Little things we've noticed

[LittleJerry92]

Shame, would have loved to see what 14-20 would have looked like.

But alas, stop motion is very tedious.

 

[minor muppetz]

Looking at Muppet Wiki's guide for Twiddlebugs sketches, which lists "first appearance" for all the sketches (I wonder if that's a mistake and any are EKA, but I trust it's all first appearances), and I've found another Jim Henson performance that first aired in season 21: The Twiddlebugs share Thomas Twiddlebugs' umbrella.

But looking at the segments, with first listed, and it seems most of the Twiddlebug family sketches first appeared in seasons 12 or 13. The "going to the zoo" sketch first aired in season 5, the stamp segment first aired in season 6... and then no more new ones aired until season 12 (unless there are some from in-between that the wiki currently doesn't know about). The only Twiddlebugs sketch to not have a first or EKA is the fire safety one, which Hulu cited as being from season 18.

I would have thought the majority of Twiddlebugs were produced and aired in the late-1970s,not just because a lot of season 12 and 13 sketches look like '70s sketches, but the performers are all ones from the '70s (which is when the segments premiered and it is kind of hard to get other characters included in those sketches) and all four were scheduled together more commonly in the 1970s, after putting them in sketches in back-to-back seasons I would have thought they'd use them more regularly, though I know there are a lot of recurring characters (and even recurring segments) whose appearances tend to have long gaps between seasons (though many of them are ones I would have assumed only appeared in one sketch).

And looking at the guide, which cites the episode numbers as first appearances, I was shocked to see that the mulburry bush sketch premiered later in the 1990s, I can't remember which season (I'm thinking 25-28). It's been a long time since I last watched that one, but I'm pretty sure Jim Henson and Richard Hunt performed their respective Twiddlebugs in that one (and the wiki doesn't note different performers in this one, while it does for a few other sketches). I know segments are sometimes held over a season, but this would have been held over by many seasons before airing (I wonder if there are many segments where the first broadcast came many years after they were taped). Not only that, but I looked at "what links here" for the image to see if later episode appearances cite it as "first", and saw that that's the only episode that segment appeared in (I guess it's a wonder/miracle Sesame Workshop uploaded this one at sesamestreet.org). If this really is the first appearance of that segment, it might need to be noted on Muppet Wiki's listing of posthumous performances by Jim Henson and Richard Hunt.

And looking at the sketch descriptions, I see that Tesse Twiddlebug was performed by David Rudman instead of Jerry Nelson in some of their later appearances (the mulberry bush sketch is one to not mention any alternate performers). Not the ones performed by Jim or Frank, who were often busy and whom I would have expected them to bring in an alternate performer for.

Finally, it seems like when the Twiddlebugs are featured in merchandise and illustrations, it's rarely one of the Twiddlebug family members (though I guess they better resemble Tesse or Timmy). I know the first few Twiddlebugs appearances (does the one with Sherlock Hemlock actually show them?) came before the family was established, but with such regular Twiddlebugs, it's amazing that they would more likely rather make them generic (though that makes it easier to reuse the same sculpt and give it a different paint job).

 

[MuppetSpot]

I see that Tesse Twiddlebug was performed by David Rudman instead of Jerry Nelson in some of their later appearances

You mean Frank Oz. Tina was performed by Jerry Nelson, while Tesse was done by Frank Oz

 

[minor muppetz]

You mean Frank Oz. Tina was performed by Jerry Nelson, while Tesse was done by Frank Oz

Oh. That does make more sense in terms of using a different performer.

And when I was looking at the wiki page, at first I mistakenly thought Tesse was the one performed by Richard Hunt (which would make sense as David Rudman would eventually take over some of Richards characters).

 

[D'Snowth]

I honestly never could tell if the way the top ledge of this skyscaper dropping down on this particular backdrop was a painting mistake, or an intentional design:

 

[minor muppetz]

It seems like a lot of recurring Muppet segments (though obviously not any of the short form series) have only one or two installments in their debut season and take a bit of time before they really get a big back catalog of individual segments.

For example, the first season had two Answer Lady segments, and a few more debuted in season two, not sure if any more debuted after that (or if there are any that the wiki doesn't have info on). And that's the only recurring Muppet segment in the first season.

I don't know if there were any seasons that had multiple Here is Your Life segments. The Oak Tree segment first appeared in season 4, loaf of bread first appeared in season 6, and there would be more appearing sporadically. Also seems to be the case with other recurring game shows Guy Smiley hosted. Actually,season 2 premiered the only two known What's My Part? segments, while the first two Beat the Time segments premiered in season 4 while later ones were spread out by many years (and I don't know what season/seasons premiered both Name That Sound segments).

I'll have to check, but I think Alphabet Chat would be the same way, only there were only five (at least known) segments between seasons 6 and 24.

The first Mysterious Theater segment premiered in season 20, then two premiered in season 21, then season 22 didn't have any (unless you count a street scene that involved Mysterious Theater), and then season 23 gave us our last segment.

Season 5 had at least two Super Grover segments premier,but then we got three or four additional segments in season 6, and then it looks like there were no new Super Grover segments until season 10, and after that, Super Grover segments premiered a lot more sporadically over the years (especially if you're just counting "The Adventures of Super Grover" and not other segments or episodes where he appears as Super Grover).

Monsterpiece Theater is a bit of a surprise. The first one, Upstairs, Downstairs, premiered in season 9, then the next one, Me, Claudias, premiered in season 12, two seasons later (though I think it was produced for season 11), then the next one, The Sound of Music, premiered in season 14. Currently I don't know if Chariots of Fur premiered in season 14 or 15, if it premiered in season 14 then that would be the first season to have two such sketches, but I don't think they really started to do a lot of different Monsterpiece Theater sketches until season 20,and then each of the next few seasons brought us a lot more new ones. I recently read that Jim Henson personally asked for permission from the real Alistair Cooke to spoof him for the segments,which seems odd to do if it were meant to just be a one-time spoof.

It looks like season 11 had only two Leslie Mostly Show segments (and so far, as more season 11 guides are being completed, I haven't found any guides yet that include second shows of either), while season 12 brought us four more segments (and each of the first three weeks of season 12 premiered a new one). It will be awesome if I see an episode page (probably a season 12 episode) to list one with a first appearance noted, or click on an image and see multiple episodes (of the domestic Sesame Street) listed under "what links here".

But there have been some recurring Muppet segments that had many installments in their premier season. Sesame Street News had five or six premier in season four (I wonder if any that premiered in season five were produced for season four),season three premiered at least three, maybe four, waiter Grover segments. Season 30 gave us many installments of Ernie's Show and Tell and Monsters in Day Care (not sure off-hand about Sesame Street Goes to Day Care). I think all three American Revolution segments debuted in season 19, and I think all three Miami Mice segments aired during seasons 17 and 18 (the Kermit one has a known taping date that reflects season 17 - and the 40th anniversary book shows a season 17 script page with one segment listed as "Kermit Meets the M..." before being cut-off by a page in front, I assume it's "Kermit Meets the Miami Mice" - while the recent spoofs compilation lists 1986 as the date for The Count segment). And many Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School segments premiered in season 4.

Of course, the many recurring animated/film segments had a lot of installments in their premier seasons (many only had segments that premiered/were produced for one season and then repeated for many years later), and the various short form segments, meant to air daily/every other day (and be their own individual show internationally), had many installments produced for their first seasons.

It's also weird how in the old days, when there were 130 episodes a season, recurring segments would just have one or two in their debut seasons and then new installments would be really spaced out in terms of debuts, while in the last few decades, with significantly less episodes per season, most recurring segments have a lot more new segments in their debut seasons (though, as noted above, these were meant to be shown almost every day and on their own internationally).

I wonder how the first in a titled recurring segment series was listed in scripts if its first installment was the only one in its premier season, especially something where the individual installments had titles announced (like, did scripts list the first Monsterpiece Theater as "Monsterpiece Theater" or "Monsterpiece Theater: Upstairs, Downstairs"? And that's assuming it wasn't just listed as "Upstairs, Downstairs", without the Monsterpiece Theater heading).

Then again, who knows how many individual segments from each recurring segment series ended up failing at testing and as a result never aired?

 

[D'Snowth]

I always noticed Kevin Clash's hand holding up Elmo's rods at 13:06.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I always noticed Kevin Clash's hand holding up Elmo's rods at 13:06.

Oh wow, that was really noticeable, lol. It took me by surprise!

Side note: This episode was always pretty odd to me. Between the glaring continuity issue with Bob, Gordon, and Luis supposedly starting a band in the 70s (although, my head canon is that they just got high one night), and the random inclusion of Miles' grandpa. Plus, it just seems like a lot of street stories around this time ran a bit too long. Season 40-44, usually about the right length, season 45- now, too short.

Also, something I hadn't thought of before, since Miles is adopted, and the grandpa used to look just like him, I guess that means this guy is his biological grandfather since we've seen both Susan and Gordon's parents before.

 

[D'Snowth]

Honestly, that flashback cracked me up when I saw it for the first time as a kid: Gordon's huge afro, Bob's fake English accent, Luis already having the hots for Maria and planning on them getting married, having a kid, opening a Fix-It Shop, then turning it into a Mail-It Shop . . . and the subtle Beatles reference by Bob about the possibility of Maria breaking up the band, a la Yoko Ono.

Elmo's later remark really sells it too. "Was Miles's Grandpa in a band with Luis and English-Accent Bob?"

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Honestly, that flashback cracked me up when I saw it for the first time as a kid: Gordon's huge afro, Bob's fake English accent, Luis already having the hots for Maria and planning on them getting married, having a kid, opening a Fix-It Shop, then turning it into a Mail-It Shop . . . and the subtle Beatles reference by Bob about the possibility of Maria breaking up the band, a la Yoko Ono.

Elmo's later remark really sells it too. "Was Miles's Grandpa in a band with Luis and English-Accent Bob?"

Idk, I would probably enjoy it more if it weren't for the other blatant screw ups of continuity a couple of years later. First, there was the episode where Maria and Luis celebrate their anniversary. In it they say they went to Hawaii for their honeymoon, when in actuality there was a whole multi-episode arc about them going camping for their honeymoon. Or, worse, the one where Gabi and Miles graduate together, and Bob says "I remember Miles and Gabi side by side in baby carriages!". Like, *****, what was Miles doing in a baby carriage at four years old?! I have so many questions!