Whatever happened to...

[salemfan]

"and it doesn't say what happened to Sam The Robot, it just says "if he was supposed to be a hit, he wasn't". why'd they get rid of him?"

I think the character just was too annoying and wasn't good enough a character to last. Seen one clip of him. I didn't like him.

Well, the book, "Sesame Street Unpaved" also says that Sam the Robot was played by Jerry Nelson who was boxed into a cumbersome suit. Maybe another reason Sam the Robot was erased was because the costume was too cumbersome on Jerry Nelson.

 

[Censored]

"another question, according to Unpaved, Roosevelt Franklin is "little purple anything muppet" What other parts has he played?"

Roosevelt Franklin was a student at Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School. Many of his scenes took place in a classroom (starting with the Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School theme song) where he would give lectures to his classmates. Roosevelt was a cool blueslovin' Afro dude.

He also recorded an album which can be found on Ebay occasionally, with songs like "I Love The Skin I'm In" and "Just Because" about discrimination.

The purple Anything Muppet also played various little kid parts. For instance he was Betty Lou in the first episode.

Actually Roosevelt Franklin was the TEACHER at his school. It was never clear how he got to be the teacher (or for that matter got a school named after him) since he seemed to be around the same age as his students. I always figured that he was so smart, he probably got to advance all the way to the top.

Also, the song "The Skin I'm In" was actually supposed to be by Roosevelt's brother, Baby Ray Franklin, a VERY obscure character on the album "The Year Of Roosevelt Franklin" (I don't know if he ever appeared as an actual muppet on the TV show). It's a great song; I don't remember all of it, but it goes something like this:

"Take a look at me talkin';

I love the way I talk;

Take a look at me walkin';

I love the way I walk;

If you ain't never seen my kind;

I don't know where you have been;

My kind of skin;

Yeah, I loved the skin I'm in.



Way, way back in the old days;

We used to be ashamed;

But, then we found out we were beautiful;

And then we've never been the same;

I don't just speak for myself;

I speak for all of my kin;

From my knees to my shine;

Yeah, I love the skin I'm in.






I know my letter and my numbers;

And maybe better than you;

So, if you look at me funny;

I'll look at you funny too.

If we can stop all this foolishness;

I know that we can win;

My kind of skin;

Yeah, I love the skin I'm in.



Sesame Street was usually low key on such issues and taught by example, however, at that right time, they were not afraid to roll up their sleeves and teach a direct message against prejudice. While it's always good to recognize our similarities and not be overly preachy, it is sometimes necessary to acknowledge how much prejudice and discrimination has been present in our society.

Anyway, the song "Just Because" focused on an anti-violence message. Roosevelt sang of how he would never hurt some other folks simply because they "were not his kind."


Sesame Street used to really have a backbone.

 

[salemfan]

I think I saw Guy Smiley in the main street story of a season 32(2001)episode of Sesame Street in which Maria has a lot of emergency toaster repairs. He was dressed in his usual clothes and did not talk. However, I don't know who was performing him.

 

[Xerus]

Actually Roosevelt Franklin was the TEACHER at his school. It was never clear how he got to be the teacher (or for that matter got a school named after him) since he seemed to be around the same age as his students. I always figured that he was so smart, he probably got to advance all the way to the top.

Also, the song "The Skin I'm In" was actually supposed to be by Roosevelt's brother, Baby Ray Franklin, a VERY obscure character on the album "The Year Of Roosevelt Franklin" (I don't know if he ever appeared as an actual muppet on the TV show). It's a great song; I don't remember all of it, but it goes something like this:

"Take a look at me talkin';

I love the way I talk;

Take a look at me walkin';

I love the way I walk;

If you ain't never seen my kind;

I don't know where you have been;

My kind of skin;

Yeah, I loved the skin I'm in.



Way, way back in the old days;

We used to be ashamed;

But, then we found out we were beautiful;

And then we've never been the same;

I don't just speak for myself;

I speak for all of my kin;

From my knees to my shine;

Yeah, I love the skin I'm in.






I know my letter and my numbers;

And maybe better than you;

So, if you look at me funny;

I'll look at you funny too.

If we can stop all this foolishness;

I know that we can win;

My kind of skin;

Yeah, I love the skin I'm in.



Sesame Street was usually low key on such issues and taught by example, however, at that right time, they were not afraid to roll up their sleeves and teach a direct message against prejudice. While it's always good to recognize our similarities and not be overly preachy, it is sometimes necessary to acknowledge how much prejudice and discrimination has been present in our society.

Anyway, the song "Just Because" focused on an anti-violence message. Roosevelt sang of how he would never hurt some other folks simply because they "were not his kind."


Sesame Street used to really have a backbone.

I think Roosevelt was just another student and he pretended to be the teacher before the real teacher came in.

 

[Splurge]

I think I saw Guy Smiley in the main street story of a season 32(2001)episode of Sesame Street in which Maria has a lot of emergency toaster repairs. He was dressed in his usual clothes and did not talk. However, I don't know who was performing him.

Maybe it was one of the Muppeteers in training.

 

[Censored]

Everyone knows that Snuffy is Big Bird's best friend. Earlier on, however, it looked like Big Bird was going to have a different best friend, Little Bird. There were early sketches about the two of the comparing their differences and realizing that they could still be friends and their friendships was also mentioned on a Sesame Street album. I wonder if Snuffy canceled Little Bird's role or if they simply decided that he (Little Bird was usually voiced by a female and sounds like it, but was referred to as "he" on the album, so I'm going by that) did not work for the show. Although the character seems to have vanished, they did include Little Bird in a 1990's Sesame Street colorforms set and I was very surprised. The Sesame Street Unpaved book mentions Little Bird, but does not include him in the "What ever happened to" section. What did ever happen to Little Bird?

 

[Censored]

I think Roosevelt was just another student and he pretended to be the teacher before the real teacher came in.

That could definitely be an interpretation of the skits, but he sure seemed to have a lot of control over the classroom and they'd sing a song that implied the school was named after him. Who knows? Those skits were great, but rather vague on details.

 

[salemfan]

Maybe it was one of the Muppeteers in training.

In the 2001 episode when Guy Smiley appeared as one of Maria's patrons when Maria has many emergency toaster repairs, Guy actually did talk a little, and Dantecat says Guy Smiley was performed in that episode by Steve Whitmire.