Most people think of shows with puppets as being something for younger audiences, but like any art form, puppetry can be used to great effect in any genre aimed at any age. It doesn’t happen often, but there have been several shows over the years that either appeal to an adult audience, or appeal to all ages, while using the declining art of puppetry to full effect.
Well, perhaps with the rise of digital performance capture and virtual puppetry, the puppeteers are actually getting the last laugh, but these shows exemplify what old-school hand-up-the-behind puppets can to do make awesome TV.
1999
4
Status
Ended
Farscapeis an incredibly special sci-fi show from the late 90s and early 2000s, which is saying something because the 90s were an incredible time for TV sci-fi and gave us absolute gems likeLexxandBabylon 5to name but a very, very few.
A product of Jim Henson’s company, this was a TV show where you could have aliens that didn’t just look like a human in a suit. The puppets, combined with makeup and all the other wonderful practical effects, combine to give us a show that looks and feels like nothing before or since.
It also doesn’t hurt that the actual story and characters have excellent writing, and that the show rarely goes in the direction you’d expect. Sadly, it was canceled after 88 episodes, but later a miniseries gave closure to one of the best sci-fi shows on TV—with or without puppets.
Farscape
A mind-bending sci-fi series wth incredible puppet-driven aliens and some of the greatest charactes and villains in the genre.
2019
1
10
Canceled
The Dark Crystalis one of the most important films ever made in the fantasy genre, and it has a strong cult following. It was also a key factor in showing that puppetry could be more than children’s entertainment.
Netflix’sThe Dark Crystal: Age of Resistanceis a prequel to that film (so you don’t have to watch the movie first) and is absolutelygorgeousto behold. It has just the right of practical effects wizardry augmented by modern CGI, to present a seamless fantasy world that immediately makes you forget you’re looking at puppets operated by human puppeteers.
Sadly, the show was canceled after only one season, but I’d still say it’s very much worth watching the ten episodes we do have, and if you’ve never seen the original film, it’s a great time to rectify that too.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
The dark and beautiful prequel to The Dark Crystal was sadly cut short, but any lovers of dark fantasy (or puppets) should watch it anyway.
6Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
This show is mildly disturbing, so don’t watch this video if existential dread and surrealism bothers you.
2011
6
Not to be confused with the laterTV show of the same name, theDon’t Hug Me I’m Scaredweb series is one of the best things I’ve ever seen. You can watch all six episodes for free on YouTube right now, though maybe don’t do that in one go, for your own sanity.
This is a subversive show that starts off each episode like a children’s show, in the vein ofPee-Wee’s PlayhouseorBlues Clues, but quickly devolves into a surreal existential nightmare.
I find this sort of thing hilarious and darkly entertaining, and if that sounds like you, then you’ll appreciate the fine details, metat-extual Easter eggs, and impeccable comedic timing inDon’t Hug Me I’m Scared.
Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared
The best surreal puppet show ever made, just don’t let your kids watch it.
2002
13 + 20 shorts
Greg the Bunnyis a very divisive show, and it really splits audiences down the middle. Some people see it as a stupid, offensive, and cheap production and others see it as subversive and hilarious.
I find myself in the second camp, but if early 2000s political incorrectness (or Seth Green and Sarah Silverman) offend you, it’s probably better to skip it. What I like aboutGreg the Bunnyis how the puppets (or “fabricated Americans” as they prefer to be called) are treated like real, living creatures in this world. Though they are a minority, and get the same flack as real minorities do in the real world.
It’s a flawed show for sure, but if you spot the DVDs in a thrift store, you should buy them if the general premise of the show appeals to you at all.
Greg the Bunny - The Complete Series
Politcally incorrect puppets struggle with their second-class citizen status in this adult comedy.
110
The idea forCrank Yankersis simple but effective: celebrity comedians make crank calls, which are recorded. Then puppets are used to reenact those calls. It doesn’t sound all that exciting on paper, but it’s actually a brilliant idea. After all, you may’t really see the victim on the other end of the call, so it’s a great way to visualize the conversation, and gives the show a unique look and angle.
In a way, it reminds me a little ofDrunk Historywhere each episode features different celebrities reanacting historical events for comedic effect, except thatCrank Yankershas absolutely zero educational value whatsoever. This show was a staple for me in the 2000s when I still watched MTV, and the skits aren’t that era-specific, so it’s still pretty funny today.
Crank Yankers
A unique sketch show where celebrities make crank calls and then the whole thing is re-enacted using puppets.
2020
Muppets Nowis one of a long line of Muppets shows meant for adults or families as a whole, as opposed to children in particular. It’s like Kermit might make an appearance onSesame Streetand then have a late-night gig like he was Stephen Colbert in frog form that same night—pretty trippy. I used to love shows likeMuppets Tonight, but you can’t really stream them anywhere as of this writing and this more modern show might appeal to current sensibilities in the age of social media.
Anyway, each of the six episodes of this show is made up of different segments, all strung together by some sort of overarching frame, much likeMuppets Tonightthat came before. It strikes a great balance that avoids being vulgar while still having plenty for grownups to enjoy.
A modern take on the classic muppets variety show.
2Wonder Showzen
This show is surreal with disturbing imagery and sometimes cartoonish violence and gross-out humor. Don’t watch the trailer below if you’re a sensitive viewer.
2005
2
BeforeDon’t Hug Me I’m Scaredthere wasWonder Showzen—a dark comedic parody of shows likeSesame Streetthat would ambush you late night on television when you’re least expecting it.
Gross, violent, offensive, and definitelynotfor children or sensitive adults, it’s a cult classic among those in the know, and miraculously you can still stream it. I’d for sure thought this would be relegated to DVD likeGreg the Bunny, but for now you can also make the poor life decision of watchingWonder Showzenfor the low, low price of a Paramount Plus subscription and whatever’s left of your sanity.
Like Sesame Street if it were Skid Row with puppets.
1991
65
Ended by a giant meteor
In the 90s, whenDinosaurswas airing, my parents bought us figures from the show. I guess they too thought that it was meant for kids thanks to the us of puppets and that it was comedic. However, just likeThe Simpsonswas animated, but not for kids,Dinosaurswas very much aimed at adults.
The show opens up with a dinosaur newscaster declaring that an asteroid is heading for Earth, and will wipe out all life. Then he’s handed a note and says “no it’s not”, and that’s exactly the sharp sort of satire you can expect throughout the show’s run.
The production values are fantastic to this day, the acting by the puppeteers controlling the animatronic faces is still peerless in my opinion, and the show is both funny and still highly relevant all these years later.
Dinosaurs
Behind Henson’s peerless puppetry is a darkly-funny show about dinosaurs who were more like us than we realize, and we might meet the same sticky end.
I don’t know about you, but I like variety in my media diet. With some animation, some live action, and some puppets to round things out. Sadly puppet-based shows are rare than they ought to be, but at least we’ll always have these gems to fall back on when the urge to watch a cloth-monster crack a joke strikes.
