Jules Verne

80 days with Wilkins Coffee.

Around the World in 80 Days, as available at the Sesame Street Library.

1978 calendar "Around the World in 365 Days."

Muppet Babies' "Around the Nursery in 80 Days."

Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist best known for his adventure stories, usually incorporating exploration, technology, and science themes and contributing significantly to the development of science-fiction. His books, while sometimes delving into pure fantasy, anticipated such actual advances as the submarine, moon exploration, compressed global travel, and light-propelled space vessels.

Some of his best known books include Around the World in 80 Days (1873), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), and Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864). Most of his books have been adapted multiple times to other media, including film, television, and of course, the Muppets. The 2004 film version of Around the World in 80 Days included digital effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

References

• The earliest known reference to Around the World in 80 Days was in a Wilkins Coffee commercial, with a top-hatted Wilkins in the Phileas Fogg role. After dropping Wontkins out of the balloon, he remarks with satisfaction that it will be just him and Wilkins Coffee for 80 days.

• In a Simon Soundman sketch on Sesame Street, the colonel (in his club) attempts to tell Simon the story of how he went around the world in 80 days... without sleep. (As a result, he keeps dozing off.) (First: Episode 1440)

• The Sesame Street 1978 Calendar took as its theme "Around the World in 365 Days."

• The third season Muppet Babies episode "Around the Nursery in 80 Days," as the title indicates, features Around the World in 80 Days prominently. Kermit takes the role of "Phileas Frogg," and includes a scene focusing on the wager which starts the adventure. The babies also change modes of transportation, as in the novel, when coping with difficulties.

• In the first season Muppet Babies episode "Close Encounters of the Frog Kind," Robin leaps into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a favorite story of Count von Count, as expected. In Sesame Street Episode 2423 (1988), the Count wants to use David's VCR to watch 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. At the end of a "Count's Storybook Theatre" sketch (First: Episode 3147), he mentions the book as his next tale.

• In the Dinosaurs episode "Charlene's Flat World," Charlene and Robbie are sentenced to be thrown off the edge of the world. However, since the world is round, they end up circumnavigating it instead. An onscreen graphic shows the trip took 80 days.

• The Count checks out both 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days from the library in Episode 3339 of Sesame Street (1995).

• In the story "What Shall We Play" from Stories to Share (1991), Chester the frog wants to play "20,000 Leagues Under the Pond."

• In the 1996 Sesamstraat album Kompe Dompe Doeli, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is one of the books in Uncle Rudolf's box.

• The Muppet Babies tackled another Verne book in the fourth season episode "Journey to the Center of the Nursery" (mostly in title and the concept of traveling inside the earth itself.)

• In the end credits of Elmo's Deep Sea Adventure, Oscar the Grouch claims to have discovered "20,000 weeds under the sea."

• A MuppetToons installment from 2000 was titled "Journey to the Center of the Cyberverse."

• In a 2021 advertisement for DoorDash, Daveed Diggs is seen reading a copy of Around the World in 80 Days, while Cookie Monster has Around the World in 80 Cookies.

• During their interview on the D23 Inside Disney podcast, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are asked what their favorite Disney memories are. Zoot claims to have been the captain in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, while Floyd Pepper reminds him that he rode the theme park attraction instead.

• In a Sesame Street social media video released in November 2023, Alistair Cookie advocates for reading. One of the books he chooses is 20,000 Cookies Under the Sea (which literally takes him under the sea where he has an encounter with the tentacles of the book's giant octopus).

Connections

• Colin Borgonon voiced Captain Nemo in the Australian animated version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" from Burbank films. (1985 film)
• Pierce Brosnan played Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (1989 miniseries)
• Jim Broadbent played Sergeant Fix in Around the World in 80 Days (1992, radio)
• Red Buttons played Donald O'Shay in Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962 film)
• Barbara Eden played Susan Gale in Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962 film)
• Uwe Friedrichsen played Professor Friderickson in Journey to the Center of the Earth (2005, German radio)
• John Gielgud played Foster in Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)
• Hermione Gingold played a sporting lady in Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)
• Ron Haddrick lent his voice to the animated version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" from Hanna-Barbera. (1973)
• William Hootkins played Colonel Proctor in Around the World in 80 Days (1992, radio)
• Stefan Kaminski played Conseil and the parrot in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (2008, German radio)
• Peter Marinker played Captain Speedy in Around the World in 80 Days (1992, radio)
• James Mason played Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film) and Professor Lindenbrook in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 film)
• Robert Morley played Ralph in Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film) and Wentworth in Around the World in 80 Days (1989 miniseries)
• Vincent Price played Robur in Master of the World (1961 film)
• Franz Rudnick played Saffar in Keraban the Inflexible (1991, German radio)
• Omar Sharif played Captain Nemo in The Mysterious Island (1973 film)
• David Tennant played Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (2021 miniseries)
• Jürgen Thormann played the consul in Yokahama in Around the World in 80 Days (2005, German radio)
• Peter Ustinov played Detective Fix in Around the World in 80 Days (1989 miniseries)
• Herbert Weicker played Keraban in Keraban the Inflexible (1991, German radio)
• Orson Welles played Phileas Fogg in "Around the World in 80 Days" (Mercury Theater on the Air, 1938, radio) and produced, directed, adapted, and played Dick Fix in Around the World (Broadway, 1946)
• William Woodson played Captain Nemo in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (Family Theater, 1953, radio)