History of the American Puppet on DVD

Howdy Doody, Charlie McCarthy, Lamb Chop, Kermit, Jerry Mahoney, and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie. These are some of the most notable names in entertainment; they are some of the most endearing characters, beloved by millions - and they are all puppets! Now you can rediscover the fascinating and colorful history of puppetry in America in the wonderful documentary "Stories of The American Puppet," available on DVD everywhere on October 16, 2007.

"Stories of The American Puppet" traces the evolution and popularity of puppets in America entertainment. The hour-long program was originally broadcast on PBS in 2001 and won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing. Now the special is being presented on DVD along with some exclusive added features.

"Stories of The American Puppet" brings the story of American puppetry to life through archival film, rare photographs, historical reenactments, insightful interviews, and in depth profiles of some of the most influential puppeteers of the 20th century, including Jim Henson, Shari Lewis, Paul Winchell and Edgar Bergen. This documentary chronicles puppetry evolution from the 18th-century street puppets of Punch & Judy to the modern television Muppets, highlighting many of the puppeteer masters and classic characters that have shaped American culture.

But even if you caught the special when it first aired in 2001, you’ll still want to check out this release as the DVD holds over 41-minutes of extra footage not shown in the documentary. The DVD presents many of the archival puppet performances in their entirety, plus extended interviews and other extra footage in the bonus features section.

If you are interested in the history or puppetry in America, you definitely want to check out this DVD. You can order your copy right now from Amazon.com for only $17.99.

A special thanks to Chris Stulz for alerting us of this release.