He was performed by After School camera operator and director Alan Henderson,[2] who died on 15 February 2020.
In a similar manner to the Rainbow characters Zippy and George, he was generally shown from the shoulders up, with one arm.
In 1996 he hosted his very own educational home video release entitled Thingee's ABC, where he looks after Mr Prendergast's toyshop and learns the order and shape of the letters of the alphabet when the capital letters vanish into the magic house.
While this outtake was not included in the episode that was eventually broadcast, shortly afterwards the clip was screened on a TVNZ bloopers show, where it found fame and became an iconic Kiwi television moment.
[5] The eyepop scene was used in the opening credits of the satirical show Eating Media Lunch.