“Mr. Meaty: The Nickelodeon Show That Gave Viewers Nightmares”

The year was 2005, “Nickelodeon” premiered a bizarre puppet show that had first appeared as shorts on CBC’s The Void and during its own commercial breaks, according to IMDb. This show is about two teenagers, portrayed using unique looking puppets, who work in a fast-food restaurant inside of a shopping mall.

The show managed to last 3 seasons over the time span of 4 years which is surprising because of the issues the show had with its look and controversy. IMDb notes that the series was cancelled due to weak viewership and pushback from adults, particularly vegetarians who protested aspects of the show.

However, I sometimes wonder if Mr. Meaty also struggled with weak ratings because of its unsettling aesthetic. Think about it, audiences on “Nickelodeon” did not exactly lean toward adults, however this show would even give adults nightmares. The puppets had a strange, almost grotesque quality that could easily tip the show from funny to disturbing. Looking back on the show, it actually was not very funny. Just think of the episodes with the yeti, the alien, the talking chicken who was dying, the girlfriend stitched together from meat scraps, or the undead boss and his blank‑eyed assistant.

As a fan of puppetry, I look back on that show fondly, but I still remember its creepy nature. The puppets themselves were definitely unique. When discussing puppet shows, however, nothing is better than The Muppet Show. Which is why The Muppet Show will always be my number one puppet show.