Pop Culture | TV | 90s | 80s
5 Characters "Evicted" From 'Sesame Street' That You Completely Forgot Existed
I think was can all agree that Sesame Street continues to be the most important show out there for kids.
It's been around since 1969, but having aired for 48 seasons, there have obviously been a lot of changes.
While many of the iconic characters like Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Elmo remain on the show as regulars, there are a lot of characters that aren't as famous, some have even been completely forgotten over the years.
It's often a subtle change, but when you really look at it, you'll realize that some of the characters you remembered have left Sesame Street and completely forgotten about.
Forgetful Jones
Sesame Street is always trying to make kids feel a little bit better about themselves, whether it's by learning something new or by learning to accept something about themselves.
Seeing a character who they can relate to is one of the best ways for a kid to feel comfortable with themselves. Forgetful Jones was a delightful character who could never remember anything, which honestly was great for those of us with a lackluster memory.
He was always getting reminders from his wife Clementine, but even with her help he had a really rough time. He made us all feel a little bit better about the fact that we forgot to make our beds.
He was voiced by Richard Hunt, but when he passed away in 1992 they decided to retire the character.
Guy Smiley
I don't know about you, but for some reason Guy Smiley always reminded of Bob Saget. Maybe because his little game show host gig felt kind of like when Saget was hosting America's Funniest Home Videos, or maybe it's because he does kind of look like the comedian.
He first appeared in the first season of the show hosting "The Answer Lady" with Granny Fanny Nesselrode who said she knew all the answers.
He was one of Jim Henson's characters, so after his death there was a long break before he was seen again. He stopped appearing in 1990, but came back in 2005, now showing up only very rarely.
We miss you Guy Smiley!
Don Music
Don Music was also performed by Richard Hunt, but he actually continued on for a few years after his death due to his popularity.
The pianist was pretty iconic, writing songs with great passion and expression, but the problem with his character was that he was a little bit dramatic.
His tendency to bash his head against the piano became a problem when kids started mimicking it themselves. While we all know that we shouldn't try most things at home, kids don't always understand that and could hurt themselves.
Instead of changing Don Music's act they just gave up on his character.
Bruno the Trashman
Bruno was actually made because Oscar the Grouch needed some help. Oscar lives in a trash can, which as you can expect, makes it a little difficult to move around.
When a scene called for Oscar to move, the show realized they needed a viable way to get him from point A to point B. Their solution was pretty clever, and they brought in Bruno to act as Oscar's transportation.
He was completely silent, but he'd pick up Oscar and bring him where he needed to go. The actor playing Oscar would actually be in the Bruno suit, and then had an opening in the middle so he could still control Oscar.
That's why Bruno couldn't talk, because it was one person controlling both of them!
Roosevelt Franklin
While his name is inspired by a president, the character was not a politician in the show. Instead, he was actually in charge of his own school. But he didn't last long at all.
He was actually one of the more controversial characters, and was written off because he was thought to be promoting a negative racial stereotype.
He was introduced in 1970 and already written out by 1975.
Even with these five characters being sent to the sidelines of Sesame Street, the show is still perfect.
Source - NYDaily News / Mental Floss