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[minor muppetz]

This is also the reason that Carroll Spinney pretty much only did Big Bird and Oscar and nothing else for the Muppets. He was busy taping the street segments while they were off doing other projects.

Are you saying that this is why Caroll Spinney hardly ever performed any other characters? Of course, I know that the other performers probably had time to perform on the set.

Of course, carroll Spinney did perform in something else for the muppets (and not as big Bird, oscar the grouch, or bruno). He performed in a video from 1988 called "wow! you're a cartoonist!", in which he performed Picklepuss, a cat character that he created before joining the jim henson company, and picklepuss' father, Pop, a full-body character.

Do you know if there was any difficulty getting Jerry nelson or Richard Hunt to perform in street scenes when The Muppet show was being produced (1976-1981)? I am sure that Jim Henson was too busy working that show, and I have a feeling that Frank Oz didn't do much on the street at that time either, even though he wasn't a director at the time.

 

[BEAR]

Are you saying that this is why Caroll Spinney hardly ever performed any other characters? Of course, I know that the other performers probably had time to perform on the set.

Of course, carroll Spinney did perform in something else for the muppets (and not as big Bird, oscar the grouch, or bruno). He performed in a video from 1988 called "wow! you're a cartoonist!", in which he performed Picklepuss, a cat character that he created before joining the jim henson company, and picklepuss' father, Pop, a full-body character.

Do you know if there was any difficulty getting Jerry nelson or Richard Hunt to perform in street scenes when The Muppet show was being produced (1976-1981)? I am sure that Jim Henson was too busy working that show, and I have a feeling that Frank Oz didn't do much on the street at that time either, even though he wasn't a director at the time.

That is probably also why we usually only saw Grover and Cookie in little shorts rather than on the street, same with Bert and Ernie and Kermit.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

That is probably also why we usually only saw Grover and Cookie in little shorts rather than on the street, same with Bert and Ernie and Kermit.

That's true. However, when they were available, they did tape street segments. I saw them tape a Cookie Monster bit with Luis in the Fix-It Shop once. So, only Frank Oz and one other puppeteer (I don't recall who it was... no one I recognized) who did Cookie's right arm had to be there. It was a bit where Cookie Monster wound up eating the telephone.

The Muppet Show was shot in England, so when they were over there, there were no Sesame Street characters taped (other than Oscar and Big Bird). However, Sesame Street was not on a year-round schedule. They taped all their shows in a big block and then would be off for many months of the year. So, I'm sure the Muppets bits were worked around the schedule of when they would be in NY and when they would be in England.

 

[minor muppetz]

The Muppet Show was shot in England, so when they were over there, there were no Sesame Street characters taped (other than Oscar and Big Bird).

What about Fran Brills characters, like prarie dawn? She only performed in two episodes of the muppet show. If she wasn't on The Muppet Show, then she would have had more time to do the show.

 

[abiraniriba]

The only city that comes to mind is Queens, NY.

You win the cookie as a resident of Queens I can tell you that the show is made in Astoria at Kaufman Astoria Studios 3412 36th Street Astoria N.Y. 11106. Their webiste has a nice shot of the street on its opening page.

 

[Vic Romano]

Okay; so I have a SS question or two:
The other day I was with my 3 year-old nephew and we were watching Play With Me Sesame on Noggin. Now it appears that the four main PWMS characters are Ernie, Bert, Grover and Prairie Dawn. The other thing I found interesting was that they used old SS clips that featured Jim as Ernie and Frank as Bert so I was very pleased at that too! I was pleased overall, but it raised a few questions I had in general about current SS projects as well as this PWMS show as well; so please help me if you can:

1. So as I mentioned, they played older E&B sketches too as well as current ones, but unless I'm mistaken, I clearly heard THREE different people voicing Ernie at different points of the show. Most were done by Jim, others by Steve, but in one of the opening skits, Ernie sounded very different then Jim or Steve's. Not bad, but it sure didn't sound like either of them, so I guess the question is: Is or has someone else beside Jim or Steve in recent years voiced Ernie?

2. I recently read here on MC that Frank still comes back to do some old SS characters of his. I'm pretty sure when I watched this past weekend I was priveledged to hear him do Cookie while (I guess) Eric did Grover. So here's a two parter: Does Frank have a preference as to which of his old characters he performs? And why only SS? Has he completely cut off all ties from the classic Muppets, and if so; does it have anything do do with personal feelings to where the company has gone to? (i.e. Disney)

3. It was nice to see classic SS characters take the front stage and not Elmo or Baby Bear, especially Prairie Dawn, so here's a simple one: Is Fran Brill still an active puppeteer for SS?

4. I know Jerry has officially retired from most Muppet projects excluding SS, most noticeably everyone mentions only The Count: Is Jerry still performing his other SS characters like Herry, or only the Count?

5. Last one, and thanks for understanding I'm not as big a SS buff as I used to be; on this particular episode of PWMS I was lucky to catch the old "Fuzzy and Blue" number with Grover, Cookie and Herry AND Frazzle! I was so excited! But then I remembered reading here that Frazzle was taken off SS because he frightened children, Is Frazzle back? And how often if he is does he appear?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

O.K., let me give this a try:

1. John Tartiagoala voiced Ernie on season 2 of PWMS. That was probably the Ernie voice you heard. I've never seen the show, so I don't know what John's Ernie sounded like. But I'm assuming that if it wasn't Jim or Steve, it must have been John. Yet Steve still performs Ernie on "Sesame Street."

2. I honestly don't know under what circumstances Frank still performs on SS. I guess he does Bert at least once a season and I think he does some "Letter of the Day" segments and some "Global Grovers." I don't think he's voiced any Muppet show Muppets since "Muppets from Space." But I can't really go into too much detail on that.

3. As far as I know Fran is still active on SS considering she performs Prarie, Zoe and the Countess. (I'm assuming that's 'von Dahling')

4. I think Jerry still performs other characters occasionally. He voiced Fat Blue and Fred the Wonderhorse this season.

5. I'm not sure I caught Frazzle at all this season. I'll keep my eyes open for him though.

 

[minor muppetz]

I don't think he's voiced any Muppet show Muppets since "Muppets from Space." But I can't really go into too much detail on that.

The last time Frank Oz performed or voiced a character from The Muppet Show was in a guest appearance as Miss Piggy on The Today Show in 2002. Frank Oz also voiced his characters in the 2000 Playstation game Muppet racemania.

I'm not sure if there are any prefferences. Of course, Eric Jacopson and most of his other replacement performers have been doing such a good job with his characters that he isn't really needed anymore. I think I read somewhere that Sesame Workshop can schedule a date for Frank Oz to perform on Sesame Street better than The Jim Henson Company could in the last few years (as Sesame Street is still currently in production while the muppets don't have any regular productions).

As for character prefferences, I know that Cookie Monster's voice is hard on his throat, so I guess he'd probably rather perform Bert and Grover.

 

[Vic Romano]

Ah; that helps a LOT! For the record; this John Tartiagoala you've informed me about did a fair Ernie. Like I said; I knew it wasn't Jim or Steve. A bit deep in his voice; but fair I suppose.

I know that Frank did some voice over work for the Muppets, but I also read here recently that he wasn't opposed to still doing his original classic Muppet characters:

Oz will bring Miss Piggy with him to town this weekend, and she will interact with "the first lady" of the Paul Mesner Puppets, Georgette, at a fund-raising event set for this evening. Oz will have his other Muppets with him for a Saturday-morning presentation at Unity Temple on the Plaza.
Frank Oz will also appear with his Muppet friends Miss Piggy, Grover, Fozzie and Animal at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 9, at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 47th and Jefferson streets. His one-hour presentation will include slides of his work over the years.

I guess my real question is one that due to forum rules; I'm not allowed to ask, dealing with puppeteer's personal relationships with eachother.