Will the Count live on?

[zns]

Maybe someone at Sesame Workshop would be able to answer this question. The Count has always been a vital part of Sesame Street that I am sure they will find a way to bring him back. They managed to do it with Ernie after Jim died.

 

[FrackleFan2012]

Maybe someone at Sesame Workshop would be able to answer this question. The Count has always been a vital part of Sesame Street that I am sure they will find a way to bring him back. They managed to do it with Ernie after Jim died.

Should we ask Sesame Workshop then?

 

[Pinkflower7783]

We don't really need to ask sesame workshop anything we'll find out what happens when it does. Besides I doubt they'd tell anyone anything.

 

[FrackleFan2012]

We don't really need to ask sesame workshop anything we'll find out what happens when it does. Besides I doubt they'd tell anyone anything.

Oh. Alright then. We won't.

 

[D'Snowth]

Well see, the thing about Rowlf wasn't so much that he had an absence because of Jim's death, and trying to find a replacement performer for him, Rowlf had actually been retired out of respect for Jim, and you know, there are a lot of different aspects about Rowlf: yes, he was a key player of the Classic Muppets, but he wasn't exactly that major/pivotal a part of the group, though did have quite a history, as he was the first major Muppet character who was featured on national television back on The Jimmy Dean Show, and all those Purina dog food commercials.

Count on the other hand, he IS vital to the SST cast of Muppets, and Jerry isn't Jim... I don't mean that disrespectfully, Jerry was and is one of the greatest performers the world of puppetry ever produced, but what I'm saying is, Jim Henson was THE visionary behind the Muppets, and he was also the first one we lost (not counting the non-performers such as Don Sahlin), so it was probably a lot tougher to recast his characters than it is recasting anyone else's characters afterwards, whether they're Richard's old characters, Frank's old character, and even Jerry's old characters.

Plus, keep in mind too, these people know they're not invincible, they know that eventually, they have to meet their fate someday as well, so they've been having the foresight to choose who they want to carry on their characters for future generations: Jim chose Steve to take on Kermit if anything ever happened to him, Matt has been Caroll's understudy for Big Bird for a decade now (don't know about Oscar, but I understand Johnny T. has once performed him for something), Frank has been pleased with what Eric has done with his characters, and we know that Jerry has chosen Matt to take on Count after him (and we know he's done a good job thus far with Floyd and Uncle Deadly).

I'm sure Matt may be feeling a little more pressure under these circumstances as opposed to his performances in the new movie, which is why we need to show him support right now, and as I've said many times before, Matt is a great, versatile performer, I was impressed and blown away with how well he did with Jerry's characters in the movie, and I have no doubts that he will do just as good a job with Count; no, it won't be the same (remember folks, we were taught this lesson when Mr. Hooper died), and no, Matt Vogel is not Jerry Nelson, but that doesn't mean he's better or worse, just different, he's just going to need to take the time to take the job and make it Matt Vogel's. Yes, we'll miss Jerry, we knew his time was coming eventually, and we'll always love what he has given us these past generations, but now we'll embrace Matt as he continues to keep the legacy alive that Jerry has now left behind, and I am behind him 100%. All things considered, he has certainly become one of my favorites of the newer performers, and I look forward to him keeping Count alive for all of us.

 

[Pinkflower7783]

Actually that is not entirely correct. Steve has stated that it was never decided he take over Kermit if anything happened to Jim. He said at the time there were talks of letting him be a stand in for Kermit should Jim be too busy to perform him instead. But he never actually heard it from Jim personally. It wasn't officially decided he do Kermit until after Jim past away.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm sure Matt may be feeling a little more pressure under these circumstances as opposed to his performances in the new movie, which is why we need to show him support right now, and as I've said many times before, Matt is a great, versatile performer, I was impressed and blown away with how well he did with Jerry's characters in the movie, and I have no doubts that he will do just as good a job with Count; no, it won't be the same (remember folks, we were taught this lesson when Mr. Hooper died), and no, Matt Vogel is not Jerry Nelson, but that doesn't mean he's better or worse, just different, he's just going to need to take the time to take the job and make it Matt Vogel's.

I'm sure Jerry knew that he'd have to stop performing one day, that's why he handpicked Matt to perform the puppetry for him in recent years. I wouldn't doubt he groomed him as an understudy in the case he wouldn't be their to do the voice either. And, because he died after the production season was over, it's going to be another year before we see what happens exactly.

I think Matt's done a great job with the Muppets characters, but other than that one burst of laughter after The Count's dialogue in an episode I can't remember, we haven't heard any of his Sesame Street character recasts.

 

[mbmfrog]

Longer than Frank?

More like...he's kept in touch with the Major muppet works, unlike Frank Oz who occassionally comes in to help out. Jerry Nelson been through the Muppet family to the very end.

 

[mbmfrog]

I wish Matt Vogel the best of Luck with Jerry Nelson's characters, as I'm sure he'll do fine with a lot of pratice.

But I wonder if anyone on Sesame Workshop had an idea when it came to a scene with both Count and Big Bird, given that Matt does both characters ?

 

[D'Snowth]

More like...he's kept in touch with the Major muppet works, unlike Frank Oz who occassionally comes in to help out. Jerry Nelson been through the Muppet family to the very end.

Their Muppet careers are pretty identical: both retired from the Classic Muppets, though both also continued to contribute to SST, only Frank would devote one day out of the year to perform his characters, while Jerry dubbed the voice of his characters.