| Puppets Who Kill | |
|---|---|
| Format | Puppet show Comedy |
| Starring | Dan Redican Bruce Hunter Bob Martin James Rankin Gord Robertson |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 53 aired (as of June 22, 2006) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 Mins |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | The Comedy Network |
| Original run | October 4, 2002 – June 22, 2006 |
| External links | |
| [puppetswhokill.com Website] | |
Puppets Who Kill is a Canadian television comedy programme co-produced by The Comedy Network. It premiered in Canada on the Comedy Network in 2002, and in Australia on The Comedy Channel in 2004.
In Puppets Who Kill, Rocko the Dog, Cuddles the Comfort Doll, Buttons the Bear, and Bill the Dummy are four live, anthropomorphic puppets with a history of delinquency and recidivism. Canadian courts sent each of them to a halfway house for puppets, operated by a man named Dan Barlow (played by Dan Redican).
Contents |
Rocko is a dog puppet puppeteered by Bruce Hunter. He is a hard-cursing, chain-smoking misanthrope who formerly worked on a children's television programme. The job required him to modify his language and behaviour, but eventually a berserk outburst on-set ended his career. He takes medication to temper his violent mood swings.
Cuddles is a comfort doll puppeteered by Bob Martin. However, he is a clear example of a passive-aggressive personality. He used to help people with their problems, but now he's the problem. His subordination of his own needs for those of others eventually led him to grab a rifle and start sniping at people on the ground from a high perch. Cuddles is generally the best behaved of the group, but his naivete often gets him and his compatriots into trouble. It is also apparent that he can't handle pressure well. It is also suspected that he is bi-sexual (as revealed in the last episode of season 3).
Buttons is a teddy bear with eyes made of two different buttons. He is puppeteered by James Rankin. Despite his innocent appearance, Buttons is a promiscuous womanizer with no sense of sexual propriety. He lives by the motto "if it feels good, do it". He once had a lucrative corporate sponsorship deal with the fictional Happy Elf Peanut Butter Company (ironic, considering that Buttons is actually a bear), but the sponsor exercised the "moral turpitude" clause in his contract once his behaviour leaked to the press.
Bill is a ventriloquist's dummy with a menacing smile. He is puppeteered by Gord Robertson. Fifty-six of his partners have died in "accidents". He is in fact a psychopath, whose misbehaviour includes cutting off men's testicles to collect them, cannibalism, cold blood killing and placing explosives in toilets. His arch nemesis is the Rasputin-like Curious Bob (John Hemphill) a former partner who has survived four murder attempts. In an episode showing Bill's trial, we learn some of Bill's past, and his apparent insecurities. His adopted mother, told the court of his past. We learn that Bill had some bowel problems as a child and would often defecate in his pants, thus earning him the nickname "poopy pants" from his peers. It was also revealed that Bill has a small penis and oddly shaped gonads which his creator gave him in order to make him humble but it was quite the opposite. He also is currently a eunuch.
Dan Barlow is a social worker who runs the half-way house where the puppets live. Although he is well trained and often cares about his charges, his primary concern is insuring the flow of funding that keeps the half-way house alive. It has also been mentioned that the only reason why he still keeps his job as a social worker, after all his screw ups, is because he is paid poorly. Dan even mentions that a cleaning lady that Corrections Canada hired for him, is paid more than him.
Location shots for the show are from its production home in Toronto, and the show makes great use of Canadian talent and has almost one cameo per show. News reader Bill Cameron appeared (as himself) semi-regularly, often foreshadowing the show's plot by reporting on bizarre crimes that could only have been committed by Dan's charges.
As of June 22, 2006, the show has completed its fourth season. The first and second seasons have been released on DVD.
A "Best Of Seasons 3 & 4" DVD is to be released September 20, 2010. This DVD will have 13 of the show's greatest hits, including such popular episodes as "The Joyride" and "The Rival House".
As confirmed by the PWK website, there will indeed be a movie released on Puppets Who Kill.
Dan Redican (known as Dan Barlow on the show) is currently touring with the comedy group The Frantics around Canada.
DVD releases include Puppets Who Kill: The Complete First Season, Puppets Who Kill: The Complete Second Season, and Puppets Who Kill: Best of Season 3 & 4.