Classic Characters in Modern-Day Shows?

[EmMonster]

So I live in Virginia, and I went to Busch Gardens this weekend. I was really excited for the new Sesame Street section (And it is awesome, so if you want a vacation I would totally suggest going.)
They had this 4D movie thing, which was called something like Sesame Street Film Festival, and they were all using their imagination because the film got screwy.
So Cookie Monster imagined that he was wreaking havoc on the city (so that he could get a cookie) and they had a lot of whatnots scared of him. And one of the whatnots looked EXACTLY (to me, at least) like Roosevelt Franklin! I thought that was so awesome, because he was kicked off ages ago, and while he didn't speak or anything, I just thought it was cool. I don't know why. Have any other classic characters that aren't really shown anymore on the show been extras in anything?

 

[muppet maniac]

I actually saw the 4-D show before you did, years before it crossed over to America. It was originally part of the Universal Studios Japan theme park in Osaka, and entitled "Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic". It was first added to the park in 2003, and from what I remember, this was originally not going to be shown in the US, due to some "licensing issues" or something like that (Budweiser/Busch Gardens and the Sesame Place theme park). But now I see they decided otherwise. Huh, how funny.

Anyway, I remember that scene you mentioned---but the whole attraction was dubbed in Japanese! But I can tell you that the AM you mentioned, while he did look like Roosevelt Franklin, it wasn't actually him. But they do share the same AM design pattern (Magenta), and the hair and even the face. There have also been several characters made from the RF puppet, who looked like RF and also shared RF's facial features (like in the "Going for a Ride" song, and the Loud/Quiet skit with Telly in the library and a Green AM woman at the airport). Also at one point in the film, one of the Pesties from "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland" actually appears! (I believe it was Howard).

 

[minor muppetz]

Although they are rarely on the actual show anymore, Herry, Alice Snuffleupagus, and Barkley all do apear in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade every year.

In a tough pigs interview, Joey Mazzarino said that the producers and writers will try to work in some nods to the fans, and he used having Biff and Sully in the background as an example. Hopefully that means that they will appear next season. I hope that most episodes include some brief background appearances by past characters. I think Anything Muppet characters would be feasible, since the patters are still around and therefore it wouldn't matter if the puppets wore out.