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Cast

Jeff

Played by Jeff Hyslop

JeffAfter the department store has closed and all the customers have gone home, Jeff's magic hat is placed on his head, and someone says the magic words, "hocus pocus alimagocus", and Jeff comes to life after spending the day as a mannequin.  Suddenly, Jeff can see and hear and walk and talk... as he once described it, "a regular Pinocchio."  He spends his nights in the store, with Jodie, Sam, Muffy, and also with Mrs. Pennypacker, learning about his world in the store as well as the world outside the store.

However, the powers in the magic hat that bring Jeff to life are limited.  Jeff can only be a real person as long as he is physically wearing the magic hat.  If Jeff loses his magic hat, whether it happens by his removing the hat, his hat falling off, being knocked off, or otherwise, he reverts back to being a mannequin, unable to see, hear, or move.  He can only come to life again by someone placing the magic hat back on his head, and saying the magic words again.  In addition to Jeff having to keep the hat on his head, the magic hat only works while he is inside the store, or on the store's roof.  One step outside, and Jeff is a mannequin again.  While this limitation has made Jeff wish that he could venture out into the world beyond the store, it has also made Jeff better appreciate his world inside the store.

Jeff received his magic hat entirely by accident.  It all began when Waldo the Magnificent was practicing his magic as he walked down the street.  Finding the hat sitting on a fire hydrant, Waldo practiced his "all-purpose magic hat" spell.  At last, Waldo had success, as the hat rose up, but then proceeded to fly away!  After a considerable chase, the hat eventually flew through a second-story window at the mannequin factory, and came to rest on Jeff's head, bringing him to life.  While Waldo attempted to recover the hat, Jeff was taken away, being sent to the store, where he was to serve as a mannequin.  After Waldo accidentally turned himself into a frog, he eventually gave himself wings and chased the van containing Jeff and the magic hat to the store.  Once at the store, while Waldo initially tried to get the hat back and continue on his way, Jodie, Muffy, and Sam convinced Waldo that Jeff did know about the hat, and that he was actually a real person.  Waldo relented, and with a double dose of "hocus pocus alimagocus", made Jeff into a real person.  However, reading and writing and talking would require something much more tricky.  Waldo cast a spell to make him smart, but instead of making contact with Jeff's head, he hit Jeff's shoes.  While this did not create the desired result, it did make Jeff into a very talented dancer.  Eventually the spell was re-cast, and achieved the desired result, at last making Jeff "smart", able to read, write, talk... you name it.  However, Jeff still had a lot to learn about the world around him.

In learning about the world around him, Jeff sometimes turns to one of two reference books.  Most often, the book he turns to is The What Is It Book, which was an illustrated guide to everything from homes to hats to fruit.  Jeff's other primary reference book is The Book of Knowledge, which he received when Jodie was putting it out on display for a book sale.  Between these two books, as well as through his own experience, Jeff has learned many things about his world in the store, as well as the world beyond the store.

Additionally, besides playing Jeff the mannequin, Jeff Hyslop was also the show's choreographer.

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