Jim and Frank's late-1980s availability

[minor muppetz]

Lately, I've noticed that it seems like there were hardly any Bert and Ernie segments produced in the late-1980s. I know there were some produced, but for the mos tpart it seems like there were many solo Ernie skits, especially ones involving Ernie being without Bert. And around that time therewere at least a few with just Bert.

And for the last few years I've noticed that in the 1980s it seems like pairings between Kermit and Grover and Ernie and Cookie Monster were starting to become less common.
And then it hit me: With Jim Henson becommign busy with many projects in the late 1980s, and Frank Oz starting to be busy directing non-Henson films, do you think that maybe by the last few years of Jim Henson's life that it was hard to schedule both Jim Henson and Frank Oz to perform on the same days?

Obviously, it seems like it was a bit easier to get Jim and Frank to work together in a number of projects involving the TMS characters, with the main exception of The Jim Henson Hour, but for Sesame Street it might have been harder (though both were available for the 20th anniversary special).

Of course, there have always been a large amount of sketches with Ernie but not Bert, long before this period, and long after, even after Eric Jacobson had taken over as Bert. Now, there are many skits that I don't officially know the season dates of, so I could be wrong.

Looking at the Sesame Street hulu channel (which may or may not be correct with this kind of information), The American Revolution: National Bird, which featured Ernie and Bert, was made in season 18. There were a few late-1980s skits with just Bert, such as the one where Elmo scares pigeons away (Mupet Wiki cites its earliest-known appearance as season 20), and I think the sketch where Simon Soundman teaches Bert how to make tuba sounds was from before season 21. Hulu cites season 19 as the date of Bert's Blanket, which does include both Bert and Ernie, but not at the same time. Still, Ernie's cameo could have been tapped at a seperate date than Bert's scenes (it looks like that might have been recorded at the same time as "Gow High Grow Low"). Sample pages for the upcoming 40th anniversary book (found at tough pigs) reveal inserts Jim Henson did on his last day on the set, and none of them featured any of Frank Oz's characters.

Now, does anybody else feel the same way?

 

[sesameguy]

And then it hit me: With Jim Henson becoming busy with many projects in the late 1980s, and Frank Oz starting to be busy directing non-Henson films, do you think that maybe by the last few years of Jim Henson's life that it was hard to schedule both Jim Henson and Frank Oz to perform on the same days?

Yes, I think you're right on about that. After "Muppet Show," both Jim and Frank had other projects they wanted to look into, and that took away from time on Sesame Street. Thankfully, they both continued to do tapings there once in a while. (I'm not sure if Frank is still doing this, but he once said in an interview that he devoted a few days a year to taping for Sesame Street) At that point, it was very rare that any of Jim or Frank's characters would appear on the "street" itself, as by this time most of their work was being shown in "insert" skits. It remained that way until this day, although it's rare to see any of their insert skits on the show today.

 

[minor muppetz]

It is interesting that around the late 1980s many sketches that invovle Ernie or Bert being without the other were made:

• When Bert's Not Here (which is copyrighted 1985, so it might not have had to do with lack of availability from Oz)
• Ernie calls Bert who is visiting Bart (Bert's vocie can very briefly be heard at the very end)
• Ernie draws a picture of Bert as a substitute when bert is out of town
• Ernie thinks about doing the things that Bert wouldn't let him do
• Ernie and Snuffy sing "The Best Friends Blues"
• Bert's Blanket (Ernie makes a cameo in a seperate set)

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

[*]Ernie calls Bert who is visiting Bart (Bert's vocie can very briefly be heard at the very end)

Yeah, but if Oz wasn't available there, it could have been a recording. After all, how many other times have we heard Bert yell 'ERNIE?' Quite often, I'd say.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

Hulu cites season 19 as the date of Bert's Blanket, which does include both Bert and Ernie, but not at the same time.

Still, Ernie's cameo could have been tapped at a seperate date than Bert's scenes (it looks like that might have been recorded at the same time as "Gow High Grow Low"). Sample pages for the upcoming 40th anniversary book (found at tough pigs) reveal inserts Jim Henson did on his last day on the set, and none of them featured any of Frank Oz's characters.

Also, don't forget that on the Grow High, Grow Low segment, Frank OZ was not there.