Welcome to the Muppet Central Forum!
Jim Henson Idea Man
Back to the Rock Season 2
Bear arrives on Disney+
Sam and Friends Book
ScottMonster
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2002
- Messages
- 57
- Reaction score
- 0
This is a question I've been meaning to ask for some time and it has to do with the performers and their involvement or non involvement in various muppet featured productions (though my questions basically are centered around the 'big three': The Muppet Show, Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock) - specifically why were some muppet performers used for some shows and not others. It would seem to me that only Jim Henson (obviously) and Jerry Nelson were the only two performers who performed characters on all three shows.
Consider:
Dave Goelz (sp?) Best known for Gonzo and a few leser known characters like Zoot etc on TMS as well as Boober on Fraggle Rock, but AFIK he had no role on Sesame Street.
Frank Oz didn't perform on Fraggle Rock, to my knowledge. Or did he? (because it does seem a bit odd that he wouldn't have back then)
Karen Prell and Kathryn Mullen -- Fraggle Rock -- played Red and Mokey respectively, but no one else that I know of on either FR or either TMS or SS which looks pretty bad considering the fact that people have often commented on the few female performers and even fewer female muppets there have been.
And I don't think Steve Whitmire had a part on SS untill he took on Kermit and Ernie after Jim Hensons death. Prior to that he could only claim a few characters like Rizzo the Rat and a few others from TMS and then of course Wembley on FR.
And last but not least, Caroll Spinney. I deliberately named him last because I already have my own theory as to why he performed exclusively on Sesame Street: Once The Muppet Show took off, it meant that the performers had busier schedules which made things more difficult, not to mention the fact that the two shows were taped on different sides of the Atlantic. It would also explains why from the mid 70s onward, Ernie and Bert are only seen in their apartment in insert skits on SS and rarely (if ever) in street scenes. But there was probably a realization that CTW needed to have a Muppet performer who could be available "full time" so to speak on the set of Sesame Street, and I think this would explain why Caroll Spinney performed only on Sesame Street. (and yes, I am aware of the fact that Big Bird once appeared as a guest along with Leslie Uggams on the Muppet Show, but that doesn't count.) But it wouldn't explain why he only had Big Bird and Oscar to play. The man is a very talented performer and artist and should have been given more to do.
Just a theory I have
Consider:
Dave Goelz (sp?) Best known for Gonzo and a few leser known characters like Zoot etc on TMS as well as Boober on Fraggle Rock, but AFIK he had no role on Sesame Street.
Frank Oz didn't perform on Fraggle Rock, to my knowledge. Or did he? (because it does seem a bit odd that he wouldn't have back then)
Karen Prell and Kathryn Mullen -- Fraggle Rock -- played Red and Mokey respectively, but no one else that I know of on either FR or either TMS or SS which looks pretty bad considering the fact that people have often commented on the few female performers and even fewer female muppets there have been.
And I don't think Steve Whitmire had a part on SS untill he took on Kermit and Ernie after Jim Hensons death. Prior to that he could only claim a few characters like Rizzo the Rat and a few others from TMS and then of course Wembley on FR.
And last but not least, Caroll Spinney. I deliberately named him last because I already have my own theory as to why he performed exclusively on Sesame Street: Once The Muppet Show took off, it meant that the performers had busier schedules which made things more difficult, not to mention the fact that the two shows were taped on different sides of the Atlantic. It would also explains why from the mid 70s onward, Ernie and Bert are only seen in their apartment in insert skits on SS and rarely (if ever) in street scenes. But there was probably a realization that CTW needed to have a Muppet performer who could be available "full time" so to speak on the set of Sesame Street, and I think this would explain why Caroll Spinney performed only on Sesame Street. (and yes, I am aware of the fact that Big Bird once appeared as a guest along with Leslie Uggams on the Muppet Show, but that doesn't count.) But it wouldn't explain why he only had Big Bird and Oscar to play. The man is a very talented performer and artist and should have been given more to do.
Just a theory I have
