How to get to Sesame Street and other information!

[BEAR]

If there is any area of the Muppets world that I specialize in, it would be Sesame Street. I grew up watching and learning from the gang on the street and have even written many articles, reports and essays on the program and its characters. I fancy myself an expert, and as the title of one of my essays says, "Everything I ever learned, I learned 'on the Street". As a service to fellow Muppet fans, I would like to use this thread as a source for information and insight into the lovable characters on SS. If anyone has a question or query that I can help out with, please post them here and I will do my best to dig in my archives (in my head and documented) to get you an answer. It's fun for me. We can even help each other learn more. Let the stroll down Sesame Street begin!!

 

[BEAR]

Just a reminder that I am still here if anyone has a question.

 

[Larcen Tyler]

I'm not sure if you read my thread about the unusual skit, where these kids, along with Gordon and a woman (who is leading the group apparently) are doing this movement thing where they lie on their backs with their knees bent, doing breathing exercises, then they rock up to a seated position and then back down a few times, then they sit up and do some more breathing.

At any rate, do you have any information on that?

 

[Vic Romano]

Excellent, I wanted to start a thread about some questions I had, but this works out great. There are lots of very knowledgeable Sesame Streeters (is that even a word?) that I admire here; so please don't find me ignorant, it's just I was always a huge TMS fan and while I still love SS, I didn't follow it very well, so here's a TON of my SS questions that I really look forward to hearing your answers. Some are silly, but others I really wanna' know!

• David... what's the deal with him? Now I'm most familiar with the cast of SS that starred in "Follow That Bird", but thanks to MCR I've grown to really appreciate David, what a tremendous singing voice! So my question is; he was obviously on SS in the very begining, where did he go? Why did he leave? What was his relationship to the other human characters? Does anyone have a copy of "The Arm" that he sings on the SS Live album!?

• I've been trying to watch the newer episodes on TV lately and I saw Bob (he's a LOT older now then when I remember watching him!) What other classic human characters are still on?

• Is it me, or does Cookie's right eye spin and twitch more then his left?

• Did Carol Spinney ever do any work on TMS?

• When did Snuffy become visible to everyone else?

IN relation to the movie "Follow That Bird":
• Hoots is at the table discussing with the other birds in the begining of the movie, but his voice is not the one he has now, did he start as a regular after the movie?

• The Street was obviously re-built for the movie (at least I believe it was), were any elements from the TV set used in the construction of the new set? Is there a blue print of the actual layout of SS? If you're facing the famous steps; to left, is that a cul-de-sac? And what's to the right?

I have more, but I just drew a blank, but I think this is good for now.

 

[The Count]

Hey Vic, I can help answer a few of your questions.

1 Bob. Reason he's older than what you remember him to be is cause he's been there since Season 1 all the way back in 1969.
As for what other humans are seen on the street nowadays: Luis, María, Gabriella, Gordon, Susan, Miles, Gina, Bob, Alan. Would say that's it, along with all the random kids they get.

2 David.
The character of David portrayed by Northern Calloway suffered when Northern Calloway died. Lemme explain. In 1990, Jim Henson died and the world mourned. What might have gone unnoticed or at least unsung is that Northern Calloway died shortly after. What happened to the character of David on the show is that to explain the actor's non-appearance, the writers and cast said he moved away from SS to live on his grandmother's farm. And that's what happened.
David was the first assistant at Hooper's Store, under Mr. Hooper's tutorship. Him and Olivia were known as the groovy singers back in the 80's. David had a brief relationship with María before she hooked up with Luis. After Mr. Hooper died, David took in Gina as his assistant before he left in the early 90's.

3 Hoots the Owl.
This is something I've wondered myself. The puppet in FTB is similarly alike to Hoots, and I'd think that he was brought in after the movie once Kevin Clash had cemented his position in the Muppeteering ranks following his work on JHH. Remember, that Kevin was working on the Great Space Coaster before joining JHC and CTW/SW, which is why his voice as Hoots the Owl is remarkably close to his previous character, Goriddle Gorilla.
Hope this helps.

 

[The Count]

Hey Bear, hope it's OK to help you out in answering some questions if there are others of us here on the boards who might know them.
BTW: Got questions of my own, mostly regarding characters for the Muppet Listings. Is all of SS fair game to ask you? Can we even ask about the international versions? Or is it just US SS?
Hope to hear from you soon before bombarding the thread with my own queries.

 

[Vic Romano]

What happened to the character of David on the show is that to explain the actor's non-appearance, the writers and cast said he moved away from SS to live on his grandmother's farm.

Thanks Count, I'm getting a clearer picture now. But I'm still curious; why did Northern Calloway the actor leave the show? And with such a great voice, I'd hope he went on to do other things, if so: what?

 

[salemfan]

Northern Calloway died of cancer on January 9, 1990. Here is a link to where he is buried: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=19307&pt=Northern Calloway
Snuffy became visible to everybody else in 1985.

 

[jeffkjoe]

• David... Why did he leave?
• What other classic human characters are still on?
• Did Carol Spinney ever do any work on TMS?
• When did Snuffy become visible to everyone else?

IN relation to the movie "Follow That Bird":
• Hoots is at the table discussing with the other birds in the begining of the movie, but his voice is not the one he has now, did he start as a regular after the movie?
* If you're facing the famous steps; to left, is that a cul-de-sac? And what's to the right?

Vic:

Good question!

The answers:

1) Northern Calloway, had a bunch of episodes where he was arrested for weird behavior (one was in Nashville, where he was making an appearance in the early 1980's) and they briefly dismissed him from the show. He came back off and on the '80's before leaving for good in 1990 (David was written out by going to 'take care of his grandmother.') Shortly thereafter, Calloway died of stomach cancer.

2) Bob McGrath (Bob) and Loretta Long (Susan - very rare appearances now, as she's in her late '60's, early '70's) are the only regulars from Season 1 still on.

3) The only time Carroll was on TMS was his guest appearance as Big Bird. Otherwise, his SS work was kept separate from any of the MUPPET SHOW work.

4) Snuffy became visible in 1985. A very early Elmo helped restrain Snuffy in the nest, while Big Bird brought all of the humans in to meet him for the first time. For the record, Gordon, Maria, and Linda were the only humans to ever believe Big Bird's claims.

5) Hoots was an extra in FOLLOW THAT BIRD. Same with Elmo. But Elmo was voiced by Richard Hunt in FTB.

6) FOLLOW THAT BIRD was shot in Toronto, so the Street set was built there on a backlot . Many movies and TV shows are shot in Toronto. That's why it's got that "exterior" appearance as opposed to being (obviously) shot in a studio.

As far as the set is concerned, that's changed A LOT over the years, mainly because they've switched studios where Sesame Street is shot, THREE TIMES since 1969. What's seen beyond Big Bird's home has gone from a painted city backdrop to what appears to be a chain-link fence and a brick wall. Originally they had a street "around the corner" from Sesame that went beyond Big Bird's house, but they've nixed that idea.

 

[Vic Romano]

Ah, fascinating! Thank you so much! I am gonna' pick my brain of every question about SS I've ever had and dump 'em all here. Thanks guys!