The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin
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''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' is a children's
animated television series An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...
based on
Teddy Ruxpin Teddy Ruxpin is an animatronic children's toy in the form of a talking 'Illiop', a creature which looks like a bear. The toy's mouth and eyes move while he reenacts stories played on an audio tape cassette deck built into its back. It was crea ...
, an
animatronic Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
teddy bear A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, ...
created by
Ken Forsse Earl Kenneth Forsse (September 17, 1936 – March 19, 2014) was an American inventor, author, and producer who created the toy Teddy Ruxpin and the subsequent animated series ''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin''. After working for The Walt Disney C ...
and distributed by toy manufacturer Worlds of Wonder. Produced in 1986–7 for
television syndication Broadcast syndication is the practice of leasing the right to broadcasting television shows and radio programs to multiple television stations and radio stations, without going through a broadcast network. It is common in the United States where ...
by DIC Enterprises with
Atkinson Film-Arts Atkinson Film-Arts was an animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The company is best known for producing the first two Care Bears television specials – ''The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings'' and ''The Care Bears Battle th ...
, the series employed many of the same voice actors used in the book-and-tape series that was made for the eponymous animatronic toy. While some of the stories used in the TV series were adapted from the books, many were original and greatly expanded upon the world established there. The series differed from traditional children's animation in that most of its 65 episodes were serialized rather than in traditional episodic form. In the United States, the series was originally syndicated by
LBS Communications The Lexington Broadcast Services Company (first known as Lexington Broadcast Services and later known as LBS Communications) was a television production and syndication company formed on November 15, 1976, by advertising pioneer Henry Siegel, wh ...
. Today, all international distribution rights to the series were previously held by Don Taffner's
DLT Entertainment Donald L. Taffner (November 29, 1930 - September 6, 2011) was an American television producer. Taffner and his wife-business partner Eleanor Bolta were responsible for bringing to the U.S. such television shows as ''Three's Company'', ''Too Close ...
. The series is currently owned by
The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company (formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc.; commonly referred to as Henson) is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is known for ...
under its HIP (Henson Independent Properties) subsidary.


Plot

''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' follows 15-year-old Teddy Ruxpin as he leaves his home on the island of Rillonia with his best friend Grubby to follow an ancient map which leads him to find a collection of crystals on the mainland of Grundo. With the help of his new friend Dr. Newton Gimmick, Teddy and Grubby discover the magical powers of what turns out to be an ancestral treasure as well as an organization with ambitions to use it for evil known as M.A.V.O. (short for Monsters and Villains Organization). Along the way, Teddy learns the long-lost history of his species and clues to the location of his missing father.


Series history

In mid-1986,
Atkinson Film-Arts Atkinson Film-Arts was an animation studio based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The company is best known for producing the first two Care Bears television specials – ''The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings'' and ''The Care Bears Battle th ...
of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada was commissioned to co-produce (with Worlds of Wonder, Alchemy II, and DiC) a 65 episode animated television series based on the World of
Teddy Ruxpin Teddy Ruxpin is an animatronic children's toy in the form of a talking 'Illiop', a creature which looks like a bear. The toy's mouth and eyes move while he reenacts stories played on an audio tape cassette deck built into its back. It was crea ...
characters. The series followed a prior attempt to produce a live-action series which had proved too difficult and expensive. Atkinson was in charge of the principal animation and casting. Of the previous voice actors associated with the Teddy Ruxpin property, only
Phil Baron Philip Mitchell Baron (born May 10, 1949) is an American voice actor, puppeteer and songwriter who voiced Piglet in the Disney Channel live-action/puppet television series '' Welcome to Pooh Corner''. He was also the voice of the title characte ...
(Teddy) and
Will Ryan William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film ''The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner ...
(Grubby) traveled to Canada to remain part of the cast; most other characters were re-cast with local Canadian voice talent. The series was originally intended to continue after the first series of episodes, but because of economic problems at Worlds of Wonder (the series' primary financial partner), a second set of episodes was not produced while Worlds of Wonder still had rights to the property. Interest remains among the owners of the Teddy Ruxpin property and the fanbase to continue the story originated in the animated series, which ended its 65-episode run in somewhat of a
cliffhanger A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
.


Characters


Main characters

The three main protagonists, often referred to collectively in fandom as The Trio: * Teddy Ruxpin (voiced by
Phil Baron Philip Mitchell Baron (born May 10, 1949) is an American voice actor, puppeteer and songwriter who voiced Piglet in the Disney Channel live-action/puppet television series '' Welcome to Pooh Corner''. He was also the voice of the title characte ...
) - The protagonist of the series. He is a teenage Illiop (roughly 15) whose father disappeared when he was a child. He comes to Grundo to follow a treasure map. Like other Illiops, he is kind and friendly. He loves adventure, meeting new faces, and having new experiences. * Grubby (voiced by
Will Ryan William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film ''The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner ...
) - Teddy's best friend who is an Octopede about Teddy's age. Noted for his large appetite, he is fond of cooking and eating ''root stew'' and other foods made from roots (which usually do not taste good to non-Octopedes). Though not the bravest or smartest of Teddy's friends, he always sticks by Teddy. * Newton Gimmick (voiced by John Stocker) - A balding Perloon inventor with a severe stuttering problem and a broad and otherwise questionable definition of "science". Most of his "inventions" either do not work or don't serve any real purpose. Newton is also somewhat absent-minded. He is usually referred to simply as Gimmick.


Allies

*
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
Arin (voiced by Robert Bockstael) - The brave Illiper son of the king and queen of Grundo. He lives at Grundo Castle and speaks with a British-sounding accent. He first met the heroic trio while searching for his kidnapped sister. *
Princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...
Aruzia (voiced by
Abby Hagyard Abby Hagyard is a Canadian television actress, voice artist, and comedian, best known for her appearances on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy television series ''You Can't Do That on Television'', and her voice work on animated adaptations of ''The ...
) - Prince Arin's younger sister who has a sweet demeanor. Though a princess, she does not mind doing work. Wooly apparently has a crush on her. * The Wooly Whatsit (voiced by Pier Kohl) - A large furry purple creature who is not very bright, but very helpful and good-hearted. Later revealed to be a Snowzo, a legendary
yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
is an ape-like creature purported t ...
-like species. He is usually referred to simply as Wooly. * Leota (voiced by
Holly Larocque Holly Larocque is a Canadian actress and theatre performer. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Holly is perhaps best known for her role as Holly Higgins on the children's series ''Under the Umbrella Tree'' which aired from 1986 to 1993. She resumed the ro ...
) - A strict but kind Woodsprite and
teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
. Most of her students are elves and woodsprites, but Wooly joined the class as well. * Louie (voiced by
Will Ryan William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film ''The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner ...
) - A Grunge filmographer. * Burl Ruxpin (voiced by
Phil Baron Philip Mitchell Baron (born May 10, 1949) is an American voice actor, puppeteer and songwriter who voiced Piglet in the Disney Channel live-action/puppet television series '' Welcome to Pooh Corner''. He was also the voice of the title characte ...
) - Teddy's long-lost father. An Illiop who lost his memory a long time ago and lived as a hermit, but regained his identity toward the end of the series.


Villains

* M.A.V.O. - Short for Monsters and Villains Organization, it is an organization that terrorizes the land of Grundo. ** Quellor (voiced by Les Lye) - The Supreme Oppressor of M.A.V.O. and the main antagonist of the series. Quellor is an unspecified creature dressed in dark heavy robes who sees the Illiops as an enemy to his master plan of regaining all six crystals to the one he has in The Black Box. With them, his darkness will reign supremely over the land of Grundo. *** Sludge - An unspecified blue creature with red hair who is one of Quellor's henchmonsters and a monster in M.A.V.O. *** Trudge - An unspecified green-gray creature with black spots who is one of Quellor's henchmonsters and a monster in M.A.V.O. *** Drudge - An unspecified yellow, orange, and blue creature who is one of Quellor's henchmonsters and a monster in M.A.V.O. *** Dweezil - Quellor's pet rat/
bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...
creature that is often used by Quellor to send secret messages. ** Ickley Bognostroclum (voiced by Pier Kohl) - A Troll who is the
gatekeeper A gatekeeper is a person who controls access to something, for example via a city gate or bouncer, or more abstractly, controls who is granted access to a category or status. Gatekeepers assess who is "in or out", in the classic words of manage ...
of M.A.V.O. Ickley has the encyclopedic knowledge of all of M.A.V.O.'s rules and laws. He is also a good friend of Eleanor Tweeg. ** Mrs. Maggotheart - An unspecified creature who is the dues collector of M.A.V.O. and makes sure its members pay their dues. ** Understander of Legends (voiced by John Stocker) - A member of M.A.V.O. who serves as the interpreter of the ancient runes. * Jack W. Tweeg (voiced by John Koensgen) - A Troll/Grunge hybrid and an evil wizard-wannabe who thinks he has a recipe to turn buttermilk into gold, is very suspicious, and often spies on Gimmick from his tower. Usually referred to as simply Tweeg, he has desperately wanted to join M.A.V.O. where his plans have often been ridiculed by Quellor. ** L.B. (voiced by Robert Bockstael) - Short for Lead Bounder, L.B. is a sarcastic Bounder who usually acts as Tweeg's henchman. L.B. does not show a particularly high degree of loyalty or intelligence, but has enough sense to know that Tweeg's schemes never work. L.B. constantly calls Tweeg by
variations Variation or Variations may refer to: Science and mathematics * Variation (astronomy), any perturbation of the mean motion or orbit of a planet or satellite, particularly of the moon * Genetic variation, the difference in DNA among individuals ...
of his name, such as "Twix" or "Twizzle", much to Tweeg's annoyance. * Eleanor Tweeg (voiced by
Abby Hagyard Abby Hagyard is a Canadian television actress, voice artist, and comedian, best known for her appearances on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy television series ''You Can't Do That on Television'', and her voice work on animated adaptations of ''The ...
) - A Troll who is the mother of Jack W. Tweeg. She supports his campaign and is good friends with Ickley Bognostroclum.


Species

''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' features a large menagerie of sentient species for its character base: * Illiops: Humanoid
bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
-like creatures, with kind dispositions. Reside in modern Rillonia after a forced mass exodus from ancient Grundo, where they had an advanced civilization. * Octopedes: Yellow and
caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
-like creatures with eight legs & orange spots, each with fully-formed hands. The first pair are employed as hands, while the rest are used for walking. Are often culturally
nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, but have no trouble with a diurnal lifestyle. * Perloons: Humans who usually are professional in nature (e.g. scientist, doctor, wizard). * Illipers: The near-relatives to humans but broad-faced with flat noses, who live in a medieval-type society with a royal monarchy. In ancient times, they shared a close association with the civilization of the Illiops. * Grunges: Relatives of the Illipers but jungle-dwellers with antennae in lieu of ears, who tend to be passionate about their hobbies. There are two distinct cultures: the tough and hardy jungle Grunges, and the laid-back, fun-loving, hippie-like surf Grunges. * Fobs: Small, furry, limbless, multicolored and
penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...
-like creatures, sometimes kept as sapient pets. * Elves: Tiny humanoids with pointy ears and shoes. Share a common culture with the Woodsprites. * Woodsprites: Tiny humanoids with butterfly-like wings. Share a common culture with the Elves. * Snowzos: A race of large, white and
yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''.
is an ape-like creature purported t ...
-like creatures who look more dangerous than they are. Prefer very cold temperatures. * Bounders: A race of red, round, two-legged creatures with a
rhinoceros A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
-like horn on top of their heads, usually sarcastic. They are said by some viewers to resemble Ripto from the ''
Spyro the Dragon ''Spyro the Dragon'' is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation on September 9, 1998. The first game in the ''Spyro'' series, it stars the title character, a young purple dr ...
'' series. * Mudblups: A race of large and lumpy animated blobs of mud, dull-witted and slow-moving but very strong. Sensitive to bright light, since all of their lives are spent underground. *
Troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...
s: Green & thin creatures with pointed noses. For them, being good means being bad. * Gutangs: Green and
monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
-like creatures who wear brown tribal
owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...
-like armor, usually belligerent. Known for attacking in their fixed-wing flying machines. * Anythings: Small shy creatures able to change into other objects, e.g., carrots, potatoes, other produce. They use their ability to hide. They were previously called Nothings.


The Seven Crystals of Grundo

* The First Crystal (Imagination) – Shrink and Grow * The Second Crystal (Honesty) – Duplication * The Third Crystal (Bravery) – Invisibility * The Fourth Crystal (Trust) – Oxygen Generator * The Fifth Crystal (Friendship) – Speed Altering * The Sixth Crystal (Freedom) – Flight Ability * The Seventh Crystal (The Black Box) – Restore and Erase Memory


The episodes


Overview

Although the series is mostly serialized, it is further broken down into weekly story arcs which involve visiting a different part of Grundo or exploring a major plot thread, often ending in cliffhangers. Some story lines were taken directly from the toy's book & tape story sets, with secondary plots added to increase the running time.


Protect Yourself

Due to the partnership between Worlds of Wonder and the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is a private, nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress. In September 2013, the United States House of Representatives, United States Senate, and the Pres ...
, when the series was originally syndicated, each episode included a short segment called "Protect Yourself" which ran after a teaser for the next episode and prior to the credits. It featured an animated Teddy Ruxpin on a live-action set, who would introduce contemporary child stars such as
Jason Bateman Jason Kent Bateman (born January 14, 1969) is an American actor, director and producer known for his roles of Michael Bluth in the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox/Netflix sitcom ''Arrested Development (TV series), Arrested Development'' and of Mart ...
,
Brice Beckham James Brice Beckham (born February 11, 1976) is an American actor most famous for his role as Wesley T. Owens in the television sitcom ''Mr. Belvedere'' and for his role as Corey in '' I Hate My 30's''. He lives in Los Angeles and is a member of ...
,
Tiffany Brissette Tiffany Michelle Brissette (born December 26, 1974) is an American nurse and former child actress. She is best known for her role as Vicki the Robot (also known as Vicki Lawson) on the syndicated American sitcom ''Small Wonder'', which aired fro ...
,
Shannen Doherty Shannen Doherty (, born April 12, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jenny Wilder in ''Little House on the Prairie'' (1982–1983); Maggie Malene in ''Girls Just Want to Have Fun'' (1985); Kris Witherspoon in '' Our Hous ...
,
Corey Feldman Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for roles in the 1980s in films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), ''Gremlins'' (1984), ''The Goonies'' (1985), a ...
. and
Shalane McCall Shalane McCall (born September 16, 1972) is a former American child actress and model, best known for appearing for five seasons (1983–1988) on the hit CBS prime-time soap opera ''Dallas'' playing Charlotte "Charlie" Wade, the daughter of Jenn ...
. The guest would then give young viewers advice on topics such as avoiding strangers, what to do in an emergency, how to respond to inappropriate touching, or running away. A common theme was to talk to a trusted grown up for help.


Season 1 (1986–87)


Season 2 (1987)


Cast

*
Phil Baron Philip Mitchell Baron (born May 10, 1949) is an American voice actor, puppeteer and songwriter who voiced Piglet in the Disney Channel live-action/puppet television series '' Welcome to Pooh Corner''. He was also the voice of the title characte ...
– Teddy Ruxpin, Burl Ruxpin *
Will Ryan William Frank Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021) was an American voice actor, musician and singer. He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated film ''The Land Before Time''. He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner ...
– Grubby, Louie * John Stocker – Newton Gimmick, Understander of Legends * John Koensgen – Jack W. Tweeg, the Wizard of Weegee * Robert Bockstael – L.B., Prince Arin *
Abby Hagyard Abby Hagyard is a Canadian television actress, voice artist, and comedian, best known for her appearances on Nickelodeon's sketch comedy television series ''You Can't Do That on Television'', and her voice work on animated adaptations of ''The ...
– Princess Aruzia, Eleanor Tweeg, Eunice * Pier Kohl – The Wooly Whatsit, Ickley Bognostroclum, Additional Voices *
Holly Larocque Holly Larocque is a Canadian actress and theatre performer. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Holly is perhaps best known for her role as Holly Higgins on the children's series ''Under the Umbrella Tree'' which aired from 1986 to 1993. She resumed the ro ...
– Leota the Woodsprite * Les Lye – Quellor, Additional Voices * Heather Esdon – Additional Voices * Donna Farron – Additional Voices * Rick Jones – Additional Voices * Anna MacCormack – Additional Voices * Doug Stratton – Additional Voices * Terrence Scammell – Digger, Additional Voices NOTE: In the tape & book series and the animatronic pilot episode,
Tony Pope Anthony J. Pope (March 22, 1947 – February 11, 2004), also known as "Anthony Mozdy", was an American voice actor. He is best remembered for voicing Goofy for eleven years. He also worked on the first two DVDs of LeapFrog Enterprises, LeapFrog, ...
voiced Gimmick, Will Ryan also voiced Tweeg, Prince Arin, and Wooly,
Katie Leigh Katherine Elizabeth "Katie" Leigh Joseph (born December 16, 1958) is an American voice actress, best known for her roles as Sunni Gummi in ''Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears'', Zuzu in ''Poppy Cat'', Alex in the first two seasons of ''Tot ...
voiced Princess Aruzia, and
Russi Taylor Russi Taylor (May 4, 1944 – July 26, 2019) was an American voice actress. She is best remembered as the official voice of Minnie Mouse from 1986 to 2019, and was notably married to voice actor Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, until his ...
voiced Leota.


VHS/DVD releases

Between 1987 and 1988,
Hi-Tops Video Hi-Tops Video was a children's home video sublabel of Media Home Entertainment (a division of Heron Communications), active from 1986 until 1992. Some of its releases include some Charlie Brown specials, ''Madeline'' and primarily some of the or ...
released twelve volumes of the series (17 episodes) on VHS. They featured between 1 and 3 episodes per tape, and often had a live-action Teddy Ruxpin as a host. In February 2006,
First National Pictures First National Pictures was an American motion picture production and distribution company. It was founded in 1917 as First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Inc., an association of independent theatre owners in the United States, and became the count ...
released two volumes of the series (11 episodes) on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
. Two additional volumes were to be released to complete the series but for unknown reasons they were never released. In January 2008, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released all 65 episodes in three volume sets. Later in January 2009, Mill Creek Entertainment released a 6-disc complete series box set featuring all 65 episodes on DVD for the first time. As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print. As of 2012,
Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 ...
have acquired the rights to the series. On July 10, 2012, they released a 10-disc set featuring all 65 episodes of the series entitled ''The Complete Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' on DVD in Region 1.


Original concept

Originally, Alchemy II Inc. had hoped to create a live-action series using animatronic characters, as Ken Forsse had helped Disney do with ''
Welcome to Pooh Corner ''Welcome to Pooh Corner'' is a live-action/puppet television series that aired on Disney Channel, featuring the characters from the Winnie the Pooh universe portrayed by actors in human-sized puppet suits, except Roo, who was originally a traditio ...
'' and ''
Dumbo's Circus ''Dumbo's Circus'' is a live action/puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. The puppeteer uses movements of their hands, arms, or co ...
''. Due to production costs and difficulties in this format, Forsse, AlchemyII and Worlds of Wonder decided animation would be a better route and the 65 episode animated series was created. The pilot episode of what would have been the animatronic series was instead broadcast as an ''
ABC Weekend Special ''ABC Weekend Special'' is a weekly 30-minute American television anthology series for children that aired Saturday mornings on ABC from 1977 to 1997, which featured a wide variety of stories that were both live-action and animated. Similar to bo ...
'' in two parts airing from November 30 to December 7, 1985, and also aired in syndication as a 2-part episode. The show can be found on videocassette. The "animatronic movie", as it's called by Teddy Ruxpin fans, used primarily the same voice talent as the Teddy Ruxpin toy software had, most of which (with the exception of Phil Baron and Will Ryan) were replaced in the later animated TV series by Canadian voice talent.


Impact in popular culture

''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' (Мечето Ръкспин), was one of the first Western cartoon shows to be seen by the population of
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
in the late 1980s. The influence of this show can be seen in the text of the contemporary
post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
band REVIEW (РЕВЮ) and their song "Teddy Ruxpin

also, the first underground music shop to open in the nation's capital of Sofia, was and is to this date called MAVO (ОЧЗ), in reference to the antagonists in the cartoon show. ''
Brigsby Bear ''Brigsby Bear'' is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Dave McCary in his feature directorial debut, written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney, and starring Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, Matt Walsh, ...
'', a 2017 American film, featured an animatronic bear suit, similar to the one in the animatronic pilot for the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin. In the plot of the film, the suit is used in the production of a children's television series, which features magical crystals and creatures, just as ''The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin'' cartoon did.


References


External links


Teddy Ruxpin Online- A Fan Website with an interview with creator Ken Forsse

Illiop.com
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adventures Of Teddy Ruxpin, The 1980s American daily animated television series 1980s Canadian animated television series 1986 American television series debuts 1986 Canadian television series debuts 1987 American television series endings 1987 Canadian television series endings ABC Weekend Special American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series American children's animated fantasy television series American television shows based on children's books Animated television series about bears Canadian children's animated adventure television series Canadian children's animated comedy television series Canadian children's animated fantasy television series Canadian television shows based on children's books English-language television shows Fictional anthropomorphic characters First-run syndicated television programs in the United States Teletoon original programming Television series by DIC Entertainment Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows based on toys YTV (Canadian TV channel) original programming