Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland is the composite title often given to Lewis Carroll's two Alice novels, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which was written in 1865, tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into the magical world of Wonderland, where she meets a variety of strange and often nonsensical creatures before returning to the real world.

A sequel, Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There was published in 1871. In it, Alice crosses through a mirror into a land made up of a giant chessboard where ordinary logic has been reversed. Aside from Alice, her cat Dinah, and cameo appearances by "Hatta" (the Mad Hatter) and "Haigha" (the March Hare), the characters in the sequel are all unique to the book. Through the Looking-Glass also includes Carroll's original poem "Jabberwocky."

In many film adaptations, including the 1951 animated Disney film, characters and incidents from the two novels are combined and set in Wonderland. Many such adaptations adopt the title Alice in Wonderland. The stories, which have been adapted and referenced in several Muppet and Creature Shop productions, have often followed this pattern. Dreamchild, whose fantasy sequences are based entirely on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, is the notable exception.

The Muppet Show

In episode 506, the Muppets stage their own version of Carroll's tales, featuring guest star Brooke Shields as Alice.

Characters from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland include the Queen of Hearts (Miss Piggy), the King of Hearts (Link Hogthrob), the Mad Hatter (Gonzo), the Cheshire Cat (Dr. Teeth), the Caterpillar (Floyd Pepper), the Dormouse (a chicken), the White Rabbit, the March Hare, and the Duchess.

Characters from Through the Looking-Glass include Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum (Statler and Waldorf), Humpty Dumpty, the Jabberwock, the Son (Scooter), the Father (Rowlf), the Slithy Toves, the Borogoves, and the Mome Raths.

Muppet Babies

Muppet Babies' Classic Children's Tales featured photo puppet versions of Baby Piggy as Alice, Baby Gonzo as the Mad Hatter, and Baby Fozzie as the March Hare a scene from the Mad Tea Party from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The photograph is by John Barrett.

Jim Henson's Creature Shop

The Creature Shop provided the special effects and Creatures for the film Dreamchild, which is a fictionalized combination of Carroll's life and his novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In 1999, the Creature Shop supplied realistic puppet characters for a more straight-forward Hallmark TV movie, simply titled Alice in Wonderland. This version combined events from both novels, adapting the majority of the first book, and incorporating the White Knight, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, the live flowers, various chess-pieces, and Walrus and Carpenter from Through the Looking Glass.

References

• On the LP Grin & Giggle with Big Bird, Big Bird recites the "Jabberwocky" poem.

• In the Muppet Babies episode "Nice to Have Gnome You," Baby Piggy has misplaced her library copy of Alice in Wonderland.

• The title of the Farscape episode "Through the Looking Glass" is a reference to Carroll's books.

• In Sesame Street episode 4037, Super Grover exclaims "O frabjous day!" wuoting from "Jabberwocky."

• In episode 4069 and episode 4070, Maria has a looking glass waiting at the Mail-It Shop to be mailed to Alice in Wonderland (as soon as she can figure out the zipcode).

• In episode 4159, a rabbit, worried about being late, drops his electric teapot off at the Fix-It Shop to be repaired in time for the tea party.

Connections

• Debbie Allen played the Red Queen in the 1982 filmed stage show Alice at the Palace

• Alan Bennett played the Mouse in the 1966 Wednesday Playtelevision version.

• Kaye Ballard played the Duchess in the 1983 "Great Performances" adaptation of Alice in Wonderland

• Red Buttons played The White Rabbit in the 1985 television movie

• Sid Caesar played The Gryphon in the 1985 television movie

• Carol Channing played The White Queen in the 1985 television movie

• Imogene Coca played The Cook in the 1985 television movie

• James Coco played the King of Hearts in the 1983 "Great Performances" adaptation of Alice in Wonderland

• Townsend Coleman voiced Tom Fool in the 1987 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Steve Coogan played the Gnat in the 1998 British television movie Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Bob Dermer voiced Grumpy Bear in the 1987 animated film The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland.

• Phyllis Diller voiced the White Queen in the 1987 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass

• John Gielgud played the Mock Turtle in the 1966 Wednesday Play television version.

• Merv Griffin played the Conductor in the 1985 television movie

• Elizabeth Hanna voiced the Queen of Hearts in the 1987 animated film The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland

• Sherman Hemsley played the Mouse in the 1985 television movie

• Geoffrey Holder played the Cheshire Cat in the 1983 "Great Performances" adaptation of Alice in Wonderland

• Ian Holm played the White Knight in the 1998 British television movie Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Michael Jeter played the Caterpiller and the Dormouse in the 1982 filmed stage show Alice at the Palace

• Arte Johnson played the Dormouse in the 1985 television movie

• Harvey Korman played the White King in the 1985 television movie, and voiced the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This?

• Nathan Lane played the Mouse in the 1983 "Great Performances" adaptation of Alice in Wonderland

• John Lovelady puppeteered and voiced the Dormouse in the Disney Channel live action series Adventures in Wonderland

• Spike Milligan played the Gryphon in the 1972 film

• Dudley Moore played the Dormouse in the 1972 film

• Pat Morita played the Horse in the 1985 television movie

• Robert Morley played the King of Hearts in the 1985 television movie

• Austin Pendleton played the White Rabbit in the 1983 "Great Performances" adaptation of Alice in Wonderland

• Will Ryan voiced the Paper Man in the 1987 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Telly Savalas played the Cheshire Cat in the 1985 television movie

• Peter Sellers played the King of Hearts in the 1966 Wednesday Play television version and the March Hare in the 1972 film version

• Dick Smothers played Tweedledee in the 1966 television film Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Ringo Starr played the Mock Turtle in the 1985 television movie

• John Stocker voiced the Cheshire Cat in the 1987 animated film The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland

• Meryl Streep played Alice in the 1982 filmed stage show Alice at the Palace

• Sally Struthers played The Tiger Lily in the 1985 television movie

• Mr. T voiced the Jabberwock in the 1987 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Burr Tillstrom played the Mock Turtle in the 1955 Hallmark Hall of Fame version

• Jack Warden played the Owl in the 1985 television movie

• Jonathan Winters played Humpty Dumpty in the 1985 television movie and voiced Tweedledum & Tweedledee in the 1987 version of Alice Through the Looking Glass