tell the adults to move so that the children could get a good look at the show. Mr. Bingle also appeared in musical radio and television commercials, many of which were fully animated. The puppet shows ended in 1985 when Isentrout died, and the character has remained silent ever since. Television show The character would appear on television on the New Orleans channel WDSU and Memphis channel WMCTV Channel 5, where he would be accompanied by real actors in his puppet form, similar to Sesame Street. This show would air from Thanksgiving to the night before Christmas. These shows were also broadcast on the radio and done live in the store windows. Merchandise Stuffed dolls Mr. Bingle-related merchandise, especially plush toys, were sold by Maison Blanche and manufactured in the United States, by Character Novelty Co., starting in 1949. The character has undergone many design changes, with the earlier dolls having chrome eyes and red mittens, and later dolls switching to the traditional blue eyes with red and white mittens. Some dolls even have a black nose and eyes, although these were manufacturers defects and were ordered to be destroyed, with the remaining dolls becoming rare. Other manufacturers defects among the dolls include hats that veer too far in either direction and oddly placed facial features. With the rise of social media platforms such as Facebook, communities have been formed dedicated to the buying and reselling of the dolls, and many listings have appeared on sites such as eBay. Papier-mâché figure Mr. Bingle was also displayed as a large papier-mâché figure on the front of the flagship Maison Blanche store on Canal Street, first standing next to Santa Claus and later in a flying form. The flying figure was displayed at the Metairie, Louisiana Maison Blanche Store and later at a Dillard's Metairie location when the Canal Street store was closed. By 2004 the Mr. Bingle figure was in such poor condition that it could not be displayed, although Dillard's continued to market small replicas. This figure has since become the most iconic of all Mr. Bingles, with most of the non-plush toy merchandise featuring the character in the exact same pose as the papier-mâché figure. By 2011 the Mr. Bingle figure was again reported to be in need of repairs. Novels A 2004 novel entitled Saving Mr. Bingle became a local success in New Orleans and Memphis; proceeds from