Working with Frank Oz.

[Misan]

Carroll Is a taelnted one but Is terribly shy.

 

[Tim]

I myself remember watching Carroll on the onld "Bozo the Clown" show that was produced in Boston mid-late 1960's and showing out here in L.A.. I thought even back then that the costume work was so much better than the hand puppetry he was doing. I also think that Jim probably recognized Carroll's strength in performing full-body characters and not so much in the smaller hand puppets. One early bit with Kermit interviewing a farmer-type character. Carroll was performing Fat Blue with a sort of "Pa Kettle" accent, and the work wasn't as "pretty" as I think Jim was used to seeing. But put Big Bird on a unicycle? Very cool!

 

[minor muppetz]

I myself remember watching Carroll on the onld "Bozo the Clown" show that was produced in Boston mid-late 1960's and showing out here in L.A.. I thought even back then that the costume work was so much better than the hand puppetry he was doing. I also think that Jim probably recognized Carroll's strength in performing full-body characters and not so much in the smaller hand puppets. One early bit with Kermit interviewing a farmer-type character. Carroll was performing Fat Blue with a sort of "Pa Kettle" accent, and the work wasn't as "pretty" as I think Jim was used to seeing. But put Big Bird on a unicycle? Very cool!

I can't really tell the difference between good and bad puppetry much (unless the bad puppetry is intentional), but I wonder how Spinney was able to be so good as Oscar. Of course, during the first season whenever Oscar was in his trash can Spinney had to perform Oscar with his left hand instead of his right hand.

Speaking of Spinney being better at full-body characters than puppets, I have read that at one of his book signings he talked about having trouble performing a character in the song Everyone Likes Ice Cream. He mostly had trouble getting the lip-sync right.

 

[Misan]

Carroll only did TMS muppet stuff if Big Bird or Oscar were invole. Tim your cool. Were you a muppeteer?