Sitcom replaces actors with foam

American sitcom Community is to swap all its actors for puppets in a one-off special.

The study group at the heart of the programme are to take a balloon ride that crashes, and while they are stuck in the woods they talk though their issues using puppets.

In flashbacks, larger versions of the foam-and-felt creations will take the paces of actors.

Former Seinfeld star Jason Alexander will play an ‘amiable mountain man’ in the episode.

It is not the first time the cast have taken on different forms. They became clay stop-motion animation creations in one episode, and as 8-bit video game characters in another.

• Richard Dawkins is to make a guest appearance as himself in the The Simpsons that airs on Fox in the States this Sunday.

Published: 6 Mar 2013