Character Departures

[SesameStreetFan]

Recently I did a time chart called Charachter debuts, this one is of Charachter departures.

1970: Professor Hastings and Beautiful Day Monster leave the show, Kermit Leaves the show. (But returns a year later)

1971: Herbert Birdsfoot leaves the show, Miquel (Human) leaves the show.

1972: Gordon #1 (Matt Robbinson) leaves the show. Tom, Molly the Mail Lady and Rafael leave the show. Jerry Nelson takes over Roosevelt.

1974: Gordon #2 Hal Miller leaves the show.

1975: Roosevelt Franklin leaves the show, Lefty Leaves the show. (Jim Henson starts to work on SS less and Ernie stops appearing in Street scenes)

1976: Sam the Robot leaves the show, Rodeo Rosie Leaves the show.

1977: Jerry Nelson stops performing Snuffy, but still records the voice Richard Hunt takes over for the inside of Snuffy, Buffy leaves the show, but shows up as a guest in a few more episodes.

1978: Richard Hunt stops performing the inside of Snuffy, Michael Earl Davis takes over, Richard Hunt stops performing Slimey, Michael Earl Davis takes over.

1979: Frank Oz stops working on the show Full Time and his charachters (Grover, Bert, Cookie) stop appearing in street scenes. Jerry Nelson stops dubbing the voice for Snuffy and Michael Earl Davis now does the voice. Harvey Kneeslapper leaves the show.

1980: Farley Leaves the show.

1981: Poco Loco leaves the show, Deena and Pearl Leave the show, Michael Earl Davis leaves the show and Marty Robbinson takes over for Snuffy, and Richard Hunt takes over for Forgetful Jones, Marty Robbinson takes over for Buster when Kevin Clash stops performing him.

1983: Mr. Hooper dies, Aristotle leaves the show.

1984: Brian Meehl leaves the show, Telly gets replaced by Marty Robbinson, Clementine gets replaced by Kevin Clash, Barkley gets replaced by Fred Garver, Grungetta gets replaced by Pam Arcerio, Elmo gets replaced by Richard Hunt.

1985: Richard Hunt stops performing Elmo and Kevin Clash takes over.

1986:Fermizeti Donizetti leaves the show.

1987: Leo the Party Monster leaves the show.

1988: Olivia leaves the show, Dr. Nobel Price leaves the show.

1989: David leaves the show

1990: Jim Henson dies and Ernie, Kermit and Guy Smiley no longer appear in new Material, Leanord Jackson leaves the show and David L. Smyrl takes over the role.

1991: Mike leaves the show, Alex leaves the show, Jelani leaves the show, Richard Hunt leaves the show due to his illness and the 2 headed Monster, Forgetful Jones, Placido Flamingo, Sonny Friendly, Sully, Don Music, and Gladys the Cow leave the show

1992: Uncle Wally Leaves the show, Preston Rabbit leaves the show, Ruby leaves the show.

1993: Lillian leaves the show, Bruno leaves the show.

1994: Shelly turtle leaves the show, Buster leaves the show.

1995: Hoots the Owl leaves the show, Angela and Jamal leave the show.

1996: Sherlock Hemlock leaves the show.

1997: Chicago Lion leaves the show, Kingston Livingston the 3rd Leaves, Monty leaves the show.

1998: Roxy Marie leaves, Davey and Joey Monkey leave the show. Mr. Handford leaves the show, Celina leaves the show.

1999: Ruthie leaves the show, Biff and Sully leave the show.

2001: Kermit leaves the show (in new material and most of the old), Snuffy's sister Alice leaves the show, Simon the Soundman leaves.

2002: Linda leaves the show, Lulu Monster leaves the show.

 

[minor muppetz]

I am a bit suspicious of some of the mentioned characters leaving the show. Do you really know for sure that Farley stopped appearing in 1980 (and I know that he has made the occassional cameo appearance since then, with his most recent new appearance being in 1999)?

Also, I think Simon Soundman stopped appearing on the show in 1998.

Also, quite a few of the characters listed have returned since leaving the show. Buster appeared in a healthy moments cold opening in season 36, and Hoots has made occasional appearances in the last two years.

I think we could say that Herry left the show in 2004. Outside of The Street We Live On, I don't think he's appeared in new material since 2003, and old segments with him haven't been seen very much since then.

Also, Fat Blue left the show in 2002, but has come back in 2004.

 

[superboober]

Didn't Mr. MacIntosh leave around 1992?

 

[exelis]

Northern Calloway, who played David, died in early 1990 of stomach cancer. He didn't really "leave" the show, though his death was never mentioned (that I know of) as Mr. Hooper's was.

 

[Cookie fan]

Anyone remember David's grandma? I remember she made a couple of cameos back then. I'm not sure what her real name is but she was interesting, I loved the way Sesame Street helped to promote family ties.

 

[minor muppetz]

1975: Roosevelt Franklin leaves the show, Lefty Leaves the show. (Jim Henson starts to work on SS less and Ernie stops appearing in Street scenes)

I have been looking at the episode pages at Muppet Wiki, and it seems like Jim Henson usually only performed in the street scenes in the season premiers. He performed in the first four season premiers (I can't remember if any of his characters were mentioend in street scenes for the season five premier). Of course, there are a lot of episodes not listed, or not listed in detail, so there could be more episodes where Henson performed in the street scenes. But I know that Ernie was in street scenes for the first four premiers, and Kermit was in the street scenes for the first, third, and furth season premiers.

Maybe Jim Hensonw as jsut more busy than the other main performers. Frank Oz and Jerry Nelson had a lot of characters who appeared on the street more frequently during the early years (Nelson had The Count, Herry, Snuffleupagus, Sam the Robot, and many others, and Cookie Monster and Grover were frequently on the street, and I know of at least one episode featuring Bert on the street, and I don't think Ernie was on the street in that episode).

 

[TotallySpiesFan]

1970: Professor Hastings and Beautiful Day Monster leave the show, Kermit Leaves the show. (But returns a year later)

Kermit actually popped up in several Season 2 segments (including one where he was between the two poles).

 

[minor muppetz]

Kermit actually popped up in several Season 2 segments (including one where he was between the two poles).

I know that segments with Kermit from the first season were ocassionally shown in season two, even if he wasn't in new material. Then again, I think I've read that Grover and Herry were also in that skit mentioned, and Herry first appeared in the second season. There was a Time magazine article stating that Kermit wasn't going to be in new material in the secodn season. Maybe Jim Henson or Sesame Workshop changed their minds before they were finsished making the second season and produced some new Kermit skits before the season ended.

 

[CBPuppets]

1990: Jim Henson dies and Ernie, Kermit and Guy Smiley no longer appear in new Material, Leanord Jackson leaves the show and David L. Smyrl takes over the role.

If I remember Correctly, Steve Whitmire Began Performing Ernie in 1993 (So technically Ernie appeared in new material), Guy Smiley made some Cameos in newer materials (Performed by Eric Jacobson of course.)

 

[Drtooth]

Well... I wouldn't say Guy Smiley still makes cameos. I'd say Eric started playing Guy about '06 for a couple non-show related performances... one a Museum exhibit, the other a Ready to Learn promo, the first time we really got to hear Eric's Guy as a mass audience. He appeared on the show last season in a major street story. There were a couple silent cameos (like one of the spectators in the Count's golf game)... but other than that, he really only appeared in older segments. Plus, he did NOT make an appearance at all this year.