Puppets that Made it Big on TV, 3-6

Our list of TV's most popular puppets continues with Nestle's mascots.

3. Farfel and Danny O'Day

Farfel, the long-eared shaggy dog, and Danny O'Day were puppets who appeared in many TV commercials for Nestle's Quik. Danny O'Day sang
"N-E-S-T-L-E-S, Nestle's makes the very best . . ." and Farfel responded with "Chawk-lit!" Along with ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson, the trio reached national prominence in the 1950s when they joined the Texaco Star Theater starring Milton Berle.

4. Topo Gigio

Created in 1958 by artist Maria Perego, Topo Gigio, a friendly mouse with huge ears, was the star of a children's television show in Italy in the early 1960s. Immensely popular in his home country, Topo Gigio became a worldwide sensation after his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963. A fixture of Italian pop culture, Topo Gigio still performs regularly at festivals in Italy.

5. Howdy Doody

The Howdy Doody Show, hosted by "Buffalo Bob" Smith, was a groundbreaking children's television show that aired from 1947 through 1960. Howdy Doody was a blue-eyed, red-haired, freckle-faced marionette, whose name originated from the expression "howdy do," a variation of the greeting "How do you do?" Each episode of the show began with Buffalo Bob asking the audience, "What time is it?" to which they would enthusiastically respond, "It's Howdy Doody time!" Howdy Doody is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

6. Andy Pandy

Andy Pandy, a marionette who lived in a picnic basket, starred in the British children's television show of the same name, which first aired in 1950. Andy's sidekick was a teddy bear named Teddy, and rag doll Looby Loo only appeared when the two weren't around. In 2002, the show was revived using stop-motion animation rather than puppets, and some new characters were added, including Missy Hissy, a snake; Tiffo, a dog; and Orbie, a yellow and blue ball.

Our list of popular TV puppets concludes on the next page.

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