Morning with the Muppets

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

So it is comfirm that Steve is not playing Ernie.

I think the show basically confirmed that already, because Steve isn't in the show's credits anymore nor is he listed on SST's website as one of the performers. And Billy Barkhurst has officially filmed three consecutive seasons as Ernie.
I do wonder why they kept the replacement so quiet though. It seems for a while none of the people working on the show would confirm or deny whether of not Barkhurst had replaced Steve.

 

[MelissaY1]

So it is comfirm that Steve is not playing Ernie.

Yeah I know they had someone else performing him recently, but I didn't know Steve was out of the picture for good until he discussed this at the event. He said it was a "long story" curious to know what happened there, and rather disappointed to hear. I think he did a great job with Ernie.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Yeah I know they had someone else performing him recently, but I didn't know Steve was out of the picture for good until he discussed this at the event. He said it was a "long story" curious to know what happened there, and rather disappointed to hear. I think he did a great job with Ernie.

My guess is that since about 2007, Steve hasn't been as available to perform on Sesame Street due to his commitments to Muppet Studios projects. Since Ernie is a main character and was appearing less and less eventually Sesame Workshop decided they needed a new performer who's available year round. So they got Billy Barkhurst (who had already been Steve's understudy for about 4 years) to do the job.

 

[MuppetSpot]

Oh well, at least we're getting more Ernie than what we had 5 years ago.

 

[ShMuppetgal96]

My guess is not only were outside Muppet projects were conflicting, but he does have a whole other separate life back in Atlanta. It would totally be understandable if he chooses to spend his free time back home with his wife.

 

[antsamthompson9]

I've given up on waiting for the official video to be uploaded, so here's the whole panel in audio form: podfanatic.com/podcast/vulture-festival-podcast/episode/morning-with-the-muppets

 

[ShMuppetgal96]

Well, this just makes me wish there was video even more!!

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Well, for me this definitely makes up for the fact that there's no video. Interviews with Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson are super rare, so i'm just happy this exists.

 

[muppetlover123]

When they do the montage at the beginning towards the end of it you can hear the Pigs In Space announcer at the end he says Tune in next time to hear Pepe say I believe, then Pepe says something and then Link does. Sounds like Matt Vogel as the announcer and it sounds good! Hope the videos are released soon

 

[MelissaY1]

I've given up on waiting for the official video to be uploaded, so here's the whole panel in audio form: podfanatic.com/podcast/vulture-festival-podcast/episode/morning-with-the-muppets

Thanks for this! I wanted some kind of evidence that Steve said hello to me in the middle of the panel LOL