The Anything Muppets (known internally as "AMs") are "blank" Muppets with interchangeable features and clothing, and allow puppeteers to create new characters without having to build the Muppets from scratch.
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In General
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Deliberately invoked so as to avoid Race Tropes.
- The Blank: Until more features are added, they have nothing but mouths.
- Colorful Theme Naming: Examples include Fat Blue, Pumpkin, Little Hot Pink, etc. Justified because, hey, how else can you tell them apart?
- Reused Character Design: Because of the limited use of Muppets, the crew would just reuse certain parts and make them another character.
Main Anything Muppets
The Amazing Mumford
The Amazing Mumford
- Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1971-2012), John Kennedy (2004-Present)Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hands
A Large Lavender Live Hands Anything Muppet bumbling Stage Magician whose magic never works quite right.
- Beach Episode: "Imagine That" had a subplot of him trying to go to the beach.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: To the extent that they cover his eyes completely.
- Character Catchphrase: He says, "A la peanut butter sandwiches" when he makes a spell.
- Exact Words: When Grover asks him to make a carrot disappear, Mumford gladly obliges - by eating it.Mumford: Magic? Who said anything about magic?
- Eyes Always Shut: He has big bushy eyebrows, but no visible eyes, so they are apparently always closed.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: In a 1990s episode, Mumford does a magic trick where he switches places with a dog, but things go awry when the dog, in Mumford's body and still holding the wand, runs away and leaves him unable to undo the trick.
- Magical Incantation: Generally, he uses the aforementioned "A la peanut butter sandwiches!" In the Imagine That! video, however, he also uses "Alakazam and Jeepers creepers!"
- Inept Mage: His spells nearly always end up backfiring.
- Levitating a Lady: In one skit, he has Grover climb up on a pedestal. Mumford then recites magic words, removes the supporting pillar, and the platform remains in mid-air! After Mumford leaves, Grover decides to do the same trick on one Herry (while not knowing the secret), with disastrous results!
- Magic Misfire: His trademark. One time, he tried to make a duck speak like a human, but wound of up switching its natural voice with Maria's in the process.
- Magicians Are Wizards: He was a stage magician, but could do real magic, even if it always did go awry.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: His voice is based on that of comedian W. C. Fields.
- Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat:
- In one sketch, Grover watches as the Amazing Mumford tries to produce a rabbit from his hat. Neither of them is aware that Grover is gradually taking on the features of a rabbit.
- In a later episode, Professor D. Rabbit agrees to be pulled out of Mumford's hat if Mumford allows the roles to be reversed afterward.
- Short-Distance Phone Call: Mumford manages to mess up a playdate in Miles' room via a pay phone around the corner.
- Stage Magician: He performs magic onstage for a living.
- Teleportation: Sometimes, his magic allows him to teleport.
Betty Lou
Betty Lou
- Performed by: Frank Oz (1969-1970), Fran Brill (1970-1984, primary), Marilyn Sokol (1974-75, secondary), Lisa Buckley (1993-present)Anything Muppet: Hot Pink
A Hot Pink Anything Muppet little girl who likes dolls and is four years old.
- Ascended Extra: She would appear a lot more in the books than the show, often as one of the main characters. Then in the 1990s, she appeared more in the show too.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: In the first season sketch "Pick Your Pet", the character went under the name of Lucy Jones.
-
You Look Familiar: Shares many similarities with Prairie Dawn, and often is mistaken for her.
Biff and Sully
Biff and Sully
- Biff performed by: Jerry Nelson (1972-2012), Matt Vogel (2019)Sully performed by: Richard Hunt (1973-1992), David Rudman (1992-present)Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hand (Biff), Pumpkin (Sully)
A pair of construction workers who work together.
- Dreadful Musician: Biff. He's a good singer, but multiple episodes show that he can't play the piano very well, unlike Sully.
- Expy: Biff is based on the overly-talkative taxi cab passenger that Jack Burns played in his recurring comedy sketches with Avery Schreiber (who played the driver).note
- Eyes Always Shut: Sully's eyebrows are very visible, but his eyes aren't.
- Handy Man: They're construction workers who are always building or fixing something.
- Happily Married: Biff has a wife that he loves very much. She appears in one episode in the 1990s.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: They're best friends who are almost always together.
- Motor Mouth: Biff often talks this way, much to the ire of his best friend and co-worker, Sully, who can't get a word out because of it.
- Odd Couple: One's a bit of a Motor Mouth while the other one is The Speechless. They're still partners.
- The Piano Player: Sully has played music on the piano (including the sketch where he and Biff - mostly Sully - build a piano).
- Signature Headgear: They are almost never seen without their hardhats (yellow for Biff, orange for Sully), which are a part of their job and often have their names emblazoned on them. Biff even wears his in the bath.
- Silent Partner: Sully is usually paired with Biff but can never get a word in.
- The Speechless: Sully usually never did speak (mostly because he couldn't get in a word edgewise over Biff).
- Suddenly Voiced: Rarely, Sully speaks (like in Outrageous Makeover: Home Addition).
Count von Count
Count von Count
- Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1972-2012, voice; 1972-2004, puppetry), Matt Vogel (2013-present, voice; 2004-present, puppetry)Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hands
An Ambiguously Undead Large Lavender Live Hand Anything Muppet guy with fangs, a Romanian accent, and a love of counting. He lives in a castle with a number of bats and has been seen dating various Countesses.
- Ambiguously Jewish: His songs are frequently based on klezmer. He also has the stereotypical large nose. However, he celebrates Christmas.
- Badbutt: Associated with creepy music, castles, bats, etc. like classical vampires, but like the rest of the cast he's completely harmless.
- Badass Cape: Wears a long, flowing vampire's cape. Although it’s a bit unusual: it’s dark green with a triangular collar, and the inside has a colorful confetti-like pattern. In episodes where a green screen is required, his cape is purple.
- Bad "Bad Acting": In a Vanity Fair video where various Sesame Street characters do impressions of each other
, his are consistently the worst: he always keeps his own accent, and usually seems at a loss for what to say. His impression of Ernie almost comes off as a roast:Count-as-Ernie: I am here to annoy you! - Bat Out of Hell: Averted; the Count's bat friends are some of the nicest bats on TV.
- Breakout Character: One of the earliest examples on the show. He debuted in the fourth season and went on to become one of the show's most iconic and popular characters.
- But Not Too Evil: His original portrayal was fairly sinister compared to his more child-friendly modern portrayal but he was never a straight-up villain.
- Characterization Marches On: He acted a bit more like a vampire in his early appearances, moving his hands around as if hypnotizing others as well as walking around with his cape across his face. His laugh was also louder and more sinister as opposed to the softer chuckle of today.
- The Charmer: He's quite the romantic and has acted so with various women, but he's too pleasant and good-natured to be The Casanova. A few skits have given him a lady friend named Countess. He tried proposing to her at one point, but she turned him down. However, he is married in the Furchester Hotel spin-off.
- Classical Movie Vampire: The Count has a Transylvanian accent and lives in a haunted castle.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Downplayed, but aside from his "Number of the Day" segments, many of his skits involve him finding bizarre excuses to count things. These include ordering a dozen hot dogs at a restaurant and counting them one by one (without eating even one of them), interrupting Kermit's fairy tale news segments to count the three little pigs and seven dwarves, and counting the times he knocks on his own front door as though he were waiting for someone to answer it.
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere:
- In the episode where he got the counting flu, the only cure was no counting, yet he kept seeing, hearing, and even imagining things to count.
- In an episode where he tried to give up counting, all his new jobs required counting.
- Cool Old Guy: While the Count's actual age is rather debatable, it is possibly at least in the triple digits (possibly older). Despite his advanced age, he doesn't look too old, he owns a rather interesting vehicle, is a stickler for numbers, a great dancer, a great musician (with the pipe organ and violin, that is) and is basically like an uncle or even a grandfather figure for the younger muppet characters. The spirit of it all keeps him young at heart.
- Counting Sheep: Has counted sheep to get to sleep several times, sometimes continuing to count in his sleep. The sheep actually had to go on strike once, resulting in a man dressing up as a sheep and leaping over the Count’s bed repeatedly.
- Dark Is Not Evil: He's a vampire, but quite nice.
- Daywalking Vampire: Whether he actually is a vampire or not, he doesn't have much problem being outside during the daylight hours. But he does avoid it when he can.
- Dramatic Thunder: Used to signify that he's about to appear, or after counting something. When the Count participates on "Beat the Time", he is tasked with finding two things that come from the sky. He accomplishes this by simply counting along with the clock and the thunder and rain that follow are deemed by Guy Smiley to count as acceptable answers.
- Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": "Count von Count" is his name, but most people just call him "the Count".
- Evil Laugh: In his earlier incarnations his Signature Laugh was on the scary side, even though he was never evil.
- Flourish Cape in Front of Face: He often covers his face with the hem of his cape as part of his vampire motif.
- Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Count is an affable vampire.
- Funny Foreigner: His accent often evokes this trope.
- Good with Numbers: He loves counting!
- High-Class Glass: Wears it to bed and while swimming/bathing, even! It’s always shown over his left eye.
- I Am Spartacus: In episode 4111, the Count wins the Noble Prize for counting, but the Count runs late, and his neighbors stall for him by impersonating him. Even the girls wear fake Count beards.
- Impoverished Patrician: In "Doing the Batty Bat", he states that in his youth "Our castle was cold". Granted he’s been around since the Stone Age (at the earliest), so it’s understandable.
- Innocently Insensitive: He doesn't mean to cause trouble, but he's so obsessed with counting that he doesn't realize how much mischief it causes or inconvenience other people.
- It Runs in the Family: His family loves counting as much as he does.
- Karma Houdini: The Count frequently, albeit unintentionally causes mischief and/or irritates people with his obsession or even his thunder and lightning. He rarely receives comeuppance in his sketches. This was averted in street scene 1 of episode 1287 where he counts the number of people with jobs, the third one being a meter maid who hands him a citation for illegally parking next to a fire hydrant as she mocks his counting and laughter, and steals his thunder while doing so.
- Laughing Mad: Although it's been toned down since the '70s, when it was downright alarming.
- Mad Libs Catch Phrase: "[insert number]! [insert number] [insert noun](s)! ÏŸÏŸÏŸÏŸ AH-AH-AH!!! ÏŸÏŸÏŸÏŸ
- Mad Mathematician: He's obsessed with counting things. He's also very good at it, of course. And he finishes off his counting with a mad laugh.
- Meaningful Name: He is called "the Count" because he is like Dracula and because he likes to count.
- Number Obsession: Naturally.
- Ominous Pipe Organ: He plays one during the "Batty Bat" song. Another features in the recurring Number of the Day segment, although admittedly that one isn't very ominous.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In the Bad Future in Elmo Saves Christmas, the Count has counted so many consecutive Christmases for a whole year that he has actually gotten sick of counting, the first clue to the viewer that this future is really bad.
- Out-of-Character Moment: In the episode where he counts mistakes, he actually miscounts something at the beginning and in the episode where he tries to give up counting, he does it again, this time by counting the same thing twice.
- Our Vampires Are Different: Official sources vary on whether or not the Count is actually a vampire, but he's certainly got the look down. He has no reflection and hates garlic, yet he still has a heartbeat. He has not yet turned into a bat onscreen, but he apparently can.
- Perky Goth: He looks and dresses like a Classical Movie Vampire and appreciates all things macabre, but he's one of the most cheerful and friendly characters in the series.
- Plot Allergy: Seems to have hay fever, as he once noted that he likes to count flowers because they make him sneeze and then he can count his own sneezes, as seen in one of his early skits and in street scene 2 of episode 1204.
- The Pollyanna: As long as there are things to count, nothing ever dampens his spirits. This exchange says it all:Susan Sarandon: That's what I love about you, Count. You always look on the bright side.Count: Somebody has to.
- Punny Name: "Count" is his title, but it's also what he loves to do.
- Repetitive Name: Count Von Count.
- Sick Episode:
- In episode 0632, he gets the chicken pox and counts his itchy spots while he's in bed.
- In another episode, namely episode 2809, he gets "counting flu" which causes him to pass out every time he counts or thinks of numbers.
- There’s an episode where he, Baby Bear, and a few others get sore throats.
- Signature Laugh: His iconic "Ah-ah-ah!".
- Time Abyss: According to a video in February 2017 where the Sesame Street characters were asked the Internet's most-searched questions, the Count is 6,523,728 years old "next October". On the show, however, he has been aware of being alive for over two centuries, having counted days and nights for 79,421 (which equals to 217 years, five months, and ten days) straight, according to episode 3304.
- Took a Level in Kindness: His modern appearances are slightly more friendly by comparison with the earlier appearances...
- Thememobile: The Countmobile. It made its debut in the Season 6, which resembled that of a go-kart with a basic bike horn and an out-of-state license plate that read "TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000." It remained that way until it was updated in the 1985 film Follow that Bird, where it currently resembles an antique Stanley Steamer with bat wings apendages and an updated license plate that is registered in New York that reads "12345678910," go figure.
- Truth in Television: Some of the older vampire mythology actually depicts them as having severe OCD when it comes to counting things. It was even said that one could ward off a vampire by hanging fishing nets outside the doors and windows of ones home because the vampire would have to compulsively count all of the knots before proceeding and would run out of time and be caught in the sunlight.
- The Undead: Zigzagged. He's some sort of vampire, but it's unknown if he's really undead, given that he still has a heartbeat and can breathe.
- The Von Trope Family: "von Count" is his surname. It’s unknown what his first name is.
- Vampire Vords: Played straight and inverted. He pronounces his "w"s as "v"s, and occasionally does the same vice versa (pronouncing "seven" more as "sewen", for instance). Some real-life Romanians do actually talk like this in English, however.
- Vampires Hate Garlic: In Episode 4931, he goes shopping at Sarita's Supermarket, and says "Pass" when a vendor offers him garlic.
- Vocal Evolution: In some of Jerry Nelson's later performances, the Count's voice sounds older, raspier, and a bit strained due to Nelson's health problems. Just watch "Song of the Count" and "Eight is Great" back-to-back for comparison.
Forgetful Jones
Forgetful Jones
- Performed by: Michael Earl (1979-1981), Richard Hunt (1981-1992), Matt Vogel (2019)
A Large Lavender Live Hands Anything Muppet cowboy with poor memory.
- Accidental Misnaming: Because of his forgetfulness, he often calls people by the wrong names. Not Clementine and Buster, though, which shows just how dear they are to his heart.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He always forgets what he's supposed to do, but once he's been reminded, he seems to be pretty good at his job as a cowboy.
- Character Catchphrase: Says, "Awwwwww. I forget." a lot.
- Cowboy: He lives and works on a ranch raising cattle, rides a horse, and is almost never seen without his cowboy hat and western duds.
- Demoted to Extra: He has not been given any prominent roles since Richard Hunt's death, but has made recent non-speaking background appearances, though he did make an appearance at Comic Connote.
- Forgetful Jones: The Trope Namer. He has an extremely bad memory.
- Hidden Depths: For someone who is so absent-minded, he's a very good guitarist and pianist.
- It Runs in the Family: Some of relatives, including his great-great-grandfather Forgettinest Jones, are as forgetful as he is.
- Meaningful Name: He's just as forgetful as his name implies.
- Mister Strangenoun: His first name is a dictionary word.
- Nice Guy: Forgetful is such a sweetheart that you can't help but love him.
- Official Couple: He has a longtime girlfriend named Clementine.
- The Piano Player: Most western sketches have one and Forgetful has filled the role at least once.
- The Quiet One: Became this following Richard Hunt's death, out of respect to Hunt, making occasional appearances but not speaking for many years until Matt Vogel finally voiced him.
- Sesquipedalian Smith: He has a three-syllable first name to go with the short last name Jones.
Guy Smiley
Guy Smiley
- Performed by: Jim Henson (1969–1990), Eric Jacobson (2005–present)Anything Muppet: Orange Gold
- Ambiguously Jewish: Guy Smiley is just a Stage Name; his real name is Bernie Liederkrantz, as he stated in one "Beat the Time" sketch.
- Demoted to Extra: Was mostly retired for years after Jim Henson's death, to the point of The Character Died with Him. He has recently been brought back with new material.
- Game Show Host: In most of his appearances, he has played this role.
- Large Ham: Often hams things up.
- No Indoor Voice: To the point where Jim Henson hated doing the character; it was hard on his throat. In order to do multiple takes and avoid putting strains on his throat, he usually pre-recorded the lines that would be spoken by the character in his sketches.
- Smarmy Host: Guy has slicked hair, wears a tie and jacket, and loves reminding everyone that he's "American's favorite game show host" as loudly as he can.
- Suddenly Shouting: Inverted. In the Letter of the Day pageant, he drops his constant shouting in favor of a softer tone when he starts singing.
- Weather Report: Once hosted "The Weather Show."
Mr. Johnson
Mr. Johnson
- Performer: Jerry Nelson (1971-2012, voice; 1971-2004, puppetry), Matt Vogel (2014-present, voice; 2004-present, puppetry)Anything Muppet: Fat Blue
A grumpy old customer of Charlie's restaurant where his waiter is Grover.
- Ascended Extra: Granted, he's been on the show since the early years, but he's gained a bit more prominence in later years, appearing in more street stories, and sometimes without Grover.
- Berserk Button: Never suggest he has beady eyes.
- Big Eater: Subverted. His overweight appearance and the fact that he is constantly at restaurants would suggest this, but in one sketch, he couldn't eat two slices of pizza.
- Butt-Monkey: In nearly every appearance he makes, something unlucky happens to him.
- Character Catchphrase: [as he sees Grover in other jobs] "I know you. You're that waiter from over at Charlie's!" or "Oh... not you again!" Also "That does it. From now on, I'm taking my lunch with me in a paper sack."
- Cloudcuckoolander: This is a man who orders a bowl of alphabet soup and expects it to contain each and every letter of the alphabet.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: In early 'Waiter Grover' skits, he was the one who caused Grover trouble. Perhaps his later frustrations with Grover are a form of Laser-Guided Karma?
- Fainting: He often passes out (or at least appears to) at the end of a skit.
- Ink-Suit Actor: A minor example. With his mustache, he bears something of a resemblance to Jerry Nelson, especially in later years when Nelson had a more plus-sized physique.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While he's often annoyed by Grover and doesn't hide it, he's shown to be a bit nicer to some of the Sesame Street residents, particularly the younger residents.
-
Memetic Mutation: His interactions with Grover are frequently parodied, and he was a meme on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart due to his physical resemblance to then-Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. He and Grover even appeared in a Farmer's Insurance commercial in 2019 for the show's 50th anniversary, in which Grover destroys Mr. Johnson's car while trying to fix his water heater. - Unsatisfiable Customer: Grover always gets his orders wrong.
Prairie Dawn
Prairie Dawn
"Oh welcome, oh welcome, to our little play/ We're ever so glad you could join us today/ To read all these tropes which make up my life/ Which may have been chock-full of chaos and strife."
- Performed by: Fran Brill (1971-2014), Stephanie D'Abruzzo (2015-present)
A Hot Pink Anything Muppet, pageant-obsessed girl who aspires to a career in journalism.
- Character Catchphrase: "Oh, dear!" is her catchphrase, usually followed by a groan.
- Demoted to Extra: Although she was featured in much of the merchandise (books, records, toys, etc.), Prairie was not on the show much during the first two decades. Through the 1990s to the late 2000s, she started to be seen on a much more regular basis. Shortly after, she nearly vanished until just before Fran Brill retired. Prairie started to appear somewhat regularly afterwards, except for seasons 50 and 51.
- Drama Queen: Rants whenever she's upset or frustrated.
- Drop-In Character: Plays one in a Show Within a Show, as the Count and Countess' drop-in neighbor.
- Face Palm: Her signature gesture, whenever the other Muppets mess things up in her plays (in other words, every single play).
- Foil: Some Cookie Monster-centric sketches show her as the prim, polite counterpart to his messy and undignified gluttony.
- Girly Girl: When it comes to Muppets performed by Fran Brill, she's this compared to Zoe's Tomboy (although Prairie doesn't usually exhibit normal stereotypic behaviors of one).
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: She's very tiny; whenever she interacts with male muppets like Grover or Cookie Monster, they tower over her.
- Intrepid Reporter: Besides hosting pageants, this is another role she's often played.
- Large Ham: When she's unhappy, she makes a very big deal out of it.
- Oh, Crap!: In one Letter of the Day skit, she actually eats the Letter of the Day and gets very gassy from it.
- Once an Episode: There is a whole set of sketches where Prairie Dawn tries to keep Cookie Monster away from a Letter of the Day Cookie. Three guesses how that turns out.
- One of the Boys: A downplayed example, but Prairie is seen with male Muppets more often than female, usually the likes of Cookie Monster, Grover, Elmo, Telly and Big Bird.
- Only Sane Woman: Tends to play this role to the other, zanier Muppets.
- Pink Means Feminine: Her skin is hot pink and she's a prim and proper Girly Girl.
- The Smurfette Principle: One of the few female recurring Muppets in the early days of Sesame Street. These days, Abby Caddaby, Rosita, and Zoe have made for a slightly more gender-balanced cast.
- Surrounded by Idiots: She never says it in so many words, but when you watch her pageants or demonstrations with Cookie Monster, it's pretty clear that she's thinking it.
- True Blue Femininity: Usually wears blue.
- Wise Beyond Her Years: Prairie is reportedly 6 years old and is easily the most "mature" of the Muppet cast, to the point of serving as a director and reporter in many episodes and direct-to-video specials.
Sherlock Hemlock
Sherlock Hemlock
- Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1970-1996), Matt Vogel (2019)
A Green Anything Muppet somewhat inept detective. Like many others, he's fallen by the wayside over the past decade or so.
- Captain Ersatz: It goes without saying that he wears a deerstalker cap and tweed Inverness cape.
- Character Catchphrase: He often shouts, "Egad!" and "Gadzooks!".
- Clueless Detective: He has a tendency to miss the obvious when solving "mysteries".
- The Ditz: Sometimes forgets that he did some of the "crimes" himself.
- Does Not Like Spam: Implied not to like bread crusts in one skit.
- Identical Grandson: He evidently had a caveman ancestor: the Royal Smart Person.
- Leitmotif: His entrances are usually heralded by a distinctive organ tune. Lampshaded in one skit by Ernie: "Hey, that's detective music!"
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: While the character is a Sherlock Holmes parody, Jerry Nelson patterned his voice after Ronald Colman.
- Parody Names: His name is an obvious parody of Sherlock Holmes.
- Sherlock Homage: About as blatant as it gets, with his British accent, deerstalker, cape and magnifying glass. Several generations of Americans kids were familiar with Sherlock Hemlock long before they found out about Holmes.
- Smart Ball: In a couple of sketches, he manages to actually solve mysteries for Ernie without help: one about an apple that Ernie found, and one about where Bert is at the beach.
- Shout-Out: His name is based on Sherlock Holmes and he acts like Hercule Poirot.
- Small Name, Big Ego: He maintains that he's "the World's Greatest Detective", despite ample evidence to the contrary.
Minor and Supporting Anything Muppets
A to G
Baby Fats Domino
- Performer: Kevin Clash
A baby pop singer.
- Age-Appropriate Angst: His launching into full-on blues mode because his blankie is being washed is typical of a baby.
- Brainy Baby: Is able to speak in full sentences despite being a baby.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Obviously based on early Rock & Roll legend Fats Domino.
- Something Blues: One of his songs is called "Baby Blankie Blues".
The Beetles
- Performer: Richard Hunt (primary lead singer); Christopher Cerf (secondary lead singer, "Hey Food")Anything Muppet: Various
They are the fabulous insect four who sang "Letter B", "Thinking of U", and "Hey Food" (with Cookie Monster). They appear as both Lavender and Green Anything Muppet insects.
- Clumsy Copyright Censorship: Almost happened, but was averted at the last minute. Northern Songs, during its waning years as the publishing company for the Beatles' music, attempted to launch a $5.5 million lawsuit against the Children's Television Workshop over the similarities between the series' "Letter B" and the actual group's "Let It Be." Shortly before the case went to trial, Michael Jackson acquired the rights for the group's songs, and dropped the lawsuit. CTW was fined only $50, paid out of the back pocket of series composer Christopher Cerf. Paul McCartney, who admitted to Cerf that he liked the song, was not involved in the lawsuit.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The group, and its songs, are based on those from the British 1960s rock group The Beatles. "Letter B" is based on "Let it Be"; "Thinking of U" is based on "P.S. I Love You" and "Here, There, and Everywhere", and "Hey Food" is based on "Hey Jude".
Bip Bippadotta
Bip Bippadotta
- Performed by: Jim HensonAnything Muppet: Lavender
A green furry character with an orange beard and Cool Shades. He is made from a Lavender Anything Muppet. He appeared in songs like "The Rhyming Song (Fat Cat Sat Hat)", "Some of Us", "Everybody's Song" (With the Androoze Sisters), "Scratch My Back" (With Jack and Jill), "Opposite", and "Air". He's often considered a cousin to the Muppet Show character Mahna Mahna, due to his physical resemblance (except he has cool sunglasses in place of the big black eyes) and to having the same performer. In fact, Bip's original name was Mah Na Mah Na (note the different spelling) when he first appeared in Season 1, and he even sang "Mahna Mahna" in his debut appearance.
- Art Evolution: From his debut as Mah Na Mah Na (not to be confused with the Muppet Show's Mahna Mahna) in 1969, Bip underwent several design shifts over the years, with his skin tone changing from Reddish-Magenta to Pumpkin Orange to finally Lavender, his hair originally being brown, no shades and standard Muppet eyes, a permanent scowl a la Bert, and, in his first incarnation, a striped long-sleeve shirt. By the mid-1980s he had been redesigned to more closely resemble the Muppet Show's Mahna Mahna, as seen in the screenshot above (from "Everybody's Song").
- Scatting: Most of Bip's vocals in "Everybody's Song" consist of this, with a trio of female cows singing the actual lyrics.
Captain Vegetable
- Performer: Jim Henson (1983), Richard Hunt (1983-1984), Peter Linz (2019)Anything Muppet: Lavender
A Lavender Anything Muppet superhero humanoid rabbit who lives in a secret garden somewhere in New Jersey.
- Edible Theme Naming: Captain Vegetable.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: In his "I Am" Song, he asks of the kids he encounters, "Do I look like a bad dream/weirdo?"
- Stock Animal Diet: He is a humanoid rabbit and likes carrots.
- Trademark Favorite Food: The vegetables (such as carrots and celery) are his main shtick.
Little Chrissy
- Performed by: Christopher Cerf (voice), Richard Hunt (puppetry, 1974-1992), Kevin Clash (puppetry, 1992-2012)Anything Muppet: Fat Blue
The Fat Blue Anything Muppet lead singer of the band, Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats.
- Messy Hair: He sports a truly epic mane of unruly yellow hair.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's sorta Elton John with Rod Stewart's hairstyle.
- The Piano Player: Yes, he does play the piano.
Clementine
- Performed by: Brian Muehl (1980-1984), Kevin Clash (1985-1987), Camille Banora (1987-1992)
- Disney Death: At one point, Forgetful Jones thinks she's gone after hearing the song "My Darling Clementine", but then she comes in and he realizes it was about a different Clementine.
Cyranose DeBergerac
- Performed by: Jerry NelsonAnything Muppet: Green
A poet who has a long blue nose. Gets very angry everytime somebody says "Nose".
- Beak Attack: His sword-like nose is shaped in such a way that it can have destructive results if he turns his head quickly, complete with a whispy cutting sound.
- Berserk Button: He gets angry and shouts, 'YOU SAID "NOSE!!!"' if anyone mentions the word "nose" regardless of context.
- Freakiness Shame: The reason why he hates the word 'nose' is because he's self-conscious about his own nose.
- Gag Nose: Has a very long nose, which he doesn't like people mentioning.
- The Klutz: In his debut episode, his elongated nose inadvertently knocks down several items in both the queen's court and Alistair Cookie's den while he's in a frenzy over the word "nose."
- Meaningful Name: His name comes from Cyrano de Bergerac (who was a poet like him) and "nose" (because he has a big nose).
- Mister Strangenoun: He has "nose" at the end of his first name.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Is based on Cyrano de Bergerac.
- Rhymes on a Dime: Sometimes speaks this way to show off his skill as a poet.
- Sick Episode: In the episode where Zoe wants to see Oscar annoy somebody, he has a cold which affects his hearing.
Don Music
- Performed by: Richard Hunt (1974-1992), Ryan Dillon (2019)Anything Muppet: Orange Gold
A frustrated composer who often cannot think of a rhyme to the point where he gets into a meltdown and ends up hitting his head on the piano. Kermit the Frog is always helping him for suggestions.
- Character Catchphrase: "I'LL NEVER GET IT! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!" is what he says whenever he's discouraged.
- Character Tics: He has a habit of banging his head on the piano whenever he's frustrated.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Over the years, parents complained to Children's Television Workshop about their kids being inspired by the character to hit their heads at home. As a result, the character, who last appeared on a new episode in March of 1991, had his sketches permanently forced off the series at the end of the series' 29th season. Richard Hunt's death the following year further contributed to his retirement. While he does reappear in the 50th anniversary special, he only acts exasperated without hitting his head. He has since made some background cameos in other projects.
- Head Desk: Hits his head on the piano keys when he gets frustrated. This was the main reason he was discontinued, as children were imitating him.
- It Will Never Catch On: Successfully composed "Yankee Doodle", only to reject it as not making sense.
- Large Ham: Tends to be very dramatic when he doesn't know what to write.
- Meaningful Name: A composer whose last name is "Music".
- Mister Strangenoun: His last name is "Music".
- Word Salad Lyrics: Defied. He absolutely refuses to write songs that don't make sense.
Elizabeth
- Performer: Stephanie D'Abruzzo
- Anything Muppet: Green
- Girlish Pigtails: She has pigtails.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: She seems to be very close to Little Murray Sparkles.
Gabrielle
- Performed by: Megan PiphusAnything Muppet: Brown with Black Hair
An Anything Muppet girl who lives in the same apartment building as her cousin Tamir. She meets Prairie Dawn in her first appearance and quickly learns they can get along together just fine.
- Ascended Extra: Originally appeared as the co-star to Prairie Dawn in a Season 48 episode. Starting in Season 52, she's become a much more prominent character.
Goldilocks
- Performed by: VariousAnything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hand
The girl from "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". She and Baby Bear are friends, but Baby Bear finds her annoying.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: She eats Baby Bear's porridge and breaks his things, but she's not really bad.
- Meaningful Name: She was named after her blonde hair.
- The Moving Experience: When she moved across the street in one episode, Baby Bear thought she'd be moving far away.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Baby Bear. They're friends, sort of, but he is annoyed when she eats his porridge and breaks his stuff.
H to M
Harvey P. Dull
- Performed by: Mak Wilson (2014-2015), Neil Sterenberg (2016-2017)Anything Muppet: Fat Blue
- Butt-Monkey: He thinks the hotel has bad service, but actually, he's just the unluckiest guest.
Harvey Kneeslapper
- Performed by: Frank Oz (1971-1977), Matt Vogel (2010), Eric Jacobson (2019)Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hand
- Annoying Laugh: An obnoxious high-pitched chuckle that was eventually too much for Frank Oz's vocals.
- Brought to You by the Letter "S": He often invokes this trope by putting letters on people's clothes.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Besides the fact that voicing him was too hard on Frank Oz, the other main reason for his being dropped was that he was only good for that one joke. Despite this, his segments continued to appear in new episodes until 2001. Since then, Harvey has made two return appearances—first in a sketch in 2010 and then in the 50th Anniversary special in 2019.
- A Day in the Limelight: He got an entire season 7 street segment, where he sang a "Tell a Joke", to the annoyance of Susan, Luis and Bob.
- The Friend No One Likes: No one really liked Harvey seeing as how his pranks can get quite bothersome after a while. Not even the human characters cared much for him.
- Fun with Homophones: His favorite pranks involve tricking people into thinking he means a word when he really means the same-sounding letter (be/B, see/C).
- Hilarity Ensues: Several of Harvey's pranks would, in the real world, have him arrested. One of his most serious stunts came when — during a "Sesame Street News Flash" segment — he duped Kermit the Frog into investigating a tip about a person standing outside in a fierce blizzard for a long time, endangering the frog's life (in other words, Harvey was engaging in an early example of swatting).
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Some of his more elaborate pranks (including a Bucket Booby-Trap and Exploding Closet) wound up boomeranging on him in this manner. In his final sketch, he even fell victim to a pun and got a number slapped on his chest.
- The Hyena: He practically giggles everything he says.
- Hypocritical Humor: The few times Harvey isn't laughing like crazy is when he's the victim of a prank.
- Large Ham: As with many of Frank Oz's characters, Harvey dominated many of the sketches he made an appearance in.
- Meaningful Name: He's a prankster, so he sure does know his knee slappers!
- Mister Strangenoun: His surname is composed of two words.
- No Indoor Voice: One reason the character was phased out was that voicing him was too hard on Frank Oz's throat.
- Parental Bonus: The name Harvey Kneeslapper seems to have been based on the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail (vodka, orange juice, Galliano liqeur), which was popular around the time he debuted.
- The Prankster: Likes to play practical jokes, some of which backfire.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: Whether a prank worked or backfired often depended on whether he explained it to the audience beforehand.
- Visual Pun: One of his specialties. A typical example:Harvey: [pointing downward] Hey, look... three sticks!Other Muppet: [looking down] Three sticks where?Harvey: Three sticks... right here! [sticks a giant numeral '3' on other Muppet's head] HAAAAAAAAhahahahaha!!!
Herbert Birdsfoot
- Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1970-1974)Anything Muppet: Lavender
- The Generic Guy: Not much personality, and serves mostly to give visual demonstrations (usually with Grover).
- Mister Strangenoun: His surname is "Birdsfoot" which is two words.
- Put on a Bus: Due to concerns about his appearances in commercial entertainment, Kermit wasn't used in the second season of Sesame Street, so Herbert was introduced to essentially fill the same role on the show. Once Kermit returned in Season 3, the now-superfluous Herbert was phased out. His final appearance to date was as part of the finale sequence of The Muppet Movie.
JP Mouse
JP Mouse
- Performed by: Kevin ClashAnything Muppet: Green
One of the "Miami Mice". He is a parody of the Miami Vice character Sonny Crockett, and is made from the Green Anything Muppet pattern.
- One-Shot Character: He never appeared outside the "Miami Mice" skits.
Kingston Livingston III
- Performed by: Kevin ClashAnything Muppet: Brown
A young African-American Muppet who takes great pride in being unique and different.
- "I Am" Song: His biographical song "Happy to be Me" talks about how he is happy to be himself and how his other friends don't mind.
Lefty the Salesman
- Performed by: Frank Oz (1970-1974), Caroll Spinney (1970, occasionally), Ryan Dillon (2019)Anything Muppet: Green
A shady-looking salesman whose sketches typically involve him trying to sell usually useless items on any patsy he can find; more often than not, that patsy is Ernie. Among his wares include the number 8, the letter O, an empty box, an invisible ice cream cone, a bottle of air, and a painting of four elephants hidden in a tree.
- Character Catchphrase: "Hey, bud" (said after Lefty approaches a potential customer) and "Riiiiight" (the punchline of someone saying something out loud, Lefty shushing them, and the other character repeating it quietly), the latter at least when Frank Oz performed the character.
- Expy: Lefty was apparently inspired by "The Tout", a shady character from The Jack Benny Program.
- Manipulative Bastard: "Bastard" is a bit of a stretch, but manipulative, Lefty definitely is. He uses his low, whispery voice and his mastery at the art of the sales pitch to lure his dupes, usually Ernie, to his product, always making sure he gets his message to their ears by extolling its usefulness and what it can be used for. The only thing that stops Lefty from making the sale is either a lack of money or the customer not wanting it. Even then, Lefty has had success twice; once selling Ernie a bottle of air and the other selling him a painting of elephants in a tree.
- Put on a Bus: After the first four seasons of the show, Lefty appeared in one more sketch in season 6 before being dropped. It is unknown why Lefty was removed, but he may have been a bad influence on children in regards to interacting with strangers.
- The Bus Came Back: The character briefly returned in 2019 for Sesame Street's 50th anniversary. In the commemorative TV special, he appeared to try to sell Super Grover and Rosita a letter S, apparently fully aware that they're looking for the missing Sesame Street sign. Grover becomes eager to buy what Lefty is selling, and the Salesman would've had success if Rosita hadn't discouraged Grover.
Lord Chatterly
- Performed by:Jerry Nelson (1975-1992)Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hand
- Chair Reveal: He turns his chair around to the camera during the Alphabet Chat's opening theme.
- Large Ham: He went into a meltdown in episodes where he tried to do lectures for the letters L, O, and R. When he got too many interruptions, he caused the show to cancel and the producers had to strike the set.
N to R
Dr. Nobel Price
- Performed by: Brian Meehl (1980-1984), Kevin Clash (1984-1988)
A scientist who often either thinks he's invented or discovered something only to find out it's already been invented/discovered or uses mundane objects for crazy reasons.
- Blatant Lies: In one skit, he claims not to be unhappy while sobbing (and by the context, it clearly isn't Tears of Joy).
- Buffy Speak: He tended to give his inventions (of things that had already been invented) names in this style, like "carry-keeper" (lunchbox), "story-carry" (book) and "dirt-pusher" (broom).
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Among other things, he thought socks weren't invented yet and thought using a balloon to "find the sky" was something most people were inclined to do.
- Ditzy Genius: He's talented enough to be an award-winning scientist, yet he often goofs up due to lacking basic facts.
- Labcoat of Science and Medicine: Is a scientist and wears a lab coat all the time.
- Punny Name: His name is a deliberate pun on "Nobel Prize".
Old MacDonald
- Performer: various
A Pumpkin Anything Muppet guy who, among other things, introduced the music video of The Oinker Sisters' new hit song: "A New Way To Walk".
- Mid-Vid Skit: Well, it says it all as he introduced the song by The Oinker Sisters.
Phil Harmonic
- Performer: Jerry NelsonAnything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hands
The host of Live from the Nesterpolitan Opera and Pretty Great Performances.
- Punny Name: His name is based on the word "Philharmonic", which means "devoted to music" and features in the names of many symphony orchestras.
Prince Charming
- Frank Oz
- Early-Bird Cameo: While Prince Charming wasn't officially introduced until Season 5, an early version (performed by Jim Henson) appeared in the story "The Girl, the Trees and The Terrible Troll" in Season 3, as a prince who disguised himself as the titular troll to test the character of a young girl (performed by Frank Oz).
- You Look Familiar: Although it is the same Anything Muppet, Prince Charming has nothing to do with Guy Smiley.
Professor Hastings
- Performed by: Frank Oz
- The Bore: His lectures are so boring, that he puts himself to sleep with them.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: He was phased out because.... well, he was too dull.
Readers Of The Open Range
- Performed by: Various
- Can't You Read the Sign?: When they saw the banner sign reading "Welcome to Bisbee Arizona." They told the citizens who think they are lost in the range that Bisbee, Arizona is the name of the town.
- Signature Song: "We're Readers, Readers, Readers of the Open Range, We're Readers, Readers, Readers of the Open Range!"
The Rhymies
- Performed by: Various
An Anything Muppet trio who speak in Rhyme. Their names are Larry (Lavender), Marry (Pointy Green), and Barry (Fat Blue).
- One-Shot Character: They only appeared in two skits, one were they went sailing on a boat at sea and the other had them going camping in the woods.
Roosevelt Franklin
- Performed by: Matt Robinson (voice), Frank Oz (puppetry) (1970 - 1975); Chris Knowings (voice), Ryan Dillon (puppetry) (2019)Anything Muppet: Little Reddish-Magenta
- Accidental Misnaming: A Running Gag is that people often get his name backwards, thinking he's named Franklin Roosevelt after President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It's happened so often, that Roosevelt is actually flattered when somebody manages to get his name right.Roosevelt: Did somebody call me by my first name first, and my second name second?
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Eventually dropped from the show amid concerns that his Jive Turkey tendencies were too stereotypical. Some people also complained that his rowdy behavior in class was reflecting poorly on their children. (Don Music was subject to similar complaints.) Despite this, he is fondly remembered by older fans and has gained a following amongst younger ones, and even made a cameo in the 50th anniversary special.
- Commuting on a Bus: After he quit portraying Gordon, Matt Robinson still stuck around on the show to write the Roosevelt Franklin sketches and perform Roosevelt's voice.
- Cool Teacher: He teaches his own class at his own school, and uses things like songs and colorful visual aids in his lessons.
- Jive Turkey: He was portrayed by a purplish Muppet, but he was clearly intended to be African-American, complete with stereotypical mannerisms and slang. Much of the controversy over the character was divided between whether he was "too Black", or was a shallow Cliché Storm who wasn't a realistic portrayal of Black culture.
- Totally Radical: Being an attempt at a "hip" character, his sketches tend to feel more dated.
- Trademark Favorite Food: String beans.
- Wise Beyond Their Years: Not only is he a child who works as a teacher, the school is named after him!
Roxie Marie
- Performed by: Fran Brill (1991-1998)
- Ascended Extra: Fans may only recognize Roxie from the stage shows, where she lasted much longer than in the actual series.
- Big Sister Mentor: Anytime she and Elmo are paired up together, though she usually sees him as an Annoying Younger Sibling who will, "get in the way."
- Vocal Evolution: In her earliest appearances, Roxie spoke in a genial tone with just a touch of a suburban accent. Eventually she was established as Biff's niece, at which point her voice became a bit more gruff (think Zoe's voice, but deeper) and her accent more thickly defined as someone who grew up in Brooklyn.
S to Z
Simon Soundman
- Performed by: Jerry Nelson (1970-1999)
A Fat Blue Anything Muppet who has an unusual way of talking. He would replace some words with sound effects.
- Alliterative Name: His first and last names begin with "S".
- Meaningful Name: He can speak in sound effects and his last name is Soundman.
- Stock Sound Effects: He has the ability to speak with added sound effects. For example: In one of the Grover the Waiter sketches, Simon said to Grover, "I would like to buy a [clucks like a chicken] sandwich!" In another sketch, he wanted to use Ernie's telephone, but Ernie had trouble understanding him.
- Unsatisfiable Customer: When he was at Charlie's, Simon ranted, "Why did my brother recommend this restaurant? The service is terrible." It may be that Simon Soundman's brother is the usual customer, Mr. Johnson. And both are Fat Blue Anything Muppets originally performed by Jerry Nelson. Although, if this is true, it would seem that their brotherly relationship may be rocky...
Sinister Sam
- Performed by: Jim HensonAnything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hands
The meanest, roughest cowboy in the West.
- Expy: From his voice and facial features (and even name), it's clear that he is based on Yosemite Sam.
- Men Are Tough: Well, Sam looked for some suspect for some problems he is having problem. Like at one time, he was looking for Doc Holiday because he had an itchy trigger finger (and he means his finger is really itchy).
Sonny Friendly
- Performer: Richard Hunt (1986-1992), David Rudman (1992-present)Anything Muppet: Large Lavender Live Hands
The Large Lavender Live Hands Anything Muppet host of "Sonny Friendly's Traveling Game Show". He also appeared as the host of The New Here Is Your Life in the 1990s.
- Character Catchphrase: "Are we having a nice day, or what?"
- Game Show Host: He frequently pops up to make just about anything into a game show (much to the annoyance of some of the cast).
- Security Blanket: His Teddy Bear from The Crying Game Show.
Tito Mouse
Tito Mouse
- Performer: Martin P. RobinsonAnything Muppet: Lavender
One of the Miami Mice. He is a parody of Miami Vice character: Ricardo Tubbs. He is made from Lavender Anything Muppet.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Well, He is a spoof of Ricardo Tubbs of Miami Vice.
- One-Shot Character: He never appeared outside the Miami Mice skits (only 3).
The Twiddlebugs
- Performed by: Various
A Group of Anything Muppet insects who lives in Ernie's window.
- Alliterative Family: Their names are Tina, Thomas, Timmy and Tessie.
- Gender-Equal Ensemble: Two males (Thomas and Timmy) and two females (Tessie and Tina).
- I Am Not Weasel: When they first obtain their pet caterpillar Jeff, they think he's a cat.
- Literal-Minded: In one sketch, the Twiddlebug family decide to go to the zoo. After deciding against walking (as it would take three days to walk there due to their diminutive size and Tina had to be back to school the next day), swimming (as there's no water), and flying (as they need wings to do it), they decide to take the family car to the zoo... as in each of them lifting up part of the car and carrying it with them to the zoo.
- Nuclear Family: Father, mother and two children.
- Pink Girl, Blue Boy: Thomas has blue skin, while his wife Tessie has pink skin.
- Too Dumb to Live: Even though the Twiddlebugs always manage to overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable tribulations, such as figuring out how to exit a roller rink, their ultimate solutions are rarely the most logical, though they remain blissfully unaware of them.
Vincent Twice
- Performer: Martin P. RobinsonAnything Muppet: Orange Gold
The Orange Gold Anything Muppet Host of Mysterious Theatre.
- Character Catchphrase: "I am your host: Vincent Twice, Vincent Twice. Welcoming you once again to Mysterious Theatre."
- Department of Redundancy Department: His name.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is based on the Mystery! host Vincent Price.
- One-Shot Character: He never appeared outside the Mysterious Theatre skits.
