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{{performer2|Richard Hunt|1977 - 1991|Steve Whitmire|1992 - present}}
 +
{{character|image=beaker.jpg|performer=[[Richard Hunt]]|note=1977-1991|performer2=[[Steve Whitmire]]|note2=1992-present|more=Casting History|debut=1977|design=[[Jim Henson]]|designnote=designer|design2=[[Don Sahlin]]|designnote2=builder}}
−
[[Image:beaker.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
  
−
{{designer|[[Jim Henson]]|design|[[Don Sahlin]]|builder}}
  
   
 
'''Beaker''' is the hapless assistant to [[Dr. Bunsen Honeydew]]. He is a [[Live-Hand Muppet]] who made his first appearance in [[Muppet Labs]] sketches during the second season of ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. [[Kermit the Frog]] describes Beaker by saying "If somebody has to get hurt, it's almost always Beaker."<ref>[[Movie Surfers]]</ref>
  
'''Beaker''' is the hapless assistant to [[Dr. Bunsen Honeydew]]. He is a [[Live-Hand Muppet]] who made his first appearance in [[Muppet Labs]] sketches during the second season of ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. [[Kermit the Frog]] describes Beaker by saying "If somebody has to get hurt, it's almost always Beaker."<ref>[[Movie Surfers]]</ref>
   
 
==''The Muppet Show''==
  
==''The Muppet Show''==
−
[[File:Beaker.png|thumb|300px|]]
 +
[[File:Beaker.png|thumb|300px]]
 
[[Image:bunsenbeakerpaperclips.jpg|thumb|300px|Bunsen offers Beaker some edible paper clips.]]
  
[[Image:bunsenbeakerpaperclips.jpg|thumb|300px|Bunsen offers Beaker some edible paper clips.]]
−
[[Image:Labs.firepaper.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
 +
[[Image:Labs.firepaper.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker sets some fireproof paper ablaze.]]
−
[[Image:Beaker and Wacky WallWalkers.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
 +
[[Image:Beaker and Wacky WallWalkers.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker covered in Wacky Wall Walkers]]
 
[[Image:Macdavis.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Mac Davis]], surrounded by Beaker and Beaker's clones.]]
  
[[Image:Macdavis.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Mac Davis]], surrounded by Beaker and Beaker's clones.]]
 
[[Image:Movie-MCC-Promo-Scrooge-and-Company.jpg|thumb|300px|A contemporary Beaker in ''The Muppet Christmas Carol''.]]
  
[[Image:Movie-MCC-Promo-Scrooge-and-Company.jpg|thumb|300px|A contemporary Beaker in ''The Muppet Christmas Carol''.]]
−
[[Image:OdeToMeep.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker(s?) from the 'Ode to Joy' YouTube video.]]
 +
[[Image:OdeToMeep.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker(s?) from the '[[Ode to Joy]]' YouTube video.]]
−
[[Image:Beakerbell.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
 +
[[Image:Beakerbell.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker in the '[[Carol of the Bells|Ringing of the Bells]]' viral video.]]
−
[[File:Beakerinhouse.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker reluctantly investigating in a haunted house in the Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt viral video. ]]
 +
[[File:Beakerinhouse.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker reluctantly investigating in a haunted house in the Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt viral video.]]
 
[[File:Beakerghost.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker as a ghost in the Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt viral video.]]
  
[[File:Beakerghost.jpg|thumb|300px|Beaker as a ghost in the Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt viral video.]]
 
[[File:BeakerHands.jpg|thumb|300px]]
  
[[File:BeakerHands.jpg|thumb|300px]]
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</center>
  
</center>
   
−
Beaker normally communicates through a series of high-pitched "mee-mee-mee" noises. (In books and merchandise, it's often spelled as "Meep".) In some of his earlier appearances, Beaker's language sounded more like that of someone who was too terrified to get any real words out of his mouth. His "meeping" language began in [[Episode 219: Peter Sellers|episode 219]]. He did manage to muster "Bye Bye" in the Banana Sharpener [[Muppet Labs]] segment. In ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'', his words were the closest they ever got to being real words, as his line "Sadly temporary" (echoing Bunsen) was quite clear, as well as his line "Make-up ready!" and his "Radiant Wonderfulness" line from ''[[The Muppets' Wizard of Oz]]''. He re-used the "Sadly temporary" line in ''[[Muppets from Space]]''. In ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'', Beaker let out an "Oh, dear!" He also muttered an "Oh no!", before falling head first in [[Episode 107: Health and Fitness|episode 107]] of [[The Jim Henson Hour]]. In the video game [[Muppet Monster Adventure]], during the opening cutscene where [[Robin the Frog|Robin]] is told that his friends were turned into monsters, Robin says "Oh no!". Then Beaker replies "Oh yes!" While he was at [[WWE]], Beaker was able to say "Santino", "Sorry", "Yeah" and "Wow."
 +
Beaker normally communicates through a series of high-pitched "mee-mee-mee" noises. (In books and merchandise, it's often spelled as "Meep".) In some of his earlier appearances, Beaker's language sounded more like that of someone who was too terrified to get any real words out of his mouth. His "meeping" language began in [[Episode 219: Peter Sellers|episode 219]]. He did manage to muster "Bye Bye" in the Banana Sharpener [[Muppet Labs]] segment. In ''[[The Muppet Movie]]'', his words were the closest they ever got to being real words, as his line "Sadly temporary" (echoing Bunsen) was quite clear, as well as his line "Make-up ready!" and his "Radiant Wonderfulness" line from ''[[The Muppets' Wizard of Oz]]''. He re-used the "Sadly temporary" line in ''[[Muppets from Space]]''. In ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'', Beaker let out an "Oh, dear!" He also muttered an "Oh no!", before falling head first in [[Episode 107: Health and Fitness|episode 107]] of [[The Jim Henson Hour]]. In the video game [[Muppet Monster Adventure]], during the opening cutscene where [[Robin the Frog|Robin]] is told that his friends were turned into monsters, Robin says "Oh no!". Then Beaker replies "Oh yes!" While he was at [[WWE]], Beaker was able to say "Santino", "Sorry", "Yeah" and "Wow." In their "ESPN Challenge Bracket", Beaker was able to say "selections", "Mike Wazowski", "fiddle", and "bracket".
   
 
One key element to Beaker's development was that, unlike Bunsen, who was rarely seen outside the Labs, Beaker took more of an involvement in the show. He was often seen backstage, and had cameo bits in other numbers and sketches. He also served as an assistant stagehand to [[Beauregard]], as well as an assistant video DJ to [[Dr. Teeth]] on the compilation video "[[Playhouse Video: Rock Music|Rock Music]]".
  
One key element to Beaker's development was that, unlike Bunsen, who was rarely seen outside the Labs, Beaker took more of an involvement in the show. He was often seen backstage, and had cameo bits in other numbers and sketches. He also served as an assistant stagehand to [[Beauregard]], as well as an assistant video DJ to [[Dr. Teeth]] on the compilation video "[[Playhouse Video: Rock Music|Rock Music]]".
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Beaker's eyes have the ability to light up on occasion. Usually these instances are the product of electrocution. Examples include:
  
Beaker's eyes have the ability to light up on occasion. Usually these instances are the product of electrocution. Examples include:
 
* ''The Muppet Show'' [[Episode 522: Buddy Rich|episode 522]]
  
* ''The Muppet Show'' [[Episode 522: Buddy Rich|episode 522]]
  +
* [[Selfridges]] window display
 
* ''[[The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show]]''
  
* ''[[The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show]]''
 
* ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]''
  
* ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]''
  +
* [[Muppet Magazine issue 6|''Muppet Magazine'' Spring 1984]]
  +
* ''[[It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie]]''
 
* "[[Ode to Joy]]"
  
* "[[Ode to Joy]]"
 
* [[The Webby Awards]] (2009)
  
* [[The Webby Awards]] (2009)
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* [[America's Funniest Home Videos]] (2010)
  
* [[America's Funniest Home Videos]] (2010)
 
* [[Underwriters Laboratories]] (Christmas spot)
  
* [[Underwriters Laboratories]] (Christmas spot)
  +
* [[Orange]]
  +
* [[QVC]]
  +
* [[Lindsey Stirling]] music video "[[Pure Imagination]]"
   
 
==Relatives==
  
==Relatives==
−
While no direct [[Muppet Relatives]] of Beaker have been pictured in the cannon of Muppet projects, multiple Beaker clones were featured in [[Episode 514: Mac Davis|episode 514]]. In an appearance on the [[Halloween]] episode of ''[[WWE|WWE Raw]]'', the wrestler [[Sheamus]] reveals that he is a relative of Beaker, but will be unable to attend the annual family reunion but reminds Beaker to tell Aunt Teresa hello. In [[The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion]] arc, it was revealed through Bunsen's Genebuster that Beaker was related to [[Gary Mayo]], a famous TV panelist, as well as an Aunt Dolly.
 +
While no direct [[Muppet Relatives]] of Beaker have been pictured in the canon of Muppet projects, multiple Beaker clones were featured in [[Episode 514: Mac Davis|episode 514]]. In an appearance on the [[Halloween]] episode of ''[[WWE|WWE Raw]]'', the wrestler [[Sheamus]] reveals that he is a relative of Beaker, but will be unable to attend the annual family reunion but reminds Beaker to tell Aunt Teresa hello. In [[The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion]] arc, it was revealed through Bunsen's Genebuster that Beaker was related to [[Gary Mayo]], a famous TV panelist, as well as an Aunt Dolly.
   
 
==Casting History==
  
==Casting History==
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==Filmography==
  
==Filmography==
  +
*''[[The Muppet Show]]''<br />(* notes a significant role in the [[Backstage]] plot)
−  
−
<div class="appear">*''[[The Muppet Show]]''**[[Episode 202: Zero Mostel]] ([[Muppet Labs]]: [[Steel Rabbit|Magnetic Carrots]])
 +
**[[Episode 202: Zero Mostel]] ([[Muppet Labs]]: [[Steel Rabbit|Magnetic Carrots]])
 
**[[Episode 212: Bernadette Peters]] (Muppet Labs: Bunsonium)
  
**[[Episode 212: Bernadette Peters]] (Muppet Labs: Bunsonium)
 
**[[Episode 215: Lou Rawls]] (Muppet Labs: Nuclear Shaver)
  
**[[Episode 215: Lou Rawls]] (Muppet Labs: Nuclear Shaver)
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**[[Episode 416: Jonathan Winters]] (Muppet Labs: Luggage Compressor)
  
**[[Episode 416: Jonathan Winters]] (Muppet Labs: Luggage Compressor)
 
**[[Episode 418: Christopher Reeve]] (Muppet Labs: Milking Machine)
  
**[[Episode 418: Christopher Reeve]] (Muppet Labs: Milking Machine)
−
**[[Episode 420: Alan Arkin]]
 +
**[[Episode 420: Alan Arkin]] (Muppet Labs: Jekyll-and-Hyde potion)
 
**[[Episode 422: Andy Williams]] (Muppet Labs: Pet Converter)
  
**[[Episode 422: Andy Williams]] (Muppet Labs: Pet Converter)
 
**[[Episode 424: Diana Ross]] ("[[Feelings]]")
  
**[[Episode 424: Diana Ross]] ("[[Feelings]]")
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**[[Episode 520: Wally Boag]] ("[[Danny Boy]]")
  
**[[Episode 520: Wally Boag]] ("[[Danny Boy]]")
 
**[[Episode 522: Buddy Rich]]*
  
**[[Episode 522: Buddy Rich]]*
−
**[[Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt]]<br /><br />(''a * indicates that Beaker played a significant role in the [[Backstage]] plot)<br />''
 +
**[[Episode 523: Linda Ronstadt]]
 
*''[[The Muppet Movie]]''
  
*''[[The Muppet Movie]]''
 
*''[[The Muppets Go to the Movies]]''
  
*''[[The Muppets Go to the Movies]]''
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*''[[Bounty|Kermit's Party]] - Episode 3: Bunsen and Beaker: Science Can be Messy''
  
*''[[Bounty|Kermit's Party]] - Episode 3: Bunsen and Beaker: Science Can be Messy''
 
*''[[The Case of the Stolen Show]]''
  
*''[[The Case of the Stolen Show]]''
  +
*''[[Just for Laughs]]''
−
</div>
  
  +
*''[[Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular]]''
  +
*''[[Late Night with Jimmy Fallon]]''
  +
*[[Toyota]]
  +
*''[[Good Morning America]]''
  +
*[[QVC]]
  +
*''[[Muppets Most Wanted]]''
  +
*''[[The View]]''
  +
*''[[America's Got Talent]]''
  +
*''[[Muppet Moments (shorts)|Muppet Moments]]''
  +
* [[The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot]]
   
 
==Album appearances==
  
==Album appearances==
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*''[[Jim Henson's Bedtime Stories]]'' (''Where's Beaker?'')
  
*''[[Jim Henson's Bedtime Stories]]'' (''Where's Beaker?'')
 
*''[[Muppet Time (book)|Muppet Time]]'' (1996)
  
*''[[Muppet Time (book)|Muppet Time]]'' (1996)
−
*''[[The Muppet Show Comic Book]]'' (2009-2010)
 +
*''[[The Muppet Show Comic Book]]'' (2009-2012)
 
*''[[Muppet Robin Hood]]'' issues #3 and #4
  
*''[[Muppet Robin Hood]]'' issues #3 and #4
 
*''[[Muppet Peter Pan]]'' issues #2 and #3
  
*''[[Muppet Peter Pan]]'' issues #2 and #3
−
*''[[Muppet Snow White]]''
 +
*''[[Muppet Snow White]] ''issue #3
  +
*''[[Green and Bear It]] ''(2012)
  +
*''[[Kermit's Costume Caper]]'' (2012)
  +
*''[[The Muppets Character Encyclopedia]]'' (2014)
   
−
==Video Game appearances==
 +
==Video game appearances==
 
*''[[Muppets Inside]]''
  
*''[[Muppets Inside]]''
 
*''[[Muppet RaceMania]]''
  
*''[[Muppet RaceMania]]''
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*''[[Muppets Party Cruise]]''
  
*''[[Muppets Party Cruise]]''
 
*''[[Spy Muppets: License to Croak]]''
  
*''[[Spy Muppets: License to Croak]]''
  +
*''[[My Muppets Show]]''
   
 
==Merchandise==
  
==Merchandise==
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[[Category:Muppets Tonight Characters]]
  
[[Category:Muppets Tonight Characters]]
 
[[Category:The Muppets Characters]]
  
[[Category:The Muppets Characters]]
  +
[[Category:The Muppets (2015) Characters]]

Revision as of 15:36, 13 August 2015

Beaker
PERFORMER Richard Hunt 1977-1991
  Steve Whitmire 1992-present
  →CASTING HISTORY...
DEBUT 1977
DESIGN Jim Henson designer
  Don Sahlin builder

Beaker is the hapless assistant to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew. He is a Live-Hand Muppet who made his first appearance in Muppet Labs sketches during the second season of The Muppet Show. Kermit the Frog describes Beaker by saying "If somebody has to get hurt, it's almost always Beaker."[1]

The Muppet Show

Beaker
Bunsenbeakerpaperclips

Bunsen offers Beaker some edible paper clips.

Labs

Beaker sets some fireproof paper ablaze.

Beaker and Wacky WallWalkers

Beaker covered in Wacky Wall Walkers

Macdavis

Mac Davis, surrounded by Beaker and Beaker's clones.

Movie-MCC-Promo-Scrooge-and-Company

A contemporary Beaker in The Muppet Christmas Carol.

OdeToMeep

Beaker(s?) from the 'Ode to Joy' YouTube video.

Beakerbell

Beaker in the 'Ringing of the Bells' viral video.

Beakerinhouse

Beaker reluctantly investigating in a haunted house in the Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt viral video.

Beakerghost

Beaker as a ghost in the Muppet Labs Experiment 5T832: Ghost Hunt viral video.

BeakerHands

Prior to Beaker's debut, Dr. Honeydew appeared in Muppet Labs segments by himself, but the timid assistant added a new level of comedy to the sketches. Dr. Honeydew's experiments and inventions always seem to go awry, and Beaker is their perpetual victim. He has been shrunk, cloned, punched, deflated, zapped, turned invisible, and blown up, but he always comes back for more.

On The Muppet Show, Beaker has sung "Feelings" and, accompanied by The Swedish Chef and Animal, "Danny Boy."

Movies and specials

On a few occasions, such as in The Great Muppet Caper and The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show, Beaker has been electrocuted, causing his eyes to light up.

Some of Beaker's more memorable roles in the specials have been in The Muppets Go to the Movies, in which Beaker plays the role of "The Angel of Death" in a foreign film, and in The Muppets at Walt Disney World, where he gets a bucket stuck on his head throughout the special.

Muppets Tonight

Beaker does a mean Little Richard impression and knows how to beatbox, as seen in Muppets Tonight.

Internet sensation

In a 2004 Internet poll sponsored by the BBC and the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew were voted Britain's favorite cinematic scientists. They beat Star Trek's Mr. Spock, their closest rival, by a margin of 2 to 1 and won 33 percent of the 43,000 votes cast.

In July of 2008, Beaker starred in the popular, award-winning viral video "Ode to Joy." Beaker performed the song in a split-screen number: playing violin, timpani, metronome, and vocals (replacing the lyrics with extended "Meemeee"-ing). Inevitably, disaster ensues. The video was nominated in the Music category of the 2009 Webby Awards, as well as the 'People's Voice' award. Beaker won the Webby Award, and accepted the award at the June 8th ceremony.

In 2010, Beaker recorded a performance of Dust in the Wind, accompanying himself on guitar, but he is interrupted by a cascade of critical YouTube-style popup comments.

Speech

“These days, after we did the viral stuff, I get the impression that Beaker is a guy who goes home at night, you know he’s pretty intelligent, he’s a smart guy, he works in a lab, and he probably doesn’t have much of a social life. He’s pretty introverted because he really can’t talk, so his only means of communication is the internet. I love the idea that he spends all of his time in front of a computer, which is perfect for the YouTube stuff.”

-Steve Whitmire, Toughpigs interview

Beaker normally communicates through a series of high-pitched "mee-mee-mee" noises. (In books and merchandise, it's often spelled as "Meep".) In some of his earlier appearances, Beaker's language sounded more like that of someone who was too terrified to get any real words out of his mouth. His "meeping" language began in episode 219. He did manage to muster "Bye Bye" in the Banana Sharpener Muppet Labs segment. In The Muppet Movie, his words were the closest they ever got to being real words, as his line "Sadly temporary" (echoing Bunsen) was quite clear, as well as his line "Make-up ready!" and his "Radiant Wonderfulness" line from The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. He re-used the "Sadly temporary" line in Muppets from Space. In The Muppet Christmas Carol, Beaker let out an "Oh, dear!" He also muttered an "Oh no!", before falling head first in episode 107 of The Jim Henson Hour. In the video game Muppet Monster Adventure, during the opening cutscene where Robin is told that his friends were turned into monsters, Robin says "Oh no!". Then Beaker replies "Oh yes!" While he was at WWE, Beaker was able to say "Santino", "Sorry", "Yeah" and "Wow." In their "ESPN Challenge Bracket", Beaker was able to say "selections", "Mike Wazowski", "fiddle", and "bracket".

One key element to Beaker's development was that, unlike Bunsen, who was rarely seen outside the Labs, Beaker took more of an involvement in the show. He was often seen backstage, and had cameo bits in other numbers and sketches. He also served as an assistant stagehand to Beauregard, as well as an assistant video DJ to Dr. Teeth on the compilation video "Rock Music".

Eyes

Beaker's eyes have the ability to light up on occasion. Usually these instances are the product of electrocution. Examples include:

Relatives

While no direct Muppet Relatives of Beaker have been pictured in the canon of Muppet projects, multiple Beaker clones were featured in episode 514. In an appearance on the Halloween episode of WWE Raw, the wrestler Sheamus reveals that he is a relative of Beaker, but will be unable to attend the annual family reunion but reminds Beaker to tell Aunt Teresa hello. In The Muppet Show Comic Book: Family Reunion arc, it was revealed through Bunsen's Genebuster that Beaker was related to Gary Mayo, a famous TV panelist, as well as an Aunt Dolly.

Casting History

Main Performers

Alternate Performers

Filmography

Album appearances

Book appearances

Beaker&BunsenWithBeaker

Video game appearances

Merchandise

Megabeakerfig

See also

Sources

  1. ↑ Movie Surfers

External links

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