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Bean Bunny first appeared in 1986 as the star of the TV special The Tale of the Bunny Picnic. He was part of a family headed by Father Bunny and Mother Bunny and helped make peace with the farmer's dog.

Appearances[]

In 1989, Bean joined the cast of The Jim Henson Hour, appearing in both the control room and "televised" portions of the MuppeTelevision segments. Although his fellow Muppets often found him to be insufferably cute, the MuppeTelevision ratings were never higher than when the station featured sex, violence and/or Bean Bunny. Whenever Bean was yelled at, particularly by Kermit, he became very scared and whimpered, mostly due to his youth and his sensitivity to noise, a common trait he shares with real bunny rabbits.

Bean Bunny was further integrated into the Muppet family in 1990, playing major roles in The Muppets at Walt Disney Worldand Muppet*Vision 3D. In the former, he responds to Scooter's jibe that "cute" is his middle name by stating it's actually Norman. A walk-around version of Bean was also featured in both Muppet stage shows at the Disney-MGM Studios in Walt Disney World: Here Come the Muppets and Muppets on Location: Days of Swine and Roses. It is indicative of the push to make Bean Bunny a major player in the Muppet family that walk-around versions of more established characters such as Scooter and Rowlf were not featured in these stage shows.

An animated version of Bean Bunny was introduced during the seventh season of Muppet Babies, and a pre-teen Bean would later be featured as part of the Muppet Kids series.

Bean was active as a main character only until Steve Whitmirebegan performing Kermit the Frog (following the death of Jim Henson), while Whitmire's other character Rizzo the Rat gained more prominence in the next major Muppet production The Muppet Christmas Carol. The film was Bean's only significant role in a Muppet movie, appearing in several scenes as a hapless urchin, who on Christmas morning fetches a turkey twice his size for Scrooge.

In subsequent appearances on Muppets Tonight, Muppets from Space, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, Bean was relegated to the background and became a routine target of Muppet violence, a fact that Brian Henson noted in the Muppet Christmas Carol DVD commentary: "Inside the Muppet Company, we love to hate Bean Bunny."

Frank Oz once said of the character, "Jim built a character named Bean Bunny, so people could think he's cute, and take the onus off of the others[.] But, it didn't work — they still thought the others were cute."

Bean made a cameo appearance in the second issue of the Muppet Robin Hood comic book and plays Michael, the youngest of the Darling children, in Muppet Peter Pan.

Since 2015, a Bean Bunny puppet is on display at the Center for Puppetry Arts as part of their permanent Worlds of Puppetry exhibit.

His most recent appearance was in a photo in an episode of the Muppet Babies reboot.

Gallery[]

MuppetsWiki-wordmark This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Muppet Wiki. The list of authors can be seen in the page revision history (view authors). As with Disney Wiki, the text of Muppet Wiki is available under the CC-by-SA Free Documentation License.
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Characters
Muppets: Kermit the FrogMiss PiggyFozzie BearGonzoAnimalRizzo the RatPepe the King PrawnStatler and WaldorfDr. Bunsen HoneydewBeakerScooterBean BunnyDr. TeethFloyd PepperJaniceZootRowlf the DogRobin the FrogThe Swedish ChefSam the EagleSweetumsBobo the BearPopsUncle DeadlyCamillaWaldo C. GraphicCliffordThogSeymourLew ZealandLink HogthrobBeauregardJohnny FiamaSal MinellaAngeloWalter80's RobotThe MoopetsConstantineDeniseChip
Big Mean Carl

Humans: Dorothy GaleClaireSanta ClausFrank MeanyJoyBeaker's GirlfriendGaryMaryTex RichmanVeronica MartinHobo JoeMargeReceptionistDominic BadguyNadyaJean Pierre NapoleonBeckyHolly and Carl
Muppet Treasure Island: Jim HawkinsBilly BonesMrs. BluveridgeLong John SilverPolly Lobster
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: Dorothy Gale

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The Muppet Movie: The Rainbow Connection

The Muppet Christmas Carol: ScroogeRoom in Your HeartGood King WenceslasOne More Sleep 'til ChristmasMarley and MarleyChairman of the BoardFozziwig's PartyWhen Love is GoneIt Feels Like ChristmasChristmas ScatBless Us AllThankful HeartWhen Love Is Found
Muppet Treasure Island: Treasure IslandShiver My TimbersSomething BetterSailing for AdventureCabin FeverA Professional PirateBoom ShakalakaLove Led Us HereLove PowerLove Led Us Here
Muppet Treasure Island (Sing-Alongs): There Was an Old PirateI'm a RockReal PirateLet the Good Shine Out
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz: KansasWhen I'm With YouNap TimeThe Witch Is in the HouseCalling All MunchkinsGood Life
A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa: Delivering ChristmasIt's All About HeartI Wish I Could Be Santa ClausMy Best Christmas Yet
The Muppets: The Muppet Show ThemeLife's a Happy SongPictures in My HeadMe and Julio Down by the SchoolyardWe Built This CityMe PartyLet's Talk About MeMan or MuppetSmells Like Teen SpiritForget YouThe Whistling Caruso
Muppets Most Wanted: The Muppet Show ThemeWe're Doing a SequelI'm Number OneThe Big HouseI'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo in Malibu)Interrogation SongMy Heart Will Go OnSomething So RightWorking in the Coal MineTogether AgainMoves Like JaggerMacarena
Muppet Babies: Muppet Babies Theme
Muppets Haunted Mansion: Rest in PeaceLife HereafterTie the Knot TangoDancing in the Moonlight

See also
The Muppets
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