Brats of the Lost Nebula

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Brats of the Lost Nebula was a science fiction Saturday morning series created by Dan Clark featuring Creature Shop puppets and CG effects. The series premiered on the WB Network on October 10, 1998.
The show takes place in a mysterious galaxy known as the Lost Nebula. An evil alien army known as the Shock is systematically annihilating entire worlds, led by High Commander Hextar Vigar and his mad scientist associate Doctor Faboo. Five orphans, Zadam, Triply, Duncan, Lavana, and Ryle were separated from their families from different planets by the Shock and are sent to a strange planetoid. Using it as their headquarters, the five orphans band together to fight against the invading armies of the Shock.
Although thirteen episodes were produced, WB canceled the show after the third episode. The remaining episodes premiered on Canada's YTV channel, with the last airing on January 20, 1999. The remaining episodes wouldn't be released in the United States until April 2020 on Roku.Hundreds of Hours of Jim Henson Content Hits Roku
Ironically, Brats of the Lost Nebula was selected by TV Guide as one of the Top Ten children's series of the year the week WB canceled the series.
==Episodes==
*Episode 101: What Mom Said
*Episode 102: Total Bratification
*Episode 103: Brain Dead
*Episode 104: A Lozian Necessity
*Episode 105: Heart Hunters
*Episode 106: Punk Chip
*Episode 107: The Runaways
*Episode 108: Mutant Freak
*Episode 109: Blite For a Day
*Episode 110: The Acceptors
*Episode 111: Faith
*Episode 112: Mom & Dad
*Episode 113: Papa's Got a Brand New Bag
==Characters==
Zadam.jpg|Zadam|link=Zadam
Triply.jpg|Triply|link=Triply
Duncan.jpg|Duncan|link=Duncan
Lavana.jpg|Lavana|link=Lavana
Ryle.jpg|Ryle|link=Ryle
Hextar Vigar.jpg|Hextar Vigar|link=Hextar Vigar
Doctor Faboo.jpg|Doctor Faboo|link=Doctor Faboo
The Shock.jpg|The Shock|link=The Shock
==Production==
 
The series was created by Dan Clark, who also served as an executive producer along with Brian Henson and Margaret Loesch. The show was originally announced and developed under the title "Brats of the Dark Nebula."Variety. Kids’ WB adds four skeins February 8, 1999 According to Clark, influences for the show included Thunderbirds, Sting Ray, Captain Scarlet and all of the Andersons' action puppet projects along with The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and The Storyteller.Muppet Central Dan Clark gives fans a "sneak peak" at "Brats" August 31, 1998
Production and principal filming took place from May 1998 to January 1999 in Toronto, Canada.Muppet Central "Brats" undergoes name change August 15, 1998
The puppet characters were a mix of both traditional hand puppets and animatronics built by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The computer graphics were created by C.O.R.E. Digital Effects. Several puppets from The Jim Henson Hour, CityKids, Dinosaurs and Aliens in the Family were recycled on the show, while others (such as an alien) went on to be reused in later Muppet productions. Several puppets from the series (including Zadam, Lavana and Doctor Faboo) were displayed as part of "The Jim Henson Co. Prop/Puppet Museum" at MuppetFest in 2001.
Puppeteers on the series included Bill Barretta, Stephen Brathwaite, Matt Ficner, John E. Kennedy, Trish Leeper, Sue Morrison, Ian Petrella, James Rankin, Gordon Robertson, Fred Stinson, Jeff Sweeney, Jean-Guy White, Mak Wilson, and Yolanda Yott.NY TIMES: BRATS of the Lost Nebula Full Credits
The voice cast included Glenn Cross (Duncan), Kirby Morrow (Zadam), Annick Obonsawin (Triply), Deborah Odell (Lavana), and Evan Sabba (Ryle). James Rankin (who also puppeteered), Rob Smith, and Len Carlson were credited regularly as additional voices, which on select episodes also included Tony Daniels, Catherine Disher, and Jane Luk.
Image:Dan&brats.jpg|Behind the Scenes
Image:BTS-brats2.jpg|Behind the Scenes
Image:BTS-brats.jpg|Behind the Scenes
File:Ficner Zadam.jpg|Matt Ficner with Zadam
File:robertson hextar.jpg|Gord Robertson with Hextar
File:robertson triply.jpg|Gord Robertson with Triply
==Unproduced Follow-ups==
In early 1999, a Playback article reported that "another thirteen [episodes] are on the way,"Playback. On set with Brats of the Lost Nebula February 8, 1999
 however a second season of episodes was never produced. 
Dan Clark mentioned that ideas for the second season included introducing Duncan's grandfather (teased in the season one finale) who was going to be a mechanic on Captain Malusha's ship. Other story ideas for season 2 included: Ryle rejecting the Tranoids after they sell him out yet again, the group meeting another group of Brats who were a more wild and bad-natured group of orphans, flashbacks to all the kids lives on their home planets, Hextar Vigar's backstory of him being a Brat himself, and further exploration of who the Hosts were. Clark was adamant that Zadam and Triply would never actually find their parents, stating: "Zadam and Tripoli don't get their parents - that was the plan."Cartoon Universe. Interview with Brats Of The Lost Nebula Creator Dan Clark. September 1 2020.
In September 2002, Kidscreen mentioned that the Dan Clark Company was "currently working on a Brats of the Lost Nebula direct-to-video title with Henson."Kidscreen. Idea incubation…the Dan Clark way September 1, 2002 This project never materialized.
==Credits==
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*Creator: Dan Clark
*Executive Producer: Brian Henson, Dan Clark, Steven DeNure
*Co-Executive Producer: Margaret Loesch
*Supervising Producer: Betty Orr
*Executive story editors: Billy Brown, Dan Angel
*Story editor: Lane Raichert
*Conceptual & character design: Nathan Cabrera with Dave Pressler, Duke Cullen
*Animatronic characters by Jim Henson's Creature Shop: Marian Keating, Enrique Bilsland, Jean-Guy White, Joan Parkinson, Ian Hubbard, Frank Langley, Mike Scanlan, Peter Brooke, David Barrington-Holt, Robin Dufay, Karin Hanson, Phil Jackson, Ralph Cordero, Robyn Simms, Dana Klaren, Harvey Dickson, Jill Thraves, Tristan Maduro, Jim Edson, Brian Dooley, Larry Addison Bortolott, Patrick Gerrety
*For The Jim Henson Company: Ritamarie Peruggi, Halle Stanford-Grossman, Matt J. Britton, Bill Barretta
==Gallery==
File:Gunk chucker.jpg|Gunk chucker prop
File:Hextar vigar slide.jpg|A Hextar Vigar photo slide
File:BRATSpromo.jpg|foldout ad from September 1998 issue of Disney Adventures magazine
File:Brats Lost Nebula promo button.jpg|promotional button
File:Brats of the Lost Nebula Exhibit.jpg|Puppets on display in The Vision of Jim Henson
==Videos==
File:Brats_of_the_Lost_Nebula_Series_Creator_Dan_Clark|Behind the scenes
File:Brats of the Lost Nebula upfront presentation for Kids WB|Kids' WB! upfronts presentation
File:Brats of the Lost Nebula, "What Mom Said"|"What Mom Said" clip
File:Brats of the Lost Nebula "Faith"|"Faith" clip
==Sources==
==External links==
*Dan Clark gives fans a "sneak peak" at "Brats" (August 31, 1998)
*Interview with Brats Of The Lost Nebula Creator Dan Clark (September 2020)
*Behind the Scenes: Dan Clark & Brian Henson review puppets at Jim Henson's Creature Shop
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Category:Creature Shop TV Shows
Category:Henson Company TV Shows