Favorite Bert and Ernie Sketch

[Censored]

2. Ernie and Bert invite the Count over for the night; the Count borrows Bert's bed, while Bert himself sleeps on the living-room couch. Ironically, the Count has trouble falling asleep that night: Ernie teaches his guest how to count sheep, hoping that it will help.

(Nitpick moment: The Count has already learned that technique and used it at home, according to earlier episodes. In fact, his flock of counting sheep eventually goes on strike! But I digress...)

Next morning, Bert asks how his guests slept. The Count feels energetic and refreshed, although he didn't actually sleep. Ernie, on the other hand, walks in with bags under his eyes as he counts in a monotone; if I recall correctly, he's reached some eight-digit number of sheep. Bert vows never to let the Count spend the night again; Ernie collapses after a few more numbers, ending the sketch.

I remember everything about the skit that you described except for Bert vowing never to let the Count sleep over again. Whenever I saw the skit, it ends right after the Count asks Bert if he can sleep over again and Ernie crashes to the floor, with no answer from Bert one way or another. If such a line from Bert did take place, there must have been an edited version that deleted it, which has happened with a few skits.

 

[ISNorden]

I loved the skit where Ernie recited the alphabet to Bert calling it a story he had written. But he wouldn't say the letter z and Bert questioned him he said He wouldn't tell him how the story ended because he wanted to encourage him to read it for himself.

Yep, Ernie did that...reciting letters emotionally as if they were part of a real story--

"Now comes the sad part--H, I, J, K...[sobs]...L, M, N...[sobs]...O, P..."
"Here comes the action part--Q! R! S! T! U! V! W! X! Y..."

 

[Censored]

I loved the skit where Ernie recited the alphabet to Bert calling it a story he had written. But he wouldn't say the letter z and Bert questioned him he said He wouldn't tell him how the story ended because he wanted to encourage him to read it for himself.

There were actually two versions of that skit. The original one was a very early classic skit from the first or second season. Unfortunately, it was redone during the 80's with the more modern looking versions of Ernie and Bert of that time.

 

[ISNorden]

I also felt sorry for Bert when he decided he liked playing the rhyming Game at the last minute but Ernie bailed out on him.
Course the big laugh is that while he wasn't interested in playing all Bert had to do was shut up and eventually Ernie would have gotten the hint and given up (well maybe with a ? You cannot truly be certain with old Ernie can you?)

Bert probably couldn't have stayed quiet for long; Ernie would either pester him into speaking (and protested "That doesn't rhyme!" when Bert's words broke the rules), or tried to find another game they could play. After several rejected ideas ("How about an opposites game instead?...No? How about a [letter of the day]-word game?...I see...") Bert would make his typical angry/frustrated noise, then collapse to the floor as the usual "collapse music" played.

 

[ISNorden]

There were actually two versions of that skit. The original one was a very early classic skit from the first or second season. Unfortunately, it was redone during the 80's with the more modern looking versions of Ernie and Bert of that time.

I never knew that Ernie and Bert had makeovers; to my average viewer's eyes, both of them still have the same clothes, hair, and faces as they did in the 70's. A puppeteer or designer might notice, of course...

P.S. Did 1980's Ernie still type his "alpha-story" on an old, non-electric typewriter?

 

[Frogster]

I love the "Heeeeere fishy, fishy fishy!" sketch... my brother and I used to do the sketch for my mom when we were little!

 

[Censored]

I never knew that Ernie and Bert had makeovers; to my average viewer's eyes, both of them still have the same clothes, hair, and faces as they did in the 70's. A puppeteer or designer might notice, of course...

P.S. Did 1980's Ernie still type his "alpha-story" on an old, non-electric typewriter?

Oh, Ernie and Bert had numerous make-overs throughout the years. Some were more subtle than others. Bert's nose always seemed to get smaller. Ernie started out with a different shirt and his nose was purplish. Their hair used to be a lot more messed up. Bert looked much grumpier in the beginning. Etc.

I actually don't recall if the typewriter had changed in the 80's sketch because I was so focused on Ernie and Bert. It probably was an updated electric one though. If they did it again, it would surely be on a computer.

 

[Xerus]

I also felt sorry for Bert when he decided he liked playing the rhyming Game at the last minute but Ernie bailed out on him.
Course the big laugh is that while he wasn't interested in playing all Bert had to do was shut up and eventually Ernie would have gotten the hint and given up (well maybe with a ? You cannot truly be certain with old Ernie can you?)

I liked in the end when Bert wanted to continue playing the rhyming game with the lamp.

BERT: "Hey there lamp! That's a nice shade!"

But the lamp didn't reply and Bert walked away sighing, "Not the same!"

 

[tutter_fan]

Anyone remember the one skit where the celeste is playing either the SS theme song, or a lullaby, and ernie can't sleep, and bert suggest that he count something. He counts 1 firetruck, and a "scanimate" version of a firetruck appears with the old sounding siren, and it bothers bert, then he counts something else, and then ernie says "1 ballon" and the scanimate ballon appears, and it looks like it'll blow up, and it does!

 

[Xerus]

Anyone remember the one skit where the celeste is playing either the SS theme song, or a lullaby, and ernie can't sleep, and bert suggest that he count something. He counts 1 firetruck, and a "scanimate" version of a firetruck appears with the old sounding siren, and it bothers bert, then he counts something else, and then ernie says "1 ballon" and the scanimate ballon appears, and it looks like it'll blow up, and it does!

Yes I do. First Ernie counted sheep, but he thought they were boring. So he went for noisy firetrucks and balloons.

And it's amazing how Ernie's imagination is so real, that Bert can actually hear what's Ernie's imagining.