Jim Henson's Animal Show

*Jim Henson's Animal Show*
Jim Henson's Animal Show
Directed by	Peter Harris
Starring	Steve Whitmire; Dave Goelz; Bill Barretta; Karen Prell; Louise Gold; Mak Wilson; John Eccleston;
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	65
Production
Executive producer	Brian Henson
Producer	Jocelyn Stevenson
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	The Jim Henson Company
Original release
Network	FOX; Animal Planet; Discovery Channel; TCC (UK); CBBC (UK); Nickelodeon (UK);
Release	October 1, 1994 –; January 1, 1997

Jim Henson's Animal Show is a children's television series from The Jim Henson Company which aired from October 1, 1994 to January 1, 1997.

Plot

The show was hosted by Jake the Polar Bear and Stinky the Skunk who interview 2 of each and every animal of the Animal Kingdom per show (there are some episodes where they only interview one animal because of its many types).

Characters

Jake the Polar Bear (performed by Steve Whitmire) - The host of the show. He always asks the clever questions. With Jake being a Live-Hand Muppet, Steve Whitmire is assisted in performing him by Bill Barretta who operates Jake's right hand.
Stinky the Skunk (performed by Dave Goelz) - The co-host of the show. He always asks the ridiculous questions.
Armstrong the Chickenhawk (performed by Bill Barretta) - Armstrong is the show's expert on birds. He was paired up with Ollie the Tapir in Season One and paired up with Bunnie the Bear in Season Two and Three. Armstrong is usually the straight man/victim in these team-ups. Armstrong's puppet was previously seen in the "Loretta Swit" episode of The Muppet Show and in Episode 3060 of Sesame Street during the "Let's Lay an Egg" song (a spoof of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love").
Ollie the Tapir (performed by Karen Prell) - An enthusiastic, nasal-voiced tapir who was paired up with Armstrong in Season One. She would also be the one who would bring in any animal guest that required assistance (mostly the insect ones). Ollie the Tapir was dropped at the end of Season One.
Bunnie the Bear (performed by Louise Gold) - Jake the Polar Bear's cousin. She joins the show in Season Two after Ollie the Tapir was dropped during the production of this show. Like Ollie the Tapir, Bunnie the Bear would bring in any animal guest that required assistance (mostly the insect ones).
Yves St. LaRoache (performed by Mak Wilson in Season One, John Eccleston in Season Two and Three) - The show's cockroach chef. He is a recycled version of Jacques Roach from The Jim Henson Hour.
Tizzy the Bee (performed by Karen Prell in Season One, Louise Gold in Season Two) - A bee would pop in to ask Stinky and Jake some animal-related questions. Tizzy was later dropped from the show before Season Three. She is a computer-animated Muppet similar to Waldo C. Graphic.
Rhonda Rat (performed by Louise Gold) - A rodent reporter who joined the show in Season Three. She often asks any animals backstage animal-related questions. When Rhonda gets annoyed by the animal, she has the animal sent down the trap door.
- Dullard the Aardvark (performed by Bill Barretta) - An aardvark who serves as Rhonda Rat's camera operator. His puppet was previously used for Arlene the Aardvark with the puppet having been designed and built by Jean-Guy White.

Episode format

A typical episode format involves:

An opening with Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear
Ollie (in Season 1), Bunnie (in Seasons 2 and 3), and Armstrong host "That's Amazing" where they take a look at fascinating things that animals can do.
Stinky and Jake interview an animal guest.
"Baby Talk" which is a segment with live footage of baby animals with the puppeteers dubbing these animals' voices.
A song plays over live animal footage. In Seasons 1 and 2, songs from previous Jim Henson productions were reused
In Seasons 1 and 2, Tizzy pops in to ask Stinky and Jake an animal-related question. In Season 3, Rhonda Rat: Rodent Reporter asks any animal backstage an animal-related question. When Rhonda gets annoyed by the animal, she has the animal sent down the trapdoor.
Yves St. La Roache's segments show Yves St. La Roache either preparing an animal-themed meal or how animals eat.
Stinky and Jake interview another animal guest in which he or she will sing a song after the interview.
Ollie (in Season 1), Bunnie (in Seasons 2 and 3), and Armstrong host "Animal Award" which shows which animal is best at above the rest.
"Jake's Tale" where Jake tells a story to Stinky (plus Bunnie and Armstrong in Seasons 2 and 3) with live animal footage while Jake is narrating the story.
Ollie (in Season 1), Bunnie (in Seasons 2 and 3) and Armstrong host "Habitat Time" where they go to where animals live.
In Seasons 1 and 2, Tizzy pops in again to ask Stinky and Jake another animal-related question. In Season 3, Rhonda Rat asks any animal backstage another animal-related question. When Rhonda gets annoyed by the animal, she has the animal sent down the trapdoor.
A closing where Stinky and Jake thank Ollie, Bunnie, Armstrong, Yves, and both animal guests.

Episodes

Season One

The Cheetah and the Gazelle - Stinky the Skunk learns about predators and prey, and is worried that one guest might eat the other one.
The Dolphin and the Fruit Bat - Stinky feels inferior to the guests, so he tries to make over 40 different sounds, the same number a dolphin can make (among them are "shomma-shomma!", "sut-sut-sut!", and "baba ghanouj! Baba ghanouj!").
The Koala and the Ostrich - Stinky misses his mother and invites her to the show.
The Crocodile and the Armadillo - Stinky decides he needs more armor to be safer.
The Aardvark and the Chameleon - The ants from Yves's kitchen populate the Animal Show set.
The Elephant and the African Hunting Dog - Stinky and Jake try to find ways to keep cool.
The Lion and the Zebra - Stinky is obsessed with the circus since the lion is a guest, but he got convinced the lion is from Africa and is the King of the Jungle, and learned how zebras are masters at camouflage which means zebras blend in.
The Rattlesnake and the Skunk - Jake is late, so Stinky invited the rattlesnake that has defense strategies as a guest—and invites himself who also has defense strategies.
The Wildebeest and the Sea Turtle - Stinky wants to migrate, which he sees as a type of vacation.
The Shark and the Sea Lion - Stinky fears the first oceanic guest, and gets Jake to balance a ball on his nose (since Slick the Sea Lion wouldn't do it).
The Rhinoceros and the Gorilla - Stinky fears that he is the last skunk on Earth, so Jake encourages all the skunks watching to let him know he's not alone.
The Sea Otter and the Vulture - Stinky is scared that Guffrey the Vulture (who's one of the guests who use tools to open hard things) might eat him.
The Owl and the Octopus - Stinky gives Jake a new pair of glasses so he could keep up with the guests of that day's show, the owl and the octopus (who are both known for their great eyesight).
The Penguin and the Kiwi - Stinky decides to teach the flightless guests how to fly.
The Giraffe and the Sloth - Stinky keeps the guests from eating his friend, Mr. Tree (a potted tree), claiming that guests hurt trees.
The Tiger and the Tiger Beetle - Stinky tries to be ferocious, by seeing that tigers wait for someone to get close enough then they jump out of the shadows and pounce and how tiger beetles hide and wait for bugs so they can attack the bug with their jaws.
The Raccoon and the Polar Bear - Jake has completely forgotten to invite another guest besides himself. Armstrong is then sent out to look for another animal that they can have on the show, and he found a raccoon (whom like the polar bear, they're experts at looking around for food).
The Beaver and the Spider - Stinky and Jake meet two famous animal builders.
The Wolf and the Baboon - Stinky and Jake meet two animals who live in family groups.
The Kangaroo and the Frog - Stinky and Jake meet two hopping animals, a kangaroo (whose hop is within the legs and the tail) and a frog (whose hop is within strong legs, and he is the greatest hopper in the world). This inspires Stinky to try to hop further than anyone else.
The Walrus and the Warthog - Stinky and Jake meet two strange-looking animals with tusks: a walrus and a warthog.
The Grizzly Bear and the Hedgehog - Stinky and Jake's guests are a grizzly bear (Jake's cousin) and a hedgehog, two animals that hibernate during the winter season. Stinky tries his hand at hybernating and wears a nightcap throughout the show. They learn how grizzly bears don't eat when they hibernate, and how hedgehogs need a lot to eat before hibernation.
The Gila Monster and the Kangaroo Rat - Stinky and Jake's guests are Gabi the Gila Monster and Cool the Kangaroo Rat, two animals from the desert. Stinky doesn't like the idea of living in the desert, so he brings a fan and enough cool water for the guests.
The Bighorn Sheep and the Red Deer - Stinky and Jake meet two animals with horns and antlers.
The Badger and the Rabbit - Due to the fact that the featured guests can dig burrows, Stinky the Skunk plots to build a burrow for Jake the Polar Bear.
The Manatee and the Lemur - Inspired by the tails of the featured guests, Stinky the Skunk makes a tail for Jake the Polar Bear.

Season Two

The Chimpanzee and the Hyena - Jake introduces his cousin Bunnie Bear, who will help out on the show. The show will focus on animals that live in family groups, a chimpanzee (whose family group is a troop) and a hyena (whose family group is a clan).
The Whale and the Ant - Stinky and Jake learn about size from a large whale and a tiny ant
The Tarantula and the Mole - Stinky the Skunk plans on having the shows guest visit his burrow under the studio. However, when he discovers that tarantulas are poisonous, he decides not to invite Natasha the Tarantula, because his burrow is a real mess and he has to tidy up down there. Stinky interviews Morely the Mole in the burrow and they watch the video through a periscope.
The Toad and the Elephant Seal - Stinky and Jake learn from a toad and an elephant seal about their smooth hard texture.
The Arctic Fox and the Camel - When it comes to our featured guests, Stinky the Skunk has Bunnie Bear work the studio's thermostat so that it can be cold like the arctic and warm like the desert.
The Hippopotamus and the Cape Buffalo - When he hears on how Phoenicia the Hippopotamus and Travis the African Buffalo are, Stinky the Skunk constructs a cage to protect himself and Jake the Polar Bear from them. Unfortunately, the cage ends up trapping both of them.
The Wasp and the Blue-footed Booby - Inspired by the colorful guests, Stinky the Skunk plans to make Jake the Polar Bear colorful.
The Gemsbok and the Moose - In this second horn and antler-based episode, Stinky the Skunk wants to join a club that the other characters are members of and get his own horned hat.
The Marine Iguana and the Roadrunner - Nico the Marine Iguana and Rudy the Roadrunner are known for their talents. When it comes to Jake the Polar Bear's talent of ice-skating, Stinky the Skunk and the others try out ice skating.
The Bison and the Musk Ox - Inspired by Custer the Bison and Monica the Musk Ox, Stinky the Skunk talks Jake the Polar Bear into starting their own herd with the other characters.
The Orangutan and the Potto - Stinky decides to buy a tree so he can live in it like today's guests.
The Stork and the Shoebill - Stinky the Skunk & Jake the Polar Bear swapped duties with Armstrong the Chicken Hawk & Bunnie Bear since neither Stinky nor Jake know anything about beaks and Armstrong is a proud "beakologist".
The Wild Horse and the Volcano Rabbit - On Bunnie Bear's birthday, Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear learn how Wild Horses and Volcano Rabbits are endangered.

Season Three

The Siberian Tiger and the Reindeer – Stinky the Skunk suspects that the arctic guests might have a connection with Santa Claus.
The Crab and the Snail – Inspired by the show's shelled guests, Stinky the Skunk plans to get a shell from Shelly's Shells for him and Jake the Polar Bear.
The Owl and the Frog – Since the show features two nocturnal animals, Stinky decides to turn off the lights in the studio during the introduction. Stinky and Jake learn how much owls love the dark, and how frogs live, hibernate, and there are more than 4000 species of frogs. However, since Jake is not nocturnal, he gets tired during the show.
The Indian Elephant and the Human – Stinky and Jake learn about the Indian Elephant and even learn about the humans.
The Pelican and the Flamingo - Jake the Polar Bear learns that Stinky the Skunk's mom says that Stinky "eats like a pig" and tries to find a way to eat like everyone else since the episode details how pelicans and flamingos eat their food.
The Warthog and the Baboon - Jake the Polar Bear wants to visit the Brushlands when it comes to the featured guests while Stinky the Skunk wants to go to Smellyworld.
The Mouse - Stinky the Skunk plans to throw a party for Stanley the Mouse only to learn too late that three of the animals (an owl, a snake, and a fox) he invited tend to prey on mice.
The Monitor Lizard and the Crocodile - After Jake the Polar Bear is hit by a sandbag that fell from a Sandbag Tree, Stinky the Skunk plans to have one of the guests be Jake's bodyguard due to their tough skin
The Albatross and the Hummingbird - Inspired by the winged guests, Stinky the Skunk plans to make his own wings. When they are made too big, he has them fitted on Jake the Polar Bear.
The Humpback Whale - Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear interview Andrew the Humpback Whale in a leaky tank (which was given to them by Stinky's uncle) that slowly starts to flood the studio.
The Spider Monkey and the Lemur - Inspired by the tree-swinging guests, Stinky the Skunk plans to train Jake the Polar Bear into competing in the Synchronized Tree Swinging event.
The Honeybee and the Honey Possum - Armstrong is allergic to flowers since our featured guests can survive from the nector. Things get worse when Stinky and Jake learn that if they don't win the award for Best Shows hosted by animals (especially Skunks and Polar Bears), our featured judges (a crocodile, cape buffalo, and vulture) will eat them.
The Wasp and the Ant - When it comes to the two guests' different animal colonies, Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear have them both brought out at the same time. Though each one tends to interrupt the other one's talking of their kind.
The Coyote and the Red Fox - Stinky plans to throws a pest party at Jake's den with our pesty guests as party-goers.
The Grasshopper Mouse and the Stoat - When Jake the Polar Bear mentions about their guests being vicious, Stinky thought Jake had invited a lion and a tiger only to learn that the guests are actually a grasshopper mouse and a stoat.
The Fish - Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear learn all about fish from Larry the Fish, until Stinky asks him if there was a "skunkfish" to which Larry states that there aren't any. Later, Stinky dresses up in scuba gear and passes himself off as a skunkfish in order to make Larry feel better.
The Pika and the Chamois - When it comes to our mountainous guests, Stinky the Skunk as Dullard the Aardvark and Lawrence the Orangutan bring in a mountain background in order to make them feel safe at home.
The Eagle - Today's show is about the bald eagle, with the featured guest being Sam the Eagle. However, Armstrong is upset that he didn't get to be a guest. After Sam leaves, Armstrong gets to be featured.
The Jaguar and the Yellow-Footed Tortoise - Stinky resigns from the food chain and tries to form a resistance against it and break the food chain. At the same time, our featured guests interview our food chain guests and learn that the food chain can be broken if one animal becomes extinct.
The Spoonbill and the Salmon - Inspired by the migratory guests, Stinky the Skunk plans to migrate with one of them.
The Colobus Monkey and the Flying Squirrel - Two animals that are known for their gliding abilities are the guests. Because Cody the Colobus Monkey kept gliding around above Stinky and Jake, they become concerned that their heads will fall off. As a result of this, Stinky plans to glue Quincy the Flying Squirrel down, but before he can do this, Stinky trips and touches Quincy's hands which glues them together. Eventually, Stinky uses Yves St. La Roache's exploding marmalade to unstick them.
The Rattlesnake - Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear learn all about snakes from Kiki the Rattlesnake. Stinky even wondered if he can swallow someone like Jake. By the end of the episode, it appeared that Kiki had swallowed Jake only for Jake to appear. After this episode's Habitat Time, Lawrence the Orangutan delivers a box of Chawky Hawkies to Armstrong the Chicken Hawk, but it turned out that Kiki actually at all of Armstrong the Chicken Hawk's Chawky Hawkies.
The Hornbill and the Woodpecker - When it comes to our featured guests, Armstrong the Chicken Hawk plans to try different beaks to see which one he likes.
The Giant Otter and the Mink - Bunnie wants female friends so she invites Stinky and Jake's aquatic guests to a slumber party. Both guests befriend Bunnie and the trio sing a little breezy number.
The Mongoose and the Secretary Bird - When it comes to an episode detailing animals that eat snakes, one of the guests named Ernie the Mongoose becomes a nuisance to Stinky and Jake when planning ways to make the show better.
The Gorilla and the Lion - In this family-based episode, Stinky the Skunk and Jake the Polar Bear learn how gorillas and lions live in families. When Jake asks if Malcolm the Lion could sing a song, Malcolm said he would under the condition that their family joins him resulting in everyone singing "We Are One Big Happy Family." Stinky plans to have the regular characters together as a family.

Puppeteers

Dave Goelz - Stinky the Skunk, Margaret the Stork
Steve Whitmire - Jake the Polar Bear, Lawrence the Orangutan, Wingo the Shoebill
Bill Barretta - Armstrong the Chickenhawk, Dullard the Aardvark, Right Hand of Jake the Polar Bear, Bart the Coyote, Bubba the Walrus, Bufo the Toad, Charlie the Chamois, Cornelius the Crab, Custer the Bison, D'kembe the Gemsbok, Dave the Human, Eugene the Hunting Dog, Frankie the Crocodile, Frankie the Wildebeest, Gabi the Gila Monster, Galahad the Grasshopper Mouse, Guffrey the Vulture, Humphrey the Badger, Jared the Tiger, Johnny the Wolf, Julius the Spoonbill, Kyle the Secretary Bird, Lamont the Sloth, Larry the Fish, Lazlo the Hyena, Lenny the Gorilla, Malcolm the Lion, Max the Wasp, Mel the Lemur, Milton the Blue-Footed Booby, Nemets the Ant, Octavio the Octopus, Paul the Pelican, Quincy the Flying Squirrel, Randall the Zebra, Rocky the Bighorn Sheep, Rudy the Roadrunny, Rudy the Spider, Slick the Sea Lion, Sly the Crocodile, Stanley the Mouse, Timothy the Owl, Tommy the Thomson's Gazelle, Travis the African Buffalo, Vernon the Grizzly Bear
John Eccleston - Yves St. La Roache (1995–1997), Andrew the Humpback Whale, Andrew the Reindeer, Barry the Honey Bee, Cody the Colobus Monkey, Ernie the Mongoose, Harvey the Hummingbird, Hector the Spider Monkey, Jackie the Orangutan, Jasper the Jaguar, Melanie the Mink, Monty the Elephant Seal, Morely the Mole, Morris the Ant, Nico the Marine Iguana, Perry the Wild Horse, Ralph the Moose, Warren the Warthog, Winston the Woodpecker, Yorick the Salmon, Zack the Arctic Fox
Louise Gold - Bunnie the Bear, Rhonda the Rat, Tizzie the Bee (1995), Alana the Baboon, Alicia the Snail, Alicia the Volcano Rabbit, Doreen the Camel, Gilda the Gorilla, Hortense the Hornbill, Inidra the Whale, Julie the Flamingo, Kiki the Rattlesnake, Lulu the Potto, Mavis the Frog, Monica the Musk Ox, Natasha the Tarantula, Phoenicia the Hippopotamus, Stella the Stoat, Trudy the Chimpanzee, Vic the Monitor Lizard, Virginia the Red Fox, Winnie the Wasp
David Greenaway -
Frank Oz - Sam the Eagle (ep. 57)
Karen Prell - Ollie the Tapir, Tizzie the Bee (1994), Alexis the Giraffe, Arlene the Aardvark, Bernice the Warthog, Blanche the Manatee, Charlotte the Penguin, Hetty the Hedgehog, Hillary the Owl, Kasey the Kangaroo, Leah the Fruit Bat, Lydia the Ostrich, Rhonda the Raccoon
Mike Quinn - Chuck the Lion
Katherine Smee - Maxine the Indian Elephant, Molly the Albatross, Pearl the Pika, Penelope the Yellow-Footed Tortoise, Priscilla the Honey Possum, Sandy the Giant Otter, Sasha the Siberian Tiger
Andrew Spooner -
Mak Wilson - Yves St. La Roache (1994), Achilles the Shark, Billy Bob the Lemur, Bosko the Baboon, Chauncey the Sea Turtle, Chaz the Chameleon, Clive the Kiwi, Cool the Kangaroo Rat, Dooley the Armadillo, Flora the Koala, Fluke the Dolphin, Harry the Rhinoceros, Leapovitch the Frog, Morton the Beaver, Nippy the Tiger Beetle, Plunk the Sea Otter, Ringo the Elephant, Robert the Red Deer, Sean the Rabbit, Swifty the Cheetah, Victor the Rattlesnake

External links