Thog

Thog is a 9½-foot tall blue monster.^[1] His size may make him imposing, but he has a sweet and gentle disposition.

He first appeared as one of Cosmo Scam's evil henchmen in the 1970 Christmas special The Great Santa Claus Switch, partnered with a green monster named Thig. In a 1971 Dick Cavett Show appearance, Jim Henson referred to Thog as a large Frackle, though Thog is not generally considered part of that group of monsters.

As a full-bodied Muppet, combined with his droopy, friendly face, Thog was especially well-suited to dance numbers, on television and in stage shows, and he was partnered with several famous ladies over the years. He appeared on stage with Nancy Sinatra as part of her stage show Nancy `71, and in the unfinished TV version Movin' with Nancy: Nice 'n' Easy. Also in 1973, Thog was featured prominently in "Oh Babe What Would You Say," with Julie Andrews in The Julie Andrews Hour. He also had a featured number in the 1974 pilot The Muppets Valentine Show, singing and dancing "Real Live Girl" with Mia Farrow.

On The Muppet Show, he could be seen in the opening theme (alongside Timmy Monster, Sweetums, and two of The Mutations) from season two on. Thog's most prominent speaking appearances occurred during season one; as the "dangerous" animal tamed by Harvey Korman playing an animal trainer in episode 110, and reprising "Oh Babe What Would You Say," this time with Kaye Ballard, in episode 123. Thog continued to make minor appearances in musical numbers that befit his large stature, such as when he outsized James Coco singing "Short People" in episode 312. While still voiced by Jerry Nelson, Steve Whitmire performed in the Thog suit on at least two occasions: in episodes 307,^[2] where he sets off an explosion during "School's Out", and 502.^[3]

In 1978, Sigma Ceramics produced a paper-mache Christmas ornament of Thog. In 2003, Palisades Toys released a PVC mini figure of Thog, the first Thog toy ever produced.

As first revealed in behind-the-scenes photos^[4] and trailers, Thog was present in The Muppets; his first appearance in a Muppet production for more than three decades. Here, Thog (rebuilt by Jim Kroupa) appears to be much larger than he was originally; in one scene, he briefly gets stuck going through the arches during the rehearsal for "The Muppet Show Theme" recreation, causing Thog to have to walk in front of them. Tyler Bunch, performing the Thog puppet during the movie, noted his increased size (2 and a half feet taller than the original) was due to Kroupa not having enough reference material to go off of to determine the puppet's original size.^[5] He returned in the follow-up film, Muppets Most Wanted, performed here by Olly Taylor.

Filmography[]

• The Great Santa Claus Switch
• The Dick Cavett Show
• Movin' with Nancy: Nice 'n' Easy
• The Julie Andrews Hour ("Oh Babe What Would You Say?")
• The Muppets Valentine Show ("Real Live Girl")
• The Muppet Show
  • "The Muppet Show Theme" (Seasons 2-5)
  • Episode 108: Paul Williams (Blackout)
  • Episode 110: Harvey Korman (Circus sketch)
  • Episode 123: Kaye Ballard ("Oh Babe, What Would You Say?")
  • Episode 212: Bernadette Peters ("Take a Little One Step")
  • Episode 307: Alice Cooper ("Once a Year Day," "School's Out")
  • Episode 312: James Coco ("Short People")
  • Episode 502: Loretta Swit ("I Feel the Earth Move")
• Julie Andrews: One Step Into Spring
• The Muppet Movie (the "Rainbow Connection" finale)
• The Muppets
• Muppets Most Wanted

Book appearances[]

• The Muppet Show Book (1978)
• The Comic Muppet Book (1979)
• It's The Muppet Show! (1979)
• Muppets at Sea (1980)
• Fozzie's Big Book of Sidesplitting Jokes (1981)
• Two for the Show (1982)
• Jim Henson's Muppet Show Bill (1982)
• Bo Saves the Show (1982)
• Muppet Hobbies (1983)
• The Phantom of the Muppet Theater (1991)
• Look and Find Muppets (1995)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets (2009)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book: Pigs in Space (2009)
• The Muppet Show Comic Book: On the Road (2010)
• Muppet Snow White (2010)
• Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet (2011)
• The Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014)
• Muppets Meet the Classics: Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm (2018)

Merchandise[]

Sources[]