Name That Trauma:: Reader Charlotte on Disturbing Puppet Creatures

Hi Kindertrauma,

I am a massive fan of your website and was wondering if you or your readers could help me out. I'm looking for a film they used to show on the Disney Channel (I know, SCARY) around Halloween in the mid to late 90s and early 00s and nobody I know remembers the title. It was about a TV show presented by a Captain Birdseye lookalike and his puppets who were actually real disturbing creatures (one looked a bit like a prostitute and may have been called Esmeralda?) that was going to be shut down. There was also an evil woman that looked a lot like V's Jane Badler who wanted to take over the show/TV studio and she was followed by a goth henchman who kept saying "executive producer" in an eastern european accent. I think in the end the show was saved and the baddies defeated thanks to the help of some kids who loved the show. My friends and I thought it was called 'Little Monsters' but IMDB told us otherwise.

Anyway, the puppets as I remember them were terrifying! If anybody can shed a light on what the film was I would be hugely grateful as it would save me many more fruitless searches and sleepless nights.