WAbla Fahita is an Egyptian satirical puppet character. The character was introduced online in 2010. She featured in Al Bernameg with Bassem Youssef, and has started a show in 2014 Abla Fahita Live from the Duplex on CBC channel. The infamous widow with her sharp tongue and acid humour and an obvious defiance for taboos has gained her both lovers and haters. Being a puppet loved by children yet hosting a show for adults has been her controversy. The highest paid female presenter in the Middle East. However, she also meets with celebrities as they arrive for the Dubai International Film Festival. Erin Cunningham of The Washington Post compared Abla Fahita to a Muppet. Dalia Kholaif of Al Jazeera wrote that Abla Fahita "gained popularity for its off-beat expressions in mocking developments in Egypt". The character has a daughter, Caro (Carcoura) who she treats in a tough way to roughen her up for a rough world. Her son is Boudi, her favorite and most cherished.
WThe Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Pescia. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio and his father, a poor woodcarver named Geppetto.
WArchie Andrews was a ventriloquist's dummy used by ventriloquist Peter Brough in radio and television shows in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps the most popular show in its radio format was called Educating Archie, regularly attracting over 15 million listeners. Archie was invariably dressed in a broad-striped blazer, and addressed the ventriloquist as "Brough". The television scripts were written by Marty Feldman and Ronald Chesney.
WThe Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson, many for the purpose of appearing on the children's television program Sesame Street. Henson's involvement in Sesame Street began when he and Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the creators of the show, met in the summer of 1968, at one of the show's five three-day curriculum planning seminars in Boston. Author Christopher Finch reported that director Jon Stone, who had worked with Henson previously, felt that if they could not bring him on board, they should "make do without puppets".
WBernd das Brot is a puppet character, star mascot and cult figure of the German children's television channel KI.KA, currently featured in the programs Bernd das Brot, Bravo Bernd, and the KI.KA late night loop program.
WBilly Brit is a puppet character who has been used in YouTube videos by the youth wing of the British National Party.
WCharlemane, a mangy-maned lion, was a hand puppet created and operated by Bil Baird for the CBS's Morning show during the 1950s.
WCuddly Dudley is a lifesize shiny plush stuffed animal nostalgic cocker spaniel doll that was used as a subscription sales promotional item by the Chicago Tribune in the mid-1960s. In addition, the animal took on a life of its own as a recurring puppet character on Chicago children's TV for many years.
WDustin the Turkey, a character performed by John Morrison is a former star of RTÉ television's The Den between 1989 and its cancellation in 2010. He has been described as "the most subversive comedy force on Irish television".
WEd the Sock is a sock puppet character, created and voiced by Steven Joel Kerzner, who first appeared on Canadian local cable television in 1987. He is best known for his hosting appearances in the 1990s on MuchMusic and his own late night talk show, Ed's Night Party. He is a gray sock puppet with green hair, round eyes, a scowl, a cigar and a rough, gravelly voice.
WRandy Feltface, mostly referred to merely as Randy, or, on occasion, Randy the Purple Puppet, is an Australian puppet comedian voiced and operated by Heath McIvor. Randy is a permanent fixture on the international stand-up circuit, and makes regular guest appearances on Australian television. He also performs as one half of the musical comedy duo "Sammy J and Randy", who made their television sitcom debut in 2015 with Sammy J & Randy in Ricketts Lane on ABC in Australia, for which Randy is credited as co-writer and lead actor. In 2019, Randy competed in the American reality television comedy competition series Bring the Funny, making it to the second round.
WA finger puppet is a type of puppet that is controlled by one or more fingers that occupy the interior of the puppet. Finger puppets are generally very simple, consisting of a sheath that the person wearing the puppet inserts either one or two fingers into. While the movement of the puppets are limited, multiple finger puppets can be used on each hand, allowing the puppeteer to control many puppets at one time.
WFlat Eric is a puppet character, created by Quentin Dupieux, from Levi's commercials for Sta-Prest One Crease Denim Clothing, built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. His name comes from an idea for a commercial that involved having a car run over his head and flattening it. The idea was not used, but the name stuck.
WDon't Hug Me I'm Scared is a surreal comedy horror musical web series created by British filmmakers Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling. It consists of six episodes, released from 29 July 2011 to 19 June 2016 through the artists' website, YouTube, and Vimeo. The series combines segments in live action, puppetry, traditional animation, and computer animation.
WGuignol is the main character in a French puppet show which has come to bear his name. It represents the workers in the silk industry of France. Although often thought of as children's entertainment, Guignol's sharp wit and linguistic verve have always been appreciated by adults as well, as shown by the motto of a prominent Lyon troupe: "Guignol amuses children… and witty adults".
WGPC, formerly Gypsy, is one of the fictional robot characters on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. She is larger and less talkative than the other robots. Gypsy normally only appears during the show's host segments and introduction, but briefly took a seat in the theater to watch the movie in episode #412. She only delivered a couple of "riffs" – partially because she took the movie and what the 'boys' were saying too literally, and left after realizing how bad the movie was. Along with the other robots, Gypsy was designed and built by series creator Joel Hodgson. He named Gypsy after a pet turtle his brother once owned, as the robot's size and ponderousness reminded him of the turtle.
WJig dolls are traditional wooden or tin-plate toys for adults or children. They are dolls with loose limbs that step dance or 'jig' on the end of a vibrating board or platform in imitation of a real step dancer. In London they were frequently operated by street entertainers or buskers. In England old soldiers from the Great War sometimes busked with them to supplement their meagre war pensions. Typically the dolls are between 20–30 cm (8–10 in) tall and are jointed at arms, hips and knees; some also have ankle joints. Today, jig dolls of one kind or another can be seen in the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Europe, parts of Asia, and Australia.
WPunch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character who usually falls victim to Punch's slapstick. It is often associated with traditional British culture. The various episodes of Punch comedy—often provoking shocked laughter—are dominated by the clowning of Mr. Punch.
WKaragiozis or Karaghiozis is a shadow puppet and fictional character of Greek folklore, is an offspring of the Turkish shadow play Karagöz and Hacivat. He is the main character of the tales narrated in the Turkish and Greek shadow-puppet theatre.
WKaragöz and Hacivat are the lead characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period and then spread to most nation states of the Ottoman Empire. It is most prominent in Turkey, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Adjara. In Greece, Karagöz is known by his local name Karagiozis; in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he is known by his local name Karađoz.
WKarakuri puppets are traditional Japanese mechanized puppets or automata, made from the 17th century to the 19th century. The dolls' gestures provided a form of entertainment. The word 'karakuri' has also come to mean "mechanisms" or "trick" in Japanese. It is used to describe any device that evokes a sense of awe through concealment of its inner workings.
WKasperle, Kasper, or Kasperl is a famous and traditional puppet character from Austria, German-speaking Switzerland, and Germany. Its roots date to 17th century, and it was at times so popular that Kasperltheater was synonymous with puppet theater. Kasperltheater includes the following characters: Kasper, Gretel, Seppel, Grandmother, princess, king, witch, robber, and crocodile. The older, more traditional Kasperle shows are very similar to "Mister Punch". There are also "Kasperle versions" of the Grimm and other fairy tales and of "modern fairy tales".
WKishkashta was the main character in one of the first Israeli Educational Television shows, Ma Pit'om, written by, among other screenwriters, Tamar Adar. The show aired in the 1970s and '80s, when there was only one television station in Israel, TV was still black and white, and there were only a few hours of television a day.
WKkokdugaksi Noreum is a type of traditional puppet play from Korea. It was developed in 18th century Joseon Dynasty era by Namsadang troupe which is a group of traveler artists. Namsadang traveled all over Korea and entertained the commoners.
WLamb Chop is a sock puppet anthropomorphic sheep created by puppeteer and ventriloquist Shari Lewis. In 1957 the character, a female lamb, first appeared during Lewis' guest appearance on Captain Kangaroo in March 1956 and later appeared on Hi Mom (1957–1959), a local morning show that aired on WRCA-TV in New York, New York.
WLoeki de Leeuw is a Dutch stop-motion TV animation, broadcast on Dutch public television between 1972 and 2004, and again in 2019. It featured a puppet lion in short sketches usually not longer than five seconds, which appeared as bumpers between commercial breaks. These animated shorts reached iconic status in the Netherlands, but were also broadcast in some other countries like France, the United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, Japan and the United States.
WA marotte is a prop stick or sceptre with a carved head on it. Jesters usually used a marotte. The word is borrowed from the French, where it signifies either a fool's (literal) "bauble" or a fad.
WBunny Rabbit was a puppet character on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo. Bunny Rabbit wore horn-rimmed glasses, and would trick the Captain into giving him his carrots. Bunny Rabbit was a hand puppet created and manipulated by Cosmo Allegretti.
WMr. Moose was a puppet character on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo.
WAvenue Q is a musical comedy featuring puppets and human actors with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. The show won Best Musical, Book, and Score at the 2004 Tony Awards. The show has been praised for its approach to themes of racism, homosexuality, and internet pornography.
WOswald Q. Ostrich, better known simply as Ossie Ostrich, is an Australian television puppet character in the form of an ostrich, not to be confused with the emu, an Australian flightless bird, who appeared firstly on the Tarax Show, and then opposite Daryl Somers as the co-host on the long-running program Hey Hey It's Saturday which started as a Saturday morning cartoon show for children in 1971. In 1984, he also hosted an after-school children's show called The Ossie Ostrich Video Show, with co-host Jacki MacDonald.
WBernard H. Paul was an American puppeteer best known for his traveling show and television broadcasts of "Paul's Puppets". His marionette show ran for 10 years on WBAL-TV in Baltimore. In 1931 he performed the first known children's television show.
WPetrushka is a stock character of Russian folk puppetry. Italian puppeteers introduced it in the first third of the 19th century. While most core characters came from Italy, they were soon transformed by the addition of material from the Russian 'lubki' and 'intermedii.' Petrushkas are traditionally marionettes, as well as hand puppets. The character is a kind of a jester distinguished by his red dress, a red kolpak, and often a long nose.
WPittiplatsch, also known as Pitti for short, is a German fictional kobold character who was very famous in East Germany, especially as a puppet character on children's television. He first appeared in 1962 in the television series Meister Nadelöhr erzählt, later renamed Zu Besuch im Märchenland. The character was co-created by the writers Ingeborg Feustel and Günther Feustel, the sculptor Emma-Maria Lange, and the puppeteer Heinz Schröder. The Pittiplatsch hand puppet was puppeteered and voiced by Heinz Schröder until his unexpected death in April 2009. Norbert Schwarz succeed Schröder as Pittiplatsch's puppeteer in 2009. In May 2010, it was reported that Christian Sengewald took over the role.
WPádraig Judas O'Leprosy and Rodraig Spartacus O'Leprosy are puppets, supposedly twins, and are the central characters on A Scare at Bedtime, an Irish adult comedy televised puppet show. Created and performed by Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara, more recently, the brothers have presented The Podge and Rodge Show, a chat show in the same vein, and Podge & Rodge's Stickit Inn, set in a pub. Morrison and O'Hara also created and perform the characters of Zig and Zag, Bronx Bunny, and Teddy T.
WPotter Puppet Pals is a puppet show web series parodying the Harry Potter novel series by J. K. Rowling, created by Neil Cicierega.
WProvolino was an Italian puppet character who enjoyed huge success in Italy between the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was created by Castellano and Pipolo who also wrote the dialogues.
WPunch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character who usually falls victim to Punch's slapstick. It is often associated with traditional British culture. The various episodes of Punch comedy—often provoking shocked laughter—are dominated by the clowning of Mr. Punch.
WPunch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character who usually falls victim to Punch's slapstick. It is often associated with traditional British culture. The various episodes of Punch comedy—often provoking shocked laughter—are dominated by the clowning of Mr. Punch.
WPuppetmastaz is a German hip hop group founded in Berlin with members from Germany, United States and Canada, like Max Turner, Chilly Gonzales, Paul PM, Mocky and Alex Tiller, who left the band in 2003. Formed in 1996, the group perform their shows with hand puppets and meet music styles of rap, funk and electronica.
WCap'n O. G. Readmore was the fictional character host of the American television anthology series ABC Weekend Specials during the 1980s. He was an anthropomorphic cat puppet, dressed in a nautical outfit, that encouraged children to read for pleasure. He hosted the show from 1984 through 1989, performing with guest stars including Vincent Price, Harry Blackstone Jr., Pat Morita, Joan Lunden and others.
WCrow T. Robot is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). Crow is a robot, who, along with others, ridicules poor-quality B to Z movies.
WScally the Dog was a puppet mongrel dog character, who co-presented the Children's ITV afternoon service from January 1989 - March 1991 in the United Kingdom.
WThe Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre is a comedy act that began in the United Kingdom in 2005 and has performed nationally and internationally since. They first appeared as part of The Sitcom Trials in London. They appeared in the Gilded Balloon at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 attracting highly positive reviews. The act has toured nationally and internationally every year since 2008 including Australia, Holland, Denmark and the Channel Isles. Prestigious appearances have included the Cheltenham Literary Festival and the Edinburgh International Magic Festival. They have appeared on BBC TV's The One Show, Comedy Shuffle, The Culture Show, Points West and Upstaged, GMTV, MTV, Current TV and Channel 4's Big Brother's Little Brother.
WTom Servo is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K). Tom is one of two wise-cracking, robotic main characters of the show, built by Joel Robinson to act as a companion and help stave off madness as he was forced to watch low-quality films. At least during the Comedy Central era, he was somewhat more mature than his theatre companion, Crow T. Robot. Tom, more often than the others, signals the need to exit the theater to perform host segments.
WShotgun Red is a puppet best known as a co-host for the television talk show Nashville Now, which aired from 1983–1993 on The Nashville Network (TNN). Often appearing alongside the show's host Ralph Emery, Shotgun Red was performed by Steve Hall, a musician, comedian and voice artist who was born in Sheldon, Iowa.
WThe Sifl and Olly Show is a comedy TV series that incorporates sock puppets, animation, and musical performances. Musicians Liam Lynch and Matt Crocco created and performed the series. The first episode aired on MTV in 1998. The show was cancelled in 1999. The characters, along with new material, currently appear on Liam Lynch's podcast entitled Lynchland.
WSigale Gale or Si Gale-Gale is a wooden puppet used in a funeral dance performance of the Batak people in Samosir Island, Northern Sumatra. Sigale Gale is a well known feature to visiting tourists. During the dance, the puppet is operated from behind like a marionette using strings that run through the ornate wooden platform on which it stands. The set up enables its arms and body to be moved and its head to turn.
WA sock puppet is a puppet made from a sock or similar garment. The puppeteer wears the sock on a hand and lower arm as if it were a glove, with the puppet's mouth being formed by the region between the sock's heel and toe, and the puppeteer's thumb acting as the jaw. The arrangement of the fingers forms the shape of a mouth, which is sometimes padded with a hard piece of felt, often with a tongue glued inside.
WStick Stickly is a fictional character created by Agi Fodor and Karen Kuflik, and appearing on Nickelodeon. He is a Popsicle stick with googly eyes, a jelly bean nose, and a small mouth.
WTitan the Robot is a partially-mechanised robot costume developed by the British company Cyberstein Robots. It is approximately 8 feet tall and weighs 60 kg (9.4 st) which increases to 350 kg (55 st) including the cart it rides on and onboard equipment. The face resembles a skull, and some have even compared it to a Transformer. Titan has performed at a variety of public and private events, such as the Commonwealth Games, Bar Mitzvahs UK shopping centres, television fundraisers and live concerts. Entered the Chinese market in 2018 and operated by Tuxuan Robotics.
WTopo Gigio was the lead character of a children's puppet show on Italian television in the early 1960s. The character, created in 1958 by artist Maria Perego, her husband Federico Caldura, and fellow artist Guido Stagnaro, debuted on Italian television in 1959 and has been customarily voiced by actor Giuseppe "Peppino" Mazzullo and later Davide Garbolino. The Italian nickname "Gigi" is a derivative of Luigi ("Louis"), so Topo Gigio could be translated as Louie Mouse.
WEl Hormiguero is a Spanish television program with a live audience focusing on comedy, science, and guest interviews running since September 2006. It is hosted and produced by screenwriter Pablo Motos. The show aired on Spain's Cuatro channel from launch until June 2011 and is now broadcast on Antena 3. Recurring guests on the show include Luis Piedrahita, Raquel Martos, Marron & El Hombre de Negro, and puppet ants Trancas and Barrancas. It has proved a ratings success, and has expanded from a weekly 120-minute show to a daily 40-minute show in its third season, which began on 17 September 2007. The show won the Entertainment prize at the 2009 Rose d'Or ceremony.
WTriumph the Insult Comic Dog is a puppet character puppeteered and voiced by Robert Smigel, best known for mocking celebrities in an Eastern European accent. As his name indicates, Triumph's comedic style is almost exclusively insult comedy. A Yugoslavian Mountain Hound, Triumph often puffs a cigar, which usually falls out of his mouth when he starts talking. He debuted in 1997 on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien as a fictional Yugoslavian mountain dog and also appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien from time to time, as well as the short-lived TV Funhouse, TBS's Conan, and Adult Swim's The Jack and Triumph Show. Smigel and Triumph have been ejected from several events for Triumph's antics, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the Honolulu line for auditions for American Idol, and the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The character is also notable for being performed by Eminem at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards and music video for his song "Ass Like That".
W31 minutos is a television series and Chilean music band created by the production company Aplaplac that began to be transmitted on March 15, 2003 by the signal of Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN). The program is a parody to 60 minutos, a controversial news program of the same channel, transmitted in the 1970s and 1980s. It focuses on the adventures of the team of a news program of little prestige in which something unexpected always happens, whose presenter is Tulio Triviño. The program's notes are educational and leave an explicit or implicit message, while others are quite ridiculous.
WHänneschen-Theater is a traditional puppetry-theatre in Cologne, Germany. It was established in the year 1802. The stage is situated in a building on Eisenmarkt in downtown Cologne. The pieces are set in Knollendorf, a fictional village somewhere in the outskirts of Cologne. The popular puppets represent fictional characters who embody typical traits of cologne people, so Tünnes and Schäl, Hänneschen and Bärbelchen, as well as other unique characters. In addition to the ever-changing pieces that are staged for adults and children, the puppet shows are also an important part of the Cologne Carnival. The carnival puppet session is each year a loving parody of a conventional Carnival session.
WUncle Sargam is a puppet character that first appeared in the Pakistani children's television show Kaliyan, aired on PTV in 1976. Uncle Sargam was created and voiced by the award-winning puppeteer and television director Farooq Qaiser. Uncle Sargam and Maasi Museebtay are regarded as Pakistan's legendary puppet duo.
WZig and Zag are an Irish puppet duo, featured on RTÉ, performed by Ciaran Morrison and Mick O'Hara.
WZiltoid the Omniscient is the tenth studio album by Canadian metal musician Devin Townsend, released on his own label HevyDevy Records in May 2007, and distributed in America and Europe by InsideOut Music.
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