Home video synopsis
Twelve year old Tracey Allen receives a necklace for her birthday from her Mother. Unknown to Tracey this necklace gives her the powers of a Witch. Meanwhile, on the Island of Blizzard Island, a real Witch finds out about the necklace through her Crystal Lamp. With the power of the necklace the Witch will become the most powerful Witch in the world. Casting a spell the Witch brings Tracey and her Brother Wayne to the Island. However, the spell backfires and the two children land on another part of the Island and not in her castle. She decides to go after them on foot.
On the other side of the island Tracey and Wayne run into a very hungry Snake named Sir Python. Just as Sir Python is about to devour our heroes he is frightened by a big creature named Grog. We find that Grog is really a friendly guy who becomes good friends with Tracey and Wayne.
Suddenly the Witch pushes a branch away revealing herself. The three make a run for it. Just as the Witch is about to pursue them the same branch swings back ands hits the Witch in the face knocking her down. After recovering herself the Witch decides to go back to her Castle and formulate another plan. Hearing all that is going on Sir Python decides to team up with the Witch. The Witch thinks this is a good idea and with magic they kidnap Wayne in ransom for the necklace.
By way of a CB radio the Witch tells Tracey to bring the necklace or she will never see Wayne again. Tracey and Grog sneak into the castle. They split up to find Wayne and hopefully escape. Tracey runs into the Witch and has a show down. The Witch is winning and as she is about to deliver the final blow, Tracey grabs a mirror off the wall and deflects the Witch's spell back thus shrinking her.
Grog finds Wayne and all three leave the castle. However, Tracey and Wayne can't get back home. Grog tells them that a great being known as Argon may be able to help them get home if they can find him. So our heroes head off to find the Great Argon.
Terry Angus and Stoney Ripley recorded their own kind of a pilot using home video equipment. The puppets for the video were made by Terry while he was working as a performer on Fraggle Rock. The puppets were different from the ones he made for the two CBC pilots and the series. They were on the crude side.
Another difference was the fact that the two child heroes Tracey and Wayne Allen were puppets and not real humans as seen in the pilots and series. Another thing that was different from the other later incarnations of Blizzard Island was the Witch's Uncle Eggbert. The disembodied head on the castle was not a puppet but a Halloween mask that Terry and Stoney came across in a Zellers Mall. Check the side picture. Terry put his hand in the mouth of the mask and said to Stoney "Take it from me she's one tough Witch!!!" This caused the two creators to break down laughing so hard they almost peed themselves. So they decided to use it. Rog was very different too, not only in looks but in name too. At this time he was called Grog. This Home video of Blizzard Island was never aired and never will. Well after all, it was a home video. I mean how many Home Videos do you see broadcast?
Another difference between the home video and the TV version of Blizzard Island was that the writing was very Muppet style humor with our characters taking takes or comments to the camera as well as running gags and inside humor. For example, in the Home video we have Tracey asking Wayne where he got a marshmallow and his reply is "Oh, from the prop department."
