Hear Dick Van Dyke voice a giant singing puppet opposite Jim Carrey on Kidding

Dick Van Dyke will be lending his voice to a very important character on the new season of Showtime’s Kidding, and EW has your exclusive first look. The legendary actor will bring to life an oversized puppet named Hopskotch, a character who audiences will never see in his entirety, in the dramedy’s second episode.

Kidding tells the story of longtime children’s television host Jeff Pickles (Jim Carrey), and the challenges he faces in maintaining his positive and seemingly problem-free TV persona after the death of one of his sons. Season 2 picks up after Mr. Pickles, as he’s affectionately known, cracks and discusses with his audience the sad circumstances he’s befallen, breaking character after 30 years on television.

“At the end season 1, there’s a montage that implies that each of each puppets on the show are based on our characters,” Holstein tells EW, explaining the enormity of Hopskotch and the role he’ll play in Jeff Pickles’ world this season. “Jeff’s dad, Seb [Frank Langella], is the basis for Hopskotch the Sasquatch, the giant puppet who’s so large we only see his legs. Dick plays Hopskotch and they sing a duet together about building each other a home. Since Hopskotch has always represented Jeff’s dad, we wanted an actor who had been a father figure to Jim.”

He adds, “Jeff’s dad has always been godlike to him. It felt like a puppet based on his dad would just be legs coming down from the clouds and a booming voice.”

“I’ve always admired Jim Carrey and his flair for comedy,” Van Dyke tells EW in a statement. “Working with him on this wonderful story was a rare treat.”

When fans last saw Mr. Pickles in the season 1 finale, he was stuck at the bottom of a waterfall and unsure how to leave.

“In the last frame of season 1, Jeff is trying to grasp how he gets back up the waterfall,” Holstein says. “What could be more special than a television legend helping him figure it out?”

Season 2 of Kidding premieres Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime.

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