Possibly one of my favorite childhood memories is sitting on a stack of pillows in a homemade blanket fort with my best friend. The inside of the fort is black, and the computer screen lights up my laughing face. Stories circle in my head of flying brooms, carriage rides with invisible creatures, magical wands, and never ending adventures. My face lights up when I laugh at the funny sayings, interesting plots, and incredibly catchy rhythms.
The Potter Puppet Pals should be a television show on their own. They are famous on YouTube and have brought joy to children’s and teenager’s lives as they are reading or already have read the beloved Harry Potter series. This YouTube videos can be found on Neil Cicierega’s channel. Or, a simpler solution, is simply looking up Potter Puppet Pals in the search bar on YouTube. The actors and creators of these videos include Neil Cicierega, Emmy Cicierega, Alora Lanzillotta, and Julie Becker.
Here are some of my favorites:
The Mysterious Ticking Noise
Wizard Swears
Ron’s Disease
The Vortex
Snape’s Diary
The characters in these videos are the usual suspects. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore. Neville Longbottom and Voldemort also make appearances along with some surprise characters that nobody sees coming. These characters are puppets made of different colored felt, and the clothes are the traditional Hogwarts’ black robes. Albus Dumbledore, of course, wears his bright colored robe and wizard hat. Potter can be clearly seen with his black glasses, Weasley with his red hair and freckles, and Snape with his incredibly pointy nose.
The music is unique. It definitely sounds like it could be part of the wizard world. There’s different songs for each video, but there is that one traditional song. The puppet shows start off like any other show. Red curtains part to reveal a brown stage, blue background, and a picket stand with a poster that states the title of the show. These showings last from thirty seconds to about six minutes depending on the story.
These little acts are highly entertaining. The actors portray the characters incredibly well. They capture Snape’s grumpiness to the T, Hermione’s, Harry’s, and Ron’s mischief and impulsiveness very well, and Dumbledore’s unexpected acts. The voices are high pitched, but that is to be expected from puppets. There are voice variations that do match the ones of the original characters, or at least I believe that. The movements of these characters are limited, but the actors found a way to make them entertaining. They are synced, patterned, and entertaining for the audience.
Overall, the Potter Puppet Pals have been highly successful for several years. They have millions of viewers, and they are fun to watch repeatedly. If possible, look some videos up. I think you will find them quite entertaining. So from one witch to another, or wizard, enter the realm of the magical world and embark on adventures with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. (Broomstick flies away.)
