PERFORMER | Jim Henson |
DEBUT | 1974 |
Wally is the host of The Muppets Valentine Show. A hip fellow in shades and "groovy" threads, Wally pondered the meaning of love. Seated at a typewriter, he typed stage directions and cues which appeared on-screen, and dictated characters' entrances and the general plot of the special. Wally's storytelling omniscience presages that of Gonzo as Charles Dickens in The Muppet Christmas Carol.
This would be Wally's first and last appearance, as the second pilot, The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence, replaced him with Nigel, and The Muppet Show itself utilized Kermit.
In the script for the special, the character was presented with the name "Fred."[1] The puppet was first used for the elf Fred in 1970's The Great Santa Claus Switch (suggesting the source of his scripted name), then as a Whatnot for The Muppet Show. The puppet was later refurbished as Leo for the Muppet Meeting Films.
Sources[]
- ↑ Karen Falk at "A Henson Valentine" at the Museum of the Moving Image, February 10, 2024