Canadian puppets
Three J's Productions
(also known as
Grogs Inc.
) were a
Canadian
puppet
company troupe active from 1992 to 2009. They produced a variety of television shows and short films for
Nickelodeon
, its sister channels
YTV
and
Nickelodeon Canada
,
Treehouse TV
, and
CBC Television
.
Career
[
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]
The Grogs were founded by
Jamie Shannon
and Jason Hopley in 1992 in
Toronto
. As a puppet troupe, they were somewhat unusual as they designed and moulded their puppets and sets as part of the creative process for writing, directing, and performing in their TV shows. They were present in the process from pre-production to post-production with the help of their partner
Jack Lenz
. The troupe's name comes from their work on interstitials for
YTV
featuring a group of monster puppets called the Grogs; by the end of the year, YTV had aired a Christmas special featuring the Grogs,
[1]
and the duo were working on a series.
[2]
After a stunt 12-hour "takeover" of the channel on New Year's Day 1994 by one of their characters, Warren Chester Grog, the channel's viewership soared.
[3]
However, when the network wanted to merchandise the puppets, the relationship soured; the process introduced them to Lenz, who counseled them to start their own company?at which time the network fired Shannon and Hopley.
[4]
In 1997, Hopley operated the titular monster in the
Goosebumps
episode,
The Blob That Ate Everyone
. In 1999, the Grogs began a partnership with
Nickelodeon
, producing a series of shorts called
Nanalan'
for the network and its sister channel
Noggin
, which aired in Canada on YTV and
CBC
. In 2004, Nickelodeon released the shorts to DVD.
Nanalan
'
was developed into a full-length series that finished airing in 2004. In the same year, the Grogs appeared and worked on the Nick Jr. series
Whoopi's Littleburg
. In 2005, they produced a teen-oriented sitcom for Nickelodeon titled
Mr. Meaty
, which likewise began as a collection of shorts. These were originally seen on
TurboNick
and during commercial breaks on Nickelodeon's channels. It was picked up for two seasons of 22-minute episodes that aired from 2006 to 2009 on Nickelodeon and
Nicktoons
.
Their other work has included
Swami Jeff's Temple of Wisdom
,
The Grogs
,
Warren, Filth, Gidian, Iffer, Sorbet, Jasper and Cupcake
,
Al's Tales of the Tank
,
It's Alive!
,
Ooh, Aah & You
, the animated series
Weird Years
, and
Hotbox
.
The Grogs were formally dissolved in 2009 after a successful 17-year partnership.
[5]
References
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]