Puppetman Puppetman was a sitcom pilot produced for CBS , which aired on July 3 , 1987 as part of " CBS Summer Playhouse , " a weekly dumping ground for unsold pilots . The proposed series , developed by Jim Henson jointly with Bernie Brillstein ' s Brillstein Productions , was set backstage at a TV kid ' s puppet show . Fred Newman starred as Gary , the lead puppeteer , with veteran Muppeteer Richard Hunt as Gary ' s partner , whose puppet characters seem to have minds of their own . Series Premise and Characters . For six months , station WGRF - TV in Madison , Wisconsin has been running the daily puppet series " Dragon Time , " focusing on a group of dragons and their human friend , Lady Rita , a damsel in princess garb . The sole set is an elaborate , multi - turreted castle , with a large clock festooned with the " Dragon Time " logo as a major feature . The castle ' s puppet residents include Butane , the lead dragon ; Earl , Butane ' s goofy sidekick ; the loudmouthed , female Gertha ; Cinders , a young girl dragon ; Candle , a cute baby dragon ; and the vamp Desiree . Clyde is a full - bodied dragon mailman who lives outside of the castle . The puppeteers are almost as colorful as their characters , led by amiable Gary , recruited to the station for his puppetry skills and creativity , and performer of Butane , Candle , and Clyde . The eccentric Del is Gary ' s longtime partner ; his two main puppets , Gertha and Earl , reflect conflicting aspects of his own personality . Holly is the common - sensical female puppeteer and performer of Cinders and Desiree . " Lady Rita " is played by the fiery - tempered Rita , " the only star who operates her own head , " and who often insists on inserting her own folksinging into the program , unscripted . The behind the scenes crew is led by harried producer / director Bud Stone , " a veteran of local television , and a man who ' d rather be sitting on a fifty yard line , " and who despite apparently having an affair with Rita , is equally dismayed by her showboating . Station head Mitchell Bennett , " a 30 year old yuppie station manager , " is only concerned about the ratings . Bud ' s son Bud Stone Jr . , more commonly known as " Little Bud , " is a young , wannabe cool dude floor manager , and Dee is the unflappable female production assistant . Zack is Gary ' s five year old son , whose re - introduction into Gary ' s life is a focal point of the pilot , setting up a balancing act between the studio " family " and Gary ' s own family life . Additional humor is mined from the contrast between a squeaky - clean kids show and the sometimes salty behind the scenes behavior of both people and puppets . Dragon Time Elements . The " Dragon Time " show - within - a - show would have featured prominently throughout , with footage and songs featured not only within the main plot , but dominating both opening and closing . The show ' s opening begins with a quick superimposed " Puppetman " title , followed by Gary and Del driving around in a " Dragon Time " van , over a cheery soundtrack . Following the brief opening credits shots of the show ' s stars , " Dragon Time " takes over completely , with a full performance of the show ' s theme song showcasing all six hand puppets and Rita , and the catchphrase " Time doesn ' t drag when it ' s Dragon Time ! " The " Dragon Time " credits are shown within the episode proper ( crediting " Lady Rita , " followed by the puppet characters minus Clyde ) . The " Puppetman " closing credits end with the " Dragon Time " farewell theme , and slowly show the performers and crew wrapping up and abandoning the set , leaving props and puppets ( including Clyde ' s seemingly decapitated head ) behind . Pilot Plot Synopsis . Tensions on the " Dragon Time " set between Del and Rita continue , and are heightened by a ratings battle against a rival station ' s " Eye on Madison " program , featuring a Milkmaid bikini pageant crowning " Miss Lowfat . " Meanwhile , Gary receives a call from his ex - wife Beth in Chicago , sending their son Zack to stay with Gary for a week while she auditions for a musical in New York City . Gary worries about whether he can properly bond with his son , and the ratings battle and production problems cause him to compromise over his duties to Zack ( a situation exacerbated when Beth is hired for a road company tour , and Zack becomes his responsibility indefinitely ) . Zack thus has trouble adjusting , and is hurt when his dad assigns Little Bud to take him on a promised farm trip instead . Both worlds collide during the next day ' s taping , when Rita quits in a huff , and Gary , still in costume as Clyde , rushes an ailing Zack to the hospital . In typical family sitcom fashion , Del reluctantly puts his differences with Rita aside for the good of the show , and Gary uses his puppets to express his true love for his son . In not so typical family sitcom fashion , " Dragon Time " wins the ratings war by default when one of the " Eye on Madison " milkmaids turns out to be a man . Cheese and dairy products in general are a running motif , as is extemporaneous puppetry ( i . e . Gary turning an oven mitt and salt shakers into a breakfast pal ) . Cast . Starring Co - Starring Guest Starring Availability . Though never commercially released , both the pilot episode and the script were donated by director Alan Rafkin to Syracuse University ' s E . S . Bird Library , as part of the Alan Rafkin Video Collection and Alan Rafkin Script Collection respectively . Both are available for perusal within the building upon advance request . " Puppetman " is also available for viewing at The Paley Center for Media . A video clip originally posted on Henson . com is archived on the Internet Archive .