Sesame Workshop posted the tribute below to the late Emilio Delgado.
Remembering Emilio Delgado
Emilio Delgado, best known to generations of children, parents and grandparents as Sesame Street’s beloved Fix-It-Shop owner Luis, and for his appearances on many television series aimed at grown-up audiences, passed away on March 10, 2022 after a long illness.
A beloved member of the Sesame family for over 50 years, his warmth and humor invited children to share a friendship that has echoed through generations. At the forefront of representation, Emilio proudly laid claim to the “record for the longest-running role for a Mexican-American in a TV series.” We are so grateful he shared his talents with us and with the world.
Theyalso posted a video montage of Emilio's 42 years on Sesame Street.
Frequent collaborators and Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are teaming up with Disney for a documentary that is promised to be the “definitive portrait” of Jim Henson.
The nonfiction project comes from Howard and Grazer’s Imagine Documentaries and is being produced “with the full participation and cooperation of the Henson family,” according to a release, “and will present a fascinating and intimate look at Jim’s illustrious career creating treasured characters and revolutionizing television and film. With never-before-seen personal archives, the film will give audiences an exciting first-person view into the life of one of the world’s most inspiring and iconoclastic creators through exclusive home movies, photographs, sketches and Henson’s personal diaries.”
Howard will direct and produce the yet untitled film.
“Jim Henson transcends generations through his iconic characters, and it’s one of the many reasons why I have been a lifelong fan,” Howard said in a statement. “I can’t wait to share a side of him and his career that people have never seen before. Henson’s limitless imagination and restless creativity is like few others and has influenced so much of our world as we know it. I’m humbled to be able to share a deeper look into his life and story.”
In a statement, Henson’s family commented, “The Jim Henson Company’s archive is a treasure reflecting our father’s work, personal life and inspirations, and has been carefully maintained for the last 30 years under the leadership of archivist Karen Falk. It will be thrilling to see the story that emerges from these materials in the hands of a truly great filmmaker like Ron Howard, who has the perfect spirit and personality to tell Jim Henson’s story.”
“Tracing his life and work,” a statement noted, “the documentary will follow how the brilliant innovator came to shape the childhoods of generations to come.”
The Henson documentary is produced by Imagine Documentaries for Disney Branded Television under the Disney Original Documentary banner. “The Disney Original Documentary banner will largely produce and acquire content for Disney+, as well as the suite of Disney Channels, with more announcements coming soon,” the release noted.
“Jim Henson has impacted our culture for generations, and his creative legacy continues to live on,” said Javadi, VP of Disney Original Documentary. “As iconic storytellers in their own right, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes are the best auteurs to share Jim Henson’s story with the world. We’re thrilled to be partnering with the team at Imagine Documentaries and the Henson family on this undoubtedly inspirational film.”
The documentary will be produced by Howard, Grazer, Sara Bernstein, and Justin Wilkes for Imagine Documentaries alongside Margaret Bodde. Executive producers will include Imagine Entertainment’s Michael Rosenberg and Javadi for Disney Original Documentary. Mark Monroe will serve as writer-producer on the film.
No release date nor distribution plan for the film has been announced, but based on the info above it sounds like it will be a Disney+ exclusive.
Over the weekend Sesame Place opened it's first ever west coast location.
The park took over and transformed what was once SeaWorld’s Aquatica theme park.
The park features 18 rides including 11 water rides, like Elmo’s Silly Sand Slides and seven dry rides such as a new roller coaster, Super Grover’s Box Car Derby.
Just like the original Pennsylvania location, Sesame Place San Diego is also a Certified Autism Center.
The certification means a business has a highly trained staff that helps them better serve people “with cognitive disorders, including autism, sensory disorders, and other, sometimes invisible, disorders and disabilities,” according to the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards. The original Sesame Place was the first theme park in the world to achieve the designation.
Marc Swanson, CEO of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment said that they leaned into the immersive aspect of bringing the television show setting to life through an interactive neighborhood at the front of the park.
“Walking down Sesame Street, the show comes to life here,” Swanson said. “You see that right when you walk in, you see the laundry mat, the 123 stoop, Mr. Hooper’s Store — it’s like you’re in the middle of the show.”
The park also features an entirely new parade, different from the one on the east coast, and will have expanded hours since San Diego’s weather will allow the park to welcome guests year-round.
I'm not sure why their street area is backwards (with 123 Sesame being on the left instead of the right) but it still looks great and it's not like the original Sesame Place's street area is show accurate either.
Check out the some vide of the opening ceremony and a walk through of the park.
More if about Sesame Place San Diego can be found on their website.
Ameera, an 8-year-old girl, will premiere on the new season of Ahlan Simsim and star in groundbreaking animated content aimed at crisis-affected communities.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street and local adaptations around the world, is unveiling a new Muppet character as part of its work to support children and families affected by crisis and displacement.
The new character, Ameera, will premiere next week on Ahlan Simsim ("Welcome Sesame" in Arabic), the local version of Sesame Street in the Middle East and North Africa. Ameera will also star in innovative, globally tested videos designed to quickly deliver playful learning to children affected by conflict and crisis.
A witty, inquisitive 8-year-old girl with a passion for science and basketball, Ameera uses her bright purple wheelchair or forearm crutches to get around due to a spinal cord injury. She's everyone's favorite comedian, and her great sense of humor serves her well as a natural leader who encourages others with her bright personality. Sometimes, Ameera gets too wrapped up in her own ideas and forgets to notice everyone else's, but she always remembers that play and learning are most fun when she includes her friends' ideas too.
"Thoughtfully designed to challenge stereotypes and reflect children's lived experiences, Ameera brings visibility to the more than 12 million displaced persons and 240 million children worldwide estimated to have a disability as well as to the important role of girls in STEM," said Sherrie Westin, President of Sesame Workshop. "At a time when more children than ever before are affected by conflict and displacement, Ameera also highlights the urgent need for creative and flexible approaches to delivering playful learning and early education to communities affected by crisis."
Watch Ameera come to life:
Ameera makes her debut in season 5 of Ahlan Simsim, which will focus on the social-emotional skills of kindness towards oneself and others. Ameera will join beloved Ahlan Simsim friends like Basma, Jad, and a sweet baby goat named Ma'zooza, as well as familiar favorites like Elmo, Gargur (Grover), and Kaki (Cookie Monster), as they navigate setbacks and learn about appreciation of oneself and mutual respect through play. Along the way, the Muppets of Ahlan Simsim will help young viewers grow more confident and resilient in the face of life's ups and downs. Season 5 will premiere across the Middle East and North Africa at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan.
In addition to appearing on the new season of Ahlan Simsim, Ameera will join Sesame friends in new "Watch, Play, Learn" animated videos designed for children ages 3-8 on topics like social-emotional learning; math; science; child protection, health, and safety. The videos, which are part of Sesame Workshop's Play to Learn program and developed with extensive consultation with advisors and tested with families around the world, are created for broad use to respond to the most pressing needs of children affected by crises.
In case you missed it we made a surprise appearance on Cinema Sickness' Monday night live stream the other week! We talk, movies, Dali, and of course Muppets!
Be sure to check out our latest video, where I unbox (or unbag) the new Disney Parks Muppet*Vision 3D Wishables and show off some recent convention pickups!
Today we have our first look at Hallmark's 2022 Muppet & Sesame Street Ornaments.
As you can see while yet ANOTHER Elmo ornament being released, there are two OTHER Muppets besides Kermit and Cookie Monster being represented this year.
For this year's Muppet ornament we have "Animal's Christmas Present."
The ornament features Animal popping out of a still wrapped box wearing a Santa hat and branding two candy canes instead of drumsticks.
The was designed by Rodney Gentry and will be released in July.
As for Hallmark's Sesame Street collection, an ornament of "Elmo and his puppy, Tango" will be released in July, while an Oscar the Grouch "Peekbuster" will follow in October.
Thanks to John Papovitch for the heads up and images.
NECA and Target have teamed up to host to the first ever Haul-a-thon featuring exclusive collectibles.
One in particular you all may be interested in the Phunny plush Kermit with Banjo from
NECA subsidiary Kidrobot.
The Muppets - 7.5" Phunny Plush Kermit with Banjo
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the magical movie The Muppets, Kidrobot brings to life your favorite characters in Phunny form! It aint easy being green, but Kermit the Frog somehow pulls it off and manages to play the banjo too! The Muppets Kermit with Banjo measures 75" in the seated position and is made from premium plush materials and is only available in-store at Target.
More about Haulathon below.
HILLSIDE, N.Y., Feb. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) and Target Corporation are proud to announce Haulathon, the first of its kind global collectors event featuring the best in exclusive figures and never before seen collectibles from NECA, Kidrobot, Chia Pet and more. This four-week one-of-a-kind global collaboration between NECA and Target Corporation begins March 18 and will be available at Target and Target.com within the US and internationally at Haulathon.com. New products will be available to purchase online every Friday at 8:00am CST.
Haulathon product includes figures and merchandise featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Back to the Future, Gargoyles, Hello Kitty, Elvira, Universal Monsters, Evil Dead, Bob Ross, Gremlins, and more. Haulathon will also feature the exclusive reveal of David Hasselhoff's Malibu Dave clothing line. There are even more collectibles and figures available including Haulathon Collectible Swag Sets, as well as Kidrobot Phunnys featuring Mickey, Minnie, Kermit and others.
Another Haulathon exclusive are signed variants by Howie Mandel for Gremlins, Cassandra Peterson for Elvira, Ru Paul for Chia Pet and Kevin Eastman for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Only found in select packages scattered across the United States, these rare collectibles are the ultimate find for pop culture treasure hunters.
Paired with the pop culture icons that helped inspire their creation, celebrities promoting the month long Haulathon event include Kevin Eastman, (co-creator Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), Howie Mandel (Gizmo from "Gremlins"), and Paul Fusco (Alf). Panel events featuring talent will be held each week and will stream exclusively on Haulathon's social media accounts and Haulathon.com.
This exclusive licensing partnership between NECA and Target Corporation is produced by Radical Share, a global digital marketing agency handling Haulathon's social media, influencer, publicity, marketing, email and Ecommerce. In addition to NECA, Radical Share also represents global brands Kidrobot, Rubies, JEI, Costumes.com and Denuo Novo.
The first of its kind Haulathon four-week event begins March 18 and is available at Target and Target.com in the United States and internationally at Haulathon.com, with new products dropping online every Friday at 8:00am CST.
Follow Haulathon at:
Twitter: @Haulathon
Instagram: @Haulathon
Facebook: @Haulathon
Again, the Kermit with Banjo plush is only available in-store at Target. Now available online through Kidrobot.
Yo can get them directly from River Horse using the links below, but you might want to wait till there available on Amazon as shipping to/from the UK fairly high right now.
Collectors will stand and salute this patriotic pin tribute to President's Day 2022 featuring The Muppets' Sam Eagle plus silhouettes of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the birthday boys.
Limited Release
Features Sam the Eagle plus silhouettes of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln
Last night The Barretta Bros had a chat with the creators of the upcoming Electric Mayhem series, The Muppets Mayhem.
While they couldn't divulge to much information some notable takeaways include:
The 10 episode season (they didn't call it a series, so there might be room for more) will be approx. 20-30min each and all tie together creating essentially a "5 hour movie."
Since the season is being completely written before shooting begins, the creators promise Easter eggs, gags, and other moments that will pay off later, and the show wll be ripe for repeat viewings.
The show's plot revolves around The Electric Mayhem putting out their first album and the creators intend to release one with the release of the show.
The plan for the album is to have covers of classic songs as well as originals - the writers of which yet to be announced.
They also plan to have celebrity musical guests. The fan favorites in the chat included Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Weird Al.
While I agree those are excellent suggestions, I think not having Dave Matthews Band jam with the Electric Mayhem would a severely missed opportunity., as DMB are basically the EM's human equivalent.
You can listen to all the Mayhem ensue bon their YouTube Channel.
The Barretta Bros. have a new show this Sunday featuring the creators of the upcoming Electric Mayhem series, Muppets Mayhem.
Ready for some Muppet Mayhem?! Big new show Sunday! Join us for live conversation and Q&A with Muppets Mayhem co-creators, Adam F. Goldberg (of The Goldbergs), Bill Barretta, and Jeff Yorkes. Get in on the "Mayhem" LIVE this Sunday at 5pm EST/ 2PM PST on their YouTube channel.
While the official Producers Guild of America awards will be heldthis Saturday, March 19th a few awards were announced last night, and Muppets Haunted Mansion won for Outstanding Children’s Program.
Competition in the category included Sesame Street's "See Us Coming Together" special and Netflix's Waffles + Mochi.
Congrats to the team behind Muppets Haunted Mansion for scarring up this award.
Incredibly sad news to report as Emilio Delgado best known, as Luis on Sesame Street has died.
Delgado joined the show beginning with the premiere of season three in 1971 until 2019.
He began his career in the Emmy Award winning Canción de la Raza, followed by a memorable performance in the acclaimed I Will Fight No More Forever, and Ruben Castillo on the popular Lou Grant series.
Throughout his career Emilio appeared on Cosby, Law and Order, Quincy, Police Story, and Hawaii-5-O.
He was Artistic Director of the Barrio Theatre Ensemble of East LA and a company member of Inner City Repertory and Group Repertory playing a multitude of roles. On Broadway, he understudied Raúl Julia in the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona.
His film credits include the two theatrical released Sesame Street films Follow That Bird and The Adventure of Elmo in Grouchland.
NY Theatre credits include A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, Shakespeare Company of New Jersey; Boxing 2000, NY City Players; Floating Home, Hudson Exploited Theatre Co.; The San Diego Street Padres, INTAR; and the award winning Dismiss All the Poets, NY Fringe Festival.
Emilio was a recipient of the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition and has been honored numerous times by the National Academy of Arts and Sciences for his work on Sesame Street.
Delgado died after being diagnosed with blood cancer in 2020.
Below are just some a the many memorable moments of "Luis" on Sesame Street:
Luis Rodriguez Sesame Street debut (1971):
Bob and Luis sing "Let's Make a Face":
Me Llamo with Elmo, Zoe and Luis:
Gimme Five!:
Alegria (1978):
Maria and Luis Get Married (1988):
Episode 2009 (Season 16):
Back to School Carpool Chrysler (2017):
Emilio Delgado Honoree at Hispanic Heritage Celebration - Oct 26, 2019:
Emilio Delgado of 'Sesame Street' on why on-screen representation matters
Entertainment Weekly's February issue celebrated "The Best TV Romances of All Time."
Coming in at number 11 was Miss Piggy and Kermit.
While the magazine only has 50 couples, the online version has 100, and bumped Miss Piggy and Kermit up to the 10th spot!
10. Miss Piggy and Kermit The Muppets
No TV couple personified the je ne sais quoi mystery of love more than this world-famous pig and frog on The Muppets. Emotional and biological opposites, the two entertainers bonded over showbiz — but passion kept them together through every karate chop for nearly 40 years, until their breakup in 2015. Is there hope for a reconciliation? Says a spokesperson for the Muppets, "Kermit and Miss Piggy deeply care for each other and love working together. Kermit is very busy with various projects, and Miss Piggy is even busier being Miss Piggy. Whether they reunite as a couple remains an open question. When you're talking about the world's greatest interspecies romance, anything is possible." —K.B.
The Jim Henson Company has hired Kerry Novick as Vice President of Global Distribution.
From the official press release:
Seasoned distribution executive Kerry has joined The Jim Henson Company as Vice President of Global Distribution. Novick oversees the sales and distribution of the Company’s extensive library of both classic titles like Sid the Science Kid, Pajanimals, and Farscape, and new properties including Word Party, Splash and Bubbles, and Dot. She also handles opportunities and potential partnerships regarding co-production and co-financing of film and television projects. The announcement was made by Chris Lytton, President and COO, to whom Novick directly reports.
”Kerry’s extensive knowledge of the children’s media landscape and the intricacies of its worldwide audience makes her a valuable addition to our team and uniquely qualified to bring The Jim Henson Company’s iconic library of titles to viewers across the globe,” said Lytton.
“While we are experiencing a dynamic change in the way media is being delivered and consumed, the one thing that has remained constant is the global demand for quality entertainment with memorable characters and well-crafted storytelling, a hallmark of The Jim Henson Company’s productions,” said Novick. “My immediate aim is to further expand our content’s presence to new countries and across the apps and digital platforms that kids worldwide continue to migrate to in this streaming landscape.”
Before joining The Jim Henson Company, Novick served as SVP of Global Sales and Co-Productions at Sparky Animation and SVP of Global Business Development at Kidtagious Entertainment. She was also the President of Small Screen Distribution, specializing in sales and distribution of large western properties to the Asian-Pacific region including Henson properties Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train. Novick also served as the Director of International TV for Asia and the Americas at Sesame Workshop.
What at first was a rumor, and then sort of confirmed, has now been OFFICIALLY confirmed by Disney and many other entertainment news sources - an Electric Mayhem series is coming to Disney Plus!
The series, titled The Muppets Mayhem will follow the the band as they try to record their first ever album.
Lilly Singh will star as Nora, the human junior A&R executive tasked with managing Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot and Lips - who, am is, are and be, them whom as and are known as The Electric Mayhem.
The series is being written and EP’d by Adam F. Goldberg (The Goldbergs), Bill Barretta (The Muppets) and Jeff Yorkes.
“The Muppets are renowned for quality, creativity and unrivaled, fun storytelling for the whole family,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “We are thrilled to have Adam, Bill and Jeff at the helm to bring all of these iconic and great new characters to life in fresh and dynamic ways.”
“Adam F. Goldberg is our resident Muppet enthusiast at Signature and getting to play in the sandbox with Bill, a longtime Muppet performer, as well as these beloved characters was a dream come true for him, Bill and Jeff,” said Jonnie Davis, President of ABC Signature. “Their take is fresh, fun, musical and of course, hilarious. We couldn’t be happier to be the studio that is helping them get the band back together.”
“We are so excited to bring the story of The Electric Mayhem Band to the front and center of this new series. They’ve been entertaining audiences since ‘The Muppet Show,’ which debuted 45 years ago, so it’s wonderful that these characters are finally getting to play lead rather than supporting roles,” said Lightbody, executive producer and senior vice president of Disney Live Entertainment and The Muppets Studio.
While no release date has been announced sources say the 10-episode comedy will begin filming in April. Can you picture that?
