Secret Life of Toys explained
Secret Life of Toys is a 1994 children's TV series based on the 1986 Christmas TV special The Christmas Toy which aired from March to May 1994 with thirteen episodes, each 30 minutes long and consisting of two 15-minute stories. The show was filmed in Monheim, Germany, near the Dutch border, and aired on The Disney Channel in the United States beginning on 5 March 1994,[1] [2] the BBC in the United Kingdom, Family Channel, Vrak and TVO in Canada, Spacetoon in Arabic regions, Top TV in South Africa, The Kids' Channel in Israel, RTB in Brunei, American Forces Network in Germany and Japan, TVP1 in Poland, Channel 55 in Bahrain, and ABC TV in Australia. The series was formerly available on Netflix and Hulu and is currently available on Kidoodle.TV.
Plot
The series follows the adventures of Rugby Tiger and his friends in a new playroom with different children, Penny and Simon, whose playtime affects how they behave in their absence. For the toys' safety, they have a code called a set of no-nos. When a toy breaks one of these rules, the toys must work together to keep the fact that they can move and talk secret from humans.
Characters
Main characters
- Rugby Tiger (Dave Goelz) is an energetic and adventurous tiger plush toy. He was designed by Larry DiFiori and built by Rollie Krewson.
- Mew (Nigel Plaskitt) is a catnip mouse toy that belongs to the family cat and is Rugby's friend. He was designed by Larry DiFiori and built by Joann Green.
- Balthazar (Jerry Nelson) is an old and wise bear plush toy who is like a father to the toys and tells them when it is safe for them to move. He was designed by Larry DiFiori and built by Joann Green.
- Raisin (Louise Gold) is a tomboyish rag doll.
- Hortense (Louise Gold) is a nervous rocking horse.
- Ditz (Dave Goelz) is a clown plush toy. He was designed by Larry DiFiori and built by Marian Keating.
Other characters
- Bratty Rat (Jerry Nelson) is a shifty rat who was purchased at a secondhand store.
- Bunny Lamp (Mike Quinn) manages lighting in the toy room and warns the toys when people are coming.
- Bleep (Rob Mills) is a toy robot who sometimes freezes when talking. He was designed by Larry DiFiori and built by Tom Newby and Norman Tempia.
- Cruiser (Brian Henson) is a toy who drives a taxi. His motto is "A dollar on the drop, and ten cents for any additional miles." He was designed by Larry DiFiori and built by Tom Newby and Norman Tempia.
- Datz (Jerry Nelson) is a paper bag puppet who resembles his brother, Ditz.
- Dinkybeard (Jerry Nelson) is a wooden toy pirate. He was designed and built by Paul Andrejco.
- Daffodil (Louise Gold) is a princess doll who lives on the top shelf. She is among the oldest toys, having previously belonged to another family. After her original owner grew up and moved away, she lived alone in the house's attic until the Penny and Simon found her and brought her into the playroom. Because of this, she is the only toy who knows what the attic is.
- Eggie (Mike Quinn) is a dimwitted toy egg who thinks that eggs are the world's smartest creatures.
- Humble Gary (Mike Quinn) is a humble toy tiger.
Notes and References
- News: TV REVIEWS : Muppets Come to Life in 'Toys'. Los Angeles Times. 5 March 1994. 18 October 2010.
- The Disney Channel Magazine, Vol. 12, no. 2, February/March 1994: pp. 32, 39.
