Muppet Wiki

Kermiteye Welcome to Muppet Wiki!


Please visit Special:Community to learn how you can collaborate with the editing community.

READ MORE

Muppet Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Register
Muppet Wiki
Muppet Wiki
44,519
pages
in: Muppet Characters, Sesame Street Characters, Sesame Street Monsters

Changes: Telly Monster

Back to page
Sign in to edit
m (Jbrangwynne53 moved page Telly Pickles to Telly Monster over a redirect without leaving a redirect)
m (Reverted edits by Fall2023!!!!! (talk) to last revision by Scarecroe)
Tag: Rollback
 
(131 intermediate revisions by 39 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{performer2|Brian Muehl|1979-1984|Martin P. Robinson|1984-present}}
 +
{{character|image=Telly-Triangle.jpg|performer=[[Brian Muehl]]|note=1980-1984|performer2=[[Martin P. Robinson]]|note2=1984-present|debut=1979}}
−
[[File:Telly-Triangle.jpg|right|316px]]
  
⚫
[[File:Telly-babybear.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly and his best friend Baby Bear.]]
  
 
[[File:TellyMonster.jpg|thumb|300px]]
  
[[File:TellyMonster.jpg|thumb|300px]]
  +
⚫
[[File:Telly-eyes.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly, in his original, television-obsessed form.]]
  
  ⚫
'''Telly Monster''' is a slightly neurotic young monster who lives at [[1304 Sesame Street]].
−
[[File:MeetingtheTellyMonster.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Mr. Hooper]] and [[David]] meet Telly, who made a packing crate with a hole in it his home. His habit of watching television just inches away from the set was perceived as a bad example to children.]]
  
  +
⚫
[[File:Tellyplaystuba.jpg|thumb|300px]]
  
  ⚫
Early on, Telly was often paired with [[Oscar the Grouch]], whom he tried to befriend against tremendous odds. The two were traveling companions in ''[[Follow That Bird]]'', and Telly is a member of Oscar's fan club, [[the Grouchketeers]]. The two starred in two recurring sketches together: "[[Ask Oscar]]," which Telly introduced; and "[[Sneak Peek Previews]]." They were paired again in 2010 in a sketch demonstrating words that begin with the letter [[B]]. {{first|4248}}
⚫
[[File:SsTellyReporter.jpg|thumb|300px|Reporter Telly.]]
  
  +
  ⚫
Since the early 1990s, Telly has often been seen in the company of his good friend [[Baby Bear]]. Telly has a great love of triangles, and owns a pet hamster named [[Chuckie Sue]]. Telly has a favorite toy doll which he named "[[Freddy (doll)|Freddy]]." When Telly was a baby monster, his favorite toy was a stuffed animal horse which he named "Clark" before he got "Freddy." In the video ''[[Bedtime Stories & Songs]]'', when Telly comes to [[Big Bird's nest]] for a sleepover, he brings a menagerie of different stuffed animals that almost overflow the entire nest. He also plays the bassoon, the tuba and, of course, the triangle. He also occasionally appears as a [[Monster on the Spot]] reporter. He also often jumps on a [[Pogo Sticks|pogo stick]] which he learned from [[Mr. Handford]] in [[Episode 3115]].
  +
  +
Telly's family has been represented most prominently by his older sister [[Mona Monster]]. His [[Telly's mom|mother]] has also made a few appearances, he has a younger sibling mentioned in [[Episode 1870]], and various other members of his [[Telly's family|extended family]]. According to [[Episode 2278]], his father is an insurance salesman.
  +
  ⚫
Modern versions of the Telly puppet have movable eyelids to let his eyes widen, a handy technique when the monster is in panic mode. There are also two Telly puppets that have been interchangeably used throughout the show.<ref>Martin P. Robinson. "[http://web.archive.org/web/20160415001751/http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/blog/-/blogs/telly-monster-trivia Telly Monster Trivia]," ''[[Sesame Family Robinson]]'', 14 August 2011. (archive)</ref> The more frequently used version is a "[[Sack-body Muppet|sack puppet]]," similar in design to [[Cookie Monster]] or [[Rowlf the Dog]], where the arm sleeves are directly attached to the base of the puppet. The second version is a full-body version of the character, with legs and feet attached. The puppet's arms are stuffed, with visible arm sleeves similar in design to the arms of [[Ernie]] or [[Fozzie Bear]].
  +
  +
==Origins==
  ⚫
[[File:Telly-eyes.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly, in his original, television-obsessed form. His habit of watching television just inches away from the set was perceived as a bad example to children.]]
  +
[[File:1343-Telly.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly's first appearance as a generic monster, in [[Episode 1343]].]]
  ⚫
[[File:Tellyplaystuba.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly playing his tuba.]]
  ⚫
[[File:Telly-babybear.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly and his best friend Baby Bear.]]
  ⚫
[[File:SsTellyReporter.jpg|thumb|300px|"Monster on the Spot" reporter Telly.]]
 
[[File:Ray-charles-telly.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly with Ray Charles, Elmo and the Kids.]]
  
[[File:Ray-charles-telly.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly with Ray Charles, Elmo and the Kids.]]
 
[[File:4118c.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly hosts [[Ask Oscar]].]]
  
[[File:4118c.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly hosts [[Ask Oscar]].]]
−
[[File:Character.tellyfreddie.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly's doll [[Freddy]].]]
 +
[[File:Character.tellyfreddie.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly's doll [[Freddy (doll)|Freddy]].]]
 
[[File:Telly-follow-that-bird.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly in ''[[Follow That Bird]]'' wearing his [[The Grouchketeers|Grouchketeer]] outfit.]]
  
[[File:Telly-follow-that-bird.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly in ''[[Follow That Bird]]'' wearing his [[The Grouchketeers|Grouchketeer]] outfit.]]
  +
[[File:OppositeCircus-Telly.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly's earliest known illustrated appearance, in ''The Sesame Street Circus of Opposites'']]
⚫
'''Telly Monster''' is a slightly neurotic young monster who lives at [[1304 Sesame Street]].
  
  +
[[File:Telly-9Balloons.jpg|thumb|300px|Telly represents the number nine with nine balloons in the book ''[[One Rubber Duckie]]''.]]
  +
Telly was initially conceived as a monster obsessed with watching television; his name is short for Television Monster. The character was first seen in [[Episode 1257]], during [[Season 10 (1978-1979)|the tenth season]], performed here by [[Bob Payne]]. This particular build of the puppet had antennas coming out of the top of his head, and his eyes would whirl around as he endlessly watched TV. An idea of making him a cyclops was dismissed early on.<ref>[[:File:Telly02.jpg|CTW memo, January 1979]]</ref>
   
  +
However, producers felt the character would serve as a negative role model for children by encouraging them to sit just as close to their own television screens, and no new material was produced for the character<ref>''[[Sesame Street Unpaved (book)|Sesame Street Unpaved]]'', page 78.</ref> with some scenes featuring Telly even being removed from his origin episode before taping began.<ref>[[:File:Telly01.jpg|CTW memo, January 1979]]</ref>
−
Telly was initially conceived as a monster obsessed with watching television; his name is short for Television Monster. In his early appearances on ''[[Sesame Street]]'', Telly had antennas coming out of the top of his head, and his eyes would whirl around when he watched TV. A segment of his first appearance appears on the ''[[Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days]]'' DVD set. This one-note personality, along with the antennas and whirling eyes, was soon dropped, and Telly became the worrying, easily frustrated character he remains today (however, in the [[Talk, Listen, Connect]] episode [[Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments|Deployments]], he is still shown to be an expert on TV and computers).
  
   
  +
[[Season 11 (1979-1980)|The following season]], the Telly puppet was stripped of the antenna and whirling eyes and became a generic monster.<ref>Brian Muehl on ''[[Podcasts|Getting Felt Up]]'' episode 67 (26:53) {{youtube|XCVEUT4i9U8}}</ref> He appears in [[Episode 1343]] as [[Big Bird]]'s "new little monster pal," performed by [[Michael Earl]]. A unique feature of this early appearance was that the puppet had an opening in the mouth, allowing the character to eat up the fruit given to him by Big Bird. Michael Earl also performs him in [[Episode 1344|the following episode]]; in both cases, the character would speak in a mutter of grumbly noises and words. As performed by [[Brian Muehl]], his first aired appearance with coherent dialogue was an insert with [[Suzanne Farrell]], practicing on the barre with [[Herry Monster|Herry]] and [[Kermit the Forg|an AM Monster]]. {{first|1387}}
−
Telly was originally performed by [[Bob Payne]] for his first few appearances in 1979, then by [[Brian Muehl]] who used a low, gruff-sounding voice. Muehl also developed Telly's worrywart personality, making Telly a character who always needed reassurance in order to be confident. When [[Marty Robinson]] took over in 1984, he originally began with the personality Muehl already established for the character, using a voice similar to Muehl’s Telly voice. However, Telly evolved over time, gaining a much stronger emotional range. “His main thing now is that he believes totally in whatever he’s into,” says Robinson “And he can turn on a dime and that doesn’t belie what he was feeling before. He can go from great joy to great sorrow and it’s all totally genuine.” <ref>''[[Street Gang]]'' page 245</ref>
  
   
  +
Later in production for that season, [[Caroll Spinney]] fell off his bicycle while riding to the studio and his swollen ankle prevented him from performing Big Bird for some shows. [[Jon Stone]] quickly refitted the episodes (including [[Episode 1411|Episodes 1411]] and [[Episode 1412|1412]]) to instead feature Telly.<ref>{{40book|92}}</ref> The character was given to Muehl full-time, who developed a low, gruff-sounding voice for Telly. For [[Season 12 (1980-1981)|the twelfth season]], Telly became a more prominent character and Muehl had developed Telly's worrywart personality, making him a character who always needed reassurance in order to be confident.
⚫
Early on, Telly was often paired with [[Oscar the Grouch]], whom he tries to befriend against tremendous odds. The two were traveling companions in ''[[Follow That Bird]]'', and Telly is a member of Oscar's fan club, [[the Grouchketeers]]. The two starred in two recurring sketches together: "[[Ask Oscar]]," which Telly introduced; and "[[Sneak Peek Previews]]." Their most recent pairing together was in a sketch demonstrating words that begin with the letter [[B]]. {{first|4248}}
  
   
  +
When [[Martin P. Robinson]] took over in 1984, he originally began with the personality Muehl already established for the character, using a voice similar to Muehl’s Telly voice. However, Telly evolved over time, gaining a much stronger emotional range:
⚫
In recent years, Telly has often been seen in the company of his good friend [[Baby Bear]]. Telly has a great love of triangles, and owns a pet hamster named [[Chuckie Sue]]. Telly has a favorite toy doll which he named "[[Freddy]]." When Telly was a baby monster, his favorite toy was a stuffed animal horse which he named "Clark" before he got "Freddy". In the video ''[[Bedtime Stories & Songs]]'', when Telly comes to [[Big Bird's nest]] for a sleepover, he brings a menagerie of different stuffed animals that almost overflow the entire nest. He also plays the bassoon, the tuba and, of course, the triangle. He also occasionally appears as a [[Monster on the Spot]] reporter. He also often jumps on a pogo stick, after [[Mr. Handford]] taught him how to in [[episode 3115|a 1993 episode]].
  
   
  +
{{quote|His main thing now is that he believes totally in whatever he’s into...and he can turn on a dime and that doesn’t belie what he was feeling before. He can go from great joy to great sorrow and it’s all totally genuine.<ref>''[[Street Gang]]'' page 245</ref>}}
⚫
Modern versions of the Telly puppet have movable eyelids to let his eyes widen, a handy technique when the monster is in panic mode. There are also two Telly puppets that have been interchangeably used throughout the show.<ref>[http://www.sesamestreet.org/parents/blog/-/blogs/telly-monster-trivia "Telly Monster Trivia"] ''[[Sesame Family Robinson]]'' 8/14/11</ref> The more frequently used version is a "sack puppet", similar in design to [[Cookie Monster]] or [[Rowlf the Dog]], where the arm sleeves are directly attached to the base of the puppet. The second version is a full-body version of the character, with legs and feet attached. The puppet's arms are stuffed, with visible arm sleeves similar in design to the arms of [[Ernie]] or [[Fozzie Bear]].
  
   
  +
Another of Telly's more definable traits, his affinity for triangles, was developed by writer [[Lou Berger]] in [[Episode 2780]] (1990). Berger noted that he wished to give Telly a passion for something outside of being neurotic and became inspired when seeing his son playing with some triangles at home.<ref>''Sesame Street Unpaved'', page 79.</ref>
⚫
For ''Sesame Street's'' [[Season 40 (2009-2010)|40th season]], [[Sesame Workshop]] featured a digital promotion called "Muppetbook", which featured profiles similar to those seen on [[Facebook]]. The profile listed squares, circles, and [[Woody Allen]] movies (too much anxiety) as Telly's pet peeves. Among his favorite songs are "[[I Whistle a Happy Tune]]," "[[Bobby McFerrin|Don't Worry, Be Happy]]," and "[[We Don't Cry Out Loud|Don't Cry Out Loud]]."
  
  +
  +
==Notes==
  +
*Telly, along with Barkley, was Brian Muehl's favorite character to perform. Muehl said of him: "Telly was a big chunk of my heart and soul. The fact that he came about because Caroll Spinney fell off his bike on the way to the studio, hurt his ankle, and someone had to fill in for Big Bird on the script/show - Telly was born! - he's got such a show biz cliche about it, it's always made him near and dear to me."<ref>Email communication from Brian Muehl. 2013</ref>
  +
  +
*According to an appearance at the Nebula Awards, Telly is five years old.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mqNUWHr0lM 2:00:33 mark of Nebula Awards video]</ref>
  +
  ⚫
*For ''Sesame Street's'' [[Season 40 (2009-2010)|40th season]], [[Sesame Workshop]] featured a digital promotion called "Muppetbook," which featured profiles similar to those seen on [[Facebook]]. The profile listed squares, circles, and [[Woody Allen]] movies (too much anxiety) as Telly's pet peeves. Among his favorite songs are "[[I Whistle a Happy Tune]]," "[[Bobby McFerrin|Don't Worry, Be Happy]]," and "[[We Don't Cry Out Loud|Don't Cry Out Loud]]."
  +
  +
*A refitted version of the Telly Monster puppet was once used as the [[The Two-Headed Monster's Mother|Two-Headed Monster's Mother]].
   
 
==Filmography==
  
==Filmography==
Line 33: Line 55:
 
*''[[The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years]]''
  
*''[[The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years]]''
 
*''[[Learning About Letters]]''
  
*''[[Learning About Letters]]''
−
*''[[Sleepytime Songs and Stories]]''
 +
*''[[Bedtime Stories & Songs]]''
 
*''[[Sesame Street, Special]]''
  
*''[[Sesame Street, Special]]''
  +
*''[[Big Bird's Favorite Party Games]]''
 
*''[[Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting]]''
  
*''[[Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting]]''
 
*''[[The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson]]''
  
*''[[The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson]]''
 
*''[[Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake]]''
  
*''[[Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake]]''
  +
*''[[We All Sing Together]]''
 
*''[[Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration]]''
  
*''[[Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration]]''
−
*''[[Sesame Street's All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Streets Forever]]''
 +
*''[[Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!|Stars and Street Forever]]''
 
*''[[Sesame Street Stays Up Late]]''
  
*''[[Sesame Street Stays Up Late]]''
−
*''[[We All Sing Together]]''
 +
*''[[Don't Forget to Watch the Movie]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo Saves Christmas (special)|Elmo Saves Christmas]]''
⚫
*''[[The Great Numbers Game]]''
  
−
*''[[Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic]]''
 +
*''[[Get Set to Learn!]]''
  +
*''[[Imagine That! (video)|Imagine That]]''
  +
*''[[Telling the Truth]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo Through the Looking-Glass]]''
  +
*''[[The Rosie O'Donnell Show]]'' (guest appearance, [[The Rosie O'Donnell Show on Sesame Street|November 11, 1998]])
  +
*''[[Quiet Time (video)|Quiet Time]]''
  +
*''[[Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo Says BOO! (video)|Elmo Says BOO!]]''
 
*''[[Elmopalooza]]''
  
*''[[Elmopalooza]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Reading Basics]]''
⚫
*[[Peter and the Wolf|''Peter and the Wolf'']]
  
  +
*''[[The Three Grouchketeers]]''
  +
*''[[The Alphabet Jungle Game]]''
  ⚫
*''[[The Great Numbers Game]]''
  +
*''[[Surprise Sounds|Surprise Sounds Kitchen commercial]]''
  +
*''[[Surprise Sounds|Surprise Sounds Play Store commercial]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Radio Control Roadway|Elmo's Radio Control Roadway commercial]]''
  +
*''[[A Brief History of Motion Pictures]]''
  +
*''[[Kids' Favorite Songs (video)|Kids' Favorite Songs]]''
 
*''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]''
  
*''[[The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland]]''
 
*''[[CinderElmo]]''
  
*''[[CinderElmo]]''
−
*''[[The Street We Live On]]''
 +
*''[[Language to Literacy]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Magic Cookbook]]''
 
*''[[Let's Make Music]]''
  
*''[[Let's Make Music]]''
  +
*''[[Music Works Wonders]]''
  +
*"[[We Are Family]]" music video
  +
*''[[Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!]]''
  +
*''[[Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic]]''
  +
*''[[Talk, Read, Write]]''
  +
*''[[A Magical Halloween Adventure]]''
  +
*''[[The Street We Live On]]''
  +
*''[[Happy, Healthy, Ready for School!]]''
  +
*''[[Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments]]''
  +
*''[[Kids' Favorite Country Songs]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Christmas Countdown]]''
  +
*''[[The Get Healthy Now Show]]''
  +
*''[[Dinosaurs!]]''
  +
*''[[Being Green (video)|Being Green]]''
  +
*''[[Math Is Everywhere]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Alphabet Challenge]]''
  +
*''[[Kinect Sesame Street TV]]''
  +
*''[[Spaghetti Space Chase]]''
  +
*''[[Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas]]''
  +
*''[[Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Playdate]]''
  +
*''[[The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo's Mindfulness Spectacular]]''
  +
*''[[Cookie Monster's Bake Sale]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo and Tango Holiday Helpers]]''
  +
  +
==Album appearances==
  +
*''[[Sesame Road]]''
  +
*''[[We Are All Earthlings (album)|We Are All Earthlings]]''
  ⚫
*''[[A Sesame Street Christmas (album)|A Sesame Street Christmas]]''
  +
*''[[Dreamytime Songs]]''
  +
*''[[The Best of Elmo (album)|The Best of Elmo]]''
  +
*''[[Kids' Favorite Songs (album)|Kids' Favorite Songs]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo Says BOO! (album)|Elmo Says BOO!]]''
  +
*''[[Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites]]''
  +
*''[[Kids' Favorite Songs 2 (album)|Kids' Favorite Songs 2]]''
   
 
==Book appearances==
  
==Book appearances==
−
*''[[The Sesame Street Circus of Opposites]]'' (1981)
 +
* ''[[The Sesame Street Circus of Opposites]]'' (1981)
−
*''[[Sesame Street coloring books|City]]'' (1982)
 +
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|City]]'' (1982)
−
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Bert's Big Band Paint-with-Water Book]]'' (1983 reprint)
 +
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books (Western Publishing)|First Day of School]]'' (1982)
  +
* ''[[More Who's Who on Sesame Street]]'' (1982)
  +
* ''[[One Rubber Duckie]]'' (1982)
  +
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books (Western Publishing)|Seasons of the Year]]'' (1982)
  +
* ''[[Bert's Big Band|Bert's Big Band Paint-with-Water Book]]'' (1983 reprint)
 
* ''[[People in Your Neighborhood (1983 book)|People in Your Neighborhood]]'' (1983)
  
* ''[[People in Your Neighborhood (1983 book)|People in Your Neighborhood]]'' (1983)
−
*''[[A Baby Sister for Herry]]'' (1984)
 +
* ''[[A Baby Sister for Herry]]'' (1984)
−
*''[[Lovable, Furry Old Grover in Please Don't Push the Red Button]]'' (1984)
 +
* ''[[Lovable, Furry Old Grover in Please Don't Push the Red Button]]'' (1984)
−
*''[[A Silly Sesame Street Story: The Three Little Pigs]]'' (1984)
 +
* ''[[A Silly Sesame Street Story: The Three Little Pigs]]'' (1984)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Big Bird's Book of Rhymes]]'' (1985)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Big Bird's Book of Rhymes]]'' (1985)
  +
* ''[[Big Bird's Book About the Earth and Sky]]'' (1985)
 
* ''[[Big Bird Joins the Carnival]]'' (1985)
  
* ''[[Big Bird Joins the Carnival]]'' (1985)
−
*''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Ernie's Finish the Picture]]'' (1985)
 +
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Ernie's Finish the Picture]]'' (1985)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Follow That Bird Activity Book]]'' (1985)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Follow That Bird Activity Book]]'' (1985)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Follow That Bird coloring book]]'' (1985)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Follow That Bird coloring book]]'' (1985)
Line 68: Line 150:
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Find the Shapes]]'' (1986)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Find the Shapes]]'' (1986)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Through the Year]]'' (1986)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Through the Year]]'' (1986)
−
*''[[The Runaway Soup and Other Stories]]'' (1987)
 +
* ''[[The Runaway Soup and Other Stories]]'' (1987)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Colors]]'' (1987)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Colors]]'' (1987)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Shape Up!]]'' (1987)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Shape Up!]]'' (1987)
−
*''[[Big Bird's Square Meal]]'' (1988)
 +
* ''[[Big Bird's Square Meal]]'' (1988)
−
*''[[Going Places]]'' (1988)
 +
* ''[[Going Places]]'' (1988)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|A New Playground on Sesame Street]]'' (1988)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|A New Playground on Sesame Street]]'' (1988)
−
*''[[Oh, I Am So Embarrassed!]]'' (1988)
 +
* ''[[Oh, I Am So Embarrassed!]]'' (1988)
−
* ''[[The Sesame Street ABC Book of Words]]'' (1988}
 +
* ''[[The Sesame Street ABC Book of Words]]'' (1988)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Come As You Are]]'' (1989)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Come As You Are]]'' (1989)
−
*''[[The New Who's Who on Sesame Street]]'' (1989)
 +
* ''[[The New Who's Who on Sesame Street]]'' (1989)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Museum of Monster Art]]'' (1990)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Museum of Monster Art]]'' (1990)
−
*''[[How to Get to Sesame Street]]'' (1991)
 +
* ''[[How to Get to Sesame Street (book)|How to Get to Sesame Street]]'' (1991)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street 123]]'' (1991)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street 123]]'' (1991)
−
*''[[We're Counting on You, Grover!]]'' (1991)
 +
* ''[[We're Counting on You, Grover!]]'' (1991)
−
*''[[What Do You Do?]]'' (1992 edition)
 +
* ''[[What Do You Do?]]'' (1992 edition)
−
*''[[Grover's 10 Terrific Ways to Help Our Wonderful World]]'' (1992)
 +
* ''[[Grover's 10 Terrific Ways to Help Our Wonderful World]]'' (1992)
−
*''[[Happy and Sad, Grouchy and Glad]]'' (1992)
 +
* ''[[Happy and Sad, Grouchy and Glad]]'' (1992)
−
*''[[We're Different, We're the Same]]'' (1992)
 +
* ''[[The Sesame Street Book of Poetry]]'' (1992)
−
* ''[[Elmo's Mother Goose]]'' (1993)
 +
* ''[[We're Different, We're the Same]]'' (1992)
−
*''[[From Trash to Treasure]]'' (1993)
 +
* ''[[Baby-Sitting with Big Bird]]'' (1993)
−
*''[[Around the Corner on Sesame Street]]'' (1994)
 +
* ''[[I Spy: A Game to Read and Play]]'' (1993)
−
*''[[Bright and Early with Elmo]]'' (1994)
 +
* ''[[Merry Christmas, Everybody!]]'' (1993)
−
*''[[Elmo's Big Lift-and-Look Book]]'' (1994)
 +
* ''[[Sesame Street's Mother Goose Rhymes]]'' (1993)
  +
* ''[[From Trash to Treasure]]'' (1993)
⚫
*''[[Sesame Street Stays Up Late (book)|Sesame Street Stays Up Late]]'' (1995)
  
−
*''[[B is for Books!]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Around the Corner on Sesame Street]]'' (1994)
−
*''[[Elmo's Lift-and-Peek Around the Corner Book]]'' (1996)
 +
* ''[[Bright and Early with Elmo]]'' (1994)
  +
* ''[[Elmo's Big Lift-and-Look Book]]'' (1994)
⚫
*''[[Rise and Shine!]]'' (1996; reworked as ''Up, Up, Up!'' in 2011)
  
  +
* ''[[Ready, Set, Go! A Counting Book]]'' (1995)
  +
* ''[[Sesame Street Stays Up Late (book)|Sesame Street Stays Up Late]]'' (1995)
  ⚫
* ''[[B is for Books!]]'' (1996)
  +
* ''[[Elmo's Lift-and-Peek Around the Corner Book]]'' (1996)
  ⚫
* ''[[Rise and Shine!]]'' (1996; reworked as ''Up, Up, Up!'' in 2011)
 
* ''[[Elmo's Christmas Colors]]'' (1997)
  
* ''[[Elmo's Christmas Colors]]'' (1997)
−
*''[[Pumpkin Patch Party]]'' (1997)
 +
* ''[[Pumpkin Patch Party]]'' (1997)
−
*''[[The Sesame Street Word Book]]'' (1998)
 +
* ''[[The Sesame Street Word Book]]'' (1998)
−
*''[[Elmo's ABC Book]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Elmo's ABC Book]]'' (2000)
−
*''[[Watch Out for Banana Peels]]'' (2000)
 +
* ''[[Watch Out for Banana Peels]]'' (2000)
−
*''[[Elmo and the Monsters]]'' (2001)
 +
* ''[[Elmo and the Monsters]]'' (2001)
−
*''[[Clap Your Hands!]]'' (2002)
 +
* ''[[Clap Your Hands!]]'' (2002)
  +
* ''[[Hooray for Our Heroes!]]'' (2002)
 
* ''[[Look and Find Elmo]]'' (2002)
  
* ''[[Look and Find Elmo]]'' (2002)
−
*''[[Get Up and Go Songs]]'' (2003)
 +
* ''[[Get Up and Go Songs]]'' (2003)
 
* ''[[Cookie's Color Caper]]'' (2004)
  
* ''[[Cookie's Color Caper]]'' (2004)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Elmo's World: Sports!]]'' (2004)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Elmo's World: Sports!]]'' (2004)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Fun with Friends]]'' (2004)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Fun with Friends]]'' (2004)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Boo!]]'' (2005)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Boo!]]'' (2005)
⚫
*''[[Hooray for Our Heroes!]]'' (2005)
  
 
* ''[[Red or Blue, I Like You!]]'' (2005)
  
* ''[[Red or Blue, I Like You!]]'' (2005)
  +
* ''[[Be a Friend]]'' (2006)
  +
* ''[[Be Polite]]'' (2006)
 
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Fly Away with Big Bird]]'' (2006)
  
* ''[[Sesame Street coloring books|Fly Away with Big Bird]]'' (2006)
−
*''[[Sesame Street educational workbooks (Learning Horizon)|Name Those Shapes]]'' (2006)
 +
* ''[[Sesame Street educational workbooks (Learning Horizon)|Name Those Shapes]]'' (2006)
  +
* ''[[Please and Thank You (My First Manners)|Please and Thank You]]'' (2006)
  +
* ''[[S is for School!]]'' (2006)
 
* ''[[Friendly, Frosty Monsters]]'' (2007)
  
* ''[[Friendly, Frosty Monsters]]'' (2007)
 
* ''[[Good Night, Tucked in Tight]]'' (2007)
  
* ''[[Good Night, Tucked in Tight]]'' (2007)
−
*''[[Music Player Storybook]]'' (2007)
 +
* ''[[Have Yourself a Furry Little Christmas]]'' (2007)
−
*''[[Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street]]'' (2007)
 +
* ''[[Music Player Storybook]]'' (2007)
−
*''[[Sesame Street Super Sticker Book]]'' (2007)
 +
* ''[[Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street]]'' (2007)
−
*''[[What Makes You Giggle?]]'' (2007)
 +
* ''[[Sesame Street Super Sticker Book]]'' (2007)
−
*''[[Color Carnival]]'' (2008)
 +
* ''[[What Makes You Giggle?]]'' (2007)
−
*''[[Storybook ABCs]]'' (2008)
 +
* ''[[Color Carnival]]'' (2008)
−
*''[[Count to 10]]'' (2009)
 +
* ''[[Storybook ABCs]]'' (2008)
−
*''[[Love, Elmo]]'' (2009)
 +
* ''[[Count to Ten (book)|Count to 10]]'' (2009)
  +
* ''[[Love, Elmo]]'' (2009)
  +
* ''[[My Big Book of Firsts]]'' (2009)
 
* ''[[Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? (2009)|Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?]]'' (2009)
  
* ''[[Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood? (2009)|Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?]]'' (2009)
−
*''[[Healthy Monster Triathlon]]'' (2010)
 +
* ''[[Healthy Monster Triathlon]]'' (2010)
−
*''[[Plant a Tree for Me!]]'' (2010)
 +
* ''[[Plant a Tree for Me!]]'' (2010)
−
*''[[Potty Time for Monsters]]'' (2011)
 +
* ''[[Potty Time for Monsters]]'' (2011)
−
*''[[Elmo and Ernie's Joke Book]]'' (2012)
 +
* ''[[Elmo and Ernie's Joke Book]]'' (2012)
−
*''[[Elmo's Rockin' Rhyme Time!]]'' (2012)
 +
* ''[[Elmo's Rockin' Rhyme Time!]]'' (2012)
−
*''[[Over on Sesame Street]]'' (2012)
 +
* ''[[Over on Sesame Street]]'' (2012)
  +
* ''[[Counta Block]]'' (2021)
  +
* ''[[Home for the Holidays (book)|Home for the Holidays]]'' (2021)
   
−
==Character Merchandise==
 +
==Character merchandise==
 
*[[Sesame Street Christmas ornaments (Grolier)|Groiler Christmas ornament]]
  
*[[Sesame Street Christmas ornaments (Grolier)|Groiler Christmas ornament]]
 
*[[Sesame Street Beans|Beanbag toy]]
  
*[[Sesame Street Beans|Beanbag toy]]
  +
*[[Sesame Street Mini Beans|Kellogg's mini bean]]
 
*[[Sesame Street plush (Knickerbocker)|13" plush]]
  
*[[Sesame Street plush (Knickerbocker)|13" plush]]
 
*[[Sesame Street collectible playhouses|1987 PVC figurine]]
  
*[[Sesame Street collectible playhouses|1987 PVC figurine]]
 
*[[Sesame Street PVC figures (Tyco)|1998 PVC figurine]]
  
*[[Sesame Street PVC figures (Tyco)|1998 PVC figurine]]
−
*[[Sesame Street Playset (Hasbro)|2011 Hasbro figure]]
 +
*[[Sesame Street Playsets (Hasbro)|2011 Hasbro figure]]
  ⚫
*[[Peter and the Wolf toys (Dairy Queen)]]
   
 
==Sources==
  
==Sources==
Line 144: Line 241:
 
* [[Telly Monster Through the Years]]
  
* [[Telly Monster Through the Years]]
 
* [[Telly's Alternate Identities]]
  
* [[Telly's Alternate Identities]]
−
* [[Telly Songs]]
 +
* [[Telly songs]]
  +
* [[Telly's family]]
 
* [[International Telly Monster]]
  
* [[International Telly Monster]]
  +
* [[Sesame Street monsters]]
−
* [[The Two-Headed Monster's Mother]]
  
−
* [[Sesame Street Monsters]]
 +
* [[Tellyfish]]
  +
   
  +
__NOWYSIWYG__
−
==External links==
  
−
* [http://www.sesamestreet.org/muppet/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_MUPP/10171/Telly%20Monster Sesame Street: Telly Monster] and [http://www.sesamestreet.org/onair/characters/telly_monster Sesame Street: On Air: Telly Monster], official pages
  
 
[[Category:Muppet Characters]]
  
[[Category:Muppet Characters]]
 
[[Category:Sesame Street Characters]]
  
[[Category:Sesame Street Characters]]

Latest revision as of 20:48, 24 January 2024

Telly-Triangle
PERFORMER Brian Muehl 1980-1984
  Martin P. Robinson 1984-present
DEBUT 1979
TellyMonster

Telly Monster is a slightly neurotic young monster who lives at 1304 Sesame Street.

Early on, Telly was often paired with Oscar the Grouch, whom he tried to befriend against tremendous odds. The two were traveling companions in Follow That Bird, and Telly is a member of Oscar's fan club, the Grouchketeers. The two starred in two recurring sketches together: "Ask Oscar," which Telly introduced; and "Sneak Peek Previews." They were paired again in 2010 in a sketch demonstrating words that begin with the letter B. (First: Episode 4248)

Since the early 1990s, Telly has often been seen in the company of his good friend Baby Bear. Telly has a great love of triangles, and owns a pet hamster named Chuckie Sue. Telly has a favorite toy doll which he named "Freddy." When Telly was a baby monster, his favorite toy was a stuffed animal horse which he named "Clark" before he got "Freddy." In the video Bedtime Stories & Songs, when Telly comes to Big Bird's nest for a sleepover, he brings a menagerie of different stuffed animals that almost overflow the entire nest. He also plays the bassoon, the tuba and, of course, the triangle. He also occasionally appears as a Monster on the Spot reporter. He also often jumps on a pogo stick which he learned from Mr. Handford in Episode 3115.

Telly's family has been represented most prominently by his older sister Mona Monster. His mother has also made a few appearances, he has a younger sibling mentioned in Episode 1870, and various other members of his extended family. According to Episode 2278, his father is an insurance salesman.

Modern versions of the Telly puppet have movable eyelids to let his eyes widen, a handy technique when the monster is in panic mode. There are also two Telly puppets that have been interchangeably used throughout the show.[1] The more frequently used version is a "sack puppet," similar in design to Cookie Monster or Rowlf the Dog, where the arm sleeves are directly attached to the base of the puppet. The second version is a full-body version of the character, with legs and feet attached. The puppet's arms are stuffed, with visible arm sleeves similar in design to the arms of Ernie or Fozzie Bear.

Origins

Telly-eyes

Telly, in his original, television-obsessed form. His habit of watching television just inches away from the set was perceived as a bad example to children.

1343-Telly

Telly's first appearance as a generic monster, in Episode 1343.

Tellyplaystuba

Telly playing his tuba.

Telly-babybear

Telly and his best friend Baby Bear.

SsTellyReporter

"Monster on the Spot" reporter Telly.

Ray-charles-telly

Telly with Ray Charles, Elmo and the Kids.

4118c

Telly hosts Ask Oscar.

Character

Telly's doll Freddy.

Telly-follow-that-bird

Telly in Follow That Bird wearing his Grouchketeer outfit.

OppositeCircus-Telly

Telly's earliest known illustrated appearance, in The Sesame Street Circus of Opposites

Telly-9Balloons

Telly represents the number nine with nine balloons in the book One Rubber Duckie.

Telly was initially conceived as a monster obsessed with watching television; his name is short for Television Monster. The character was first seen in Episode 1257, during the tenth season, performed here by Bob Payne. This particular build of the puppet had antennas coming out of the top of his head, and his eyes would whirl around as he endlessly watched TV. An idea of making him a cyclops was dismissed early on.[2]

However, producers felt the character would serve as a negative role model for children by encouraging them to sit just as close to their own television screens, and no new material was produced for the character[3] with some scenes featuring Telly even being removed from his origin episode before taping began.[4]

The following season, the Telly puppet was stripped of the antenna and whirling eyes and became a generic monster.[5] He appears in Episode 1343 as Big Bird's "new little monster pal," performed by Michael Earl. A unique feature of this early appearance was that the puppet had an opening in the mouth, allowing the character to eat up the fruit given to him by Big Bird. Michael Earl also performs him in the following episode; in both cases, the character would speak in a mutter of grumbly noises and words. As performed by Brian Muehl, his first aired appearance with coherent dialogue was an insert with Suzanne Farrell, practicing on the barre with Herry and an AM Monster. (First: Episode 1387)

Later in production for that season, Caroll Spinney fell off his bicycle while riding to the studio and his swollen ankle prevented him from performing Big Bird for some shows. Jon Stone quickly refitted the episodes (including Episodes 1411 and 1412) to instead feature Telly.[6] The character was given to Muehl full-time, who developed a low, gruff-sounding voice for Telly. For the twelfth season, Telly became a more prominent character and Muehl had developed Telly's worrywart personality, making him a character who always needed reassurance in order to be confident.

When Martin P. Robinson took over in 1984, he originally began with the personality Muehl already established for the character, using a voice similar to Muehl’s Telly voice. However, Telly evolved over time, gaining a much stronger emotional range:

“His main thing now is that he believes totally in whatever he’s into...and he can turn on a dime and that doesn’t belie what he was feeling before. He can go from great joy to great sorrow and it’s all totally genuine.[7]”

Another of Telly's more definable traits, his affinity for triangles, was developed by writer Lou Berger in Episode 2780 (1990). Berger noted that he wished to give Telly a passion for something outside of being neurotic and became inspired when seeing his son playing with some triangles at home.[8]

Notes

  • Telly, along with Barkley, was Brian Muehl's favorite character to perform. Muehl said of him: "Telly was a big chunk of my heart and soul. The fact that he came about because Caroll Spinney fell off his bike on the way to the studio, hurt his ankle, and someone had to fill in for Big Bird on the script/show - Telly was born! - he's got such a show biz cliche about it, it's always made him near and dear to me."[9]
  • According to an appearance at the Nebula Awards, Telly is five years old.[10]

Filmography

Album appearances

Book appearances

Character merchandise

Sources

  1. ↑ Martin P. Robinson. "Telly Monster Trivia," Sesame Family Robinson, 14 August 2011. (archive)
  2. ↑ CTW memo, January 1979
  3. ↑ Sesame Street Unpaved, page 78.
  4. ↑ CTW memo, January 1979
  5. ↑ Brian Muehl on Getting Felt Up episode 67 (26:53) (YouTube)
  6. ↑ Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street, page 92
  7. ↑ Street Gang page 245
  8. ↑ Sesame Street Unpaved, page 79.
  9. ↑ Email communication from Brian Muehl. 2013
  10. ↑ 2:00:33 mark of Nebula Awards video

See also

Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.