PERFORMER | various |
DEBUT | 1977 |
Doglion is a full-bodied Muppet monster who was featured on The Muppet Show and more sporadically thereafter. He first appeared in episode 209 in a recreation of the "Happy Girl Meets a Monster" routine with Madeline Kahn. Other notable appearances include an interpretation of "Beauty and the Beast" with Lesley Ann Warren, and singing with Sweetums and Cloris Leachman.
He holds the distinction of being the first Muppet to ever grace the silver screen as evidenced in the opening shot of The Muppet Movie, walking through the backlot as the camera pans down from the World Wide Studios statue. Shortly later, he "takes" a seat Miss Piggy had saved for Kermit.
He also appeared in the 1990 The Cosby Show episode "Cliff's Nightmare," alongside a number of other Muppets (mostly from The Jim Henson Hour).
He appeared in three episodes of Muppets Tonight. The most notable was in episode 107. As the punchline to a riff on the famous Mah Na Mah Na sketch, with Kermit and Sandra Bullock, Doglion manifests when Sandra says "Shave and a haircut" (to add "Two bits").
Doglion made his first appearance in nearly two decades at The Muppets Take the Bowl in 2017, participating in "The Muppet Show Theme."
Doglion has never had a consistent performer. Known puppeteers have included Jerry Nelson (episode 209), Frank Oz (episode 211), Jim Henson (episode 224), Dave Goelz (The Muppet Movie), Rob Mills (episode 112 of The Jim Henson Hour), Noel MacNeal (The Cosby Show), and Bill Barretta (Royal Variety Performance and Muppets Tonight). Bruce Connelly operated the puppet as a part of a special presentation with ABC in the 1990s.[1]
The name "Dog-lion" was previously used in a storyboard for a Wilkins Coffee commercial, drawn by Jim Henson in the late 1950s. This storyboard features Wontkins being eaten by a Wilkins-drinking creature, who is described in Henson's notes as a "monstrous dog-lion-beast."[2]
Filmography[]
- The Muppet Show
- Episode 209: Madeline Kahn ("Beautiful Day" sketch)
- Episode 211: Dom DeLuise ("Sheppard's Institute of Animal Protection" sketch)
- Episode 217: Julie Andrews ("I Whistle a Happy Tune")
- Episode 224: Cloris Leachman ("Just in Time")
- Episode 307: Alice Cooper ("School's Out")
- Episode 315: Lesley Ann Warren ("Beasty and the Beaut")
- Episode 318: Leslie Uggams ("Hey There, Good Times")
- Episode 411: Lola Falana ("He's the Greatest Dancer")
- Episode 421: Doug Henning
- Hello, Here Is Berlin
- The Muppet Movie
- The Muppets Go Hollywood
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
- The Jim Henson Hour
- The Cosby Show
- Royal Variety Performance
- Muppets Tonight
- Episode 107: Sandra Bullock ("Phenomena" sketch)
- Episode 206: Paula Abdul ("Opposites Attract")
- Episode 208: The Cameo Show
- The Muppets Take the Bowl
- The Muppets Take the O2
Book Appearances[]
- The Comic Muppet Book (1979)
- Muppets at Sea (1980)
- Fozzie's Big Book of Sidesplitting Jokes (1981)
- Bo Saves the Show (1982)
- The Muppets on Vacation (1982)
- Kermit's Summer Fun (1982)
- Merry Christmas with the Muppets (1983)
- Look and Find Muppets (1996)
- Muppet Snow White (2010)
- Muppet King Arthur (2010)
- The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)
- Muppets Meet the Classics: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm (2018)