PASADENA, Calif. — If you think that interviewing a puppet is weird — and, believe me, it is — imagine what it's like working with one. But it's something Seth Green ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") quickly became accustomed to in the new Fox comedy "Greg the Bunny."
"I don't really have a problem with the puppets. We get along fine," Green told TV critics. "I don't consider myself a bigoted or racist person."
"Yeah, you're one of the good ones, Seth," Greg (the Bunny) said. (He was actually being voiced by co-creator/producer Dan Milano, but just play along — we had to.)
"I feel I recognize talent in whatever form or species," Green continued. "So I look forward to the opportunity to kind of break the barriers and raise people's awareness of the plight of the fabricated American."
Apparently, working with puppets — fabricated Americans — does leave a mark.
"Greg the Bunny" (Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Ch. 13) is a show about a children's show, but it is not a children's show. Set behind the scenes at the fictional program "Sweetknuckle Junction," Greg is sort of a wide-eyed but savvy young bunny who falls into a job as the show's star when his predecessor becomes expendable. Green plays Jimmy, Greg's best friend/roommate/agent, whose father, Gil (Eugene Levy) produces "Junction."
The cast includes both humans — network executive Alison Kaiser (Sarah Silverman), and "Sweetknuckle" co-stars Junction Jack (Bob Gunton) and Dottie Sunshine (Dina Waters) — and puppets like Warren "The Ape" Demontague and Count Blah.
Greg's sudden stardom actually echoes real life.
"These guys (Milano and creator/executive producer Spencer Chinoy) discovered me . . . doing some street performances. I was doing my impersonation of a desperate beggar," Greg said. "They liked it and picked me up and we went right to public access (TV)."
Well, that part about begging is an embellishment, but Greg the Bunny did get his start as an ultra-low budget Manhattan public access show. Which, just seven months later, was picked up by the Independent Film Channel as a series of shorts. And about 18 months after that, Fox came calling.
There have been changes — a budget that's about a thousand times what it was on public access. And, while the humor is no less adult than in most network sitcoms, it has been toned down — no more cursing.
"Greg the Bunny" isn't for everyone. It's definitely lowbrow — expect bodily function jokes — and not nearly as funny as interviewing Greg. But it has its moments. As does working with puppets.
"There are a lot of challenges," said executive producer Steve Levitan. "It adds quite a bit of time to our week — no offense, Greg.
"If I want Seth or Eugene to pick up this coffee mug and take it across the room and empty it out, they can do that pretty much the first try. Whereas with a puppet, you have to make special allowances on the set to make that happen and that may take an hour for something like that."
"Oh, well, I'm so sorry I don't have thumbs," Greg said.
There's that puppet attitude.
"Temperament, I think, is the most disconcerting element of working with puppets," Green said. "They've very diva-like — entourage all the time, rap music from the trailer, alcohol. They're an unruly bunch."
TODD STARTS SOON:Ex-Ch. 5 anchorwoman Ruth Todd will be showing up on Ch. 4's 10 p.m. newscast shortly — the official announcement is pending, but expect to see her 'round about the time the May sweeps begin on April 25.
Although you may have caught a sneak peek of Todd on the embarrassingly awful Oscars pre-show that aired on ABC/Ch. 4 on Sunday — she co-hosted a Salt Lake fundraiser with Ch. 4 anchorman Randall Carlisle.
Todd will replace Amy Troy, whose contract at KTVX is expiring (and who chose not to accept a non-anchor position with the station).
E-MAIL: pierce@desnews.com