Sesame Street's 37th season begins August 14

[Michael Earl]

Snuffy - 1978, 79, 80

Hi. My name is Michael Earl Davis, though I go by Michael Earl. In 1978 I met Kermiit Love at a Puppeteers of America festival in San Luis Obispo when I was 17. He liked my puppet maing and offered me a building job in New York. Growing up in the Bay Area, I had known Frank Oz's parents (Mike and Francis Oznowitz) through the local puppetry guild. Between them and Kermit talking to Jim Henson about me, Jim hired me in 1978 sight-unseen for The Muppet Movie. I had just turned 19. Afterwards, Jim asked if I'd like to take over the front end of Snuffy on Sesame Street since Jerry had hurt his back. Richard had been subbing for him and they needed fulltime replacement. Since I was young, tall and strong, and a good puppeteer, I got the job. The first season I lip-synced to Jerry's voice from the booth. The second season he told producers, "I'm a puppeteer, not a voice actor" and bowed out of the character all together. That lead to a big search for a new voice. They auditioned every voice actor in NYC and when I heard about this, I asked Kermit if I could audition...since I was already IN the puppet. He said ok, so on a home recorder, I read a scene from an old script doing both Snuffy and Big Bird's voices (I was also Caroll Spinney's understudy, as well as being in BB in Muppet Movie Finale). I got the job, the puppet was now all mine and was for that season and one more, three total. I also originated Polly Darton, Forgetful Jones (a young Kevin Clash, brand new to the show, performed Buster my Horse), a Honker, and many others, working with the writers, creating characters tailored to our talents. Brian Muehl and I (and Carroll Spinney) were the only fulltime puppeteers on Sesame Street at that time (I was under contract for 3 years). The other Muppeteers were in London much of the year shooting Muppet Shows and came to the street for Muppet Inserts just once a year. So Brian and I got a LOT of opportunity to learn through doing, script after script. I think I was in about 150 episodes; Brian many more because he stayed longer than I did, creating Telly, Barkley, etc. As for the Sesame Unpaved book, when I read it I called CTW lawyers who explained to me there were many inaccuracies in that book, and issued me a letter of proof stating my involvment in Sesame Street. So that's the real (partial) history of those years. I could write a book with many more of those stories, nice and naughty, but for now, here's for the record. - Michael Earl (Davis)

 

[minor muppetz]

Hi. My name is Michael Earl Davis, though I go by Michael Earl. In 1978 I met Kermiit Love at a Puppeteers of America festival in San Luis Obispo when I was 17. He liked my puppet maing and offered me a building job in New York. Growing up in the Bay Area, I had known Frank Oz's parents (Mike and Francis Oznowitz) through the local puppetry guild. Between them and Kermit talking to Jim Henson about me, Jim hired me in 1978 sight-unseen for The Muppet Movie. I had just turned 19. Afterwards, Jim asked if I'd like to take over the front end of Snuffy on Sesame Street since Jerry had hurt his back. Richard had been subbing for him and they needed fulltime replacement. Since I was young, tall and strong, and a good puppeteer, I got the job. The first season I lip-synced to Jerry's voice from the booth. The second season he told producers, "I'm a puppeteer, not a voice actor" and bowed out of the character all together. That lead to a big search for a new voice. They auditioned every voice actor in NYC and when I heard about this, I asked Kermit if I could audition...since I was already IN the puppet. He said ok, so on a home recorder, I read a scene from an old script doing both Snuffy and Big Bird's voices (I was also Caroll Spinney's understudy, as well as being in BB in Muppet Movie Finale). I got the job, the puppet was now all mine and was for that season and one more, three total. I also originated Polly Darton, Forgetful Jones (a young Kevin Clash, brand new to the show, performed Buster my Horse), a Honker, and many others, working with the writers, creating characters tailored to our talents. Brian Muehl and I (and Carroll Spinney) were the only fulltime puppeteers on Sesame Street at that time (I was under contract for 3 years). The other Muppeteers were in London much of the year shooting Muppet Shows and came to the street for Muppet Inserts just once a year. So Brian and I got a LOT of opportunity to learn through doing, script after script. I think I was in about 150 episodes; Brian many more because he stayed longer than I did, creating Telly, Barkley, etc. As for the Sesame Unpaved book, when I read it I called CTW lawyers who explained to me there were many inaccuracies in that book, and issued me a letter of proof stating my involvment in Sesame Street. So that's the real (partial) history of those years. I could write a book with many more of those stories, nice and naughty, but for now, here's for the record. - Michael Earl (Davis)

Did Caroll Spinney actually perform Big Bird in his cameo appearance, or did he just perform the voice?

Did you perform Snuffy in Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (you weren't credited), or was that finished before you started performing?

 

[Dragon]

sesame street is doing well

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Actually, years ago in the 1970's and the 1980's the Humans did act real and often were seen interacting in an adult way. Even a little bit in the early part of the 90's they were like this, but since the show has been dumbed down and only focuses on the Muppets, the humans have been dumbed down as well. Sad but true.

Yeah, another thing that's sad about that, according to what I read at imdb.com. The original intention was to keep the humans and Muppets strictly in seperate sequences, but that idea would have given the actors a limited amount of airtime. Now, it seems like they're back on the verge of doing that. Though I really hope I'm wrong about this.