Event Recap: The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell
Photo Courtesy of NBCUniversal

The impact of The Jim Henson Company can easily be found in a variety of the things that I have enjoyed in life. I grew up obsessively watching movies like LABYRINTH, DARK CRYSTAL, and MIRROR MASK, growing to love the creepily fantasmical atmospheres that make up the world of those films. Years later I would come to appreciate the sheer might and artistry that went into the puppeteering found in Jim Henson Company’s projects. With the arrival of THE CURIOUS CREATIONS OF CHRISTINE MCCONNELL, I theorized that this project would appeal to both an older generation that grew up on puppetry and also could introduce puppetry to a younger generation. After seeing a special screening of the show on the studio lot, I felt more certain that my theory would be proven true!

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to take part in a special event on The Jim Henson Studios celebrating the release of Wilshire Studios’ (part of the NBCUniversal family) THE CURIOUS CREATIONS OF CHRISTINE MCCONNELL on Netflix. During the event, we were taken on a tour of the majority of the studio lot and were regaled with rumored spooky stories of haunted happenings on the properties. We also got a chance to see some of the original puppets used in previous projects, with one of the ones I found being an original Skeksis from the film DARK CRYSTAL. We concluded the tour with a visit to The Henson Soundstage, which has been used for over a century since the construction of the studio lot. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t squealing like a little girl on the inside the entire time.

After our tour concluded, we got the chance to see a special screening of the second episode from THE CURIOUS CREATIONS OF CHRISTINE MCCONNELL. Christine came out prior to the start of the episode to thank us all for attending and supporting the project. Then we jumped right into the episode. Having not watched an episode before attending the event, I was surprised and tickled pink by the quirkiness and charm that permeated throughout the episode. The naughty silliness of the puppet characters juxtapositioned against Christine’s more calm delivery.provided a delightful balance. And being able to watch Christine bake and craft on screen was super inspiring. By the time the episode was done, I was sad that it was all over. However, the fun wasn’t over yet!

When the episode concluded, we were led outside to a mixer where we got the chance to engage in a fun Q & A with Christine and one of the characters from her series, Rose. Rose is a formerly dead raccoon with a saucy personality and a heart full of gold. Well, actually, she might disagree with me there. The witty banter back and forth between Rose and the press was absolutely hilarious, especially when a question was posed about what she thought about murder. If you could have only seen the look in Rose’s eyes then, you would have potentially fallen in love. One of the most informative discoveries for me was learning how hands on Christine was while working on her show. She had a major hand in the creative design of all of the characters and the set dressing, which to me was super awe inspiring.

Overall, the night was honestly amazing and the little girl inside of me obsessed with magical worlds and puppets couldn’t have been happier. After going in not knowing an awful lot about the show, I came out of the event as a fan of the show. Now, if anyone so happens to need me, I have some binging to do.

All six episodes of THE CURIOUS CREATIONS OF CHRISTINE MCCONNELL are available now for streaming on Netflix here.

Sarah Musnicky
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