One hundred episodes! How time flies! In honor of the hundredth Puppet Masters of None, the PMoN boys recap all the movies and shows that they have placed on the Space to Carol spectrum over the years. Which ones shall stay put, which ones shall be knocked down a peg or two, and which ones shall rise to eternal glory? Who can say? Listen in to hear the boys rehash all the old arguments over again, a little older, a little wiser, and a heck of a lot more pedantically! 

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Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, your favorite ex-puppeteers head straight into the uncanny valley to talk about the most homicidal hunk of plastic ever stitched together: Chucky from the Child’s Play franchise.

From his humble beginnings as a “Good Guy” doll to his long career of gleeful murder sprees, we’ll explore how a pint-sized puppet became a horror icon. Expect behind-the-scenes tales of animatronics, puppetry wizardry, and the sheer number of people it takes to make one tiny toy look terrifying. (Spoiler: it’s more than you think.)

We’ll also wrestle with the big questions: Is Chucky the ultimate anti-Muppet? What makes a puppet scary instead of silly? And could Gonzo survive a dinner party with him?

Because whether you laugh or scream, one thing’s certain: when it comes to puppets, Chucky really kills.

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Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, your favorite ex-puppeteers once again spin the magical monthly muppet wheel, where it landed on guest star Señor Wences proving that sometimes the funniest puppets are literally on the back of your hand.

Armed with his fist-faced friend “Johnny” and the ever-squished “Pedro,” Wences brought his old-school ventriloquism into the Muppet Theatre—and somehow kept a straight face while sharing the stage with comedian bears, diva pigs, and a frog with chronic stress. It was a mashup of vaudeville minimalism and Muppet maximalism, and the result? Pure “’S’alright!”

We’ll revisit the sketches, unpack the backstage chaos, and ask the big questions: Did Pedro ever get claustrophobic? And how did Kermit keep things together when half his cast was made of felt and the other half was literally someone’s left hand?

Because when the Muppets meet Señor Wences, the only possible review is… ’S’alright!

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Find out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnone

Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, your favorite ex-puppeteers grab their popcorn and a bucket of felt as they revisit the 1981 television special The Muppets Go to the Movies.

Part clip show, part genre spoof, and all chaotic charm, this special saw Kermit, Piggy, and the gang lampoon Hollywood’s greatest hits—from westerns and silent films to musicals, monster flicks, and even a dash of epic melodrama. Along for the ride were guest stars Lily Tomlin and Dudley Moore, each gleefully throwing themselves into the Muppet madness with the kind of commitment only true comedy legends can deliver. 

Along the way, we’ll share behind-the-scenes tidbits, geek out over the puppetry tricks that made it all possible, and debate which genre the Muppets truly conquered (spoiler: it might be “unintentional surrealism”).

Because when the Muppets go to the movies, it’s never just a tribute—it’s a felt-covered takeover.

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Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, your favorite ex-puppeteers tackle the foam-rubber fiasco known as Mac and Me—the 1988 E.T. knockoff so brazen, it makes you wonder if anyone at the studio had actually seen E.T. (or sobriety).

We dig into the wobbly alien puppetry, the animatronics that look like they were powered by a car battery on its last legs, and of course, that infamous McDonald’s dance sequence that plays like a fever dream sponsored by fries. Along the way, we’ll explore how this cult catastrophe came to be, how an iconic creature studio could produce such a disastrous puppet, and why Paul Rudd has spent decades keeping it alive on Conan.

It’s part roast, part puppet autopsy, and part ode to the kind of movie that’s so bad, it somehow becomes immortal.

Because sometimes puppets inspire wonder… and sometimes they inspire lawsuits.

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Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, our two former puppeteers revisit the delightfully bizarre—and terribly provocative—Peter Sellers episode of The Muppet Show. Sellers arrives not as himself, but as every outrageously caricatured persona you can imagine: a fiddle-playing Romani, an overbearing German masseuse channeling Dr. Strangelove, a regal (and bearded) Queen Victoria, and a cryptic cameo as Inspector Clouseau himself.

We celebrate Sellers’ chameleon-like genius—but we also confront the problematic stereotypes. Many sketches now come with legitimate cultural baggage. The torqued-up massage gag, for example, walks a fine line between homage and grotesque parody. All the while, Sellers’ famous existential quip—"There is no me… I had it surgically removed"—adds an unsettling and surreal layer to the slapstick.

Making this episode even more a mixed bag, we find a legendary performance from Kermit that is equal parts beautiful and empowering. Join us as we unpack the comedy, the controversy, and the poetry of this episode; and why revisiting it forces us to laugh, cringe, and reflect—all at once.

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Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, your favorite ex-puppeteers turn up the heat—literally—as they dive into the towering, flame-bound tradition of Zozobra, the giant puppet who goes up in smoke every year at Santa Fe’s legendary Fiestas de Santa Fe.

Standing over 50 feet tall and packed with gloom (and a lot of fireworks), Zozobra isn’t your average marionette—he’s a full-blown cultural catharsis. We trace his origins back to 1924, explore how a papier-mâché behemoth became the ultimate community puppet, and share the behind-the-scenes secrets of how he’s built, operated, and finally set ablaze in front of thousands of cheering fans.

It’s history, ritual, pyrotechnics—and the rare puppet gig where being reduced to ashes is all part of the job description.

Because sometimes, the best way to deal with your inner demons… is to stuff them into a giant effigy and light a match.

Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6

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Find out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnone

Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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Puppet Masters of None! A podcast where two former puppeteers talk Muppets, puppets, and everything in between. Join us as we kick off season 2!

Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6

Follow us on twitter @PMoNPodcast and on Instagram and Threads @puppetmastersofnone

Find out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnone

Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, on PMoN your favorite ex-puppeteers leap headfirst into The Frog Prince—the 1971 Muppet television special that proved true love’s kiss is even weirder when the smooch involves felt.

We revisit Kermit in his pre-Muppet Show side hustle, meet Robin the Frog in his debut role, and marvel at the gloriously oddball supporting cast (looking at you, witchy Taminella Grinderfall). Along the way, we hop through the special’s fairy-tale roots, behind-the-scenes Henson magic, and the slightly alarming amount of medieval lute music.

It’s part nostalgia trip, part puppet masterclass, and entirely an excuse to say “bake the hall in the candle of her brain” into a microphone over and over again.

Because while we may not have our hand in puppetry anymore… we still know our way around a lily pad.

Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6

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Find out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnone

Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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This week, your favorite retired puppet wranglers stomp into the latex-and-foam wonderland of the 1991 ABC sitcom Dinosaurs—the prehistoric family comedy that was part TGIF hug-fest, part biting social satire, and entirely animatronic absurdity.

From Earl Sinclair’s mating dance to Baby’s wooden spoon, we dig into how Jim Henson’s Creature Shop brought the Stone Age to prime time—complete with full-body suits, radio-controlled faces, and enough sweat inside those costumes to fill a tar pit. Along the way, we unearth behind-the-scenes stories, meet the humans inside the dinos, and revisit the finale that traumatized an entire generation of unsuspecting children.

It’s nostalgia with teeth, puppetry with purpose, and just enough Baby Sinclair to make you flinch.

Because even 65 million years later, we’re still… not the mama.

Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6

Follow us on twitter @PMoNPodcast and on Instagram and Threads @puppetmastersofnone

Find out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnone

Original Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

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