The Muppet Master Encyclopedia

Bert and Ernie are two Muppet characters who appear together in numerous skits on the children's television show Sesame Street. Ernie acts the role of the naïve and exuberant troublemaker, while Bert is the world-weary foil.

Bert (left) with Ernie (right)

Originated by Frank Oz and Jim Henson, the characters are currently performed by puppeteers Eric Jacobson and Peter Linz.

Bert and Ernie were built by Don Sahlin from a simple design scribbled by Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. Initially, Henson performed Bert, and Oz performed Ernie. After just one day of rehearsal, they switched characters. The original idea was to show that even though two people can have totally different characteristics, they can still be good friends.

According to writer Jon Stone, the relationship between Bert and Ernie reflected the real-life friendship between Oz and Henson.[2] Although their names are commonly believed to have been drawn from those of two minor characters in the Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life, sources from within the Sesame Street production team suggest that the identical names were coincidental.[3] The common names were referenced during Bert & Ernie's cameo in Elmo Saves Christmas, when they walk by a TV showing a relevant scene from It's a Wonderful Life.

According to A&E's Biography, Bert and Ernie were virtually the only Muppets to appear in the Sesame Street pilot episode, which was screen-tested to a number of families in July 1969. Their brief appearance was the only part of the pilot that tested well, so it was decided that not only should Muppet characters be the "stars" of the show, but they should also interact with the human characters, something that was not done in the pilot

Crazy Harry

PERFORMER

Jerry Nelson 1977-2003

Matt Vogel 2008-present

DEBUT

1974

Crazy Harry is the pyrotechnic expert on The Muppet Show. An unkempt figure with wild eyes and a mad cackle, he delights in blowing things up. His trademark is appearing at the slightest mention of an explosive-related word, and reiterating it in the form of a question (e.g. "Did somebody say bang?") before setting off an explosion.

In addition to explosions, he played the triangle bell in the Muppet Orchestra during the first season opening and closing and in the second season closing. His finest hour may well have been in episode 306, accompanying Jean Stapleton on the explodaphone for a particularly frantic rendition of "I'm Just Wild About Harry."

He originally appeared in The Muppets Valentine Show, as Crazy Donald -- a reference to Muppet builder Don Sahlin, who enjoyed creating the Muppets' special effects explosions. His name was changed to Crazy Harry in his second appearance, The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.

His film appearances have included, amongst others, The Muppet Movie (as the special effects expert), The Great Muppet Caper (as a resident of the Happiness Hotel), The Muppets Take Manhattan (attending the wedding), Muppets from Space (at the beach), The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (as one of the Flying Monkeys), The Muppets (where at one point, he uses explosives to carve his head into Mount Rushmore), and Muppets Most Wanted, where he sets off explosions during Christoph Waltz' number. He appeared in the Stars and Stripes FOREVER! online video and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa.

Count Von Count

PERFORMERS

Jerry Nelson 1972-2012

Matt Vogel 2013-present

DEBUT

1972

PATTERN

Large Lavender Live Hand

Count von Count is a mysterious but friendly vampire-like Muppet on Sesame Street who is meant to parody Bela Lugosi's portrayal of Count Dracula. He first appeared on the show in the Season 4 premiere in 1972, counting blocks in a sketch with Bert and Ernie.

PERFORMER

Myra Fried voice and face, 1983

Cheryl Wagner voice and face, 1984-1987

Trish Leeper body

DEBUT 1983

Ma Gorg is the mother of the Gorg family, and the self-proclaimed Queen of the Universe on Fraggle Rock. She is married to Pa Gorg, and they have a son, Junior, and a daughter, Princess, who was born in The First Snow of Fraggle Rock. Her mother was Queen Esmerelda, as mentioned in "Blanket of Snow, Blanket of Woe."