''The Mr. Potato Head Show'' is an American

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are television programs designed for children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run during the early evenin ...

loosely based on the toyline of the same name by American toy company

Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...

. It aired on

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

as part of its

Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's block programming, programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channel ...

programming block Block programming is the arrangement of programs on radio or television so that those of a particular genre, theme, or target audience are united. Overview Block programming involves scheduling a series of related shows which are likely to attra ...

from September 12, 1998 to February 16, 1999.

Production

''The Mr. Potato Head Show'' was developed by

Dan Clark Daniel Gregory Clark (born 3 July 1976) is an English actor, comedian, writer, director, and singer. He is best known for playing Don Danbury on the BBC Three sitcom ''How Not to Live Your Life'', which he also wrote, co-produced, and sometimes ...

and

Doug Langdale Douglas Michael Langdale (born August 19, 1969) is an American screenwriter, producer and actor, who mostly works on television cartoons and animated films. He has worked with Disney numerous times, as well as the writing partner of Jorge ...

. The puppet characters were created by

The Chiodo Brothers The Chiodo Brothers (Stephen, Charles & Edward Chiodo; ; born in Bronx, New York) are an American trio of sibling special effects artists, specializing in clay modeling, creature creation, stop motion and animatronics. Known for their film ''Ki ...

. Mark Bryan Wilson served as the show's puppet master while William Traetta served as the show's assistant puppet master. The series was considered lost for many years until

Lost Media Wiki Lost media are pieces of media that are nonexistent, missing, or unavailable to the general public. The term ''lost media'' primarily encompasses visual, audio, or audiovisual media such as films, television and radio broadcasts, music, and video g ...

members Paroos and Luray found all the episodes of the series online. As of December 18, 2016, the series has resurfaced.

Premise

Throughout the series,

Mr. Potato Head Mr. Potato Head is an American toy brand consisting of a plastic model of a potato "head" to which a variety of plastic parts can attach — typically ears, eyes, shoes, hat, nose, pants and mouth. Mr. Potato Head was invented and manufact ...

always puts on a TV episode with the help of his Kitchen Crew and presents each episode to the TV Guys so that they can air them on television. During production on each episode, Mr. Potato Head and his Kitchen Crew have various misadventures.

Characters

Kitchen Crew

(performed by

Kevin Carlson Kevin D. Carlson (born April 12, 1962) is an American puppeteer, best known for his role of Mr. Potato Head in ''The Mr. Potato Head Show'' and the title character in ''The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth''. Early life Kevin D. Carlson was born a ...

) – The main

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

of the series. He is an

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

who serves as the leader of the Kitchen Crew where they make different shows in his studio for the TV Guys. He’s often referred to as “P.H.” by his friends and colleagues throughout the show. * Baloney (performed by Greg Ballora) – An anthropomorphic stack of

baloney Bologna sausage, informally baloney ( ), is a sausage derived from the Italian mortadella, a similar-looking, finely ground pork sausage, originally from the city of Bologna (). Typical seasonings for bologna include black pepper, nutmeg, a ...

who is Mr. Potato Head’s best friend. He often serves as the voice of reason for the Kitchen Crew on some occasions and is also Mr. Potato Head's

personal assistant A personal assistant, also referred to as personal aide (PA) or personal secretary (PS), is a job title describing a person who assists a specific person with their daily business or personal task,. it is a sub-specialty of secretarial duties ...

. * Queenie Sweet Potato (performed by

Debra Wilson Debra Wilson, also known as Debra Wilson Skelton or Debra Skelton, is an American actress and comedian. She is known for being the longest-serving original cast member on the sketch comedy series ''Mad TV'', having appeared on the show's firs ...

) – An anthropomorphic

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

who serves as the Kitchen Crew's diva. She’s gifted with an amazing voice and is viewed by most of the crew, especially by Mr. Potato Head, as the most talented performer in the bunch. Queenie's love for sugar cream pies and her crush on Leonardo DiCaprio are both brought up numerous times throughout the series. * Potato Bug (performed by

Julianne Buescher Julianne Buescher (born February 4, 1965) is an American actress, writer, and puppeteer who performs in film, television, radio, and on stage. As a voice actress, she is known for many roles including Anko Mitarashi on ''Naruto''. She hails fro ...

) – A female potato bug. Potato Bug is largely considered to be the oddball of the Kitchen Crew, stemming from her wacky personality and various quirks (i.e. believing that goblins deliver the newspaper every morning; mistaking the term “

scapegoat In the Bible, a scapegoat is one of a pair of kid goats that is released into the wilderness, taking with it all sins and impurities, while the other is sacrificed. The concept first appears in the Book of Leviticus, in which a goat is designate ...

” for an actual animal; talking to shoes like they’re people; having a fascination for the undersides of tables, etc). While being portrayed as somewhat oblivious, Potato Bug is energetic, kind, fiercely loyal to her friends, and unabashedly herself. * Canny (performed by James Murray) – A

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

made out of

dog food Dog food is food specifically formulated and intended for consumption by dogs and other related canines. Dogs are considered to be omnivores with a carnivorous bias. They have the sharp, pointed teeth and shorter gastrointestinal tracts of ca ...

cans and Mr Potato Head’s pet. In "Not With a Bang" Part 1, it is revealed that Canny used to work as a University Physics Professor. * Johnny Rotten Apple (performed by James Murray) – An anthropomorphic rotten

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

who serves as the Kitchen Crew's residential

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

with a rock star personality. In most of his appearances, he would sing about a random character or other things, like

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

or cultural diversity. Johnny Rotten Apple's name is a spoof of the stage name of

John Lydon John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and aga ...

. In the episode "Aliens Dig Baloney," it is revealed that he is allergic to

yogurt Yogurt (; , from tr, yoğurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt) is a food produced by bacterial Fermentation (food), fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as ''yogurt cultures''. Fermentation of sugars in t ...

. * Dr. Fruitcake (performed by James Murray) – An anthropomorphic

fruitcake Fruitcake (or fruit cake or fruit bread) is a cake made with candied or dried fruit, nuts, and spices, and optionally soaked in spirits. In the United Kingdom, certain rich versions may be iced and decorated. Fruitcakes are typically served ...

who serves as the Kitchen Crew's residential

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...

. He is the creator of Ham Monster and often comes up with different inventions to help Mr. Potato Head in his episodes. * Ham Monster (performed by Mark Bryan Wilson) – A monster made out of

ham Ham is pork from a leg cut of pork, cut that has been food preservation, preserved by wet or dry Curing (food preservation), curing, with or without smoking (cooking), smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. Lo ...

(hence the name), crab claws, and chicken drumsticks who was created by Dr. Fruitcake. When he first appeared in the episode "Aliens Dig Baloney," Dr. Fruitcake created Ham Monster for Mr. Potato Head's monster episode only to go berserk across the studio. Using the secret of making ham explode that he learned from the aliens, Baloney destroyed Ham Monster by making him explode. In the episode "Royal Pain," Ham Monster was rebuilt where he now has the brain of a 2-year-old child which makes him more obedient to Dr. Fruitcake. When Baloney started to ask where Dr. Fruitcake got the brain of a 2-year-old child, Dr. Fruitcake cuts his question off by stating "Trust me Baloney, you don't want to know!" * Mr. Giblets (performed by James Murray) – An anthropomorphic pile of

giblets Giblets is a culinary term for the edible offal of a fowl, typically including the heart, gizzard, liver, and other organs. A whole bird from a butcher is often packaged with the giblets, sometimes sealed in a bag within the body cavity. The ...

with a disturbing admiration for anything macabre or creepy which makes other members of the Kitchen Crew uncomfortable. In "Not With A Bang" Part 1, he tries to run for a position in government by making, as he says, “hollow campaign promises” that the crowd actually believes. * Mr. Happy Whip (performed by Brian Jacobs) – An anthropomorphic

whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and ...

spray who would emit whipped cream when scared. * Miss Licorice Lips (voiced by Debra Wilson) – A talking pair of

computer-animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes ( still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refe ...

lips made of black

licorice Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liq ...

that serves as the announcer and

narrator Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to convey a story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deliver information to the a ...

for Mr. Potato Head's episodes.

Supporting characters

* TV Guys (portrayed by Brian Jacobs and Lisa Kaplan) – Aron and Nora are television executives working at a television company that airs Mr. Potato Head's show. They would tell Mr. Potato Head about his recent show submissions and tell him what they want him to do on his show. Between the two of them, Nora is the more vocal executive while Aron is more of the quiet, right-hand man to Nora. A catchphrase used by the executives (more commonly by Nora) whenever Mr. Potato Head tries to explain a situation to them or whenever he says something simple and straightforward, they’ll laugh and say "I don't know what that means, but I love it!" * The Writer (portrayed by

) – An unnamed human who serves as the

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

for episodes of Mr. Potato Head's show. He does his job inside his closet and is always seen with a

bagel A bagel ( yi, בײגל, translit=beygl; pl, bajgiel; also spelled beigel) is a bread roll originating in the Jewish communities of Poland. It is traditionally shaped by hand into a roughly hand-sized ring from yeasted wheat dough that is first ...

in his mouth. * Betty the Kitchen Fairy (voiced by Julianne Buescher) – An

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

fairy A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...

who uses a ladle as her wand. She usually pops in to give the Kitchen Crew advice on how to get through their plights even when they're in an unrelated dangerous situation. In the episode "The Thing in the Microwave", it’s shown that she has the ability to freeze time.

Other characters

* Aliens (performed by Kevin Carlson and James Murray) – An unidentified

alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...

race. In "Aliens Dig Baloney," the aliens arrive on Earth to find a new leader for their galactic empire to which they end up meeting and teaching Baloney the secret on how to make ham explode. In "Smart Attack", the aliens obtain the ghost of Mr. Potato Head's plant as their new leader. In "Not With a Bang" Part 1, a representative of the aliens poses as the TV Guys' smirking boss (also portrayed by James Murray) in order to get Mr. Potato Head's show cancelled and place Donkey Waddlefoot's show in its spot. This was part of a plan by Emperor Ghost Plant to invade Earth. In "Not With a Bang" Part 2, the aliens begin their invasion of Earth where they engage the Kitchen Crew. With help from Betty the Kitchen Fairy, the aliens were repelled upon being chased off by Blostrogath the Destroyer. Mr. Potato Head then confronts the alien representative at the TV Guys' station who sheds his disguise, admits defeat by stating that invading Earth was not a good idea, and then takes his leave from Earth. * Blostrogath the Destroyer (voiced by James Murray) – An animated ancient evil monster who was imprisoned in a bag of 65,000,000-year-old

popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated; the same names also refer to the foodstuff produced by the expansion. A popcorn kernel's strong hull contains the se ...

. In the episode "The Thing in the Microwave," Queenie Sweet Potato accidentally freed him when his bag was put in the microwave where he begins his plan to destroy Earth and everything. After being told to be herself by Betty the Kitchen Fairy, Queenie evades Blostrogath's attacks as Mr. Potato Head (as Spudman) summons Jr spud squad to help defeat Blostrogath upon being tricked into the microwave. In "Not With a Bang" Part 2, Betty the Kitchen Fairy summoned Blostrogath to chase away the invading alien armada. * Donkey Waddlefoot - An unseen character who is Mr. Potato Head's rival in television entertainment.

Cast

* Brian Jacobs as Aron * Lisa Kaplan as Nora *

as The Writer *

Lee Arenberg Lee Arenberg (born July 18, 1962) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Pintel, one of Captain Barbossa's crew, in the '' Pirates of the Caribbean film series''. He also had a recurring role as the dwarf Grumpy in the televisio ...

as Bullyboy (ep. 8) *

as Flower Lady (ep. 10) * James Murray as The Smirking Man (ep. 12-13)

Puppeteers

as Mr. Potato Head, Alien (ep. 1, 11-13) * Greg Ballora as Baloney *

as Potato Bug, Betty the Kitchen Fairy * Brian Jacobs as Mr. Happy Whip * James Murray as Dr. Fruitcake, Johnny Rotten Apple, Mr. Giblets, Alien (ep. 1, 11-13), Blostrogath the Destroyer (ep. 3, 13) *

as Queenie Sweet Potato, Miss Licorice Lips * Mark Bryan Wilson as Ham Monster

Assistant puppeteers

* Brad Abrell * Donna Kimball * Alison Mork * William Traetta

Episodes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mr. Potato Head Show Mr. Potato Head 1990s American children's comedy television series 1998 American television series debuts 1999 American television series endings American television series with live action and animation American television shows featuring puppetry English-language television shows Fox Kids Television series about television Television series by Claster Television Television series by Film Roman Television shows based on Hasbro toys