The miracle of animatronics brought Teddy Ruxpin to our homes in 1985 and the erudite bear got his own cartoon series two years later. Originally a stuffed animal with a built-in tape deck that would tell stories and perform simple movements, Teddy made the leap to the small screen with the syndicated show The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin.

Teddy was already a big success in the toy market so producers brought the loveable stuffed animal to the small screen and created an elaborate world for him to inhabit. Teddy Ruxpin is an illiop, a kind species of bear and he leaves Rillonia, his homeland, to quest for magical crystals in the distant land of Grundo.  Accompanying Ruxpin on the perilous journey is his best friend Grubby, a fuzzy, caterpillar-like creature with a fondness for food. Along the way, the two pals befriend Gimmimck, a human inventor, who helps them with his science know-how.

There are more species of people/animals/things in Grundo than in Middle Earth. Illipers, Grunges, Fobs, Elves, Snowzos, Mudblups, Troll and Woodsprites are but a few of the species dwelling there. Some are bad and some are good; Teddy and Grubby make both friends and enemies. Among their friends are Prince Arin (a humanoid illiper), the Wooly Whatsit (a purple, furry Snowzo) and Leota (a tiny woodsprite with wings). As it turns out, the crystals Teddy is looking for hold very powerful magic and so are sought by the Monsters and Villains Organization, which is bad news. Heading the Organization is Quellor who makes life hard for the heroes, as does Tweeg, a troll wizard who regularly sends out his henchmen to harass Teddy and his friends.

Many of the story lines in The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin grew from the stories the toy Teddy would recount, but others were completely original. Also, the format of the show was more serial than episodic, maintaining a high degree of continuity throughout the series. The show was canceled after one season of 65 episodes due to flagging sales of the toy Ruxpin and the financial troubles of its parent company. Through the miracle of DVD though, you too can visit Grundo; just watch out for those no-good Gutangs.