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Ernie Through the Years

The Evolution of Ernie (1969-present)


Image As seen in Year Notes
1969 Ernie.jpg Sesame Street
Season 1
1969-1970 The first Ernie puppet sports a purple and orange shirt, with yellow collar and cuffs (resembling that of a turtle neck shirt), and has a purple nose. During the pilot episodes, Jim Henson experimented with Ernie's eye focus; at one point he looked downwards instead of upwards.
Ernie1970.jpg Sesame Street
Season 2
1970-1971 Ernie wears a red-blue pattern sweater instead of a purple-orange one. His nose changes from purple to red.
Ernieolder.jpg Sesame Street
Season 3
1971-1976 Ernie's eye focus is improved, and he has a brighter orange skin tone.
Erniemid70's.jpg Sesame Street
Season 8
1976-1982 Ernie's skin is now darker orange antron fleece, instead of blanket fleece. Also, his head is considerably rounder.
Ernie-ernestine.jpg Sesame Street
Season 14
1982-1985 Ernie's head becomes taller making it slightly less football-shaped. His skin color reverts back to a more vibrant orange. The collar and cuffs of his shirt also change, making it look more like a regular shirt.
Ernie1980's.jpg Sesame Street
Season 17
1985-1993 Similar to the previous design, except the eyes are somewhat separated apart, and his hair is thinner.
3816z.jpg Sesame Street
Season 25
1993-1999 Ernie's skin becomes a light warm orange. He also has a fuller tuft of hair, making it appear somewhat longer.
Ernieearly2000's.jpg Sesame Street
Season 31
1999-2002 Once again, Ernie has a rounder, more football-shaped head, closely akin to the 1976-1982 version.
Ernie2000's.jpg Sesame Street
Season 34
2003-present The structure of Ernie's head is much smoother and less bumpy than earlier puppets. There is less of his now thinner hair.
Predecessor Puppets and Planning
Character.moldyhay.jpg Moldy Hay from Sam and Friends circa 1960 Distinct from the papier-mâché humanoid characters like Sam, Moldy Hay's orange fleshy skin and wide-mouthed grin are traits that would later be refined into Ernie.
BertErnie1.jpg
Bert-and-Ernie sketch.jpg
Design sketches for Sesame Street circa 1969 Early sketches bear a closer similarity to Moldy Hay, with messier hair and enormous ears. Contrast is established between Ernie's horizontal stripes and round-faced look and Bert's vertical stripes and leaner appearance.

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