Hosts of YTV
The Grogs is the name of both the company and the original troupe of puppets spearheaded by me, Jamie Shannon and the talented Jason Hopley. We are the creative duo behind several hit children's shows, including the Gemini-award winning pre-school series nanalan (CBC & PBS), the offbeat tween puppet series Mr. Meaty (Nicktoons), the newest UK sensation Big And Small (CBBC and YTV) and "Ooh Aah and You", the monkeys that host Playhouse Disney.
Jason and I were amazing collaborators, performing alongside each other since our youth and attending school together from sixth grade through to university (we were drama majors of course). We formed The Grogs in 1990 and began cultivating our puppet style by improvising live, 3-minute shorts for Canadian kids. Fans immediately embraced our fresh approach and that positive response propelled us to the next level.
We met the composer/producer Jack Lenz early in our professional career and became the trio that would go on to make all of this amazing work. The goal was to make soulful, inspiring television for kids and adults alike, and we have made a multicolored, fluffy heap of it. Included are two clips starring the original Grogs in our very first specials, the Grog's 1st Santa Claus Parade and Warren TV (the takeover of YTV).
The Grogs (1992-2009)
