The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin is a children's animated television series based on Teddy Ruxpin, an electronic children's toy created by Ken Forsse and distributed by toy manufacturer Worlds of Wonder (WoW9.[1][2] Produced in 1986–1987 for television syndication by DIC Enterprises with Atkinson Film-Arts, the series employed many of the same voice actors used in the book-and-tape series that was made for the eponymous animatronic toy. While some of the stories used in the TV series were adapted from the books, many were original and greatly expanded upon the world established there.[3] The series differed from traditional children's animation at the time in that most of its 65 episodes were serialized rather than in traditional episodic form.
In the United States, the series was originally syndicated by LBS Communications. Today, all international distribution rights to the series were previously held by Don Taffner's DLT Entertainment.[citation needed] The series is currently owned by The Jim Henson Company under its HIP (Henson Independent Properties) subsidiary.[4]
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin follows 15-year-old Teddy Ruxpin as he leaves his home on the island of Rillonia with his best friend Grubby to go on a treasure hunting expedition. They follow an ancient map which leads him to find a collection of crystals on the mainland of Grundo. With the help of his new friend Newton Gimmick, Teddy and Grubby discover the magical powers of what turns out to be an ancestral treasure as well as an organization with ambitions to use it for evil known as M.A.V.O. (short for Monsters and Villains Organization). Along the way, Teddy learns the long-lost history of his species and clues to the location of his missing father.[5]
In mid-1986, Atkinson Film-Arts of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada was commissioned to co-produce (with Worlds of Wonder, Alchemy II, and DiC) a 65 episode animated television series based on the World of Teddy Ruxpin characters. The series followed a prior attempt to produce a live-action series, which proved too difficult and expensive. Atkinson was in charge of the principal animation and casting. Of the previous voice actors associated with the Teddy Ruxpin property, only Phil Baron (Teddy) and Will Ryan (Grubby) traveled to Canada to remain part of the cast; most other characters were re-cast with local Canadian voice talent. The series was originally intended to continue after the first series of episodes, but because of economic problems at Worlds of Wonder (the series' primary financial partner), a second set of episodes was not produced while Worlds of Wonder still had rights to the property. Interest remains among the owners of the Teddy Ruxpin property and the fanbase to continue the story that originated in the animated series, which ended its 65-episode run in somewhat of a cliffhanger.
The three main protagonists, often referred to collectively in fandom as The Trio:
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin features a large menagerie of sentient species for its character base:
Although the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin is mostly serialized, it is further broken down into weekly story arcs which involve visiting a different part of Grundo or exploring a major plot thread, often ending in cliffhangers. Some story lines were taken directly from the toy's book & tape story sets, with secondary plots added to increase the running time.
Due to the partnership between Worlds of Wonder and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, when the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin was originally syndicated, each episode included a short segment called "Protect Yourself" which ran after a teaser for the next episode and prior to the credits. It featured an animated Teddy Ruxpin on a live-action set, who would introduce contemporary child stars such as Jason Bateman, Brice Beckham, Tiffany Brissette, Shannen Doherty, Corey Feldman. and Shalane McCall. The guest would then give young viewers advice on topics such as avoiding strangers, what to do in an emergency, how to respond to inappropriate touching, or running away. A common theme was to talk to a trusted grown up for help.
L.B. and Buffy go on a honeymoon to the Land of Ying, but decide to come back to Tweeg just in time to use the money that Tweeg unintentionally gives as a wedding present to pay off all his debts to Mrs. Maggotheart, which leads to Tweeg thanking them for saving his hide. Teddy, Grubby and Gimmick find out the mystery of the Illiop book when Teddy's mother gave him a special looking lens to decode the ancient language. It is revealed within that the Hard to Find City and all the ancient advanced technologies found throughout the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin were once of a great Illiop Civilization, of which flourished throughout Grundo, helping the people in need before the Gutangs came and conquered their city in which lead the Wise Ones and the Illiops to flee to Rilonia in the south and the Land of Ying in the north. Teddy decides to go on another adventure to the north to find the Illiops with the help of Grubby and Gimmick on their airships. As soon as Teddy is done explaining to everyone of what the seven crystals do, without them realizing, Dweezil takes the Black Box and returns it back to Quellor at M.A.V.O.'s Headquarters as ordered, putting it back in his Black Box but using the memory to listen in to everything Teddy says about the crystals and what they can do. Teddy, at the beginning of the recorded memory, says "That's why I will try everything I can to keep the crystals safe", with Quellor saying "Which won't be for long, Illiop". He laughs evilly while the Eclipse flies over M.A.V.O. towards the Land of Ying.
NOTE: In the tape & book series and the animatronic pilot episode, Tony Pope voiced Gimmick, Will Ryan also voiced Tweeg, Prince Arin, and Wooly, Katie Leigh voiced Princess Aruzia, and Russi Taylor voiced Leota.
Hi-Tops Video initially released a lineup of VHS tapes of the show.[6] Episodes ranges from 1-3 per tape, and often featured wrap-around footage of a live-action Teddy Ruxpin, providing the role of the host of the tapes. Hi-Tops released twelve volumes altogether, making up seventeen episodes in all.
On August 8, 2000, EnterTech Home Entertainment and Blue Steel Releasing released a VHS entitled Teddy Ruxpin: The Movie. Despite being marketed as a movie and being "based upon the television series", it actuality contains the first four episodes of the series edited together to form a movie.[7]
In February 2006, First National Pictures released two volumes of the series (11 episodes) on DVD. Two additional volumes were to be released to complete the series but for unknown reasons they were never released.
In January 2008, Mill Creek Entertainment acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released all 65 episodes in three volume sets. Later in January 2009, Mill Creek Entertainment released a 6-disc complete series box set featuring all 65 episodes on DVD for the first time.[8] As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued and are out of print.
As of 2012, Image Entertainment have acquired the rights to the series. On July 10, 2012, they released a 10-disc set featuring all 65 episodes of the series entitled The Complete Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin on DVD in Region 1.[9]
Originally, Alchemy II Inc. had hoped to create a live-action series using animatronic characters, as Ken Forsse had helped Disney do with Welcome to Pooh Corner. Due to production costs and difficulties in this format, Forsse, AlchemyII and Worlds of Wonder decided animation would be a better route and the 65 episode animated series was created. The pilot episode of what would have been the animatronic series was instead broadcast as an ABC Weekend Special in two parts airing from November 30 to December 7, 1985, and also aired in syndication as a 2-part episode.[14] The show can be found on videocassette.[15] The "animatronic movie", as it's called by Teddy Ruxpin fans, used primarily the same voice talent as the Teddy Ruxpin toy software had, most of which (with the exception of Phil Baron and Will Ryan) were replaced in the later animated TV series by Canadian voice talent.
The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin (Мечето Ръкспин), was one of the first Western cartoon shows to be seen by the population of Bulgaria in the late 1980s. The influence of this show can be seen in the text of the contemporary post-punk band REVIEW (РЕВЮ) and their song "Teddy Ruxpin" Ревю - МУЗИКА.POP.BG; also, the first underground music shop to open in the nation's capital of Sofia, was and is to this date called MAVO (ОЧЗ),[16] in reference to the antagonists in the cartoon show.
Brigsby Bear, a 2017 American film, featured an animatronic bear suit, similar to the one in the animatronic pilot for the Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.[17] In the plot of the film, the suit is used in the production of a children's television series, which features magical crystals and creatures, just as The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin cartoon did.
In 2021, DJ2 Entertainment announced plans of a Rebooted TV series and movie.[18]