Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends

Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends was an independently produced puppet and variety show created and produced by Richard Concepcion.[1] The show was cablecasted weekly on public-access cable TV in New York City from 1983 to 2017.[2] The show ran on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Queens Public TV, and aired online every Sunday afternoon over the Pawpet Broadcasting Network before the Funday Pawpet Show.[3]

Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends
GenreComedy
Created byRichard Concepcion
Opening themeCuster's Last Stand by Apollo 100
Country of originUSA
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes780
Production
Running time28 minutes
Release
Original releaseFebruary 21, 1983 (1983-02-21) –
April 28, 2017 (2017-04-28)

The show, which is based in Rapid Transit Rabbit's hometown of New York City, followed him, and his friends Cuppy, Rupert and Mejeep, both in town, and around the country on their adventures. This could be in the form of puppets interacting with each other via a traditional puppet stage, or in the form of a video documentary. In recent years, the show expanded to include Rapid as a mascot, as well as a puppet which was used to film video documentaries for the show.

Throughout the years, the Rapid T. Rabbit character has attended many events such as the Doo-Dah Parade in Ocean City, New Jersey,[4] and the Long Island Ducks Mascot Day[5] among others including the New York City Easter Parade. While Rapid T. Rabbit was a very involved with local events in the New York City area, he was commonly mistaken as the "Easter Bunny"[6] by kids according to an interview with Richard in the New York Times.

Rapid also made appearances on various other television shows including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 1999[7] and with local fandoms including the Chuck E. Cheese and ShowBiz Pizza fandom (from 2004 until 2013) at "Cheesevention", as well as in the Furry Fandom at conventions such as Anthrocon and Midwest Furfest as a Guest of Honor in 2000.[8]

In 2011, the program was the subject of a featured exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image.[9]

Richard Concepcion, the producer and puppeteer of Rapid T. Rabbit, died on August 1, 2017, according to the official homepage[10] in his apartment due to natural causes, thus ending the show's run.

Artwork of the show's main character Rapid Transit Rabbit
The show's main character Rapid Transit Rabbit

Main cast
  • Rapid Transit Rabbit - Host
  • Cuppy - Co-Host
  • Mejeep The Meeping Ferret - Co Host
  • Rupert - Supporting Character and Rapid's puppet nephew

Special guest appearances by

References
  1. Lisa Belkin (13 April 1987). "Public-Access TV: Behind the Scenes". The New York Times. p. C18.
  2. "Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends show #1". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  3. "Funday PawPet Show". en.wikifur.com. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  4. "Who's Who at the Doo Dah Parade - America's Greatest Family Resort | Official Site of Ocean City, NJ". oceancityvacation.com. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  5. Rapid T. Rabbit & Friends at LI Ducks Mascot Day 2005, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2021-09-15
  6. Belkin, Lisa (1987-04-13). "PUBLIC ACCESS TV: BEHIND THE SCENES". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  7. "A Hare Piece - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Comedy Central US". Comedy Central. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  8. Fred Patten (2017). Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015. McFarland & Company. p. 172. ISBN 9781476663814.
  9. "Before the Web, It Was Public Access: A New Museum Exhibihition Leads Visitors Back to the Days of Rapid T. Rabbit". The Wall Street Journal. 11 Feb 2011. p. A20.
  10. "Rapid T. Rabbit". www.bobdbob.com. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  11. Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends show #693, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2021-09-14
  12. "Rapid T Rabbit-Show.79". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  13. Rapid T. Rabbit interviews Chuck E. Cheese, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2021-09-14
  14. Telly Monster Drop Kicks Rapid T. Rabbit off Sesame Street, archived from the original on 2021-12-12, retrieved 2021-09-14
  15. Big Bird and Oscar call in to Rapid T Rabbit Show
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