''That Puppet Game Show'' is a British television series broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

between 10 August 2013 and 5 January 2014. The show was made by the BBC in conjunction with

The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for ...

and featured the Miskreant Puppets from ''

Puppet Up! ''Puppet Up! – Uncensored'' is a Adult live puppet musical show produced by The Jim Henson Company combining puppetry and improvisational comedy created by Brian Henson and Groundlings performer Patrick Bristow. The show is advertised for "ad ...

'' in their first family-related appearance. The show was hosted by a puppet character "Dougie Colon" and featured celebrities playing games alongside puppet characters. On 25 October 2013, it was announced that the show had been axed after the show had attracted largely negative press reviews and struggled in the ratings.

Format

Each week two celebrities go head to head in a number of games, hoping to win £10,000 for their chosen charity. They compete in subjects such as sport, science, celebrity, nature, music and mental agility. Each of the games is run and hosted by a different puppet character, who is an "expert" in their field. In between each of the games, backstage scenes feature the experts and crew. There is also a family watching the game show on TV who make comments after each of the games are played.

Characters

Many of the puppet characters were recycled from characters in various other Henson productions. * Dougie Colon (performed by Dave Chapman) – The puppet host of the

comedy series "That Puppet Game Show" who also hosts "The Puppet End Game". In "Staying Alive," it is revealed that Dougie doesn't think that Amber O'Neill is very smart. Dougie also bears a resemblance to

Vernon Kay Vernon Charles Kay (born 28 April 1974) is an English television and radio presenter, and former model. He presented Channel 4's ''T4'' (2000–2005) and has presented various television shows for ITV, including '' All Star Family Fortunes'' ...

and even thinks so himself. Dougie rose to fame as a radio DJ on Bolton FM. He also worked as a warm-up act for

Ant & Dec Ant & Dec are a British television presenting duo, consisting of Anthony McPartlin (born 18 November 1975) and Declan Donnelly (born 25 September 1975), from Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Formed after their meeting as child actors on CBBC's ...

for a number of years before mainstream presenting on

in 2013. Dougie's last name is pronounced "cologne."

Experts

The first series aired for seven episodes, each starring different celebrity guests. * Dr. Heimlich Strabismus (performed by

Brian Henson Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Early life Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in Ne ...

) – A

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

who is the science expert and the host of "Paddlestar Galactica" and "Blow By Blow". Despite being a scientist, Dr. Strabismus has shown signs of being a little bit stupid. In "Staying Alive," 5 things have been revealed about him and his family: He was born on 11 March, he thinks he is a Capricorn but he is really a Pisces, he cloned himself, he doesn't believe in

horoscopes A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...

, and his mother was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

pretzel

vendor In a supply chain, a vendor, supplier, provider or a seller, is an enterprise that contributes goods or services. Generally, a supply chain vendor manufactures inventory/stock items and sells them to the next link in the chain. Today, these terms ...

. He is a recycled version of Dr. Scientist from ''

''. * The Amazing Ian (performed by

) – An armadillo who is the mental agility expert and the host of "Nosey Neighbor" and "Glow Balls". The Amazing Ian is the only non-human expert in the show. It is ironic that he is the mental agility expert since he has been shown to be idiotic a lot. He is a recycled version of the armadillo puppet that was used for Dooley the Armadillo from ''

Jim Henson's Animal Show ''Jim Henson's Animal Show'' is an American children's television series from the Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as ...

'', Annette the Armadillo from ''

Bear in the Big Blue House ''Bear in the Big Blue House'' is an American children's television series created by Mitchell Kriegman and produced by Jim Henson Television for Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney preschool television block. Debuting on October 20, 1997, it aire ...

'', and Joe the Armadillo from ''

Kermit's Swamp Years ''Kermit's Swamp Years'' is a 2002 American direct-to-video comedy film directed by David Gumpel. It is the second direct-to-video feature film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. The film follows a young Kermit the Frog and his best friends, Goggles ...

''. * Jemima Taptackle (performed by

Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer whose career has spanned more than four decades. She is best known for her work as a puppeteer on television and for roles in musical theatre in the West End. Gold was raised ...

) – A sports expert who hosts "Punch Your Lights Out". In "Manschool," it is revealed that Eddie considers Miss Taptackle to be the most masculine expert around despite her being female. She is a recycled and redressed version of the Cavewoman from ''

''. * Eddie Watts (performed by Dave Chapman) – A music expert who hosts "Saucissong" and "Cheek to Cheek". Eddie has been shown to be the smartest out of all the experts. In 'Jake's Dark Secret', it is revealed he is allergic to chocolate. He currently holds the record for being the male to present his games the most with 5 games. Eddie has a crush in Mancie O'Neill. He is a recycled version of a male Whatnot from '' The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss''. * Jake Hamilton-Jones (performed by

Victor Yerrid Victor Yerrid (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many films, television commercials and television shows. He is best known in the Muppet World for his work ...

) – A nature expert who hosts "Dart Attack" and "Bird Droppings". In multiple episodes, Jake and Eddie have been shown to be close friends. He is a recycled version of Mr. Guy from ''

''. * Amber O'Neill (performed by

) – A showbiz expert who hosts "Life's a Speech". Amber is the younger sister of Mancie O'Neill. In "Staying Alive," it is revealed that Amber believes in horoscopes. Amber holds the record for female to host her game the most, presenting her game 5 times. She is a recycled version of a female greenish Whatnot from ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as a s ...

''.

Crew members

The following are the crew members that help to run this show: * Mancie O'Neill (performed by Colleen Smith) – The

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon ...

of ''That Puppet Game Show'' who is the older sister of Amber O'Neill. Mancie has a crush on Eddie Watts just like he does with her. She is a recycled version of the female curly-haired blue Whatnot from ''

''. * Udders McGhee (performed by

Nigel Plaskitt Nigel Plaskitt (born 27 July 1950) is an English actor, puppeteer, producer, and stage and television director. Career His voice and puppetry talents have appeared on television shows such as ''Pipkins'' (for which he provided the narration, a ...

) – A

cow Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult ma ...

who is the Chairman of the Studio that is part of his own media empire. He has been best friends with each of the

presidents of the United States The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and ...

, but couldn't stand George Bush. In "Boss' Son," it is revealed that he has a son named Josh. * Clyde Stravinsky (performed by

) – A crab who is the scorekeeper. Clyde is married, but has developed a crush on

Tess Daly Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is an English model and television presenter who co-presented the BBC One celebrity dancing show ''Strictly Come Dancing'' from 2004 to 2013; she has been the show's main presenter since 2014. ...

. He is a recycled version of the red crab from ''

''. * The

Hot Dogs A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

– The Hot Dogs appear in different roles on the show like being in "Saucissong" and "Nosey Neighbor". They are recycled versions of Frankie Frank and the Footers from '' CityKids''. ** H.D. - A Hot Dog who is the announcer of "That Puppet Game Show". ** Nicky KO - A Hot Dog from North America. She and Seamus work as contestant trainers for the "Punch Your Lights Out" game. ** Seamus O'Platt - A Hot Dog from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. He and Nicky work as contestant trainers for the "Punch Your Lights Out" game. * Fenton (performed by

) - A

tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...

who serves as a showrunner for the show. He is a recycled version of the tortoise puppet that was previously used for Penelope the

Yellow-Footed Tortoise The yellow-footed tortoise (''Chelonoidis denticulatus''), also known as the Brazilian giant tortoise, commonly referred to as the Brazilian giant turtle, or more commonly, the big turtle, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae and ...

from ''

'' and Jeremiah Tortoise from ''

''. * Neil - A crew member on "That Puppet Game Show." He is a recycled version of the large

caveman The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as "simian" or " ape-like" by Marcellin Bo ...

from ''

''. * Monkey and Mouse (performed by

and

) - An unnamed monkey and mouse

janitor A janitor (American English, Scottish English), also known as a custodian, porter, cleanser, cleaner or caretaker, is a person who cleans and maintains buildings. In some cases, they will also carry out maintenance and security duties. A simil ...

duo. During the show, the Monkey Janitor and the Mouse Janitor are usually seen in the basement talking about the present situation that is occurring backstage. The monkey janitor is a recycled version of Joey the Monkey from ''Late Night Buffet with Augie and Del'' while the mouse janitor is a recycled version of Cool the

Kangaroo Rat Kangaroo rats, small mostly nocturnal rodents of genus ''Dipodomys'', are native to arid areas of western North America. The common name derives from their bipedal form. They hop in a manner similar to the much larger kangaroo, but developed t ...

from ''

''.

Other characters

* The Family - At intervals during the show a family consisting of Mum (performed by

), Dad (performed by Dave Chapman), their son and daughter, and grandmother are seen watching the show. The Dad is a caricature of

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

, the Mum and son are recycled version of the Whatnots from '' The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss'', and the grandmother is a recycled version of the Old Lady from ''

Games

* Saucissong – Hosted by Eddie Watts, each celebrity has to put a line of singing

Hot Dog A hot dog (uncommonly spelled hotdog) is a food consisting of a grilled or steamed sausage served in the slit of a partially sliced bun. The term hot dog can refer to the sausage itself. The sausage used is a wiener ( Vienna sausage) or a f ...

s in the correct order so they sing a line from a famous song correctly. The first celebrity to get the hot dogs in the correct order singing the song correctly wins the points. * Punch Your Lights Out – Hosted by Jemima Taptackle, the celebrities race against each other to see who can punch out the most of 100 lights stuck to their bodies in 45 seconds. The celebrity who punches out the most lights wins the points. * Nosey Neighbor – Hosted by The Amazing Ian, the celebrities have to jump up and down behind a garden fence to see if they can spy what the Hot Dogs are getting up to on the other side. Ian will ask them a series of questions about what is going on and the nosiest neighbor will win the points. * Paddlestar Galactica – Hosted by Dr. Strabismus, the celebrities play against each other in a cross between ping pong and inter-galactic warfare with each player trying to knock their opponents floating planets out of orbit to claim the points. The name of this game is a spoof of the '' Battlestar Galactica'' franchise. * Life's A Speech – Hosted by Amber O'Neill, each celebrity has to read a speech from an autocue, sounds easy enough. However, the twist is that some of the words have been left blank. The player who fills in the most blanks correctly while they are performing their speech wins the points. * Cheek To Cheek - Hosted by Eddie Watts, the celebrities have to slow dance together and try and work out what song they are dancing to....the catch is the songs are being played ultra-slow. For every song they get right, a point will be added to their total. * Dart Attack – Hosted by Jake Hamilton-Jones, the celebrities take it in turn to fire darts at each other with a blow pipe while the other is strapped to a spinning wheel. This game show will see which player can hit the most targets and win the points. * Glow Balls – Hosted by The Amazing Ian, the celebrities each have to memorize the positions of their glowing balls in a ring of mostly non-glowing balls. The balls only glow when the lights are off, when the lights are on will they be able to find them? whoever picks 3 out of 5 glowing balls first wins. * Blow By Blow – Hosted by Dr. Strabismus, the celebrities race to see who can blow out 100 candles before the other and win the points. The 100th candle is covered by a glass container and is pulled up by a Hot Dog holding a fishing rod. * Bird Droppings – Hosted by Jake Hamilton-Jones, the celebrities have to memorize a series of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweig ...

calls, return the call, and catch the egg laid by the bird in their bucket. The player who catches the most eggs wins the points. * That Puppet End Game – Hosted by Dougie Colon, the celebrities face quick-fire questions on nature, science, sport, music, show business, and mental agility from all of the experts in a final push to win the £10,000 charity prize.

Episodes

Cast

Puppeteers

* Dave Chapman – Dougie Colon, Eddie Watts, Dad, Josh McGee (ep. 8) *

– Amber O'Neill, Jemima Taptackle, Mom *

– Dr. Heimlich Strabismus, The Amazing Ian, Mouse Janitor, Hot Dog *

– Udders McGee, Hot Dog, Fenton the Tortoise *

Colleen Smith Colleen Smith (May 31, 1925 – December 28, 2018) was a Canadian people, Canadian former infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 120 lb., Smith batted and threw right handed. She was born in ...

– Mancie O'Neill *

– Clyde Stravinsky, Jake Hamilton-Jones, Monkey Janitor

Additional puppeteers

* William Baynard (a misspelling of Banyard) *

Warrick Brownlow-Pike Warrick Brownlow-Pike (born 28 January 1985) is a British puppeteer. He is best known for performing the character "Gonger" on ''Sesame Street'' and its spinoff series '' The Furchester Hotel'' and Dodge the Dog on the CBeebies Channel. CBBC ...

* Josh Elwell * Andrew Heath * Beccy Henderson * Katherine Smee * Andrew Spooner - George * Olly Taylor * Michael Winsor

References

External links

* * * {{The Jim Henson Company 2010s American comedy game shows 2013 American television series debuts 2010s British comedy television series 2010s British game shows 2013 British television series debuts American television shows featuring puppetry BBC television comedy BBC television game shows British television shows featuring puppetry Television series by BBC Studios Television series by The Jim Henson Company Television shows shot at BBC Elstree Centre