''Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge'' is an American reality television game show on the Syfy cable network. It premiered on March 25, 2014 and ended on May 13, 2014.

Plot

A group of Creature Designers compete against each other to create puppets and animatronics such as those found in

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

and kids' and family shows. Actress

Gigi Edgley Gigi Edgley (born 16 November 1977) is an Australian actress, singer and songwriter. She is best known for her roles as Chiana on the series ''Farscape'' and Lara Knight in '' Rescue: Special Ops''. Early life Edgley was born in Perth. She is ...

from Jim Henson's '' Farscape'' serves as the show's host. The judges will critique the creature designs that the contestants make where the featured puppeteers will perform the creatures on the Henson Sound Stage. The contestants wait in the screening room for the verdict and the least worthy contestant will be eliminated by

Brian Henson Brian Henson (born November 3, 1963) is an American puppeteer, director, producer, voice actor and the chairman of The Jim Henson Company. He is the son of puppeteers Jim and Jane Henson. Early life Henson was born on November 3, 1963, in Ne ...

. The winner gets prize money and a contract to work with

Jim Henson's Creature Shop Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States. History Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally ...

for a combined total of $100,000.

Judges

The judges for this show consist of: *

– The son of

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

who is the chairman of The Jim Henson Company, a writer, a film director, and a puppeteer who had previously worked with

The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses ...

, was the lead puppeteer for Audrey II in '' Little Shop of Horrors'' and performed Hoggle in ''

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by t ...

'' (1986) * Beth Hathaway – A fabrication specialist who worked on '' Jurassic Park'' (1993), ''

Edward Scissorhands ''Edward Scissorhands'' is a 1990 American fantasy romance film directed by Tim Burton. It was produced by Burton and Denise Di Novi, written by Caroline Thompson from a story by her and Burton, and starring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Antho ...

'' (1990), '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991), ''

Inglourious Basterds ''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger and Mélanie Laurent. The film tells an altern ...

'' (2009), '' The Walking Dead'', ''

Django Unchained ''Django Unchained'' () is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson, with Walton Goggins, Dennis Ch ...

'' (2012), and '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' (2005). *

Kirk Thatcher Kirk R. Thatcher (born February 14, 1962) is an American writer, producer, television and film director, an Internet video director, and a production designer. Personal life Thatcher was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. In high school, ...

– A production designer who created creatures for ''

Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand. The screenplay is by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas from a story by Lucas, who ...

'' (1983), '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), '' Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' (1982), and ''

Gremlins ''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus, and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voice ...

'' (1984). He has also done some designing of the characters from ''

The Jim Henson Hour ''The Jim Henson Hour'' is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the Muppet characters. Nine of the twelve episodes produced aired on NBC bef ...

'', '' CityKids'', '' Dinosaurs'', and '' Aliens in the Family''.

Mentors

The show also features mentorship from the Creature Shop's staff ranging from: * Peter Brooke – The Creature Shop Creative Supervisor who worked on '' Where the Wild Things Are'', '' The Producers'', ''

Cats & Dogs ''Cats & Dogs'' is a 2001 spy-comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman and written by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. It stars Jeff Goldblum, Elizabeth Perkins and Alexander Pollock, with the voices of (among others) Tobey Maguire, Alec Bal ...

'', ''

Dr. Dolittle Doctor John Dolittle is the central character of a series of children's books by Hugh Lofting starting with the 1920 ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle''. He is a physician who shuns human patients in favour of animals, with whom he can speak in the ...

'', ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The series takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the activities of the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighb ...

'', '' That Puppet Game Show'', '' Dinosaurs'', '' The Storyteller'', and ''

Brats of the Lost Nebula ''Brats of the Lost Nebula'' is a science fiction television series for kids. It combines puppetry and computer animation. The series follows five orphaned children from different war-torn planets. As they search for their surviving family member ...

''. * Julie Zobel – The Lead Fabricator who worked on ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...

'', ''

Fraggle Rock ''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's musical fantasy comedy puppet television series about interconnected societies of Muppet creatures, created by Jim Hen ...

'', '' Dinosaurs'', ''

Muppets Tonight ''Muppets Tonight'' is an American live-action/puppet family-oriented television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of ''The Jim Henson Hour'' (1989), the show was a contin ...

'', ''

Sid the Science Kid ''Sid the Science Kid'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Sid the Science Kid'') is an American computer-animated children’s television series on PBS Kids. It aired from September 1, 2008 to March 25, 2013, with a total of 66 half-hour episodes pro ...

'', '' Where the Wild Things Are'', '' George of the Jungle'', ''

'', ''

'', and ''

Forgetting Sarah Marshall ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand. The film, which was written by Segel and co-produced by Judd Apatow, was released b ...

'' as well as concert constructions for

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

, and

Deadmau5 Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produce ...

. * John Criswell – The Mechanical Engineer who worked on ''

Spaced Invaders ''Spaced Invaders'' is a 1990 American science fiction comedy directed by Patrick Read Johnson and starring Douglas Barr, Royal Dano, and Ariana Richards. The film’s title is a pun on the classic video game ''Space Invaders''. Plot The spac ...

'', '' A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master'', '' Critters'', '' Dinosaurs'', '' Star Kid'', '' Adventures in Dinosaur City'', ''

Pushing Daisies ''Pushing Daisies'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to li ...

'', ''

The Hangover ''The Hangover'' is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips, co-produced with Daniel Goldberg, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. It is the first installment in ''The Hangover'' trilogy. The film stars Bradley Cooper, E ...

'', '' Where the Wild Things Are'', '' George of the Jungle'', and ''

''.

Contestants

Source * Chaz Vance – Special-effects and entertainment designer from

West Falls, New York West Falls is a hamlet in the town of Aurora in Erie County, New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeast ...

. He was eliminated in episode one when the sea creature he and Robert created wasn't realistic enough and the head of the sea creature that Chaz made reminded Kirk Thatcher of ''

H.R. Pufnstuf ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' is a children's television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in the United States. It was the first Krofft live-action, life-sized-puppet program (not including their previous work with the Hanna-Barbera program ''The Ba ...

''. * Tina Roland – Freelance effects artist from

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. She was eliminated in episode two because the arms she made for her group's

Skeksis The Skeksis are a fictional species that serves as the main antagonists in the 1982 film ''The Dark Crystal'' and its related franchise. The word "Skeksis" serves as both singular and plural form for this species, with the singular being pronoun ...

didn't have much action in them. * Josh Smith – Creature costumer and prop builder from

Minot, North Dakota Minot ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ward County, North Dakota, United States, in the state's north-central region. It is most widely known for the Air Force base approximately north of the city. With a population of 48,377 at the 2 ...

. He forfeited the contest in episode three because it would be difficult to be with his family and work at Jim Henson's Creature Shop. * Ivonne Escoto – Freelance special-effects artist from

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. She was eliminated in episode four because her hunting trophy character was classified as unfinished by Brian Henson due to the time limit. She returned in episode eight to help Robert take the win. * Lex Rudd – Puppet and creature costume-maker from

Guerneville, California Guerneville ( , ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California, United States. The town is historically known for the logging community, formed in the late 1800s. Guerneville ...

. She was eliminated in episode five because the legs she made for her creature weren't realistic enough in the creature's movement. * Russ Adams – Special-effects artist and creature creator from Ogden, Utah. He was eliminated in episode six because his swamp creature wasn't camouflaged enough and its paint job didn't belong comfortably. He later returned in episode eight to help Robert take the win. * Jake Corrick – Student and sculptor from Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. He was eliminated in episode seven. * Melissa Doss – Housewife and freelance special-effects artist from Fort Wainwright, Alaska. She is a runner-up in the contest. * Ben Bayouth – Freelance special-effects artist from

Woodland Hills, California Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...

. He is a runner-up in the contest. * Robert Bennett – Sculptor for

Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attra ...

from Orlando, Florida. He is the winner of the contest.

Contestant progress

: The contestant won 'Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge'. : The contestant was a runner-up. : The contestant won a Challenge. : The contestant was part of a team that won the Challenge. : The contestant was in the top in the Challenge. : The contestant was in the middle in the Challenge. : The contestant was in the bottom in the Challenge. : The contestant was in the bottom team in the Challenge. : The contestant was eliminated. : The contestant has quit the contest.

Episodes

Episode 1: What Lies Underneath

* Airdate: March 25, 2014 * Creature Brief: Peter Brooke mentors the Creature Designers into building the full-bodied puppet of a never-before-seen sea creature.

Alice Dinnean Alice Catherine Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, voice actress and creative writer who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as '' The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street ...

, Nameer El-Kadi, Drew Massey, Misty Rojas, and Michelan Sisti are the featured puppeteers. ** Top Looks: Josh & Lex ** Bottom Looks: Chaz & Robert, Russ & Tina *** Winner: Josh *** Eliminated: Chaz

Episode 2: Return of the Skeksis

* Airdate: April 1, 2014 * Creature Brief: Julie Zobel mentors the Creature Designers while they create a

from ''

The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The ...

'' that has been banished to a foreign land on the planet Thra and have been called back to the castle.

, Drew Massey, and

Victor Yerrid Victor Yerrid (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many films, television commercials and television shows. He is best known in the Muppet World for his work ...

are the featured puppeteers. ** Top Looks: Robert, Melissa, & Josh and Ben, Jake, & Lex ** Bottom Looks: Russ, Ivonne, Tina *** Winner: Robert *** Eliminated: Tina

Episode 3: Assembly Inspired

* Airdate: April 8, 2014 * Creature Brief: John Criswell mentors the Creature Designers when they create a creature made from the junk that was in Apex Electronics. The creatures in question have been hiding in junk for so long that they have become one with the junk. They are also provided with a cage for the creature to be in where they are trying to escape.

, Artie Esposito, Sean Johnson, Drew Massey, Michael Oosterom, and

are the featured puppeteers. ** Top Looks: Ben and Ivonne ** Bottom Looks: Jake and Russ *** Winner: Ben *** Eliminated: Josh (he forfeited the contest)

Episode 4: Heads Up

* Airdate: April 15, 2014 * Creature Brief: Peter Brooke mentors the Creature Designers when they create a fantasy creature that has been slain and returns to life as a hunting trophy mounted on the wall at the Wizard's Mansion. The slain fantasy creature must be made from an animal foam mold which will be given to the Mold Makers to have the molds made for the slain creature. The project must include puppetry with some mechanisms in it which must be performed on the Wizard's Mansion set with the hunting trophy explaining how it ended up in this fate.

Donald Faison Donald Adeosun Faison (; born June 22, 1974) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his leading role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC/ NBC comedy-drama '' Scrubs'' (2001–2010), and a supporting role as Murray in both the film '' Cluele ...

appears in the episode where he plays the Wizard who interviews each hunting trophy in his possession.

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 ...

, Artie Esposito, Drew Massey, Michelan Sisti,

Colleen Smith Colleen Smith (May 31, 1925 – December 28, 2018) was a Canadian people, Canadian former infielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 6", 120 lb., Smith batted and threw right handed. She was born in ...

, and

are the featured puppeteers. ** Top Looks: Ben, Jake, and Robert ** Bottom Looks: Ivonne and Melissa *** Winner: Ben *** Eliminated: Ivonne

Episode 5: Life in Motion

* Airdate: April 22, 2014 * Creature Brief: After the Creature Designers have seen the large-scale

Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...

puppet that was used in one of

's tours, John Criswell mentors the Creature Designers where they create a large-scale believable creature that has real movement while running their ideas with teams' appointed puppeteers. They will also use UV paint to make it glow in the dark as part of a way to bring it to life in the dark. The large-scale creatures will be performed in the black light room.

, Nameer El-Kadi, and Drew Massey are the featured puppeteers. ** Top Looks: Ben and Melissa ** Bottom Looks: Lex and Jake *** Winner: Melissa *** Eliminated: Lex

Episode 6: Swamp Things

* Airdate: April 29, 2014 * Creature Brief: Upon the Creature Designers seeing the development of the swamp set, Julie Zobel mentors the Creature Creators where they create a swamp creature that can camouflage itself into its surroundings until they reveal themselves to eat some "Scramp Scrats". While the lighting crew and art department finishes up the swamp set, the Creature Designers must also include some mechanism in their creatures.

Neville Page Neville Page is a British-American film and television creature and concept designer. Born in England, he was raised in Manchester, and Chicago, Illinois. He was inspired by science fiction, including '' Star Wars'', and makeup artist Rick Baker ...

appears as a guest judge. Artie Esposito, Sean Johnson, Drew Massey, Michael Oosterom, and Michelan Sisti are the featured puppeteers. ** Top Looks: Melissa, Robert ** Bottom Looks: Ben, Russ *** Winner: Melissa *** Eliminated: Russ

Episode 7: Alien Press Conference

* Airdate: May 6, 2014 * Creature Brief: Gigi brings her '' Farscape'' co-star Rygel to the workshop to offer inspiration when the Creature Designers are given the task to build their original alien diplomat (which has a large outer head that has a smaller inner head as its real head as a way of traveling incognito) attending an intergalactic

press conference A press conference or news conference is a media event in which notable individuals or organizations invite journalists to hear them speak and ask questions. Press conferences are often held by politicians, corporations, non-governmental organ ...

before the Intergalactic Council as they are mentored by Peter Brooke. Barry Sonnenfeld appears as a guest judge.

, Nameer El-Kadi, Artie Esposito, Sean Johnson, Drew Massey, Michelan Sisti,

Allan Trautman Allan Trautman (born May 25, 1955) is an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Jim Henson Company. Early life He is originally from Brooklyn, New York. Trautman has a B.A. in Physics and Drama from Washington University in St. Lou ...

, and

are the featured puppeteers. ** Winner: Ben ** Eliminated: Jake

Episode 8: Tavern at the Crossroads

* Airdate: May 13, 2014 * Creature Brief: After seeing Brian Henson in his office one-by-one, the final three receiving help from the eliminated contestants (sans Josh) as they face their toughest challenge which is to design, build, and perform a full-bodied mystical creature that meets other creatures at a

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...

at the mystical crossroads to tell their stories. They also have to make some props associated with their creature and also perform some special effect. Peter Brooke, Julie Zobel, and John Criswell mentors each of the teams.

Lisa Henson Lisa Marie Henson (born May 9, 1960) is an American television and film producer and former actress who has been involved in television shows such as ''Sid the Science Kid''. She is the CEO of The Jim Henson Company, founded by her parents Jim an ...

appears in the audience with the mentors, family members, and members of The Jim Henson Company.

, Drew Massey, Michael Oosterom, Michelan Sisti,

, and

are the featured puppeteers. ** Winner: Robert

Reception

Reviews

In a review of the series' premiere episode, Newsday rated it with an A−, saying: "We don't just watch art being made, we come to understand the process."

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

awarded it an "A" rating, calling it "Wildly refreshing…" and saying "...you've never seen a reality show like this." While TV Guide's Matt Roush complained the series often felt like a copy of Face Off, he concluded: "What Creature Shop may lack in originality it makes up for in creative energy. The climactic "Screen Test" reveals are fun to watch, and the critiques are smartly constructive."

Ratings

Upon its premiere on March 25, 2014, Jim Henson's Creature Shop Challenge became Syfy's highest-rated unscripted premiere among Adults 25-54 since July 2013. During the premiere broadcast, the series averaged 1.12 million total viewers, excluding DVR viewing. Proving especially strong among female demographics, the series was Syfy's highest-rated Tuesday night reality premiere ever among Women 25-54.TV by the Numbers
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References

External links

Official Website
* {{Syfy Shows 2010s American reality television series 2014 American television series debuts 2014 American television series endings English-language television shows Syfy original programming Television series by The Jim Henson Company American television shows featuring puppetry