Nickelodeon’s first-look at ‘The Barbarian and the Troll’ puppet series has fans excited
Nickelodeon posted a first look at a brand-new live-action puppet comedy series called “The Barbarian and the Troll” and fans are loving it so far.
The 13-episode series, “The Barbarian and the Troll” (originally “Brendar the Barbarian”), follows Evan, an adventure-seeking troll who’s never actually ventured out from under his bridge, and Brendar, the “feared and revered” female warrior with a sharp sword and even sharper wit, as they embark on a quest to defeat an evil wizard. Along their journey, the unlikely duo encounters an eclectic puppet cast of wacky characters and form an unbreakable friendship.
The show is from co-creators Mike Mitchell (“Trolls,” “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part”) and puppeteer Drew Massey (“Mutt & Stuff,” “Sid the Science Kid”).
“[’The Barbarian and the Troll’] is a truly original series that kids and families of all ages are going to love,” said Shauna Phelan, senior vice president, live-action scripted content for Nickelodeon. “It’s amazing to work with such immensely talented creators like Mike and Drew. Their imaginative puppetry, uniquely cinematic vision, and hilarious voice make this a show like no other.”
Fans agree. Bradley Allen Ellebract commented on Nickelodeon Facebook page, “Kudos to nick for greenlighting something new and interesting” and Paul Cecchini admitted, “I have no idea what this is, but I like it,” to which Nickelodeon replied, “Don’t worry, Brendar is a lot to handle.”
Fans on Twitter were just as excited:
This is awesome action packed and funny it’s like The Muppet Show meets Eureeka’s Castle and Mr Meaty but good I can’t wait for this 😎
— Johnny (@johnny_marrero) February 19, 2021
“The Barbarian and The Troll” will premiere on April 2, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon.
2/26/21 Update: The series stars Spencer Grammer (“Rick & Morty”) as the voice of Brendar and Drew Massey (“Mutt & Stuff,” “Sid the Science Kid”) as the voice of Evan. Joining Massey as puppeteers and voice talent are Colleen Smith, Allan Trautman, Sarah Sarang Oh, Nicolette Santino, Peggy Etra, James Murray. and Jeny Cassady. The series also features the voice of comedian Gina Yashere.
Check out the newly released trailer here:
This isn’t a Jim Henson production, of course, but its co-creator is Drew Massey of The Henson Company’s “Sid the Science Kid” which I’ve always had a sneaking admiration for when it came to having kid characters acting like, well, kids. The series so far involves a female barbarian and a hapless troll going on a quest but it also has the inside-out sensibility of “The Muppet Show” in its prime. Since it airs on Nickelodeon, don’t expect it to follow in the footprints of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” but there’s a good deal of nudge-wink send-ups of the Quest conventions we’ve come to expect from Peter Jackson’s treatment of the J. R. R. Tolkien titles. The cast includes a comic wizard and his daughter who has been inconveniently turned into an owl. If it sounds sort of cockeyed, that’s just part of the fun. I only hope the fun keeps going.