Greg the Bunny

Last updated

Greg the Bunny
Gtheb.png
The cover for the Greg the Bunny DVD
Genre Sitcom
Created by Steven Levitan
Spencer Chinoy
Dan Milano
Starring Eugene Levy
Seth Green
Bob Gunton
Sarah Silverman
Dina Waters
Drew Massey
Dan Milano
Narrated byDan Milano (Fox version)
ComposersJohn Adair
Steve Hampton (Fox version)
Jay Lifton (IFC version)
Country of originUnited States
No. of seasons1 (+ 2 seasons of shorts)
No. of episodes13 (+ 20 shorts)
Production
Production locationLos Angeles
Camera setup Single camera; Film
Running time30 minutes
Production companies Steven Levitan Productions
20th Century Fox Television (Fox version)
Moxie Pictures
Monkeys with Checkbooks (IFC version)
Original release
Network Fox (2002)
IFC (2005–06)
ReleaseMarch 27, 2002 (2002-03-27) 
December 16, 2006 (2006-12-16)

Greg the Bunny is an American television sitcom that originally aired on Fox in 2002. It starred Seth Green and a hand puppet named Greg the Bunny, originally invented by the team of Sean S. Baker, [1] [2] Spencer Chinoy and Dan Milano. Milano and Chinoy wrote and co-produced the Fox show. The show was spun off from The Greg the Bunny Show, a series of short segments that aired on the Independent Film Channel, which were based on the Public-access television cable TV show Junktape. A show spin-off, called Warren the Ape , premiered on June 14, 2010, on MTV.

Contents

Plot

In the FOX show, Greg was the co-star of a children's television show called Sweetknuckle Junction. Like The Muppet Show , Greg the Bunny treated puppets as though they were real creatures within the reality of the show. Although in this show, they were treated as a racial minority (who prefer to be called by the politically correct term "fabricated Americans"), sometimes struggling against second-class citizenship.

Characters

Humans

Puppets

There have been many puppets that have been used on the show. The ones who are exclusive to the show have been designed and built at Animated Engineering McAvene Designs. Several of these puppets that appeared on the FOX show were reused from the children's direct-to-video series The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth like some members of the Gingivitis Gang appearing as background crew members.

Background and production

Junktape was a half-hour, bi-weekly Public-access television show created by Sean S. Baker, Spencer Chinoy and Dan Milano. The show aired on New York City's Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Monday nights at 11:30 pm. Eventually, the show got the attention of the Independent Film Channel and given its own series of regular segments starring one of the main characters from Junktape, Greg the Bunny. The Greg the Bunny Show on IFC involved Greg and other characters introducing independent films being screened by using skits that parodied the films.

The Fox show made its debut in March 2002 and its last episode aired in August 2002, with two episodes unaired. Its failure was largely ascribed to the show runner and networks' seeming cluelessness as to the direction they wanted the show to take.[ citation needed ] The network promoted Greg the Bunny as a puppet show for adults, but within the show itself, they insisted on toning down its edgier aspects. The creators felt these changes caused the show to lose something, and gave it much more of a traditional sitcom feel. The show runner and network also wanted to focus the show more on the human cast, while the creators maintained that the puppets were the heart of the show. Despite these problems, the series acquired a significant cult following, and was eventually released on DVD in 2004.

In August 2005, Greg the Bunny returned to the IFC, in a series of short segments, spoofing both old and new movies such as Annie Hall , Miller's Crossing , Barton Fink , Fargo , Blue Velvet , Easy Rider and Pulp Fiction . The cast for these segments primarily features puppets Greg and Warren Demontague with appearances from Count Blah, new character Pal Friendlies, and returning character The Wumpus. Tardy the Turtle and Susan were unable to appear in the IFC series because they were the property of FOX.

Episodes

The episodes appear in production code order on the DVD release.

Unaired pilot

No.TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
0"Pilot"Unaired (Unaired)1AEV79
Reworked and aired as "Welcome to Sweetknuckle Junction."

Series (2002–2004)

No.TitleOriginal air dateProd.
code
1"Welcome to Sweetknuckle Junction"March 27, 2002 (2002-03-27)EV01

Greg goes in for an assistant's job at Sweetknuckle Junction and walks out with a starring role after Rochester Rabbit is let go from the production.

Cameo appearance: David Spade makes a cameo when Greg the Bunny arrives at the network where "Sweetknuckle Junction" was being filmed. Jeffrey Ross also makes a cameo as a security guard.
2"SK-2.0"March 31, 2002 (2002-03-31)EV04
When the show bombs with a children's focus group, Alison plans changes and Jimmy's ideas for an updated version of "Sweetknucle Junction" called "SK-2.0" just might be the trick like a use for a green screen, Greg the Bunny becoming G the B, Count Blah becoming Count A'ight, Warren portraying Prof Meister Ape, making Junction Jack a cyborg called Cybo-Jack, and Dottie showing off her sex appeal.
3"Jewel Heist"April 3, 2002 (2002-04-03)EV11
Greg is jealous when Jimmy gets a new love interest named Chelsea (Lindsay Sloane) whose dog Winston is quite aggressive to Greg. Meanwhile, Alison, Dottie, and Susan revolt when Gil doesn't invite them to a paintball weekend with an intense instructor (David Koechner).
4"Greg Gets Puppish"April 10, 2002 (2002-04-10)EV09
Hurbada Hymena orders Greg to familiarize himself with puppish culture to the detriment of the show. Greg is later asked by Hurbada to speak at the National Puppet Convention
5"The Singing Mailman"April 17, 2002 (2002-04-17)EV12
Dottie is blackmailed by a Goodwill worker name Leo Kornelly (Michael McDonald) who has a dirty tape of her doing something sexual to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" upon finding it in a box of junk that she gave him. Leo plans to post it on the internet if she can't get him a role on "Sweetknuckle Junction." After telling Greg about it, Dottie works to get Gil to cast Leo as a Singing Mailman on "Sweetknuckle Junction." After Gil fires Leo for the mess-up, Greg tells Jimmy, Jack, Count Blah, Warren, and Tardy about Dottie's plight causing them to take action to get the tape back. Meanwhile, Gil and Alison deal with the hamster puppets going on strike when they have been denied a couch for their hamster wheel.
6"Rabbit Redux"April 24, 2002 (2002-04-24)EV06

Greg feels guilty for stealing Rochester Rabbit's job on "Sweetknuckle Junction" after having recurring nightmares of Rochester Rabbit burying him alive. So Greg wants to patch things up. When Rochester Rabbit dies of a heart attack during the musical number for the Thanksgiving episode of "Sweetknuckle Junction," Greg feels down about it as everyone holds a memorial service for him which also doubles as a roast. Meanwhile, Jimmy wants to score with Alison and does this by flirting with Susan Monster.

Note: Chris Bergoch makes an uncredited cameo as an attendee at Rochester Rabbit's funeral.
7"Surprise!"May 29, 2002 (2002-05-29)EV10
Alison tries to fool a TV Guide reporter named Laura Carlson (Sasha Alexander) into believing that the cast is a happy, functional family in hopes of getting on the cover. While throwing a surprise party for Jack, Greg finds out that Laura has a crush on Alison.
8"Father & Son Reunion"June 5, 2002 (2002-06-05)EV07
Father/son relations between Jimmy and Gil are damaged when Gil doesn't tell Jimmy that his parents' marriage is over when he encounters his mom Sandy (Julie Hagerty) making out with Jimmy's old gym teacher Coach Don Dinkins (Charles Rocket) outside the coffeehouse. Meanwhile, Warren starts his one-man show.
9"Piddler on the Roof"July 28, 2002 (2002-07-28)EV05
Believing that Alison won't let him do Shakespeare on the show, an angry Warren takes a leak in her open convertible. Warren then auditions to play Claudius to Gary Oldman's Hamlet .
10"Blah Bawls"August 4, 2002 (2002-08-04)EV13
Warren can't get over his ex-wife Maggie (Marilu Henner) and Count Blah can't get over his dead wife Maldora Blah....until he meets Maggie. Meanwhile, Alison is being stalked and suspects Jack upon telling him that he can't play the hooker-killing conductor Locomotive Louie in the upcoming horror film "Helping Hand Station."
11"Dottie Heat"August 8, 2002 (2002-08-08)EV03
After doing a duet with Dottie by singing "The Friendship Song" when Marty the Skunk got food poisoning, Greg develops a crush on Dottie. Dottie is later crushed when she overhears Greg lying to the gang and tells them that he did the nasty with her. Meanwhile, Jimmy finds that Alison is dating another man. At the same time, Count Blah plays a game of cards with Jack, Warren, the Jamaican Guy, a puppet dog, and an unnamed human crew member.
12"Sock Like Me"October 19, 2004 (2004-10-19)(on IFC)EV02
During "Puppet History Month," somebody writes the "S" word ("sock") in the insultive message about Greg the Bunny in the men's room. To keep her superiors from retaliating, Alison forces the human and puppet staff to undergo puppet sensitivity training overseen by Dr. Aben Mitchell.
13"Jimmy Drives Gil Crazy"October 19, 2004 (2004-10-19)(on IFC)EV08
Jimmy feels unloved when Gil yells at him about what a production assistant is supposed to do. While going to clean up poop in the back of Warren's house, Jimmy stumbles upon a teenager named Amy (Alicia Leigh Willis) skinny-dipping in Warren's swimming pool and uses Warren's house to impress her. While sleeping in Warren's car which was loaned to Jimmy, Greg meets Corey Feldman who is annoyed with having Warren as his bad neighbor and takes his car which leads to a police chase.

IFC shorts (2005)

Greg the Bunny returned as a series of 12-minute shorts that aired on IFC, starting in August 2005.

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
11"Bunnie Hall"August 19, 2005 (2005-08-19)
Greg falls for a beautiful (live) lobster. An extended reference to Woody Allen's Annie Hall .
22"The 13th Step"August 26, 2005 (2005-08-26)
Warren tells the show's creators that he is going to Martha's Vineyard with his wife Maggie, but he actually goes to a lonely room at the Carter Hotel. There, Warren obsesses over calling his wife, with whom he is in a trial separation. A homage to the Coen Brothers' Barton Fink .
33"Sleazy Rider"September 2, 2005 (2005-09-02)
Greg, Warren, and the crew are tired of working for 'the man' and hit the road in search of real America. A homage to Easy Rider .
44"Dead Puppet Storage"September 9, 2005 (2005-09-09)
A behind-the-scenes look as the crew struggle to shoot Warren, Count Blah, and Greg applying their lauded acting talents to perform their favorite Pulp Fiction scenes.
55"Blah!"September 16, 2005 (2005-09-16)
Greg runs into his idol puppet actor Frederick "Count" Blah. He befriends the washed-up vampire and gives him a part on the show.
66"You Know, For Kids!"September 23, 2005 (2005-09-23)
Homage to Coen Brothers films Fargo and The Big Lebowski as Greg and Warren attempt to defraud IFC by staging an inept kidnapping plot. Also features a nod to the thriller Seven with the Wumpus playing the role of Kevin Spacey's character John Doe.
77"The Addiction"September 30, 2005 (2005-09-30)
After watching vampire movie The Addiction , Greg becomes convinced he's been bitten by a vampire.
88"The Blues, She Is My Friend"October 7, 2005 (2005-10-07)
This black-and-white prison movie, inspired by the Jim Jarmusch film Down by Law , features Greg and Warren as prison inmates who learn that show biz is the worst prison of all.
99"2001-1 Space & Stuff"October 14, 2005 (2005-10-14)
This ambitious homage to Stanley Kubrick and 2001: A Space Odyssey features Greg and Warren as astronauts on a mission to Jupiter.
1010"Sex, Button Eyes, and a Video Ape"October 21, 2005 (2005-10-21)
While Greg the Bunny and Seth Green are shooting a public service announcement (PSA), a creepy technician (played by Warren the Ape) tries to get the two actors involved in pornography. An homage to Auto Focus .
1111"Martian Serum 7 From Mars"October 28, 2005 (2005-10-28)
Along the lines of Ed Wood, young, enthusiastic Greg seeks to make a short film about his idol, the great Count Blah.
1212"Naturally Sewn Killers"November 4, 2005 (2005-11-04)
Warren snaps pulling Greg with him as he launches into a maniacal Natural Born Killers -esque spree.
1313"Daddyhood"November 11, 2005 (2005-11-11)
This loving tribute to David Lynch's Eraserhead features Greg the Bunny as a lonely father to a baby potato.
1414"The Godpappy"November 18, 2005 (2005-11-18)
Violent and gripping, this homage to The Godfather features Count Blah as the Don, Warren the Ape as Tom Hagen, Gary the Bunny as Sonny, Marc Grass as Solazzo, and Greg the Bunny as Michael.

IFC shorts (2006)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal air date
151"Wumpus the Monster"November 11, 2006 (2006-11-11)
This parody of "Monster" explores what it means to be a monster puppet. When Greg befriends the Wumpus out of pity, he gets more than he bargained for.
162"Sockville"November 18, 2006 (2006-11-18)
After being knocked unconscious, Greg dreams of visiting the town of Dogville, a town defined by chalk outlines in a black void.
173"Blue Velveteen"November 25, 2006 (2006-11-25)
Greg suspects Warren of Wumpus' murder and decides to use his boy detective skills to investigate in a spoof of David Lynch films, namely Blue Velvet , as well as his Twin Peaks series.
184"Plush: Behind the Seams"December 2, 2006 (2006-12-02)
A rockumentary on Greg and Warren's band Plush, one of the few all-puppet pop groups.
195"Wacky Wednesday"December 9, 2006 (2006-12-09)
In this parody of Being John Malkovich , Greg buys a magical Aztec dog skull from a curio shop in Chinatown.
206"The Passion of the Easter Bunny: Fabricated American Movie"December 16, 2006 (2006-12-16)
Hoping to ride on Mel Gibson's coattails, Greg decides to direct and star in a biblical epic motion picture.

Home media

The original "Greg the Bunny: The Complete Series" DVD was released October 19, 2004.

The IFC series was partially released as "Greg the Bunny: Best of the Film Parodies" October 24, 2006.

The remainder of the IFC series released as "The Passion of Greg the Bunny: Best of the Film Parodies, Vol. 2" May 6, 2008.

Appearances in other shows

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