Johnny Jupiter
Two early TV series mixing puppets and live action.
Johnny Jupiter is the name of two early American television programs that combined live action with hand puppets. The first version aired on the DuMont Television Network from March to June 1953, and the second version aired on ABC from September 1953 to May 1954. The series is notable for its use of puppet characters from the planet Jupiter to comment on Earth customs.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Children's
- Creator
- Martin Stone
- Writer
- Horton Foote; Jerome Coopersmith
- Starring
- Vaughn Taylor
- Cliff Hall
- Pat Peardon
- Wright King
- Voices
- Carl Harms
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
Facts from the source article.
DuMont version
The original version aired live on DuMont Saturday evenings for 30 minutes from March 21 to June 13, 1953. Vaughn Taylor played Ernest P. Duckweather, an elderly janitor cleaning a TV studio after midnight. Tinkering with a television set, he made contact with Jupiter and its inhabitants Johnny Jupiter and B-12, both hand puppets voiced by series writer Jerome Coopersmith and Carl Harms. The humor derived from Duckweather explaining Earth customs to the Jovians, who watched via their own TVs. Few kinescopes of this version survive.
ABC version
A filmed weekly 30-minute version sponsored by M&M's Candies ran on ABC from September 5, 1953 to May 29, 1954. Wright King played Duckweather as a young TV repair shop employee. Episodes featured live-action sitcom plots with his boss Horatio Frisby, the boss's daughter Katherine, and guest stars. The puppets appeared only when Duckweather needed help: Johnny Jupiter, cube-headed robot Major Domo, and cylinder-headed Reject the Robot, all voiced by Gil Mack. Reject's brother Defect appeared in at least one episode. Solutions often involved beaming Reject to Earth, played by puppeteer Gene (aka Phil) London in a robot suit. The series was not aimed at children and was canceled after 39 episodes. Copies survive and have been released on DVD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Johnny Jupiter?
Johnny Jupiter was created by Martin Stone.
Who stars in Johnny Jupiter?
Johnny Jupiter stars Vaughn Taylor, Cliff Hall, Pat Peardon and Wright King.
More in American Children's Science Fiction Television Series
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced