Sesame Street Goofs

The creators of Sesame Street are skilled at creating the illusion that the puppets are living characters. Still, occasional goofs slip through, and make it onto the screen.

Picture	Segment	Earliest Known Appearance	Description
	Ernie Calls His Bathtub Rosie/Everybody Wash	Episode 0001	During this sketch, Jim Henson's arm is visible operating Ernie's arm. While operating Bert, Frank Oz's arm, head, nose and black-rimmed glasses can all be seen. Later, during Everybody Wash, Henson's arm is seen again after Ernie announces "Everybody wash... your everything!"
	Kermit's W Lecture	Episode 0001	When Cookie Monster nibbles on Kermit, Frank Oz's arm can be seen at the end of the Cookie Monster puppet.
	Appliance War	Episode 0003	When Ernie starts dancing to the radio and Bert says "Uh-huh! Okay, smart guy!", Henson's head pops up near Ernie.
	Ernie's R Collection	Episode 0014	As Bert admires his J towards the end, Frank's finger can be seen operating Bert's arm rod.
	Mahna Mahna (song)	Episode 0014	At the beginning, the green girl is voiced by Loretta Long, and the purple girl by Frank oz, but halfway through the introduction, the voices switch.
	"Yellow Submarine"	Episode 0017	During the party sequences, a few puppeteers' heads are visible.
	A, You're Adorable	Episode 0023	As Jack puts the R block back on the brick wall, Oz's head pops up under Cookie Monster in the corner. It pops up throughout the rest of the sketch.
	Bert's Nose	Episode 0026	For the first 30 seconds or so of this sketch, Frank Oz's head is seen in the right hand bottom corner of the screen.
	Big Bird Meets Little Bird	Episode 0028	Several times in the sketch, there's a visible opening between Big Bird's head and neck in which a bit of Caroll Spinney's hand is revealed operating the head.
	The People in Your Neighborhood: Garbageman and Barber	Episode 0045	A puppeteer's hand can be seen when the Fat Blue garbageman picks up the garbage can.
	"The Mr. and Mrs. Game"	Episode 0072	Both Oz and Henson's heads can be seen when Ralph and Trudy Monster jump up and down and rip the curtain. Henson's's head is seen when Ralph scares Guy Smiley and says "I scared you, huh?", and when Guy Smiley says, "You got a cookie!"
	F Cheer 2	Episode 0092	When the Fat Blue AM is tossed around near the end of this skit, one can clearly see the puppet has no legs.
	K Cheer	Episode 0100	When the Anything Muppets erupt in cheers, the puppeteers' heads can be seen at the bottom of the screen. Caroll Spinney's head is especially visible in one moment, under the Pumpkin puppet.
	Kermit & Brian Talk Loud & Soft	Episode 0126	After Kermit falls off his stool, Kermit's sock is seen when he comes back up on his stool.
	Body Parts	Episode 0130	Kermit's sock is visible in the skit where Professor Hastings talks about body parts.
	Scene #1	Episode 0131	When Ernie and Bert are arguing about who's taller, Frank Oz's head and arm are visible, as is Jim Henson's head. Later, when Gordon lifts Ernie up, Jim's head and arm are both visible.
	"What's My Part?: Mr. Nose"	Episode 0131	After Guy Smiley introduces the game at the beginning, Henson's head briefly pops up. As Guy flips the game board numbers, a crowbar-like rod of some sort is seen flipping said numbers.
	"The letter F"	Unknown
	Scene #5	Episode 0131	When Granny Grouch enters scene, the heads of Jerry Nelson (top) and another puppeteer (bottom) are briefly visible.
	"I Whistle a Happy Tune"	Episode 0131	Frank Oz's head and arm can be seen while puppeteering Grover.
	4 Cheer	Episode 0132	When the balloons come in to the shot, a hand can be seen.
	The Magic Apple	Episode 0133	Jim's head becomes visible towards the end of the story.
	Grover and the Telephone	Episode 0146	When Grover says "And you can talk to people FAR AWAY!" Frank Oz's hand is seen operating Grover's left arm rod.
	"What's My Part?: Mr. Foot"	Episode 0256	Oz's head is visible underneath Professor Hastings near the end of the sketch, when Hastings rushes up to the desk where Guy Smiley and Mr. Foot preside.
	Eating Telephone	Episode 0265	Oz's arm is visible underneath Cookie Monster, as the character deliberately lifts "his belly" to look for the telephone inside his stomach, near the very end of the sketch.
	Surprise!	Episode 0268	When the lead singer enters the scene, a performer's head is visible.‎
	"Ernie Prepares for His Bath"	Episode 0269	Henson's head and white sleeve can be seen when Ernie puts down the bowling ball on the table.
	"Bert is Missing"	Episode 0278	Jim's head and left arm are visible when Ernie frantically digs for Sherlock Hemlock at the end.
	Lefty the Salesman: Picture of four elephants	Episode 0278	Lefty has ears for most of the sketch. After the camera zooms in on the painting, he has no ears.
	The Amazing Mumford's Disappearing Pineapple Trick	Episode 0280	When The Amazing Mumford enters, Jerry Nelson and another puppeteer's head are both visible underneath him. Also, when the smoke from Mumford's disappearance clears up, Frank Oz's head is visible underneath Grover.
	"Ernie plays the drums"	Episode 0280	Throughout the sketch, the bottom of the set is exposed, and during the skit, Oz can be seen performing Bert.
	"Talk Slower"	Episode 0288	When Ernie talks slower, Henson's head pops up momentarily underneath him.
	"Cookies in Bed"	Episode 0302	When Ernie walks over to Bert's bed and Bert asks, "Ernie, what are you doing?" at the end of Bert's bed, you can see a puppeteer's head performing Ernie.
	What Do I Do When I'm Alone	Episode 0303	Near the end of the song, "What Do I Do When I'm Alone", Oz's hair is seen below to the right of Grover.
	The Remembering Game	Episode 0310	A hand can be seen in the lower right hand corner operating the game board.
	"Ernie puts the vase away"	Episode 0310	Throughout the sketch, Ernie's sleeve is visible in several shots, and so is the top of Henson's head (including his eyes).
	"The Weather Show"	Episode 0337	When the wind appears for the first time, near the end, Jascha's nose almost flies off. The nose remains loose until Guy Smiley reintroduces the weather during the audience's vote, then Jascha Lombardi's nose finally and accidentally flies off during wind.
	J Friends	Episode 0527	During the final verse, when the friends "jump with Jane," a puppeteer's forehead and the bottoms of the AMs, especially the Lavender, are briefly visible.
	Sad	Episode 0532	During one take for the song, Big Jeffy's verse at the end of the song, his hat begins to come loose and eventually falls off.
200px	How Do You Do	Episode 0536	When Lena Horne takes Grover on her lap, Frank Oz's armsock can be seen.
	Exit	Episode 0666	When Bert and Guy Smiley are exiting, a performer's head can be seen, as well as that performer's arm under Bert. When The Alphabeats exit the performance, another performer's head pops up.
	Rodeo Rosie	Episode 0666	Near the end of this scene, Jerry Nelson's head is briefly seen under Rodeo Rosie.
	Sesame Street Pageants: A Flower Grows	Episode 0666	When Herry walks offstage and knocks a pole over, Jerry Nelson's arm is briefly seen performing Herry's left arm. Also, a performer's (likely Nelson's) head is seen after Herry leaves at the end of the sketch.
	Old West sketches: Bad Bart's Surprise	Episode 0675	In one shot, the one in which Bad Bart has walked into the saloon and says Marshall Earp had better be there soon, he is standing in front of the wall, but in the next close-up shot of him saying he has a surprise for her, he is back in front of the door, with his head silhoueted against the sunset.
	"Bert's Painting"	Episode 0683	Near the end of the sketch, viewers can see the top part of Oz's head, while Bert is behind the painting.
	Sesame Street News Flash: Rapunzel	Episode 0692	The top of Jim Henson's head can be seen near the end of this sketch.
	Twiddlebugs Go To the Zoo	Episode 0693	Henson's head can be seen through the plants under Ernie at the end of this sketch.
	Cookie Monster Sketches: Miscellaneous: Shares a Cookie	Episode 0730	When the girl first approaches Cookie Monster, she already has half a cookie with her (the top of it can be seen at the bottom of the screen). And then, when she lunges to eat it, the cookie slips from her hand, and she ends up munching on nothing more than a few fingertips full of air.
	Numerical Correspondence Song	Episode 0735	Throughout the song, the female Valkyrie is voiced by Marilyn Sokol. However, when the cast take their bows, the voice is now performed by Frank Oz, who was most likely performing the character throughout the song.
	Proud	Episode 0737	At the end of the song, Little Jerry's dashiki is seen with a tear in the back.
	The King Banishes the Letter P	Episode 0764	At the start of the scene where King Peter the Persnickety allows P items back into the kingdom, Richard Hunt's head is visible underneath the Green Townsperson.
	Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School: Loud and Soft	Episode 0796	As Roosevelt Franklin begins to say "Now you know the difference between loud and soft", a performer's arm is seen controlling Roosevelt, as well as another puppeteer's head between Baby Breeze and the Lavender AM student.
	The Subway	Episode 0808	After singing the opening solo, the Green Anything Muppet with the shades turns and walks down the stairs into the underground subway station, and yet just a few seconds later he steps back into shot from off to the side to echo the policeman's "subway" line.
	"Chocolate Ice Cream"	Episode 1037	When Ernie sets the banana on the table, Jim Henson's head briefly pops up.
	Ah, For the Joys of the Countryside	Episode 1056	At the beginning of the song, Jim Henson's head briefly appears under the baritone. Also, during the song, Henson's finger appears operating the puppet's arm rods when the bus appears at the "Bad Food" restaurant.
	Brad's Bath	Episode 1134	When Ernie hauls in the big box of bath toys, a puppeteer's arm is visible performing Ernie's right hand.
	"Bring Your Own Can Night"	Season 12	In wide shots, the lid to Oscar's trash can can be seen hanging from the side as Bruno carries it, but when the scene cuts to a close-up of the human cast sticking their heads out of the can, the lid is nowhere to be seen.
	Bed Making Cooperation	Episode 1708	At one point when Ernie and Bert switch sides (as Ernie complains the blanket on one side of the bed is crooked), the camera pans too far to the left, revealing the edge of the set.
	Library	Episode 1858	At one of the points when the man at the library tells Grover to be quieter, coming from behind the desk, Jerry Nelson's (who was performing the character) head becomes visible.
	Be My D	Episode 2256	After the first chorus, the Lavender Dew Drop's right earring flies off.
	Raise Your Hand	Episode 2274	Toward the end of the song, one of Little Chrissy's arm-rods flies into the air.
	Kermit's Lectures: Taxi	Episode 2293	In the beginning and end of the segment, Jim Henson's hair is visible.
	Kermit's Lectures: Happy and Sad	Episode 2481	When Elmo tags Kermit, Kermit's sock can be seen.
	NTV	Episode 2489	In one of the black and white flashbacks in the music video for "NTV", the Nickmatics are seen as the waiters in the re-decoration of Nino's. However, the guitarist's guitar can still be seen with him.
	Sesame Street Pageants: The Four Seasons	Episode 2497	Cookie Monster stays on stage right before a cut to a close-up of the cast entering the stage from the wings. However, Cookie Monster is behind the cast entering the stage, despite being on stage in the previous shot.
	The Beetles: Hey Food	Episode 2640	Near the end of the song, one of Ringo Starr's drums falls off the set.
	The Honker-Duckie-Dinger Jamboree We Are All Earthlings	Episode 2773 Episode 2835	Towards the beginning, Cheryl Blaylock's head is visible underneath the Blue Honker. Also, during the instrumental break, Jim Henson's head appears underneath Ernie. During the first chorus, the sound suggests that all the characters are singing in unison, yet some of them (Elmo included) are seen moving their mouths to no sound, as if to echo the title line, as would be done in the next choruses.
	Wet Paint	Episode 2847	During the first chorus, while brown paint trickles down the back canvas, a brief shot of a performer's head can be seen before the cows sing "Wet paint, wet paint." In addition, by the end of the song and before the melting effect, How Now Brown is seen with chroma-keyed vest. However, during the melting effect, his regular vest is back on.
	Alphaquest: M	Episode 2864	When the girl first enters the kitchen, one of the mittens she uses is plainly visible on the table, yet in the very next shot, it disappears.
	Light and Dark	Episode 3784	When Kermit was looking for the light switch to show what dark looks like, Steve Whitmire's hand can be seen underneath.
	"Gospel Alphabet"	Episode 3879	As Patti LaBelle and the Muppets sing "E-F," a puppeteer's head and arm become visible underneath Ernie. They "hide" when the gang sings "K-L-M-N-O-P." As Patti LaBelle and the Muppets sing "I-J," a puppeteer's head pops up underneath Elmo and Prairie Dawn. It "hides" at "Q-R-S." At that same time, a puppeteer’s head pops up underneath Bert and The Count briefly. Barely visible earlier, yet most prominently visible as Patti LaBelle sings "You know what Miss Patti's gonna do?" a puppeteer's head and arm are visible controlling Zoe. As the Muppets sing "A-B-C" at a fast pace for the second time, the puppeteer's head is visible again.
	Scene: Big Bird and Snuffy explore things that are alive	Episode 3879	The word "alive" is supposed to appear at the top of the screen in one shot, but it does not appear, so Big Bird and Snuffy look up at nothing, and Susan points to nothing.
	"Pigeons and Cookies and Trash"	Episode 3952	Bert receives a helping hand from below to perfect his dance moves.
	"Wake Up!"	Episode 4036	As Ernie tosses Bert's pillow (at the line "You've had enough of those pillows"), Steve Whitmire's head and arm become visible.
	Global Grover: South Africa	Episode 4068	When Grover is pushing his wire car to a gas station, a hand (likely Eric Jacobson's) is holding Grover's body.
	Guess What Next Game	Episode 4100	When Ernie counts the sheeps, chickens, and cows, a puppeteer's hand can be briefly seen operating Ernie's arm to the left of the table. When the elephant begins rampaging in the apartment, Frank Oz's head appears underneath Bert as Bert runs from the table.
	Scene: Frankly, It's Still a Habitat	Episode 4187	In the street scene where Big Bird is in his nest with Gordon the camera pans out and one can see Big Bird's feet covers, which are worn in rehearsals and are not supposed to be seen on screen.
	Scene: Jack's Big Jump	Episode 4204	When Jack Be Nimble jumps for the Moon towards the end of the episode, a hand (possibly Joey Mazzarino's) is visible, possibly igniting a special effect for Jack to jump.
	Scene: Tribute to Number Seven	Episode 4209	When Zoe counts seven chickens, a puppeteer’s head is visible under the fourth chicken. Additionally, when Elmo is multiplied by 7, the heads of two puppeteers underneath the second and third Elmos.
	The Letter of the Day: A		As Ernie enters the scene, Steve Whitmire's head can be seen underneath.
TV and Direct-to-Video Specials
	Big Bird in China		In a continuity error, the first montage of Big Bird and Barkley in China shows the dog with the hourglass around his neck. They would not receive the item until later in the story.
	Do the Alphabet		During a pan of the group singing the alphabet, one can see almost all of Lisa Buckley crouching behind Betty Lou performing her. Also, during the finale, David Rudman, particularly his arm, is visible underneath Baby Bear, as well as a puppeteer's head underneath Goldilocks.
	Elmopalooza		Immediately before the music video of "Just Happy to Be Me" plays, Cookie Monster is seen chasing David Alan Grier after he shows Elmo his half-bitten script. A couple of seconds after white scraps of paper fall out of Cookie's mouth, a puppeteer's head can be seen on the bottom in front of Elmo.
	Sesame Street, Special		It seems that there was some reusing of old footage in the celebrity version of "Put Down the Duckie". Just as before, Ernie puts down his rubber duckie and begins playing his saxophone, but as soon as the instrumental bridge is over and Hoots starts singing again, the duck is back in Ernie's hand, only to disappear a few seconds later.
	Sesame Street Stays Up Late!		During clips from the characters from Sesam Stasjon, the characters were riding a carriage and you can see Åsmund Huser performing Bjarne Betjent as the carriage rounds the corner.
Movies
	The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland		A puppeteer's head can be seen during the Welcome to Grouchland song.
	The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland		In the same musical number, the arm of a crew member throwing pieces of trash at Sharon Groan's movie premiere can be glimpsed at pause.
	The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland		In the finale when Big Bird, Maria, Gordon, Cookie Monster, Telly, and Zoe enter and confront Huxley, the bottom of the Telly puppet is seen, with a shadowy Martin Robinson performing him.