Furry Love
Soft. Articulate. Does well with children. That is how most people would describe Teddy. Teddy Ruxpin, that is.
Since the animatronic teddy bear first appeared on store shelves in 1987, he has talked his way into the hearts of millions of American children, telling tales of his adventures with Grubby, Leota and the rest of the gang in the mythical world of Illiop. Josh Isaacson is one of those kids.
The twenty four year old IT professional has long since given away his Teddy to younger generations for them to enjoy. But as far back as he can remember, he has always been devoted to Ruxpin, starting with one magical Christmas day, nearly 22 years ago.
“I was two and a half,” he told Racket by way of an email interview, “and I clearly remember asking for him as the number one item on my Christmas list. I also clearly remember coming out of my grandparents’ bedroom and seeing him underneath the tree…Over the course of the day I listened to the ‘Airship’ story a dozen times, I required a battery replacement at one point.”
So began a lifetime fascination with the Ruxpin franchise, one that has taken on a life of its own. But that’s getting ahead of the story.
When Josh went to preschool, he ran into a group of Ruxpin fans. They got to talking and soon the group brought in their Ruxpin toys into the classroom. They exchanged tapes, and after several such events, the group swelled into a clique of its own, one of many in the school he attended.
By that time, Teddy Ruxpin had already crossed over to the small screen, having been turned into a sprawling, animated TV series featuring Ruxpin, Grubby and a cast of hundreds. The series aired weekly on PBS, and discussion among Isaacson and friends revolved around the show. Each had their own favorite character and storylines- Isaacson’s favorite’s always involved Grubby- and for a brief period, all seemed right with the world.
Then, after four months of being on the air, the TV series disappeared in the fall of 1987. No one knows why. But Isaacson has a few hunches.
“Worlds of Wonder [The company that produced the Ruxbin dolls and TV show] was having some money problems by the 65th episode. After the contracts were up, the show when on a hiatus. A hiatus that has so far lasted 22 years.”
Soon after Worlds of Wonder folded, the bear was yanked from stores, and the voice actors went on to find other work. The Ruxpin franchise would be revived off and on for a greater part of the 90s, but for the most part, Ruxbin and his pals were consigned to the dustbin of 80s history.
I contacted one of the actresses who worked on the TV series, Holly Larocque, in hopes she could shed light on The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin demise. During her time on the show Larocque portrayed Leota, the feisty but smart paramour of one of the supporting characters. And what Larocque told us was nothing short of revealing.
“As I recall, it was never presented to me [by the studio] as a cancellation,” She said via telephone in Ottawa. “We did a batch of episodes at once- end of story- and moved on to the next series.”
That next series that Larocque is talking about- Under the Umbrella Tree– would become of the most successful children’s shows of the late 80s and early 90’s, and earn Larocque several Emmy nominations.
But before leaving Ruxpin behind, Larocque and World of Wonder managed to break new ground by introducing a concept that has since become a staple of children’s programming: that of an independent, freethinking female character.
Twenty one years later, Larocque has moved on, having made a career for herself as a singer and performer with the Mark Ferguson Orchestra. She has a website, www.hollylarocque.com, and is pretty active on Facebook and Myspace.
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Josh Isaacson is not doing too bad himself. Since getting the Teddy bug, Isaacson has turned his fascination with all things Ruxpin into a website, www.teddyruxpinonline.org, and snagged a few “gets,” including a interview with the voice behind Teddy, actor Phil Baron. He currently lives in Wyoming with his four year old step-daughter, who is blossoming into a Ruxpin fan herself.
“From that Christmas day in 1987 to the very moment when I replied [to Racket’s email] I never once forgot Teddy. He is a constant source of inspiration for me, and now I have been able to experience him both as a child and as an adult. The only regret I have as a webmaster and fan of 33 years is a two year period of not updating the site.”
–John Winn