Twiddlebugs
From Muppet Wiki
Twiddlebugs are a species of colorful insects who live in Ernie's window box.
The Twiddlebugs seen most frequently on Sesame Street are a family of four. These Twiddlebugs often find themselves facing difficult challenges, such as taking their car to the zoo or hanging a postage stamp on the wall. Presented with such daunting situations, it would an easy thing for them to simply give up, and indeed they express despair when their initial attempts at solving these problems meet with agonizing failure. However, the Twiddlebugs persevere in the face of adversity, and through collective brainstorming and cooperation, they always manage to overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable tribulations, such as figuring out how to exit a roller rink. These moments of triumph are cause for celebration for the Twiddlebugs, who remain blissfully unaware that their ultimate solution is rarely the most logical.
A secret of Twiddlebug reproduction is revealed in the Sesame song "Let's Lay an Egg". "Snails do it, slugs do it," two gastropods sing. "Even tiny Twiddlebugs do it!" the Twiddlebug family chirps. "Let's do it! Let's lay an egg!"
Contents |
Characters
The main Twiddlebug family consists of:
- Thomas Twiddlebug (Fat Blue) (Papa Twiddlebug), performed by Jim Henson
- Tessie Twiddlebug (Lavender) (Mama Twiddlebug), performed by Frank Oz
- Timmy Twiddlebug (Hot Pink and Pumpkin Orange) (son), performed by Richard Hunt
- Tina Twiddlebug (Reddish-Magenta) (daughter), performed by Jerry Nelson
Other Twiddlebugs have appeared in books, including Mayor Thaddeus Twiddlebug. The Twiddlebug species is seen in great numbers and a wider variety of colors, and different aspects of Twiddlebug life and culture are examined therein. Other Twiddlebug homes and communities exist in other windowboxes on Sesame Street. Twiddlebug Town is located in Elmo's windowbox.
Performing The Twiddlebugs
The high-pitched effect of the Twiddlebugs' voices was accomplished by recording the performers at slow speed, then playing the vocal tracks back at normal speed. The characters' very deliberate enunciation is a result of the performers' attempts to keep the dialogue comprehensible after it was sped up.
In addition to being Muppets, the Twiddlebugs first appeared in computer-generated form in Sesame Street 4-D. Additionally, a new computer-generated Twiddlebug sketch premiered on the show in season 37's episode 4125. Magnetic Dreams animation studio , Nashville, adapted the Twiddlebugs to CGI. There are curently plans for a computer-animated Twiddlebugs series.
Individual Sketches
Muppet Sketches | |||
| Picture | Theme | Earliest Known Appearance | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Counting Six Twiddlebugs | Episode 0280 | Kermit counts six happy little Twiddlebugs, and when he is finished, the Twiddlebugs have a party. |
 | Going to the Zoo | Episode 0693 | The Twiddlebugs try to get to the zoo.
Video: Old School: Volume 1 |
 | Hanging a Picture | Episode 0961 | The Twiddlebugs get a new postage stamp portrait of George Washington, but have trouble getting it to stick to the wall. They finally get it to work, but it is upside down.
Video: Old School: Volume 2 |
 | Finding the Door | Episode 1576 | The Twiddlebugs try to find a way out of the rollerskating rink. After their attempts to smash through the wall with their bodies fails, they find the door... and use it to break down the wall.
Online: Web Video Player |
 | Out of the Rain | Episode 2124 | The Twiddlebugs don't understand why they are getting all wet, while Mommy Twiddlebug isn't. They soon learn it's because she's inside the house. After they all huddle inside, Ernie finishes watering his plants. |
 | The Mulberry Bush | The Twiddlebugs find a mulberry bush, and try to figure out if they should go under it, on it, or around it.
Online: Web Video Player | |
Computer-Generated Sketches | |||
| Picture | Theme | Earliest Known Appearance | Description |
 | Family Photo | Episode 4125 | The family tries to take a family photo, but someone is always missing (as they are operating the camera). When they all try to take the picture they finally get it to work, by photographing themselves in the mirror. |
 | Caterpillar | Episode 4152 | The Twiddlebugs take a caterpillar in, thinking at first that it's a cat. After it doesn't drink any milk, and proves to have more than four legs, Tessie consults a book to discover that it's a caterpillar. They decide to name it "Cat." |
 | Missing Snowshoe | Episode 4153 | Thomas Twiddlebug is missing a showshoe (a paper clip), and tries to find it. However, Tina uses the paper clip as a music stand, and Timmy uses it as a backscratcher, and Tessie uses it to mix her batter for a cake. When everything is back to normal, Thomas prepares to go out, only to find that it's a nice sunny summer day. |
 | Flat Tire | Episode 4160 | The Twiddlebugs are off to Uncle Ollie's surprise birthday party, when they suddenly get a flat tire. Now they have to search for something to replace it. Thomas suggests that either a triangle-shaped nacho or a square-shaped cheese cracker would work, but the cracker gives a bumpy ride, which breaks the nacho. But a red checker does work, and they're off - not realizing they left the cupcake behind. |
Twiddlebug Books
- When Oscar Was a Little Grouch ("Tina Twiddlebug's Big Adventure")
- Big and Little Stories ("Betty Lou's Twiddlebug Story") (1982)
- Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery
- The Adventures of Ernie & Bert in Twiddlebug Land
- The Twiddlebugs' Dream House
- Twiddlebugs at Work
- Ernie and the Twiddlebug Town Fair
- Who's Hiding?
Book appearances
- Which One Doesn't Belong? (1981)
- B is for Books! (1996)
- Sesame Subjects books (2006-2007)
- Abby Cadabby's Rhyme Time (2007)
- Friendly, Frosty Monsters (2007)
- My First Trip to the Farm (2007)
- Rosita's Easter on Sesame Street (2007)
- Sesame Street Super Sticker Book (2007)
- What Makes You Giggle? (2007)
Trivia
- In the Who's Who on Sesame Street coloring book, the characters are incorrectly listed as Thomas (father), Tina (mother), Teddy (son) and Tessie (daughter).
- The Spanish version of Sesame Street, Barrio Sésamo, translated the names of the characters as Los Nabucodonosorcitos, literally "The Little Nabucodonosor's", for King Nebuchadnezzar II the Great of Babylon, called Nabucodonosor in Spanish.
- The German version of Sesame Street, Sesamstrasse, called them Krabbelkäfer, which basically means "Crawlingbugs" or "Scuttlebugs".
- Most of the time, Twiddlebugs are depicted on TV as miniature creatures, small enough to live in a window box. However, in an early segment, Kermit the Frog counted "happy little Twiddlebugs" at a Twiddlebug Party - most of whom were bigger than Kermit.
See also
External Links
- Tough Pigs Book Club : The Great Twiddlebug Mystery
