Mopatop’s Shop

Louise Gold puppeteered various characters including Princess Lulabelle, Meesy Mouse, Phoebe The Fortune Teller, Shula The Shark, and other assorted characters., on Series 2, 3 and, 4 (broadcast 2000 to 2003).

Apparently (according to the Muppet Wiki) the series were first broadcast on ITV 1 as follows: Series 1 was 1999 to 2000, Series 2 was apparently 2000 to 2001, Series 3 was 2001 to 2002, and Series 4 was 2002 to 2003. – Memorable TV says it started in 1998, which is presumably when they started shooting it (but not sure exactly when). Louise Gold did bits of puppeteering on the second, third, and fourth series’, but not on the first Series.

Cast

Sue Beattie – Various guests including: Lettuce, Mrs Carey Sharey, Upsy Daisy and other assorted characters

Louise Gold – Meesy Mouse (Moosey’s girlfriend), and Various guests including: Princess Lulabelle, Phoebe The Fortune Teller, Shula The Shark, and other assorted characters

Brian Herring – Father Mouse, Diddly Dums, Odd-Job Gerald, Wendell Wizard, and other assorted characters

William Todd Jones – Mopatop (Series 3, and, Series 4)

Alison McGowan – Various Guests including: Grace The Delphinium, Bonnie The Bunny, and other assorted characters

Nigel Plaskitt – Moosey Mouse, Lamont The Sloth, Mary The Gorilla, Roly Moley and about 200 guests (some sources say 195), including Rude Dude, Singalotti, and other assorted characters.

Victoria Willing – Puppyduck, and, Mother Mouse

Mak Wilson – Mopatop (Series 1, and, Series 2), Leapovitch The Frog

Other characters in Mopatop’s Shop (whom the Muppet fans don’t seem to know who performed them) include: Claudia Bird, and, Ozzie The Squid.

Sue Beattie is sometimes credited as Susan Beattie.

Production Team

 Music And Songs - Ed Welch

Writers – Mellie Buse, Sally-Ann Lever, Jocelyn Stevenson

Puppets Designed by – Ed Eyth

Puppets Built By – Jim Henson’s Workshop: Hannah Bledstein, Deborah Glassberg, Larry Jameson, Paul Jomain, Tim Miller, Erin Slattery, Gorran Sparrman, Jason Weber, James Wojtal

Executive Producers – Angus Fletcher, Brian Henson, and, David Mercer

Producers - Peter Coogan (probably during Series 3 &4), Angus Fletcher, Jocelyn Stevenson (probably during Series 1 & 2), and, Sue Taylor.

Directors- Simon Spencer, Tom Poole, and, Ian McLean

Film Editing – Selina McArthur

Peter Coogan is sometimes credited as Pete Coogan.

Moosey Mouse and family live above the shop. For Moosey Mouse, Nigel Plaskitt used the same voice that he had used for Mew in The Secret Life Of Toys.

Brian Herring, Louise Gold, William Todd Jones, Nigel Plaskitt, Victoria Willing, and, Mak Wilson had previously puppeteered on Muppet Treasure Island, on which Larry Jameson, Tim Miller, Gorran Sparrman, and, Jason Weber worked as puppet builders, it was also produced by Brian Henson, and Peter Coogan was also involved.

Louise Gold, Brian Herring, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Mak Wilson had previously puppeteered together on Spitting Image, for which Tom Poole was one of the directors.

Nigel Plaskitt, and, Mak Wilson, along with Brian Henson had previously puppeteered on Labyrinth.

Brian Henson appeared in the documentary Inside The Labyrinth, and took part in Jim Henson’s Memorial Service.

Nigel Plaskitt had puppeteered on the video for the album Spit In Your Ear, for which Tom Poole was one of the directors.

Louise Gold, William Todd Jones, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Victoria Willing had previously puppeteered on The Muppet Christmas Carol, on which Larry Jameson, Tim Miller, and, Jason Weber worked as puppet builders; it was also produced by Brian Henson, and Peter Coogan was also involved.

Brian Henson also worked on The Muppet Christmas Carol (Soundtrack album).

Louise Gold, and, Nigel Plaskitt had previously puppeteered on The Spooks Of Bottle Bay, for which Paul Jomain built puppets.

Louise Gold and Nigel Plaskitt have also puppeteered on the pilot of Space Sprogs, appeared in the documentary Best Ever Spitting Image, and puppeteered on That Puppet Game Show.

Louise Gold, Nigel Plaskitt, and, Victoria Willing had previously puppeteered on Alice In Wonderland.

Nigel Plaskitt had directed Louise Gold in her cabaret act LOUISE GOLD...By Appointment, for which Paul Jomain has built a couple of puppets.

Larry Jameson, and, Tim Miller had previously worked as puppet builders on The Great Muppet Caper, on which Brian Henson puppeteered.

Tim Miller had previously worked as a puppet builder on The Dark Crystal.

Simon Spencer had previously worked on Roland Rat – The Series.

Nigel Plaskitt, and, Mak Wilson had previously worked on The Animal Show.

Louise Gold, and, Nigel Plaskitt had previously puppeteered on Tale Of The Bunny Picnic, for which Larry Jameson also built puppets, and Jocelyn Stevenson also wrote for.

Louise Gold, and, Mak Wilson had previously puppeteered major roles on The Ghost Of Faffner Hall, with which Jocelyn Stevenson, and, Ed Welch were also involved.

Louise Gold, and, Nigel Plaskitt also puppeteered together on The Secret Life Of Toys, with which Peter Coogan, and, Jocelyn Stevenson were also involved.

Larry Jameson, Tim Miller, and, Tim Rose had previously built puppets for The Muppet Show, on which Louise Gold learned her puppeteering craft.

Nigel Plaskitt went on to puppeteer on Five Minutes More, on which he was the only puppeteer to voice his own character, Louise Gold also worked on the programme as a voice-artiste only (not as a puppeteer), and Paul Jomain built puppets for the show. The series producers included: Angus Fletcher, Peter Coogan, and, Mellie Buse.

Louise Gold, and, Mak Wilson went on to puppeteer on The Furchester Hotel.

Nigel Plaskitt, Louise Gold, and, Jocelyn Stevenson have gone on to appear at Muppets And Puppets (Kaleidoscope Event).

Links about Mopatop’s Shop

Muppet Wiki section for Mopatop’s Shop: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mopatop%27s_Shop

Memorable Tv’s page for the show: http://www.memorabletv.com/kidstvm2.htm

ITV’s Web Archive page for Mopatop’s Shop: http://web.archive.org/web/20030206200030/mopatop.carlton.com/look (includes downloads of four episodes – and that includes one where Louise Gold a starring guest role – Louise’s character was the episode title and her name derives from her puppeteer’s).

IMDB Entry for the programme: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810702/

Official Site: http://www.mopatop.co.uk/ (Does not actually appear to be functioning at present)

Digiguide’s Episode Guide: http://library.digiguide.com/lib/epguide/ (if you can actually get this to download)

 Agency Licensing Campaign (article in The Stage): http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/31022/theatre-stars-back-campaign-for-talent-agency, and Online Petition (which anyone who supports it can sign): http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41085.html , seeing as Nigel Plaskitt is among the performers supporting this worthy campaign.

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