Little things we've noticed

[D'Snowth]

Was this to help Caroll Spinney perform more easily

Bingo!

It's to try and cover a bare spot in the bird's feathers where Caroll would look through to see where's walking.

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder why the monitors wouldn't have worked on-location in those productions. Though he didn't need special neckware for Follow That Bird.

 

[D'Snowth]

Monitors only offer so much for Caroll to see . . . on camera. Otherwise, when Caroll is maneuvering throughout elaborate setups, he needs sidelines and peepholes so he can see where he's walking, otherwise he could bump into things. Sometimes he even they even have to do this on the show - they usually only remove one feather within his eye-level view.

 

[cjd874]

Monitors only offer so much for Caroll to see . . . on camera. Otherwise, when Caroll is maneuvering throughout elaborate setups, he needs sidelines and peepholes so he can see where he's walking, otherwise he could bump into things. Sometimes he even they even have to do this on the show - they usually only remove one feather within his eye-level view.

Now I have even more respect for what Caroll did...imagine rollerskating, riding a unicycle, or bouncing on a trampoline while looking at either a small camera or through a curtain of feathers! Same must be true for Marty Robinson and Bryant Young when performing Snuffy.

It also makes sense why the SS pavement on the set is kept clear: so that puppeteers don't bump into anything! Although I do remember a few scenes from the mid-70s where Big Bird is walking down Sesame Street and nearly hit something (one time it was a tree, another time it was a kid on a tricycle).

 

[LittleJerry92]

Does remind me of when I saw the hole in the back of Big Bird in the season 1 skit where he interacts with Little Bird.

 

[cjd874]

Does remind me of when I saw the hole in the back of Big Bird in the season 1 skit where he interacts with Little Bird.

I re-watched that skit and noticed that the hole is where the head and neck areas were supposed to connect. Thus, Caroll's hand and wrist are visible.

Also, I think that this skit shows Big Bird at his absolute dumbest. I can just hear the David Attenborough commentary right now:
"Let's observe the haphazard pile of yellow rags in its natural habitat, as it interacts with a tiny avian creature that is much smarter than him."

 

[LittleJerry92]

I noticed how the white fence seems to wobble briefly in the News Flash skit with the three little pigs and the strong straw house.

STRRRAAAAAWWWWW.

 

[minor muppetz]

There's a season 12 press release which mentions several characters who debuted in season 12, but I'm starting to wonder if any of them actually did debut that season. Most of them seem to have debuted before.

Assuming 40 Years of Sunny Days is accurate, Dr. Nobel Price appeared at least once in season 11. It's possible he was meant to be a one-shot character who got promoted to recurring character status the next year, or maybe they did do multiple News Flash segments with him in season 11 and then in season 12 started having him featured in street scenes.

Telly first appeared, in an alternate form, in season 10, then became the Telly we all know in season 11, though it might have been season 12 when he became a main character.

Muppet Wiki says that Forgetful Jones first appeared in 1979, but I wonder if there's a source for that (did Michael Earl say it somewhere?). I haven't seen any official evidence that Forgetful first appeared in season 11. Ditto for Clementine. The Buster puppet had been around as early as season 5 but wouldn't be known as Buster until season 12 (I assume).

Elmo first appeared in season 11, but was a generic monster. He's first known to have been known as Elmo in season 12, but with him gaining a name and something of a character hook (talking in sounds, apparently... even if the season did repeat the previous seasons sketches where he talked properly), I'll accept that as his proper debut season.

All this time, I thought Deena and Pearl debuted in season 12, but I've seen a number of season 11 episode summaries that mention the two (especially Deena, but I did see one episode summary listing a Deena and Pearl sketch). I guess that means Karen Prell was there for two seasons (I do recall an article/interview with her, from around 2005, which said that she performed on Sesame Street from 1979-1980, when other sources say it was 1980-1981).

Poco Loco was around as early as season 6, with his name, not sure how major he was back then, but it seems they treated him like a more major character in season 12.

Currently, there's no evidence that Countess von Dahling, Masha, the Honkers, or Ferlinghetti Donnizetti debuted before season 12.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Is it just me, or is that Noel Macneal in the shot with the person's eye and glasses?

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm not sure, but speaking of Noel MacNeil, is that him reading the paper in the Arbor as Elmo rides away?