Buzz
For those who remember, Tubby Baxter, Gary Gnu, Goriddle Gorilla, and Speed Reader likely bring back memories of a show that combined live-action, puppetry, and animation. That show was The Great Space Coaster, a syndicated series that aired daily from 1981 to 1986. With a Daytime Emmy and a Peabody Award under its belt, the show was a mix between Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, offering a bit more attitude in its puppet-based performances for children.
Unlike many other classic children's programs, finding footage of The Great Space Coaster has proven difficult for fans. Despite running for five seasons and producing 250 episodes, no official video collections have been released. So, what went wrong?
Hop On Board!
The Great Space Coaster was brought to life by Kermit Love, who had previously worked alongside Jim Henson on Sesame Street and was the creator of Big Bird, and Jim Martin, a puppeteer skilled in his craft, who also worked with Henson. Produced by Sunbow Productions, with sponsorship from the Kellogg Company and Hasbro, The Great Space Coaster took an educational approach, much like Sesame Street. In fact, many of the show's puppeteers and writers had backgrounds with Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. The producers consulted with educators to create content that would positively impact children’s cognitive and personal development, targeting an audience of 6 to 11-year-olds. The show offered a mix of music, comedy, and animation, all while teaching lessons on topics ranging from claustrophobia to environmental responsibility.
The show revolved around three teens—Danny (Chris Gifford), Roy (Ray Stephens), and Francine (Emily Bindiger)—who hopped on a space vehicle piloted by the bumbling clown Tubby Baxter. Their adventures took them to an asteroid inhabited by quirky characters like Goriddle Gorilla (Kevin Clash). Roy carried a monitor displaying La Linea, an animated feature by Italian artist Osvaldo Cavandoli, where a character is constantly at odds with his creator. Despite their roles as teens, the characters appeared much older, and they often performed original or cover songs in musical segments.
Arguably, the most iconic part of the show was the newscast hosted by Gary Gnu, a pompous puppet news anchor who delivered the headlines with his signature catchphrase: “No gnews is good gnews!” Alongside him was Speed Reader (Ken Myles), a lightning-fast sprinter and reader who speedily reviewed books. The show also featured various guest stars, including Mark Hamill, boxer “Sugar” Ray Leonard, and Henry Winkler.
The show had a unique, irreverent tone that set it apart from other children’s programming of the time. The humor was sharper, sometimes edgy. The circus from which Tubby Baxter had run away was run by M.T. Promises, a character whose name hinted at empty assurances. Gary Gnu often had satirical takes on the news, and some of the other characters were not as wholesome as the residents of Sesame Street.
Off We Go!
The Great Space Coaster won the hearts of both viewers and critics alike. It received a Daytime Emmy in 1982 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children’s Programming—Graphic Design and a Peabody Award in 1983. However, after production ended in 1986, the show failed to find a second life in reruns or on video. Only one VHS, The Great Space Coaster Supershow, was released in the 1980s. Though fan sites like TheGreatSpaceCoaster.TV emerged, gathering a complete collection of the series proved challenging.
In 2012, Tanslin Media, which had acquired the show’s rights, explained the difficulty. Due to the numerous musical segments, re-licensing the songs would be prohibitively expensive—likely far exceeding the profits the company would make from selling the program. To make matters worse, the original episodes, recorded on 1-inch or 2-inch reel tapes, were deteriorating over time.
That same year, Jim Martin launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the restoration and digitization of the episodes for preservation. This effort continues today, with Tanslin releasing episodes and clips online that don’t require costly licensing deals and fans uploading their original VHS recordings to YouTube.
There’s still no word on the complete digitization of the series, although Tanslin has hinted that a future home video release could be possible. If it does happen, Gary Gnu is likely to be the one to break the news, as always.
