A friend raised a good point...

Well, here is more information regarding the puzzle that is Mrs. Pennypacker- who she really was, what she was all about, etc. One thing I want to note here, is that she took part in a song entitled "I am the Wind" and in one episode dressed up as an octopus. If you didn't think Mrs. Pennypacker was freaky enough to begin with, that right there just makes her all the more freaky and mysterious. I found this on a today's special website:

Mrs. Pennypacker

Mrs. Pennypacker works in the stock room. She usually only works during the day, but sometimes she stays late at night to finish her work. One day she came to the store to collect some mannequins to send to another store. Jeff, Jodie, Muffy, and Sam did not know her then. She tried to send Jeff away to the other store, but then she found out that Jeff was not a true mannequin. Mrs. P. had many adventures before she came to the store. She oftens shares these stories with other people. Mrs. P. calls Jeff, Jeffrey.


Things she said:

1. "This isn't just an ordinary tea party. This is a Pennypacker tea party."

2. "Uh oh! I said a tea party, but you must of thought I said sea party."

Songs Mrs. P. took part in:

1. "Mrs. Pennypacker"

2. "A Pennypacker Tea Party"

3. "I am the Wind"

4. "Stuffies"

Things that happened to her:

1. Turned into a bird (Stuffies)

2. Got stuck under a bunch of boxes (The Blue Cow)

3. Dressed up as an octopus (The Sea)

4. Went on a vacation (Late)

Well, I myself think that the 70s-early 90s (in particular the 80s) was the best time, a heyday for family shows. Since c1992, most "kids" shows are either a.)too infantile, b.)too stupid or c.)too mature or otherwise too much for most preschool/elementary age kids to handle. They also had more of an imaginative, suspension of disbelief sense to them, unlike now, where I think that the shows harden the children to a certain extent. Most children past age 6 will go nowhere near Barney or Teletubbies for example, then they more often then now just go to the "general" media. I think that that's just wrong. People like Clive Vanderburgh and Jim Henson though, I think had the right idea. Making their shows good, quality fun where small children, their parents, grandparents and whoever else could and would watch without embarrassment, and it also enhanced their creativity, and often gave good lessons. (for example, the episode of Muffy and Hazel, her butterfly friend, or the one with Jodie's friend who communicated with Bliss symbols).

As for Mrs.Pennypacker, I hope I'm not the only one who didn't think that she was freaky, or that even Sam was to any significant extent. I happen to like humanoid puppets, as long as they have interesting personalities, and I think that Mrs. P and Sam definitely had that. Sam in fact rather reminds me of Statler and Waldorf (AKA "The two old guys in the balcony") from the Muppets.

Anyway, that's my two cents. I look forward to hearing what you have to say.