There are a ton of Jim Henson Company TV shows that we barely know about – way beyond Fraggle Rock. We’re pleased to learn that the newly-launched Roku Channel has obtained the rights for a dozen Henson shows, totaling in almost 150 hours of content!
According to Animation Magazine, these are the programs that you can currently view on Roku:
- The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: Season 1 (20 x 30’): An Emmy Award-winning puppet series featuring the fun, music, and adventures of favorite characters created by celebrated children’s author Dr. Seuss.
- Mother Goose Stories (13 x 20’): A live-action puppet series, directed by Brian Henson, featuring Mother Goose sharing familiar nursery rhymes with her three impatient, fluffy goslings.
- Animal Show: Season 1 (26 x 30’): Featuring music and merriment, hosts Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear welcome guests of the Animal Kingdom to the furriest talk show ever.
- Construction Site (26 x 30’): A special place beyond the fence where, through the antics of the machines, children discover important messages about the nature of learning, thinking and behaving.
- The Hoobs: Season 1 (125 x 30’): The BAFTA Award-winning series that features a delightful mix of puppetry, animation and live-action, to inspire children to embrace the power of wonder and curiosity.
- Mopatop’s Shop: Season 1 (65 x 8’): Imagination and fun are always in store at the wondrous Mopatop’s Shop that stocks anything you could ever want, from a rainbow, the hiccups, or a friend. Children are introduced to a variety of concepts such as shapes and musical sounds. Available in the U.S. only.
- The Secret Life of Toys (13x 30’): Follows the adventures of a close-knit band of six toys that live in a world all children dream of visiting and where their first best friends come to life.
- Telling Stories with Tomie dePaola (26 x 30’): Beloved children’s book author Tomie dePaola tells stories featuring his classic storybook characters together with his squirrel friend, Gabe.
- Brats of the Lost Nebula (13 x 30’): Follows the adventures of five orphans from different planets who must band together to fight an evil invading force.
- The Ghost of Faffner Hall (13 x 30’): A music education series set at a grand music conservatory where the residents — human, animal and monster — enjoy making music of all types.
- Hi Opie (39 x 8’): A live-action preschool series that follows the social, emotional, and intellectual escapades of 5-year-old puppet Opie.
There are a ton of gems listed above. The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss is a fun, all-ages interpretation of the Dr. Seuss books and characters. The Ghost of Faffner Hall features tons of terrific celebrity guests. The Animal Show spotlights new Henson-built animal puppets in every episode.
If you’re a Roku subscriber, we hope you’ll check out some of these shows that you might not know so well and report back to us!
Thanks to ToughPigs’ own Daniel Romens for the info! Click here to enjoy more puppets on TV on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
