Why didn't Jerry Nelson have a regular character on the Muppet Show?

[Gonzo14]

I've noticed that Jerry was featured a lot more in the movies than the show

The Muppet Movie - Floyd, Camilla, and Robin were all pretty big characters in the Movie

The Great Muppet Caper - Pops ran the show in the Happiness Hotel, and Floyd and Lew had a lot of lines

The Muppets Take Manhattan - Floyd was in the Main Group

The Muppet Christmas Carol - Tiny Tim was a big character, there was also Jacob Marley and the ghost of christmas present

Muppet Treasure Island - Mad Monty was one of the main bad guys

Muppets From Space - Ubergonzo who had a big part towards the end

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Why does it seem I'm the only one who ever remembers the answer to this question?

The answer to this question, which is also the answer to the question of why did Statler pass to Richard Hunt after the "Sex & Violence" pilot, is because Jerry specifically didn't want to play any characters that were needed in every show. His daughter had cystic fibrosis, and Jerry would take time off from the show to travel back to America and spend time with her. In the first season, Jerry was absent from the original shooting of the first three episodes, as well as episode 11-15 (I believe he said in his interview that he mostly spent summers with her). This is the only gap, though- he's credited in every other episode, which leads me to believe that his daughter died sometime in between seasons one and two (but I don't have the exact information).

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[MartyMuppets]

Wan't there already a similar thread somewhere Dave in which you explained this?

 

[Gorgon Heap]

Wan't there already a similar thread somewhere Dave in which you explained this?

There was, and this is another one. It took less time for me to punch in the answer again than look up the last thread that asked this question.

David "Gorgon Heap" Ebersole

 

[superboober]

Did Jerry do Thog, who I think would qualify as a semi-regular, throughout the entire run fo TMS, or just the first season?

 

[Infinity Sirius]

Jerry did do Thog. I never knew that Jerry's daughter had cystic fibrosis. I'm glad to see that he was a dedicated father to her.

 

[GelflingWaldo]

The answer to this question, which is also the answer to the question of why did Statler pass to Richard Hunt after the "Sex & Violence" pilot, is because Jerry specifically didn't want to play any characters that were needed in every show. His daughter had cystic fibrosis, and Jerry would take time off from the show to travel back to America and spend time with her. In the first season, Jerry was absent from the original shooting of the first three episodes, as well as episode 11-15 (I believe he said in his interview that he mostly spent summers with her). This is the only gap, though- he's credited in every other episode, which leads me to believe that his daughter died sometime in between seasons one and two (but I don't have the exact information).

Christine Nelson had been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when she was young. Jerry said in his interview here on MC "... I went to Jim and I said, 'You know, I want to do the show. I want to work on the show.' My daughter had cystic fibrosis, and I spent summers with her. Those were good growth periods for her. Winters are very hard on CF children. Infections in the lungs were one of the things she had to deal with in her short life. I said, "I want to go on, I want to work on the show, but I really think I have to spend this time with Christine." And he said, "All right." As a consequence, I had to give up characters like Statler, whom I had done in "Sex and Violence" and one other show..."
Jerry and his daughter Christine made a cameo appearance in The Great Muppet Caper (passing Kermit in the park; Christine: "Look dad a bear" Jerry: "No Christine, that's a frog. Bears where hats".) Jim Henson allowed Christine to make a cameo along with her father in a Muppet movie because her dream was always to become a movie star. Sadly, she passed away before being able to see her big-screen debut in 1981.

 

[Gonzo14]

oh yeah, i forgot about the Great Muppet Caper cameo

 

[Kaiser Gonzo]

jerry was very heavily involved in all musical numbers

 

[JJandJanice]

I have to say that Jerry is the man, I mean I always did kinda wonder why he didn't have a really big mail characters on the Muppet Show, but I would stop thinking about it when I think about all the great minor characters on the Muppet Show, not to mention Gobo and the other Fraggle Rock characters he did, plus not to mention the Count. But I have to say, that Jerry is one of my all time favorite Muppet performs (along with the main five Muppet Show, Henson, Oz, Hunt, Nelson, Golez.).