The Ghost of Faffner Hall | |
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Also known as | Jim Henson's Ghost of Faffner Hall |
Directed by | Tony Kysh |
Starring | Louise Gold Richard Hunt Karen Prell Mike Quinn Mak Wilson |
Country of origin | United Kingdom United States |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 13(list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Jim Henson |
Production companies | Jim Henson Productions Tyne Tees Television |
Original release | |
Network | ITV (UK) |
Release | August 16 (1989-08-16) – November 8, 1989 (1989-11-08) |
The Ghost of Faffner Hall is a children's television series from Jim Henson Productions and the British ITV company Tyne Tees Television which aired from August 16, 1989 to November 11, 1989 in the UK, and slightly later in the US. The puppets for this show were created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and the series was recorded at the Tyne Tees Studios in Newcastle upon Tyne and directed by Tony Kysh, then senior director within that company's children's department.
Faffner Hall is a music conservatory that was founded by Fughetta Faffner. When Fughetta Faffner passes away, her ghost lurks in Faffner Hall and it is currently run by her great-great-grandnephew Farkus Faffner who hates music. Now, Fughetta must thwart Farkus' plans with the help of Mimi, Riff, and the Wild Impresario. During this time, they meet up with the famous musicians that visit Faffner Hall.
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
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1 | "Your Body Is an Instrument" | Tony Kysh | Jocelyn Stevenson & Patrick Barlow | August 16, 1989 (1989-08-16) | |
Farkus Faffner plans to auction off Faffner Hall's collection of musical instruments. The late Fughetta Faffner, a distant relative of Farkas and the founder of the hall, is horrified when she learns of Farkas' plans. The residents of the hall, including Riff, Mimi, the Wild Impresario and the ghost of Fughetta, attempt to teach Farkas that instruments are worth more than their monetary value. | |||||
2 | "Delighting in Sounds" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | August 23, 1989 (1989-08-23) | |
Faffner Hall is holding a "Festival of Sounds", and the Wild Impresario is trying to find a sound to top the bill. He gets a note in the mail from his old girlfriend Zola of his from his days in the Wild Bunch. Zola says in her note that she is coming to see Wild. Meanwhile, Farkus Faffner plans to blow up Faffner Hall where he will blame its residents and claim the insurance money. | |||||
3 | "Sound Becomes Music" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | August 30, 1989 (1989-08-30) | |
When an infant alien lands in Faffner Hall, Farkus comes up with a plan to become rich while Fughetta and Mimi discover that the alien needs music. | |||||
4 | "Music Is More Than Technique" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | September 6, 1989 (1989-09-06) | |
Mimi informs Riff that the violinist virtuoso Piganini has booked a recording studio in town and plan to ask him to perform at Faffner Hall. | |||||
5 | "The Voice Is an Instrument" | Tony Kysh | Jocelyn Stevenson & Patrick Barlow | September 13, 1989 (1989-09-13) | |
Farkus Faffner enlists a zookeeper as his business partner where he sells Faffner Hall to the zookeeper so that he can turn it into a zoo. | |||||
6 | "Reacting to Sounds" | Tony Kysh | Jocelyn Stevenson & Patrick Barlow | September 20, 1989 (1989-09-20) | |
Fughetta Faffner does her half-century sound check around Faffner Hall where she must make sure that there is one ghost in Faffner Hall according to Page 17 Paragraph 4C of the "Rules of the Dead." Fughetta soon starts to hear the voice of J.J. Ready (who invented the cash register in 1877) | |||||
7 | "If You Can Play, It's an Instrument" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | September 27, 1989 (1989-09-27) | |
Mimi discovers that a guy had broken the obo record by playing the longest note while on a tightrope. The original record holder was Fughetta's cousin Finkel back in 1853. Meanwhile, Farkus Faffner plans to use the instruments as scrap metal. | |||||
8 | "Improvised Music" | Tony Kysh | Jocelyn Stevenson & Patrick Barlow | October 4, 1989 (1989-10-04) | |
A TV crew is coming to Faffner Hall for a special on the building; the regular residents hope it makes for good publicity. However, Farkas Faffner has another scheme: he wants to turn the hall into an amusement park! | |||||
9 | "Notation: The Sign That Gets the Sound" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | October 11, 1989 (1989-10-11) | |
Guest Spot: James Taylor performs with the Wild Impresario.
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10 | "Discovering New Sounds" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | October 18, 1989 (1989-10-18) | |
Guest Spot: Thomas Dolby demonstrates the sounds that you can make with a synthesizer. Patrick Moraz is the other musical guest.
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11 | "Music Brings Us Together" | Tony Kysh | Jocelyn Stevenson & Patrick Barlow | October 25, 1989 (1989-10-25) | |
Using a talking skull (a recycled version of Yorick the Skull from The Muppet Show), Farkus Faffner traps Fughetta Faffner in her solidified state and traps her as part of his haunted house plot. Mimi, Riff, and Wild Impresario end up summoning Fughetta's Great Uncle Fishknife for help. Guest Spot: Guest musician Youssou N'Dour shows Fughetta how to communicate with music despite language barriers. Steve Turre plays on seashells with a tourist family of dragons, and Yomo Toro plays his guitar. Note: David Rudman gives an uncredited performance as the dragon son (played by Earl the Dragon) in the segment with Steve Turre. | |||||
12 | "The Power of Music" | Tony Kysh | Jocelyn Stevenson & Patrick Barlow | November 1, 1989 (1989-11-01) | |
A ghost exterminator named Madame Mumu (a recycled version of the Geri and the Atrics piano player from The Muppet Show) arrives at Faffner Hall where Farkus enlists her to get rid of Fughetta at the time when Farkus has a cold. | |||||
13 | "Anyone Can Make Music" | Tony Kysh | David Angus & Patrick Barlow | November 8, 1989 (1989-11-08) | |
lt's time for the 103rd Annual Fughetta Faffner Memorial Concert, and it's also time to pay Farkas Faffner his rent. No one has the money, so Farkas puts everyone to work and the memorial concert is canceled. Will the rent be paid on time to save the concert or will Farkas have a change of heart? |
Alan Carter of People magazine lamented the absence of classic Muppets characters but otherwise gave the show a brief but favorable review: "This one sings."[1]
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