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Bert and Ernie go stop-motion

duo goes claymation for international spin-off.

Feb 19, 2007

Bert, Ernie and Rubber Duckie, from Wikipedia

Sesame Workshop will produce an international series called The Adventures of Bert and Ernie. The duo will be animated using stop-motion.

(Source: muppetnewsflash.blogspot.com)

Muppet duo Bert and Ernie are going stop-motion: Sesame Workshop is producing The Adventures of Bert and Ernie, using claymation to animate the characters.

The Adventures of Bert and Ernie is a five-minute show based around Bert and Ernie recalling adventures based on photos and memorabilia from their scrapbook. At which point, the story is told, quite often from different points of view due to conflicts in recollection. Twenty six episodes have already been filmed, and will air in March of 2008. A second season is already planned.

Several characters will make cameo appearances, including Ernie's Rubber Duckie, Bert's pet pigeon Bernice, as well as several of the duo's relatives.

Italy's Misseri Studio will provide the animation for the Sesame Street spin-off, as well as co-producing the show along with Sesame Workshop, German public broadcaster NDR and Britain's Channel 5.

Although The Adventures of Bert and Ernie is still being shopped around, ABC Australia, Cartoon Network India, Denmark's DR-TV, Disney Asia, Disney Spain, the Netherland's NPS/Zeppelin, Israel's HOP, Norway's NRK and Sweden's SVT have already picked it up. Sesame Workshop has no plans to air the series in North America.

Fun Facts:

Jim Henson was the original voice of Ernie while Frank Oz (who also voiced Miss Piggie and Star Wars' Yoda) did Bert. After Henson's death in 1990, Steve Whitmire took over Ernie (along with most of Henson's characters) and Eric Jacobson inherited Bert, although Oz still occasionally performs the character.
Bert and Ernie were the only muppets to be a part of Sesame Street's 1969 pilot episode, and they were the only part of the pilot that tested well.
Rumours that Bert and Ernie are a homosexual couple have drifted around since the 1970's. It may or may not have been sparked by a joke ("Bert and Ernie confirmed this week that they are practicing homosexuals.") Chevy Chase used during Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. Many comedians and television shows, including The Family Guy, have riffed on the rumour.
Contrary to popular opinion, the notorious image of Bert conferring with Osama Bin Laden was not from Dino Ignacio's (now defunct) website "Bert is Evil," but was created by J-roen. Ignacio took down "Bert is Evil" shortly after the Bin Laden incident, although mirror sites still exist.

The copyright of the article Bert and Ernie go stop-motion in International Animated Films is owned by Dominic von Riedemann. Permission to republish Bert and Ernie go stop-motion in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.