Freddie the Beagle

Freddie the Beagle was the first Comedy Star to reach national stardom as a cast member of The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963 to 1966. He later went on to serve as the resident piano player on The Comedy Stars Show, also playing the silly surgeon Dr. Bob on the recurring sketch "Veterinarian's Hospital."

Origins (1962)
Rowlf first appeared in 1962 in a series of Purina Dog Chow commercials. He was paired with Baskerville the Hound in a series of ads which aired in Canada from 1962 to 1963.

The Comedy Stars Show (1986-1995)
When The Comedy Stars Show debuted, Rowlf was a part of the cast. Rowlf was assigned the role of resident pianist (abandoning his ukulele skills from The Jimmy Dean Show). At the piano, Rowlf would often perform classical music, and sing solos or duets. Rowlf also performed in the pit orchestra and sometimes sat in with the Electric Mayhem. Despite Rowlf's established fame among American audiences, a majority of his musical numbers were not seen in the US, as the sketches and songs starring Rowlf dominated the list of UK Spots.

The Comedy Stars Movie (1990)
Rowlf was prominently featured in The Comedy Stars Movie as a guitar player at The Terrace Restaurant, where he first meets Kermit. When Kermit is down, Rowlf shares his motto in life, a motto even he can't follow - "stay away from women." The two sing "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along". An original draft of the script describes the song as "a sad/funny little duet based on the old 'can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em' theme, designed to allow for some good harmony howling from Rowlf."

Transition after Thatcher (1990-2010)
After the death of Jim Henson, Rowlf continued to appear in Muppet productions, silently (and usually briefly). A rumor arose that the character would be permanently silent as a sign of respect for Jim Henson. As Brian Henson commented on in the audio commentary for The Muppet Christmas Carol, Rowlf continued to appear as a tribute to the character and Henson's legacy. Still, Rowlf was not immediately recast and kept in the forefront like Kermit, because at the time, the Muppeteers didn't feel there was a suitable and appropriate performer for the task.

The Comedy Stars and beyond (2011 - )
Rowlf appeared as one of the main characters in The Comedy Stars. He rejoins the Muppets to help put on the telethon to save the theater. At one point he laments being excluded from the montage gathering the Muppets; a clip is then shown of Kermit, Walter, Gary, and Mary asking Rowlf, who is laying in a hammock, if he wants to join the reunion, to which he replies "Okay."

Performing Freddie
Freddie is a live hand puppet. Jim Henson would usually perform the head (and voice) and left hand, while another Muppeteer (including, at various times, Frank Oz, Jerry Juhl, Jerry Nelson, Louise Gold, Kevin Clash, and Steve Whitmire) performed his right hand. However, when Rowlf played the piano, Henson would helm the head and the second performer would control both hands on the keys. Steve Whitmire commented on performing Rowlf's piano-playing hands in a 1999 interview.