lost its impact several 'recognizable characters as puppets!' ago. Angel's 'Smile Time' is the obvious touchpoint, of course, but Doom Patrol, 30 Rock, Community, and Legends Of Tomorrow all also screwed around with this concept—and those are just the ones we can think of off the tops of our heads. Also, unlike a musical episode—which has the dual pleasures of hearing the cast sing, and seeing how the show can explore some of its themes through an alternative storytelling medium, the joke of a puppet bit usually starts and stops with 'Hey, puppets!' Anyway, this has been our joyless discourse on the puppet episode as a concept.) It's not like Strange New Worlds hasn't been steering into this kind of thing pretty hard already, having done musical episodes, hybrid-animation stuff, and, just recently, a zombie movie riff. The puppet adventures won't be coming until the show's fourth season (of what'll ultimately be five), but fans at Comic-Con still got their fill of gimmick, as they were treated to a full showing of an upcoming episode from the currently running third season that hasn't come out yet, featuring a holodeck murder mystery the crew has to solve. Photo: Miller Mobley/Paramount+ The SDCC panel also served as a showcase for new series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy; Paramount+ released preview images for the upcoming series earlier this week, including a shot of Paul Giamatti doing his favorite thing in the world and getting completely slathered in prosthetics. More from A.V. Club The biggest news (so far) from San Diego Comic-Con 2025 What's on TV this week—Chief Of War and Eyes Of Wakanda R.I.P. Tom Lehrer, mathematician and musical satirist Solve the daily Crossword
Geek Tyrant
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS Season 4 Teases Wild Puppet Episode — GeekTyrant
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has never been afraid to take risks, but Season 4 is boldly going in a direction no Star Trek series has dared before… into the world of puppets. During the Star Trek Universe panel at San Diego Comic-Con, we got a first look at what's coming next for the hit Paramount+ series. The teaser revealed a hilarious)moment that see Captain Christopher Pike sitting in the Enterprise captain's chair… as a puppet. That footage has been released for all of you to watch. Executive producer Akiva Goldsman had some fun teasing what fans can expect, saying: 'There might have been an unexpected and terrible transporter accident. Which might have had some unexpected felt-like effects.' The puppets for this episode were crafted by the legendary Jim Henson's Creature Shop, adding an extra layer of geeky perfection. The episode is directed by Jordan Canning ( Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock ) and continues the show's tradition of experimenting with different genres. Over its first three seasons, Strange New Worlds has treated fans to everything from horror and screwball comedy to a full-on musical and a crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks . This wild creative approach isn't slowing down anytime soon. In fact, Goldsman hinted at the puppet idea last year when asked if there was any genre the series couldn't pull off. He replied: 'As long as we're in storytelling that is cogent and sure handed, I'm not sure there is. Could it do Muppets? Sure. Could it do black and white, silent, slapstick? Maybe!' The Hall H panel also included stars Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Jess Bush, Paul Wesley, and Christina Chong, along with executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Henry Alonso Myers, and Goldsman. Series lead Anson Mount couldn't attend because he and his wife just welcomed a baby. Goldsman also confirmed that Season 5 will mark the end of Strange New Worlds . But, he hinted at what could come next for the franchise, telling fans to write to Paramount and new parent company Skydance to make Star Trek: Year One , which would dive into the original series era right after Captain James Kirk assumes command of the Enterprise. To cap off the panel, we were treated to a full screening of an upcoming episode titled A Space Adventure Hour , a period murder mystery that further emphasizes just how far this series is willing to push boundaries. With puppets entering the Star Trek universe, Strange New Worlds is proving once again why it's one of the boldest and most creative entries in the franchise's history. Season 4 can't get here fast enough!
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Stop it, Zippy. Why we all love a naughty puppet
Last week came the news that Hacker T Dog is to join the presenting team of Blue Peter. Hacker, for those of you unfamiliar with CBBC fare, is a gruff but extremely adorable puppet canine, given to dropping outspoken comments and mugging significantly to camera. He is making history as the first non-human host of Blue Peter, though some had doubts about Anthea Turner. Hacker's increased profile can only be a good thing. The splintered mirror of modern television has seen every factional taste and genre siloed off into its own isolated shard – including children's programmes, which not so very long ago were part of the cultural glue that bound the nation together. And puppets have started to disappear. It was once impossible to avoid them, from Muffin the Mule in the 1950s to Gordon the Gopher in the 1990s. Although nearly always aimed at children, they delighted us all. And Hacker continues the grand tradition of the best TV puppets: that they are naughty. Often, puppets were employed as tools for the socialisation of younger children, object lessons in how to go so far, and no further; Sooty and chums, and the Rainbow gang, fit this classic template. In both, we met three distinct characters: the good puppet (Soo the panda; George the hippo), the naughty puppet (Sweep the dog; and whatever Zippy was meant to be) and the median, well-adjusted puppet (Sooty and Bungle, both bears). The situation always turned on misbehaviour. So, for example, pushy Zippy would try to eat all the biscuits, doormat George wouldn't get his pink finger on a single biscuit, then Bungle would distribute the biscuits fairly. The guard rails were provided by the hapless human adult, Geoffrey, who ensured the return to social order. This was drama reduced in function to its barest Aristotelian bones. But whatever the moral lesson, the naughty puppet was always the most fun, and always the break-out star. My personal favourite of the era was Hartley Hare, of the 1973-81 ATV show Pipkins. How to capture him in words? He combined the manners of David Starkey and the looks of an item of roadkill, a fortnight since it had met its untimely end. Indeed, Hartley swaggered with a vanity perhaps unusual in such a flea-bitten and bedraggled article. A clip of Hartley sometimes goes viral on social media; when young people see him, they are terrified. Hartley had his own 'Geoffrey', in the form of Johnny, played by Wayne Laryea, who trailed in the hare's destructive wake, alternately apologising and affirming like a long-suffering wife. Basil Brush had a whole string of such enablers, and Rod Hull was literally inseparable from his Emu. As a child, I longed to be one of these puppet wranglers. It was my dream job. I even stage-doored Sooty's Matthew Corbett for career advice, and he was infinitely patient and kind to the small, voluble creature I was aged seven. But then, he'd had a lot of practice. Some naughty puppets made it out of children's TV and into the sphere of family entertainment. These characters tended to be naughtier in a different way. Basil Brush expressed carnal desire for star guests such as Clodagh Rodgers and Lulu, shuddering from his ears to the tip of his tail while emitting a full-throated 'phwoarr'. This only sowed confusion in infant minds. What exactly was his aim? How would such a congress be achieved? But the crown of puppet bawdry must go to Miss Piggy, and 1982's ABC special The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show, easily locatable on YouTube, catches her devilry at its height. Miss Piggy behaves spectacularly badly in this spectacular. Guest star John Ritter lusts after her. She spurns him – but, in turn, Piggy herself pants for an uninterested George Hamilton, pinning him down on her chat-show sofa. But this is merely a cover to spur Kermit's jealousy. We live today in an age when the lightest of confections, from sci-fi to comedy, often come carrying a freight of significance, and often collapse laughably under that load. The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show is one of those rare fripperies that, by accident, genuinely does contain wisdom for the ages, addressing the human foibles of love, jealousy and sex – flesh and blood reflected back through foam and latex. The show culminates in its star discovering that this is only a special, and not the first episode of a series – at which point she proceeds to karate chop the head of the network, and brings the set crashing down. This is the apex of Miss Piggy's misconduct, and goes entirely unpunished. In the last few precious years before the culture wars kicked off, naughty puppets made a bit of a comeback, and even took a leap into adult entertainment. The comedian and ventriloquist Nina Conti; the hit Broadway musical Avenue Q; and BBC Three's scabrously adolescent Mongrels: all took the unruliness of the naughty puppet and amplified it to comic effect. All used puppets to broach icky subjects, in ways that would be unthinkable today. One of Avenue Q's hit tunes is a toe-tapper with the lyric: 'Everyone's a little bit racist sometimes. / Doesn't mean we go around committing hate crimes.' I hope that Hacker's elevation is a sign that misbehaving marionettes are on their way back again, for children and for adults. Television and puppets go hand in glove.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Behind the scenes of Disney's The Lion King in Edmonton
Disney's The Lion King uses around 230 puppets and puppet replacements in their show tours. That's one and a half semi-trucks full of puppets. July 16, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) A classic Disney film turned stage production is well underway in Edmonton, and cast and crew are inviting audiences to bask in the mechanics of the magic. The Lion King performances at the Northern Alberta Jubilee auditorium began last Wednesday and run eight times a week through July 27. Part of its charm is the vast array of detailed puppets on stage that help bring the show to life. The show is designed in a way where it's often visible to the audience who's pulling the levers. Drew Hirshfield Drew Hirshfield plays Zazu on stage, which he said requires a lot of shoulder strength. July 16, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) Drew Hirshfield is the man behind the puppet of Zazu, the show's uptight hornbill who often flanks King Mufasa and later Simba. He appears on stage dressed in a blue wool suit with a painted blue and white face while he operates Zazu's puppet with his hands. 'That's sort of the magic of this theatrical event,' Hirshfield said. 'There's me, the human actor, but then there's also this amazing puppet that clearly represents a bird, and then the two of us together create this dual event.' His right thumb, for example, articulates movement of Zazu's eyelids. His left hand supports the body and wings so Zazu can 'fly through the Pride Lands as needed.' Hirshfield credits people like puppet supervisor for Broadway Across Canada, Michael Reilly, for making the artistry a reality. 'They maintain the intricacies of this puppet and many more … we couldn't tell the story without them,' he said. Michael Reilly Michael Reilly backstage with the masks and puppets he cares for on July 16, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) Reilly and his team travel with 17 semi-trucks. One and a half of those trucks, he said, are filled with the 230 puppets and puppet replacements needed to make the show go on. 'We have everything from as small as a mouse to as big as a full size elephant,' he said. The puppets were designed and created by Julie Taymor and Michael Curry. While they may look like wood, they're really carbon fiber. Reilly said a lot of trial and error went into ensuring the puppets were operable by actors with as few incidents as possible. Part of Reilly's job is also to keep the puppets prepped and ready to go, even during the normal bangs and scrapes of live showtime. 'If you're doing your job well, no one notices,' he said. He said when there is a mistake, though, the audience tends to laugh with the actors, not at them. Cheetah - The Lion King Reilly credits the actors who operate intricate puppet designs that make the show what it is. July 16, 2025. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton) Reilly, in turn, credits the actors, singers and dancers who bring the show to life. 'Otherwise, [the puppets] just sit here and look very pretty on a table,' he said. The production is North America's longest-running and most-attended Broadway tour with more than 10,000 performances in over 90 cities. Tickets are still available on the Broadway Across Canada website or through Ticketmaster.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Full list of events for kids at STACK Middlesbrough this summer
STACK Middlesbrough is planning a summer of pirates, puppets and parties to keep youngsters entertained during the school holidays. The leisure venue created from 25 shipping containers says there will be everything from magic shows and dancing to interactive games. The fun will begin on July 23 when Magician Marvin takes to the stage with tricks, balloon modelling, juggling and puppeteering in the first of three appearances this summer. The following day - July 24 - will see a celebration of Bluey with performances, meet and greets, activities, an interactive disco, games and colouring. There will also be street food to enjoy. READ MORE: A visit to hidden gem North Yorkshire beach with free parking that will delight dog owners READ MORE: North Yorkshire seaside pub's huge Sunday roast complimented by thoughtful staff The rest of the summer will see: On July 30 children can take to the high seas with a pantomime pirate show courtesy of Winkle and Storm, who will whisk them away on a "swashbuckling journey filled with laughs, fun and entertainment" for the whole family. On July 31 there is A Celebration of Blippi with the chance to learn and enjoy interactive games and songs and meet and greet in tribute to the energetic entertainer who shot to fame on YouTube Island vibes arrive at STACK on August 7 with A Celebration of Stitch. There will be Hawaiian themed dancing, interactive stage games and the chance to meet and greet the little blue alien Magician Marvin returns to STACK on August 5 and 26 with two further shows by Winkle and Storm on August 6 and 20 On August 14 there is an Ice Extravaganza - a fun-filled morning of singing, dancing and entertainment in tribute to Disney's Frozen On August 21 STACK will be taken over by superheroes for a family event "filled with high-energy interactive fun". Children are urged to come dressed as their favourite hero and prepare to save the day with non-stop entertainment and photo opportunities. On August 28, STACK Middlesbrough will round off its programme with a special Kids Fest End of Summer Party with dancing, bubbles, games, non-stop fun and music for youngsters and their families. STACK Middlesbrough opened in December at the undercroft where the A66 flyover meets Exchange Square. All shows take place between 11am and 12.30pm and tickets are only required for those aged between two and 12. Tickets are priced at £1.50 and £2.50 and are available here. For the latest local news in your area direct to your inbox every day, go here to sign up to our free newsletter
