Richard Coombs
Encyclopedia
Richard Coombs is a puppeteer
from England, who has worked extensively on many British television shows, feature films, commercials & music videos. In 1987 & 1988, he worked on the ITV
Saturday morning children's show, Get Fresh
, where he operated the puppet, Gilbert the Alien, alongside fellow puppeteer John Eccleston
, but Gilbert's voice was done by the comedian
, Phil Cornwell
. Coombs was one of the 3 puppeteers (again alongside Eccleston & another puppeteer called, Michael J. Bassett
), who each alternately controlled & voiced the puppet character, Scally The Dog
, who co-presented Children's ITV, from 1989 - 1991. In January 2003, he returned as Scally on the CITV's 20th Birthday Bash programme, alongside fellow presenter, Jeanne Downs
. He is also a Punch and Judy
performer & has worked on several Jim Henson
muppet projects too.
He was one of the puppeteers on the ITV satiricial show, Spitting Image
& also worked on the 2005 film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
.
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
from England, who has worked extensively on many British television shows, feature films, commercials & music videos. In 1987 & 1988, he worked on the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Saturday morning children's show, Get Fresh
Get Fresh
Get Fresh was a children's television programme that ran from 1986 to 1988 in the United Kingdom.-Premise:Broadcast on the Children's ITV network, the show starred Gareth Jones , Charlotte Hindle, and a puppet named Gilbert the Alien...
, where he operated the puppet, Gilbert the Alien, alongside fellow puppeteer John Eccleston
John Eccleston
John Eccleston is a puppeteer, writer and presenter known for his work as lead puppeteer of Rygel in Farscape, Groove in The Hoobs and his many roles on British children's television alongside Don Austen...
, but Gilbert's voice was done by the comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell
Phil Cornwell is an English comedian, actor, impressionist and writer. He is probably best known as being part of the Dead Ringers television and radio series...
. Coombs was one of the 3 puppeteers (again alongside Eccleston & another puppeteer called, Michael J. Bassett
Michael J. Bassett
Michael J. Bassett is an English screenwriter and film director. He has produced a variety of films, both for television and cinema. Bassett's first feature, the horror film Deathwatch, was set in the trenches of World War One. Bassett's most recent project, Solomon Kane had a nationwide cinema...
), who each alternately controlled & voiced the puppet character, Scally The Dog
Scally The Dog
Scally The Dog was a puppet mongrel dog character, who co-presented Children's ITV afternoons service, from January 1989 - March 1991 in the United Kingdom.-Children's ITV:...
, who co-presented Children's ITV, from 1989 - 1991. In January 2003, he returned as Scally on the CITV's 20th Birthday Bash programme, alongside fellow presenter, Jeanne Downs
Jeanne Downs
Jeanne Downs is a former presenter of Children's ITV , which is the brand name used for the majority of children's television output on ITV in the United Kingdom...
. He is also a Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
performer & has worked on several Jim Henson
Jim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
muppet projects too.
He was one of the puppeteers on the ITV satiricial show, Spitting Image
Spitting Image
Spitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
& also worked on the 2005 film version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a 2005 comic science fiction film based on the book of the same name by Douglas Adams. Shooting was completed in August 2004 and the movie was released on April 28, 2005 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and on the following day in Canada and the United...
.
Filmography
- LabyrinthLabyrinth (film)Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
: Goblins (uncredited) - The Tale of the Bunny PicnicThe Tale of the Bunny PicnicThe Tale of the Bunny Picnic is a 1986 TV special directed by Jim Henson and David G. Hillier. In the United States it was shown annually on HBO in the spring, usually during Easter time. It was later released on VHS in 1993...
(uncredited) - The Ghost of Faffner HallThe Ghost of Faffner HallThe Ghost of Faffner Hall is a children's television series from The Jim Henson Company which aired from September 11, 1989 to December 4, 1989.-Plot:...
: The Zookeeper, Madame Mumu, Mr. Director, Piganini, other guest characters - The StorytellerThe StorytellerThe StoryTeller is a live-action/puppet television series. It was an American/British co-production which originally aired in 1988 and was created and produced by Jim Henson....
: Devils in "The Soldier and Death" - The NeverEnding Story IIIThe NeverEnding Story IIIThe NeverEnding Story III: Return to Fantasia is a 1994 film and the second sequel to the fantasy film The NeverEnding Story...
- Flat EricFlat EricFlat Eric was a low-tech, yellow puppet character from Levi's commercials for Sta-Prest One Crease Denim Clothing, built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. His name comes from an idea for a commercial that included having a car run over his head and flattening it. The idea was not used but the name stuck...
- The Honey Monster (facial controls)
- Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (1999 film)Alice in Wonderland is a television film first broadcast in 1999 on NBC and then shown on British television on Channel 4. It is based upon Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass....
: White RabbitWhite RabbitThe White Rabbit works for the Red Queen, but is also a secret member of the Underland Underground Resistance, and was sent by the Hatter to search for Alice...
(face/voice) - Snow QueenSnow Queen (2002 film)Snow Queen is a 2002 made-for-television film made by Hallmark Entertainment, directed by David Wu, and based on the story The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. The film stars Bridget Fonda as the title character and Chelsea Hobbs as her rival and the story's heroine, Gerda...
: Polar BearPolar BearThe polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
(puppeteer) - Play With Me Sesame UK: Domby
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
: Kwaltz (face) - ABBA's The Last Video
- Spitting ImageSpitting ImageSpitting Image is a British satirical puppet show that aired on the ITV network from 1984 to 1996. It was produced by Spitting Image Productions for Central Television. The series was nominated for 10 BAFTA Awards, winning one for editing in 1989....
- Little Shop of Horrors
- Babe: Pig in the CityBabe: Pig in the CityBabe: Pig in the City is a 1998 sequel to the 1995 film Babe. It occurs in the fictional city of Metropolis. Due to the unexpected darker and more mature subject matter , the film was not received as well as the first Babe film was, as it flopped at the box office and reviews were generally...
- Mongrels (TV series)Mongrels (TV series)Mongrels, formerly known under the working titles of We Are Mongrels and The Un-Natural World, is a British puppet-based situation comedy series first broadcast on BBC Three between 22 June and 10 August 2010, with a making-of documentary entitled "Mongrels Uncovered" broadcast on 11 August 2010...
(puppeteer)