Puppet Masters of None

Ben and Will

Two former puppeteers (who know absolutely nothing) talk puppets, entertainment, and life.Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6 Follow us on twitter @PMoNPodcast and  Instagram and Threads @puppetmastersofnoneFind out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnoneOriginal Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/

  1. 4d ago

    Episode 108: The Muppet Show: Gilda Radner

    This week, your favorite former puppeteers revisit The Muppet Show episode featuring comedy legend Gilda Radner, where the biggest scene-stealer isn't Kermit, Miss Piggy, or even Gonzo—it's a bottle of Muppet Labs Super Adhesive. What starts as another "perfectly safe" demonstration from Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker quickly spirals into one of the show's funniest running gags, as the adhesive proves remarkably good at one thing: sticking absolutely everything to absolutely everything else. Before long, Muppets, props, and unsuspecting bystanders are becoming one giant felt-and-foam sculpture, while Gilda gamely throws herself into the escalating chaos with the commitment of someone who clearly understood the assignment. We'll break down why this episode is such a masterclass in visual comedy, how the Muppets turn a simple gag into twenty-five minutes of comic gold, and why Gilda Radner's fearless, playful energy made her a perfect fit for the Muppet Theater.  It's slapstick, super glue, and spectacular puppetry—the kind of episode that reminds us the best Muppet jokes don't just land... they stick. Send us Fan Mail 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/

  2. Jul 18

    Episode 107: Team America World Police, Interview with Kevin Carlson

    This week, your favorite fake puppeteers sit down with real puppeteer Kevin Carlson to pull back the strings on one of the most ambitious—and gloriously outrageous—marionette productions ever put on film: Team America: World Police. From precision facial manipulation and explosive action sequences to the unique challenge of making silicone actors deliver Oscar-worthy melodrama (or at least convincingly vomit in an alley), Kevin shares what it was really like behind the scenes of the cult classic from the creators of South Park. With the face of all American actor Gary Johnston himself, we talk about the painstaking craftsmanship, the technical headaches, and the moments that had an entire crew wondering what on earth they'd signed up to do. Along the way, we explore the artistry of marionette performance, the incredible engineering required to make those pint-sized action heroes run, fight, fly, and occasionally explode, and why practical puppetry can still steal the show in an age of CGI. It’s strings, satire, and stories you won't hear anywhere else—straight from a puppeteer who had a front-row seat to one of cinema's most technically audacious puppet productions. Because when the world's fate hangs by a thread... it helps to have a really good puppeteer pulling it. Send us Fan Mail 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/

  3. Feb 28

    Episode 104: The Muppet Show: Loretta Lynn

    This week, your favorite former puppeteers climb aboard one of the strangest stops in The Muppet Show canon: episode #308 featuring country icon Loretta Lynn, staged not in the familiar Muppet Theater… but on an abandoned train platform. Yes, really. Through a series of very Muppet-y mishaps, the gang finds themselves putting on the show trackside — surrounded by luggage, questionable infrastructure, and the lingering possibility that the 3:15 to nowhere might actually arrive. Loretta, cool as a coal miner’s daughter, rolls with it all: singing her hits while frogs scramble, chickens wander, and Gonzo almost certainly violates several railway safety codes. We unpack the episode’s delightfully ramshackle setting, how the change of scenery fuels the comedy, and why country music and train platforms feel like a match made in honky-tonk heaven. There’s something poetically perfect about Loretta Lynn bringing grounded, heartfelt storytelling to a show that’s literally off the rails. It’s banjos, baggage carts, and backstage bedlam — proof that no matter the venue, the Muppets will raise the curtain… even if they have to nail it to a railway post first. 🚂🐸 Send us Fan Mail 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/

  4. Feb 21

    Episode 103: Gullah Gullah Island

    This week, your favorite former puppeteers grab their sunscreen and head to the sandy shores of 90s children’s television to revisit Gullah Gullah Island — the Nickelodeon gem that gave us catchy songs, cultural celebration, and one of the most joyfully chaotic frog puppets ever committed to broadcast. We dive into how the show blended music, storytelling, and Gullah Geechee culture into something genuinely groundbreaking for preschool TV — all while Binya Binya (yes, that bright yellow frog) bounced around like a mascot who drank too much fruit punch. We’ll unpack the puppetry, the suit performance challenges, and the fine art of acting opposite a six-foot amphibian with permanent jazz hands. Along the way, we’ll explore the show’s legacy, why representation matters, and how Gullah Gullah Island managed to feel both educational and like a beach party that wandered onto cable access. It’s nostalgia with rhythm, puppetry with purpose, and a reminder that sometimes the most powerful stories come wrapped in bright colors and floppy foam limbs. Because when it comes to great preschool television, sometimes all it takes is a little rhythm, a little heart, and a frog in oversized sneakers.  Send us Fan Mail 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/

  5. Feb 14

    Episode 102: The Valentine's Day That Almost Wasn't

    This week, your favorite ex-puppeteers crack open a heart-shaped box of early-’80s television weirdness and revisit the 1982 holiday special The Valentine’s Day That Almost Wasn’t—a delightfully scrappy, foam-and-felt fairy tale that asks the eternal question: what if Valentine’s Day… just didn’t happen? When the wickedly evil villain, Rubella Slime, concocts a plan to replace all the Valentine's love potion with Hostile, Arrogant, and Terribly Evil (H.A.T.E....Get it?...) potion,  it’s up to a ragtag corps of rookie cupids to save romance itself. Stakes: high. Budget: low. Felt density: extreme. We dig into the special’s handmade charm, old-school TV magic tricks, and the kind of puppetry that feels like it was built in someone’s garage at 2 a.m. with hot glue and blind optimism. Along the way, we unpack the puppet design, the analog effects, and whether these slightly lumpy, deeply sincere puppets hold up in the twenty first century. It’s sweet, strange, and just cheesy enough—like a construction-paper valentine from a puppet with no fingers. Because nothing says “happy valentine” like saving a holiday with a giant love bazooka. Send us Fan Mail 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/

  6. Feb 7

    Episode 101: The Muppet Show; Sabrina Carpenter

    They're back! You know they couldn't miss this one! This week, your favorite former puppeteers step back into the beloved chaos of The Muppet Show — but not the one that aired in the 1970s. Nope, it’s the glammed-up, vaudeville-meets-pop-star spectacle of the 2026 Muppet Show special featuring guest star Sabrina Carpenter, live from the Muppet Theater and streaming on Disney+ and ABC.  We unpack how this 50th-anniversary celebration revives the classic variety format with all your favorite foam-faced performers — Kermit desperately trying to herd chickens and pigs in wigs, Miss Piggy insisting she’s still the biggest star on any stage, and Gonzo’s chaos meter cranked to eleven. Carpenter brings her musical chops (and a generous helping of charm) to the upright mayhem, dueting, slinging drinks, (quite literally) and even very nearly out-divaing Miss Piggy.  Along the way, we’ll share our own takes on all of these brand new, but still timeless performances, and why The Muppet Show reboot somehow feels like both a love letter to its past and a neon sign pointing toward its future.  Because at the end of the day — “It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…” and it’s definitely time to let the Muppets have their moment again. Kinks and all. Send us Fan Mail 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/

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Two former puppeteers (who know absolutely nothing) talk puppets, entertainment, and life.Join the discussion on our discord! https://discord.gg/JDtWJrhPF6 Follow us on twitter @PMoNPodcast and  Instagram and Threads @puppetmastersofnoneFind out more about the puppet masters on our website: https://puppetmastersofnone.wixsite.com/puppetmastersofnoneOriginal Music Composed by Taetro. @Taetro  https://www.taetro.com/