How often are the Muppets replaced?

[Walter]

How Often are the Muppets rebuilt?? Is it just when they are worn out, or is their a production policy of some sort? I was just curious..

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

i remember seeing, watching or reading somewhere that usually theres a few of one character at a time...for costume, special effects , doubles and full bodies..... my guess is that they are rebuilt as need be but also built to last as much as possible

i this Jim Henson said he didnt like discussion this part to much because it would sometimes take away the illusion

 

[Walter]

Yeah, I understand. The reason I asked is because with this new movie coming up, I have been watching tons of muppet programs. With all the fifferent head shapes and small differences, I was thinking they were rebuilt after years of use...

 

[Animal31]

Not sure about the Muppets from Muppet Show and such, but I remember reading years ago that the Sesame Street Muppets were always recycled and repaired on a yearly basis right after the end of the season.

Kevin Clash said in interviews that they always have 9 Elmos in use for different things at a time...

 

[Whatnot1988]

I remember on a segment of the Jim Henson hour, Jim gave Jojo the dog a tour of the New York workshop. They come across a builder sculpting a Gonzo head:

Jojo: Isn't that Gonzo you're making?
Puppet Builder: Yes it is.
Jojo: But he's an old character, he's already made
Puppet Builder: Our "central" characters (Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie, etc) have a lot of our use, and sometimes they just simply wear out.

Gonzo, of course, listening at Muppet Central, is aghast at the comment, then Digit notices cracks at the corners of his mouth.

Basically it depends on how frequently the puppet is used and how many scenes in which it is needed.

 

[newsmanfan]

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I'm betting there were quite a few Newsies...all that falling detritus...eek!

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[Frogpuppeteer]

back in the day you could tell more when one was replaced...not so much today unless a drastic change is made...like how fozzie gonoz or piggy change shape....if you follow kermit you can tell sometimes the puppet would look a little on the worn side

 

[Luke]

From what i've heard in the past for something like a feature film or a big project they would usually use a complete cast of new puppets.

For other stuff, general use, tv shows etc theyd rebuild as often as is needed - a puppet could last from a year to 9 years and beyond. All depends on how they are used, the wear and tear, and how they are stored.

 

[minor muppetz]

According to Sesame Street Unpaved, most Muppets are replaced every five years, but Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Grover, and Kermit are replaced every 10-12 years. Though it seems there are multiple puppets in use for the same characters those times. Obviously most of the season one Sesame Street puppets (as well as the season one Muppet Show puppets) were replaced or slightly altered. For season two I think they just made some changes to the faces of the original Ernie and Bert puppets (in addition to changing Ernie's shirt), and those two were completely rebuilt in season three.

Despite what Sesame Street Unpaved said, it seems like most of those characters did get rebuilt in less years than what was said. It seems Bert and Ernie are usually rebuilt at the same time, but the puppets were replaced in 1971, again in 1974 or 1975 (though I think Bert had changed by 1973... The Bert in season five's Doin' the Pigeon looks like a late-1970s Bert to me, but maybe it's because that puppet had legs), again in 1982, and then after that I can't quite keep track of the changes. It seems like Cookie Monster is the only first season puppet who didn't change for season two (though there's something about the Cookie Monster puppet used in the first episode that's different from the puppet used in other season one appearances I've seen.

While the Bert and Ernie puppets were rebuilt and replaced in 1982, it seems they still used the 1975-1982 puppets on occasion, in Big Bird in China and Follow That Bird. In The Muppet Movie, they started making Kermit out of a different type of green material (which had less noticable felt texture), and this new Kermit was used for the last two and a half seasons of The Muppet Show, but an earlier Kermit with more noticable felt texture was used in at least two season 11 segments (Kermit News: Foot Snuggies and Disco Frog). In fact it seems to me like two different Kermit puppets are used in Kermit News: Alice in Wonderland. It looks like the early 1980s Kermit when he's in his trenchcoat, but after he shrinks out of his clothes he looks like a 1976-1979 Kermit.

 

[TheVoiceGuy]

eh it all really depends how of then that particular char is used it literally could be as often as a few months

speaking of replacing puppets anyone notice in this pic of the up coming movie Gonzos toung is slightly off and there looks to be a hole/rip in the back of his mouth

Woah! Gonzo's tongue is falling off! I really hope it doesn't fall off during the movie!