Top 50 Muppets! (LoC #80)

[anais.butterfly]

Top 50 Muppets!!
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/tgbNymZ7vqY" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/tgbNymZ7vqY</a>
Bio

The Muppets are a group of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy. Having been created in 1955 by Jim Henson, they are the namesake for the Disney media franchise that encompasses films, television series, music recordings, print publications, and other media associated with The Muppet Show characters.
Henson once stated that the term "Muppet" had been created as a portmanteau of the words "marionette" and "puppet", but also claimed that it was actually a word he had coined.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 50 (tie)
 

Fizzgig
  5 Points, 2 of 13 lists, #22 Relaxing Dragon
First Appearance: The Dark Crystal
 Performer: Dave Goelz • (Puppeteer); Percy Edwards • (Voice)
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/p0iRbfxPpVY" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/p0iRbfxPpVY</a>
Bio

Fizzgig, a "friendly monster", is the loyal sidekick and pet-like companion of Kira. Like most Fizzgigs, he has sharp teeth, and an intimidating growl. He joins Jen and Kira on their journey into the castle and proves to be a great addition in the battle to bring natural order back to Thra.

[anais.butterfly]

Number 50 (tie)
 

The Christmas Turkey
  5 Points, 1 of 13 lists, #21 Sugar Ray Dodge
First Appearance: A Muppet Family Christmas
Notable Appearances: A Muppet Christmas Carol, Bohemian Rhapsody
Performer: Steve Whitmire
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/UvuRo2k8rl4" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/UvuRo2k8rl4</a> (Start at 6:31)
Bio

The Christmas Turkey is invited to Ma Bear's farmhouse by the Swedish Chef in the 1987 special A Muppet Family Christmas, not realizing that he's the main course for Christmas dinner. He distracts the Chef, at first by tricking him into thinking Sprocket is the turkey, and later pointing him towards Big Bird as an even better target, and he competes with Gonzo for Camilla's attention, however during the Carol Sing Medley, the Turkey appears to have made peace with Gonzo.
The puppet returned for a cameo in The Muppet Christmas Carol, as a squawking Christmas turkey being sold by a frackle, who addresses him as Martin.
He was later recycled as Mr. Warble in the Mopatop's Shop episode, "Animal Choir", and he was seen in the Swedish Chef's clutches in the Muppet viral video for "Bohemian Rhapsody".

[anais.butterfly]

Number 49 (tie)
 

Herry Monster
  6 Points, 1 of 13 lists, #20 Pak
First Appearance: Sesame Street
 Performer: Jerry Nelson
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/scu9zzC5U3g" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/scu9zzC5U3g</a>
Bio

Herry Monster is a Sesame Street monster who doesn't know his own strength. Herry first appeared in 1970, replacing the Beautiful Day Monster in the Sesame monster troupe.
Herry was often seen in Muppet & Kid Moments, relating to real children, and in later seasons appeared in the recurring sketch Monsters in Day Care. Herry has also participated in many of Prairie Dawn's pageants, as well as appearing in such Monsterpiece Theater segments as "Chariots of Fur", "Guys and Dolls", and "ABCD Blue".
Herry hosted the Fuzzy Awards in the video Monster Hits! and he was an anchorman in We All Sing Together.
He has a mother, a father and a grandmother. He has a sister named Herriet (seen in a 1977 episode) and another named Flossie, seen in several storybooks. He also has a doll named Hercules who has been seen with him in "Guys and Dolls," "Song for Two," "Moonshine" a song with Zoe where they sing about their dollies (EKA: Episode 3910), and when he slept over at Gabi's in a 1998 episode.
*Note* I might have gotten the monster wrong, as Conor’s blog post can attest to: http://blog.rifftrax.com/2008/03/27/get-your-hairy-monsters-straight/
 

[anais.butterfly]

 

Number 49 (tie)
 

The Snowman
  6 Points, 1 of 13 lists, #20 Sugar Ray Dodge
First Appearance: A Muppet Family Christmas
Notable Appearances: A Muppet Christmas Carol, Sesame Street (2011)
Performer: Richard Hunt
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/EzJR6-kRVHg" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/EzJR6-kRVHg</a>
Start at 0:53
Bio

The Snowman befriends Fozzie Bear in the 1987 special A Muppet Family Christmas. Fozzie builds the Snowman, who comes to life and becomes Fozzie's comedy partner. The pair sing "Sleigh Ride" together with some woodland animals.
Hoping to cheer Kermit up, Fozzie and the Snowman attempt their comedy act, only to be heckled by Statler and Waldorf. Defeated and melting, the Snowman spends the rest of the night on the back porch. He also appears in the annual carol sing during "Caroling, Caroling".
 

[anais.butterfly]

 

Number 48
 

The Doozers
  7 Points, 2 of 13 lists, #21 CJones
First Appearance: Fraggle Rock
Performer: Various
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/1abGUL626yo" target="_blank" class="new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/1abGUL626yo</a>
Bio

The Doozers are a race of characters from Fraggle Rock who love to work. They're tiny, green creatures who usually sport construction helmets, boots, and tool belts. Doozers stand approximately knee-high to Fraggles, at six inches tall. [1]
Unlike Fraggles, Doozers love to work all day long, and they hate playing games. Most Doozers are construction workers, while others are architects or miners. With the help of various Doozer machines and vehicles, they build elaborate constructions all over Fraggle Rock, like towers, buildings, roads and bridges.

[CJones]

I was very tempted to include Fizzgig, but I couldn't decide who to drop to make room for him.

Fun Fact: The Doozers were remote controlled. They originally tried to make them manually controlled, like every other creature on the show, but because they were so small they couldn't get the mechanics of it to work.

[Tripe]

Henson once stated that the term "Muppet" had been created as a portmanteau of the words "marionette" and "puppet", but also claimed that it was actually a word he had coined.

Those two things aren't contradictory.

[mattwnelson]

Wow. I totally forgot about Herry Monster. I liked him as a kid.

[Johnny Unusual]

The Herry Monster video made my day.  I would count with that kid all day.

Henson once stated that the term "Muppet" had been created as a portmanteau of the words "marionette" and "puppet", but also claimed that it was actually a word he had coined.

Those two things aren't contradictory.

Well, what the second sentence should say is he later said he pulled it out of thin air.  Reading the Jim Henson autobiography, initial answers to the question were the former, but later he admitted he actually didn't intend that and just made up a funny word that sounded like puppet.  It was sort of a happy accident that it seemed like the portmanteau, though really, only a few muppets (though admittedly some key ones) use the "marionette" aspects.

[Tripe]

Correct.

[ScottotD]

Aw, Herry! 

[Pak-Man]

I can confirm that this Herry is the one I intended to vote for. Used to love that guy. :^)

[Darth Geek]

So what's his personality then? Or was he there before The Count showed up?

[Pak-Man]

Friendly monster dude. No gimmick. I think he was a forerunner to Telly.