2 Talk

Professor Hastings

Performer:

Frank Oz

Anything Muppet:

Fat Blue

Professor Hastings is a character from Sesame Street. Hastings is an old professor who always falls asleep during his boring lectures. He often appeared with Kermit as his assistant, who would have to wake him up constantly.

In 1974, CTW advisor Gerald S. Lesser offered this cogent summary of the character: "verging on senility; gives comically confused lectures; interrupting each at unpredictable occasions for short naps; sporadically capable of remarkably clear insights that stand in stark contrast to his general muddlement."

Professor Hastings mostly appeared in Season 1; according to Sesame Street Unpaved, "He was performed by Frank Oz, but he didn't make the cut because he was, well, too dull." According to Phyllis Feinstein in the 1971 book All About Sesame Street, "The professor, more boring than broadening, is no real loss...." Although he has never been a big hit in the US, he is still considered a very popular character in several European countries. In a few pieces of European merchandise, he is mixed up with Mr. Johnson from the Waiter Grover sketches.

1 Sketches
2 Album appearances
3 Book appearances
4 Character Merchandise

SketchesEdit

Title	Earliest Known Appearance	Description
Letter Y	Episode 0096	Kermit the Frog and Professor Hastings talk about the letter Y.
Emotions	Episode 0106	Professor Hastings gives a lecture on emotions.
Exercise	Episode 0124	Kermit and Professor Hastings on the importance of exercise.
Big and Little	Episode 0124	The professor discusses "big" and "little"
Body Parts	Episode 0130	Kermit helps the professor discuss parts of the body.
Number 2	Episode 0141	Professor Hastings talks about the number 2.
Dump Truck	Episode 0175	Professor Hastings talks and shows how two dump trucks can be alike and also different.
Pogo Stick	Episode 0239	The professor uses a pogo stick to demonstrate "up" and "down", and ends up jumping into a pond.
What's My Part?	Episode 0256	Guy Smiley hosts "What's My Part?" The contestants are Bennett Snerf, Arlene Frantic and Professor Hastings, and the mystery part is a foot.
Letter U	Episode 0297	Kermit and Professor Hastings discuss the letter U.