Sesame Street Introduces New Autistic Muppet, Julia

[123Sunny]

That's a shame, but I'll still be excited about Julia. Maybe eventually she can be a puppet for at least one episode. Maybe later she can be a more character. Elmo started off just as a backround and a few others I think too. And no...DONT TAKE MURRAY :0

 

[Drtooth]

Well we don't know for sure if Murray is leaving or not.

Everything is pure speculation, and while I usually don't get on the other side of the recast issue, I just don't see anyone else taking up Murray and giving the same effect Joey had. Then again, at a shorter half hour (and the fact they were phasing out his letter and number intros) probably means less Murray time anyway. But that's just a guess.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I think it would be awesome to have Julia as a main character on the show and have her first season's curriculum be about people with disabilities.They could show autistic people,deaf people and teach sign language,blind people and they could bring back Brandeis as a main character because he's a service dog.

EDIT: Also if Murray and Ovejita leave after season 46,I think Julia and Brandeis could be interesting replacements.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

That's a shame, but I'll still be excited about Julia. Maybe eventually she can be a puppet for at least one episode. Maybe later she can be a more character. Elmo started off just as a backround and a few others I think too. And no...DONT TAKE MURRAY :0

To be honest, Murray's main function was hosting the block format which the show has done with out for 39 years, so how much is he really needed? Plus we know that Joey's leaving, so as of right we don't know if they're recasting him or if he's leaving altogether.
: Or if he's leaving.

Though it would be nice to see Murray in a different role, maybe he and Ovejita could be in street scenes or something like that.

Interesting news about Julia though. Being autistic myself, I can definitely relate.

 

[Drtooth]

To be honest, Murray's main function was hosting the block format which the show has done with out for 39 years, so how much is he really needed? Plus we know that Joey's leaving, so as of right we don't know if they're recasting him or if he's leaving altogether.

I have a sneaking suspicion that part of the reason that he left was that they were planning to do away with the block hosting bit all together. If it's still part of the up and coming season remains to be seen... especially since it doesn't even have a broadcast date yet.

EDIT: Also if Murray and Ovejita leave after season 46,I think Julia and Brandeis could be interesting replacements.

Eh, to be brutally honest, I'd rather see the block hosting format leave period than to see anyone else host. Even if it were the Bird hisself. If they're turning a corner, they might as well make it a sharp turn. But this is getting out of subject. I'd love to see Julia as a character on the series, but I wouldn't want to see it become the "Where's Julia?" show. We need to keep that balance.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I have a sneaking suspicion that part of the reason that he left was that they were planning to do away with the block hosting bit all together. If it's still part of the up and coming season remains to be seen... especially since it doesn't even have a broadcast date yet.



Eh, to be brutally honest, I'd rather see the block hosting format leave period than to see anyone else host. Even if it were the Bird hisself. If they're turning a corner, they might as well make it a sharp turn. But this is getting out of subject. I'd love to see Julia as a character on the series, but I wouldn't want to see it become the "Where's Julia?" show. We need to keep that balance.

Well I meant take their place in the cast rather than hosting,not sure if Ovejita and Murray would really fit in street scenes.

 

[D'Snowth]

I have a sneaking suspicion that part of the reason that he left was that they were planning to do away with the block hosting bit all together.

I'd hate to think that after working with SST for over twenty years that Joey would be conceited enough to leave the show because they're doing away with the hosting bits: the only info we have is that he fought for over a year over what he thought was "the heart and soul of the show," you really think he thought that Murray was the heart and soul of SST? I mean, if that were the case, it seems like Caroll would have left years ago because of how Elmo's dethroned Big Bird as the unofficial starring Muppet of the show.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

I'd hate to think that after working with SST for over twenty years that Joey would be conceited enough to leave the show because they're doing away with the hosting bits: the only info we have is that he fought for over a year over what he thought was "the heart and soul of the show," you really think he thought that Murray was the heart and soul of SST? I mean, if that were the case, it seems like Caroll would have left years ago because of how Elmo's dethroned Big Bird as the unofficial starring Muppet of the show.

Yeah. Joey was a Muppet performer long before Murray. Remember that he worked with David on the Two Headed Monster and was Lightning in "Elmo Saves Christmas" and he played Horatio the Elephant for quite some time too, so he does deserve to be seen as more than just Murray. My guess is Joey's leaving for the same reasons that Fran and Sonia are leaving. I think he just wants to get involved in other things at the moment.

 

[Drtooth]

I'd hate to think that after working with SST for over twenty years that Joey would be conceited enough to leave the show because they're doing away with the hosting bits: the only info we have is that he fought for over a year over what he thought was "the heart and soul of the show," you really think he thought that Murray was the heart and soul of SST? I mean, if that were the case, it seems like Caroll would have left years ago because of how Elmo's dethroned Big Bird as the unofficial starring Muppet of the show.

Something tells me that wasn't the reason he left, but it seems like trying to pull Murray back a bit might have been a straw among the pile on the camel's back, and we don't really know what the last one was. The "heart and soul" thing seems pretty sinister sounding, though. Maybe the HBO deal wasn't as "spur of the moment" as we think. But I doubt that less Murray screen time would have had him throw his hands in the air and quit. And even if it had no baring on his decision, I'm sure that the show being a half hour might seem like a good way to change the format back. The half hour reruns do feature the hosting bits, but the rest of the show seems rushed, and in some cases edited. And I mean the street stories. I'd say that a half hour relaunch is a prime time to end the "hosted block" format, especially due to the fact that subsegments like Abby's School and Crumby Pictures would be too long to incorporate. The alphabet and number intro songs seem like the perfect sign that Murray's hosting duties were going to dissipate in future episodes. I could see him still doing the "Word on the street" bit in future episodes half hour or not, just not the little guessing games and tune ins. And trust me. I do indeed love these Murray out in the world interacting bits. Much more so than the taped CGI background inserts. But I don't think the show needed them, and I can see them doing away with them.

But if I'm wrong about that, I don't see how they can do those without Joey. Sure, recasts are a thing now, and I defend every one of them when they get the character and chemistry right. And I'm sure if they recast Murray, whoever performs him will do a bang up job. But Joey seems to be doing a lot more than puppeteering for the show. I'm sure there's some logistics of the hosting bits being lost. I'd say that his departure is a good opportunity to bring the show back to having no real host.

 

[D'Snowth]

Getting back ot the topic at hand, I talked to Alexandra today to see what she knows about the intended use for Julia, and it would seem that she was, indeed, created specifically for the online storybook and related material . . . so, I guess we won't actually be seeing her on the show any time soon.