Then he was near... now he is far. :( Never forgotten. :) We love you Grover.- joan, aged 32 and a half, london.

I think it's high time that Grover, Cookie Monster, Ernie, and Bert lured Elmo into the alley behind Hooper's Store and then stabbed the annoying red bastard to death. Oscar has connections in the 'sanitation business', so I'm sure disposing of the body would be a piece of cake. DEATH TO ELMO!!!

What a fun website! So, my job is performing for Sesame Street Live!, a touring show that travels around the world. We have several different tours out, each with a different storyline and theme. Each show is produced with full Broadway-style bells and whistles, from the lighting to the set. I highly recommend checking it out. You can go to the website www.sesamestreetlive.com to see tour dates and cities. I'm proud to announce that Grover has hit the big time with his VERY OWN show this year, "Super Grover! Ready For Action!" I'm playing Grover (I played Bert for the last two years). Thought I would do some character research, which lead me to this site! Thanks a lot! Grover is Back!

saschadanz@yahoo.com

You have got to be kidding me. I watched this show growing up but this is taking it to a whole other level of idiocy. You people ought to get over your freaky grover fetish.

I just had a revelation! I think Grover IS Yoda without the fur! This esplains SG's ability to fly. And "of course" the similarities in voice. SG simply uses his blundering antics to mask his true powers from his enemies. The blue fur simply hides his green skin and his true identity. Stare closely into Grovers eyes. It's Yoda.

hoo boy! what a sad life my poor lovable ol' furry pal grover has had. he was always one of my favorites. it really is a shame the blue monsters have been all but erased from the greatest kids show ever. i was more attached to mr. rogers at that age, but i thought grover was someone who could, and was the only one i wanted to, come to my place (as opposed to going to mr. rogers' babysitting house). like most of us, i have not been fond of elmo. at first, he was okay (the show was always rotating people in and out, both kids and muppets), but then annoyance and outright dislike filled me for the red unlovable monster. (i truly hope that if he and prairie dawn had a child together, it wasn't helmo (hell monster) or barney).
from a practical standpoint, ctw seems to have brought elmo in as part of the 'keep the show young by bringing in a new kid mentality' which hurt the brady bunch, little house on the prairie, the cosby show, family ties, and full house. besides, virtually all of the muppets were kids, whether monsters or humans (oscar, and grover's poor customer in all those classic sketches notwithstanding)...and i had always thought that bert and ernie were *brothers* who lived with their (single, unseen) mother. the muppets, whether humanoid or monsteroid, always suffered from the inability to grow up, physically and emotionally (so by the time the current kids weaned on elmo grown up and take their place in charge of america, there will be nothing left....). grover was the mr. rogers of the show, talking directly to the children, treating them as equals...unlike talk-down-to-while-simultaneously-dumbing-the-cash-cows-down elmo.
thanks for this site. it is a wonderful tribute to the nicest muppet of them all. (and don't get me started on piggy who clearly is not a virgin, as she always wants to jump kermit and make baby figs (frog-pigs) with him...well, she did until the robot kermit said they would have baby figs together...lol)
gordon, who wishes sesame street was in portland so that elmo could wind up feeding the fishes in the willamette river someday... pdxwiz@aol.com

message here

Grover et est restera un personnage inoubliable. Je l'aime beaucoup et avec Dieu, il me guide toujours dans ma vie.

Grover makes me laugh & cry, sometimes both at the same time. He is my Mentor & Guru, my inspiration in life.
-Darren Davy, 32, West Yorkshire, England. 0ajaphabit@hotmail.com

Hi, Dawn from New Zealand. Yes Grover sure is a cool guy, so cool in fact that I am looking for a really good photo of him for my wall of family shots. If anyone has a really good photo of him for me to print out, my email is deandawn@slingshot.co.nz. Thanks, keep loving Grover.

Can anyone else confirm with me that Grover was so deeply into Led Zeppelin during his tenure at CTW that he refused work whenever he could get to a concert of theirs? Obviously it was "under the table" because of the obvious conflict of a children's TV star being into a heavy rock band, but I had heard this years ago and was simply floored.
I *do*, however, recall seeing GC at a handful of early Kiss shows in Manhattan in the mid-70's. Those were literally a walk down the street for him at the time, and he was always in the back, just nodding his head. I think he had that trenchcoat he wears now as well - or something similar. Very discreet.

GROVER - GROVER - GROVER!!!!! The man!!! He was just fab. Haven't people forgotten though about Grovers co-star, the little BLUE MAN with the bald head. As Grover once told him "hairwise you are follickly challenged." He was in all the early sketches from Charlies restaurant to the gym, buying pizzas, wigs, on an aeroplane, getting in a yellow taxi. I used to video the show everyday so I could collect all their sketches and put them onto one tape. Does anyone know how or where you can get hold of the early sketches please because I'm sure there's many I missed? my email's paris19662003@yahoo.com

i am not really old enough to have recognized all the politics that were going on, but being a five year old around the time of the transition from the grover era to elmo, i remember thinking why dont we have less of the annoying whiny red guy and more super grover? i was disgustd to turn on the tv about a year ago to discover "elmo's world", giving elmo half the show. the only other thing i have to say is why isn't the wubba song mentioned anywhere i the story? that remains to this day one of my favorite songs

You forgot to mention Grovers voice over work for the movies. Grover does the voice for Yoda. Super Grover to Jedi Master.....Go big blue! It's also nice to see Cookie Monster is taking better care of himself. In a recent article on CNN he announced his efforts to get his cookie habit under control...

My son LOVED "The Monster at the end of this book". I must have read it a million times before hiding it in his memory box so his kids can torture HIM with it. Very sorry to hear of his dark beer swilling, pill popping days. I really had no idea.

Its Elmo's World!!!!!!! lalalalalalalaalalalalalalala!!!!!!! Elmo's world!!!!!! lalalalalalalalalala its me elmo!!!!!!! im the best!!!!!! you wouldn't believe what grover did to elmo when elmo first started the show, Grover where ever u are elmo's coming, with lots of guns booom boooom bang bang!!!!!! Im gonna get elmo's blanky back!!!! Elmo's world lalalalalalalalalala!!!! ps everyone knows red is better than blue.
- Elmo

We will always love grover!!!!
-Mari and Nelson

I love grover. Yes, I remember that book "There is a monster at the end of this book". I read it to my kids every day. I learned to talk like him while I read it. Anyway, I used to have a grover theme on my computer. He said things like "you have no clothes on and no clothes on means you will be very embarrassed". And "oh oh this must be love" and "not so tight, breathing is important to me." Damn, he's cute. My computer crashed & i'm in therapy. Doc says time heals all wounds. Anyway, I can't find the download. can anyone help me? e-mail: aradala2003@hotmail.com.

My mom and I have both long loved Grover. I still remember the fateful day she informed me he had been dyed red, and then the slow, stunning realization that another monster had risen up to take his place -- and one that idiotically referred to him(it?)self with third person pronouns. Real Educational! I did take heart, however, watching the 2003 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade where Grover sang the bulk of a song with that idiot pretender Elmo only standing there and looking, well...cute, damn him. I work right at Radio City Music Hall, and only wish I had known Grover would be there so I could've gone down and caught a glimpse of my idol. I'm also glad to see he got a nice 2004 Chrismas Season deal with Macy's. I just hope he doesn't blow the image licensing cash on booze and cheap floozies. Be strong, Grover. Don't let your blueness define your mood. Feel our love and prayers raising you up. Live long, even if only to witness the news reports when Elmo is found on a Red Roof Inn floor needing the vomit cut from his fur.

I absolutely love Grover. I actually have a friend...Norman Harris of Manchester, Georgia who looks just like Grover.

it's october 14, 2004 as i write this and it's grover's birthday. he is 35 years old today, and i've been a great fan of his since the day he first appeared on sesame street. i still collect groverabilia, even though i will be old enough to collect social security in a few months.
a special grover-related life event happened in september when i persuaded my husband to travel with me more than 1000 miles to sesame place outside of philadelphia. there i met grover himself and was surprised to find that he was six feet tall. the park was pretty lame, even for little kids, but there were plenty of tributes to grover everywhere - grover rides, grover topiaries, and even his handprints in cement near the entrance to the park.

i can't believe you guys left out the greatest accomplishment of grover's career! doesn't anyone else remember the book 'there's a monster at the end of this book'? that was my favorite book as a child. it truly showcased the wonderful child-loving grover. that book entertains children of all ages and backgrounds. i work at a daycare and i read it to the kids all the time. they can't stop laughing.

My name is Anthony and I am a 32-year old soldier on overnight duty. I was reminiscing with two co-workers about great shows in our youth and I commented to them how Grover may have been the most overlooked character in the history of childrens' shows. I continued to vent over Sesame Street's inability to sustain Grover's connection with the viewing audience. I compared him (it) to two other characters who were regularly overlooked (Gonzo and Daffy Duck). The more I thought about it, the more I got pissed, because I couldn't believe they wouldn't make use of a truly versatile character but yet pimp out a limited, whiny-mouth Elmo. Grover was always keeping things interesting. And then one of the co-workers found this site. I was shocked that someone cared (maybe more than I do) and it is a great story. Not only did you give a great breakdown but also a unique insight (I also thought that Grover should have been a cross-over to "The Muppet Show"; he did a lot of skits on Sesame Street with Kermit and definitely could've replaced Scooter as a gopher. He did that a lot on Sesame Street and that could've springboarded SuperGrover into superstardom) Anyway, we need to push for his return or at least get someone to consider him for a variety show. Grover was very easy to follow and his simplicity was his gift. Like Elmo, he did crave the spotlight, but unlike Elmo, he wanted to sell you ideas more than images.

Grover for Gov! With Grover, Arnold can't lose.

This website sucks!!! You guys could do better.

Okay....this Ernie and Bert stuff is starting to piss me off. Didn't everyone see Kermit The Frog's appearance on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn??? Craig asked Kermit flat-out about Ernie and Bert's orientation...and he denied that they are gay. Keep in mind that Kermit was a respected journalist (remember that he was a reporter for the Sesame Street News, often interrupting the show with his News Flashes), and if anyone would know the truth, it'd be Kermit. The Frog knows everything happening on the Street, so there's no more need for baseless allegations. Ernie and Bert are roomates (think Chandler and Joey on Friends), NOT 'life-partners', end of debate.

I love this site and I love this idea. I grew up in the pre-Elmo Sesame Street days. I remember him only slightly in a couple of skits. Anyway, I am now 24 and I see the Street in the AM because I have no cable and I can't stand the morning shows. It's truly sad to witness the decline of this beautiful program. I recently found my old tapes from childhood of Bert, Ernie, Grover, Big Bird, Prairie Dawn, Herbert Birdsfoot, Oscar, Cookie...all the ones that truly spell Sesame Street. It's just so sad to see what has become of this show. Elmo is a useless, whiny, intellectually stunting piece of crap and his two friends Rosita and Zoe are just as bad. CTW should be ashamed of themselves. Jim Henson is frowning on their rotten greedy souls. For Shame!!!

this site is really cool, it brought back some childhood memories. i watched sesame street when i was a child, and i agree that the best days were when grover was king. thanks heaps!

I stumbled across this website and think it is just great. It has confirmed all my suspicions about Elmo :). I passed the link along. The behind the music theme made it all the better. It is a true tribute to a great hero. Nice work.
Jason
ONT,CANADA

Grover is an absolute cultural icon. He has done more to brighten the lives of America's youth than any other character. He was a great actor. It is sad that his legacy had to have its legs cut out from underneath it. Here is to hoping the "Global Grover" character takes off and he is able to stay off drugs, alcohol and avoid gay bars.
T. Smalls
Pgh, PA

Hey, This is a great site but there should be a section devoted to Grover flailing his arms in the "Near/Far" kind of way he used to. I see it as the pinnacle of his career. Waba

your totally right he is kool and nice to other characters and people you are absolutey correct.. you know melissa she loves sesame street for what ever reason i don't know

My friend and I have just checked this site. Fantastic tribute to one of the best charater actors on 'Sesame'.
Congrats on the site and give our regards to Grover, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie.
Frank

I HAVE LOVED GROVER ALL MY LIFE, I have collected grover toys, and can still do his voice at 40 years of age. He's the cutest muppet of all time.
ADELE

I remember back in the early 90's when I watched Sesame Street, and Elmo had just recently been added to the show and even as a young five year old i hated him. He took away from the quality time that was spent on characters like Grover, Oscar and Bert and Ernie. I am glad that someone has taken the time and effort to show people that Grover is clearly one of the better characters on that show.I unfortunately only witnessed Sesame Street during its down fall which saddens me but for those who witnessed the glory days, you are my envy!
- Audrey

I love Grover!

He sings "Be My Echo" with Madeline Kahn and if you go here you can have the song mailed to you:
geocities.com/EnchantedForest/Palace/3382/bluesounds.html

I did a week of shows with Grover at The Sahara in Vegas 1975. Not only did I learn how to do a show right but also how to live, along with where to get the best lap dance and how to snort Chivas. Thanks G-man!

hey, i got a sesame street video out the other day - and saw a really cute grover song on there. he is with a lady and they start singing like this 'be my echo' be your echo' sing with me, ' sing with me' does anyone know the proper lyrics. as i want to be able to sing it right for my daughter as she loves him.

Hey kids, this is Jason , the webmaster, yet again. I noticed this board has kind of dried up lately so I thought I'd try to get a little debate going here. It seems like most people on the board seem to agree that Sesame Street has pretty much gone down the toilet in recent years. I'd like to hear your opinions on when you think this started happening and why. Was it the death of Mr. Hooper? The arrival of Elmo? Or do you trace it as far back as when Oscar went from orange to green? And hey- I'd also like to hear from anyone who disagrees and thinks SS is as great as it ever was. Hope to hear from you soon...

Hey Jason...
Have you watched Sesame Street lately?
Grover is back, baby!

Find a parody of Tool's "Sober" here...Gnosis wrote it, and it's all about Grover! It's entered in a poetry contest against my parody of "I Love Rock and Roll" by Jean Jett, entitled "I Love Smokin' Bowls"...
Grover
Also, visit SillyGoth for more shit, like journals, poetry and a roster of users in the thousands...we poke fun at the goths, and really don't take it seriously!
Visit my page if you'd like: Helyx

You are all wrong! Elmo is the best! That bitch Grover couldn't cut it anymore. La La La La, La La La La, Elmo's World!
-Elmo

(sigh) Children's television is so depressing nowadays. Makes me fear for the future. Thank you for treating this brilliant creation with respect, and taking the time to shoot down Elmo. (I admit, I thought he was semi-cute at first, but....) They need to re-release more of the episodes on DVD, with an emphasis on Grover. Anyway, thank you. Thank you, very much.
-Brett

Hello Everybody!!! This website almost made me cry...I didn't realize that there were people other than myself so upset about the demise of Grover. The good news is that your loveable furry blue friend is alive and well on NOGGIN's "Play with me Sesame". He's one of the main characters and he Moves and Groves on a daily basis. Check it out if you can, and you might even get to see clips from the old days when he was the star of Sesame Street. (Side note: Grover had a place card at my wedding (which was labeled "Mr. Super Grover" because my husband refused to be married without him present). Great website!!!

Hello Everyone. During my childhood I always watched the Dutch version of Sesame Street. And I really loved it. Sometimes I saw some episodes of the original. I then thought it was really different. When I compare the Dutch version with its original now, I think it wasn't so different after all. It's was only the sound of the voices of the characters. Nowadays I don't see the show anymore, even though it is still on. Here in Holland a lot has changed too. Some of the original human actors died or are replaced. One of the things that hurted me a lot was in the beginning of the nineties when I was watching the show with my little cousin, I noticed they changed the voice of our Big Bird character, we call Pino. From that day on, many things have changed. And it didn't get any better. I was happily surprised when I found this website. I will send it's URL to all of my friends.
Good luck,
Rob from The Netherlands.

I think it's time we hear the story of Kermit. What do you say?
Ed. note- yeah, maybe we could call it "Call Me Mr. Frog"

I once thought I was a bit odd to be in my late twenties & still obsessing over a blue furry figment of the imagination of some guy who's been dead for over a decade. Then the anesthetic wore off & I came to my senses. Grover has been a valued & important part of my life for over two decades & I'll bet that 20 decades from now he will still be valued as an asset to anyone who has had him in their life. He has every right to be upset over the decline & corruption that has infested Sesame Street. Nothing was the same after Jim died. I remember where I was when I heard. I cried for twenty minutes. The only reason it wasn't longer was I had the misfortune to be a teenage male at the time & didn't want to display any weakness that might lead to more harassment than I already got. I am almost afraid to let my 3-year-old watch SS now because of the absolute lack of substance. That's shameful. What's worse is that my ex-wife had the audacity to get my son an Elmo doll in a chicken suit(one of many reasons she's an ex). Grover is, always was, & always will be the most incredible Muppet ever born. He came straight out of that incredible imagination of Jim Henson. He taught us many things: how to laugh at ourselves; how to love our parents, our friends, ourselves; how to imagine ourselves as better than we are & how to make that image real; &, quite importantly, the difference between near & far. I will ALWAYS love Grover. And I will mourn the passing of the great thing that was Sesame Street as much as the passing of the man who built it.
hartshad0w@yahoo.com

Hey all wuzzup?! First off great site here! GROVER KIX ASS!! I always have loved Grover while growing up and watching Sesame St. I have been collecting Grover items for many yrs. And bcuz of a highly-intoxicating nite when I wuz younger, and as speech and such became impaired, my name ever since has been GROVEY! All bcuz of the greatest muppet of all time! I could ask for a better and cooler nickname! Grover will always be w/ me as well, as I have a tattoo of him! Lastly, I must say as I've been saying for many, many yrs.... Sum 1 really needs to kill Elmo!!! I hate Elmo!!! Long live Grover!!!
C~YA!

just a quick question about grover and if there is the possibility of him having children that have made it into the world of Jim Henson's i always was suspicious of the pairing that grover and that little blonde haired girl in the Super Grover skits and if they were possibly makin' the fur fly, so to speak. I could quite see Elmo as being Grover's illegimate child that has come back to take over from his pops, being a bastard and all. So, could this be possible?
"Elmo, I am your father" (???) could it be?

HELL YEAH GROVER ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ohhh I still think Grover is a big star, who doesn't wants to be a blue monster??? WE LOOOOOVE GROVER!!!!!!
Kisses Chantal Deurne, The Netherlands.

I have a grover tattoo on my ass. Thats how much I like him. He is behind me all the time. I have collected grover items over the years. When I was growing up I had a orginal grover doll. It went everywhere with me. Well one night when I was 20 I got in a horrible accident and ended up at the med with trauma to the brain. Well My mom broght him in to the med. Sad to say when I got home they threw him away with my clothes. I've been searching for an orginal grover doll for over 5 years now.

DAM U, ELMO. DAM U! DAM U! DAM U!! (sob)

u no, grover should get back @ elmo 4 taking his place.

Grover rocks! As for Bert and Ernie being gay... I think it actually adds to overall feel of the story. Seems like the nay-sayers have been pretty vehement about it. It's called denial folks. Don't worry, it'll pass.

Wonderful site. Grover is the real star of Sesame Street.
Gary David
gdcomputer@aol.com

I can't imagine what my life would have been like without Sesame Street. I grew up in a rural area, with 1 TV channel that thankfully carried it. Though Grover wasn't my favorite character, (I liked Oscar the most for some reason) the show would not have been the same without him. Thank you Jason for this amusing look at the life of one little blue monster. Yes, a part of me still loves him.
Doug

Man you guys this is the best tribute to Grover yet! I hate Elmo's lil panzy azz!!!!!
Grover rulez and Elmo is a C*cksmoker!

FYI everybody; Grover is NOT gone! He will be hosting a segment, called Global Grover and featuring clips from international Sesame Streets, next season. just wanted to let you all know that. and Ernie and Bert are not gay (well they are happy gay, but not the other gay ;)).

Well done.. Ive been telling people for years that the little red devil had killed grover, and you have now supplied me the proof. Thank you.
Also, there was a movie theater ad once (that they play before the main film) for people to learn to be quiet and not talk and whatnot..
If I recall, Elmo trips grover as he tries to get through to his seat.. Spilling his popcorn.. If that doesnt show blatant disrespect.. I dont know what is... I would love to get a copy of that short film for further proof.

Those were six chapters of my life. The drugs, the parties, the years I barely remember.
Except for that Saturday night in '78 when I was stumbling down a dark dangerous street looking for my car. Way too many shots and I had no idea what that gang of kids were yelling. When the limo door opened and that blue hand helped me in I just collapsed in tears.
I can't remember what he said and I barely remember him softly singing "What do I do When I'm Alone" as I sobbed about my life. Grover listened though. He helped. He carried me to my room and I passed out.
I woke up the next morning and the TV was was tuned to Sesame Street. I knew that was my sign and I was ready to turn my life around. I got sober.
Grover saved my life. He also gave me Little Grover, but I never called to let him know about that. Maybe it's time he met his son?

Great website. From a writer's perspective, excellent. Although you may want to run the text through a spellchecker, since there are a few mistakes here or there.

Hello!
I just wanted to say, I have really enjoyed reading this. I haven't watched "The Street" in years, so I had no idea that that little dumbed-down red monster had taken over. How can they get rid of Grover? He was never my favorite character, but the show can't be the same without those waiter sketches. And, how can they get rid of Bert? Every comedian needs a straight man (no, they are not gay, haven't any of you ever seen Abbott and Costello?). You must be mis-informed about Big Bird, it brings tears to my eyes to think that he may be leaving, after he practically carried the show during my formative years.... Sorry, I'm too upset to go on....
D.

I really enjoyed this. I'm a huge Grover fanatic and always hated Elmo taking his place. As much as this is fiction, some of the Elmo stories were very true in a way. I miss Grover, and you're right, there's no point in watching Sesame Street anymore. It is cool though that they are releasing things like Christmas Eve On Sesame Street and Follow That Bird on DVD so we can see Grover all over again. I once thought of writing a movie script about Grover turning bad after Elmo took his place, but they kind of did that with Death To Smoochy so I guess it's too late now. Keep up the creativity, I'd love to read more biographies on the other characters.
Aaron
PS Bert and Ernie are NOT gay. Although I often wonder what Big Bird would do off camera with his buddy's snuffle.

This is awesome. I am an avowed Grover freak, though I have trouble pulling off the voice these days. My 1 year old daughter loves the old "near / far" bit.
I've asked my wife for a GIB shirt for my birthday!

Super Grover was his shining moment, i cant believe you never addressed this extraodinary piece of acting in the story !!! (great site though)

Dude, it was funny and all, but you have way too much spare time on your hands.

YOU PEOPLE NEED A LIFE

Hi, this is Jason (the webmaster) again. I've decided to change the bit about Ernie and Bert being gay. I know, an artist should stand by his creation and all that, but it was something I wasn't entirely comfortable with in the first place and it seems to be the only real sticking point with all of the posters so far. Plus I just prefer to think of them as two good buddies who got along despite their differences. Let me know your thoughts.

Poor Grover.
He was, and always will be, my favorite. A master of physical comedy and the butt of many jokes, he was the one character we loved unconditionally.
He was one of the only two Muppets with true melancholy in his soul (the other being Kermit). But while it's not easy being green, it's even harder being blue. Grover's gift to the kids was his ability to teach sympathy. As one got older, this turned into empathy, as so many of us felt just like Grover when life dealt us our little failures and disappointments.
This is a truly moving web site.
P.S. Bert and Ernie are not gay. They're more like "The Odd Couple". Ernie does have a fetish for rubber bath toys, yes, but he's not gay.
- David, 40.

Ernie & Bert (Living Together)
Music and Lyrics by Peter Saxe
From the musical "History Remembers"
hometown.aol.com/historyremembers

ERNIE AND BERT HAVE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
LIFE IS A BALL, WHEN YOU ALWAYS INCLUDE BERT AND ERNIE.
ERNIE AND BERT HAVE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER
FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
AND ISN'T THAT FINE?

ERNIE AND BERT BOUGHT A FABULOUS CONDO ON SESAME STREET.
LIFE HITS A PEAK, AT THE CHIC "FURRY ARMS APARTMENTS."
ERNIE AND BERT HAVE GONE UPWARDLY MOBILE ON SESAME STREET.
IS THAT NOT....DIVINE?

WELL, BERT IS SUCH A NEAT-NICK,
AND ERNIE'S A LOVABLE SLOB.
BUT WHAT DO THEY LIVE ON, SINCE NEITHER ONE HAS A JOB?
PERHAPS BERT HAS A TRUST-FUND.
OR ERNIE, OR BOTH, THAT COULD BE.
UNLESS THEY GOT RICH BY EXPOSING THEIR LIVES ON TV.

A..IS FOR APARTMENT...B..IS FOR BERT...C..IS FOR CONDO..D..IS FOR DIVINE..E...IS FOR ERNIE...F..IS FOR FABULOUS!

ERNIE AND BERT HAVE A GREAT TIME TOGETHER, ON SESAME STREET.
READING AND COUNTING, AND NO ONE IS MOUNTING A PROTEST.
ERNIE AND BERT ARE SO HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, ON SESAME STREET.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE SAY? THEY LIVE AS THEY WANT,
AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO FLAUNT IT ALL DAY!

ERNIE AND BERT ARE COMPASSIONATE NEIGHBORS. NO ONE NEEDS PROOF.
THEY REJOICED WHEN LUIS AND MARIA GOT MARRIED UP ON THE ROOF.
WHEN MR. HOOPER DIED, BOTH BERT AND ERNIE CRIED,
AS YOU DID, AS I. AND THEY DON'T DENY THEIR FEELINGS.
WHAT'S WRONG WITH FEELING LOVE, FOR THOSE THAT THEY CARE ABOUT.
LOVE IS A VIRTUE, THAT ERNEST AND BERTRAM HAVE DOWN TO A "T"

ERNIE AND BERT SHARE THE VERY SAME BEDROOM, ON SESAME STREET.
WHEN ERNIE'S A PEST, HE KNOWS BERT WILL GET TESTY AND WHINY.
ERNIE AND BERT HAVE AROUSED ONE ANOTHER, FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS,
SO WHERE IS THE CRIME? LIKE GLUE, HOW THEY STICK,
WHILE THEY DO THE SAME SHTICK ALL THE TIME.

ERNIE HAS A FONDNESS FOR RUBBER..DUCKY: SMALL, YELLOW..SQUEAKS WHEN YOU SQUEEZE.
AT BATH-TIME WITH ERNIE, THE DUCKY IS EAGER TO PLEASE.
AND BERT LOVES THE PIGEONS, THOSE GRUNGY VERMIN WITH WINGS.
WITH BIRDS ON THE SIDE, TO CONFIDE IN AS FRIENDS,
WHETHER BOATING OR SUNNING, THE FUN NEVER ENDS...

ERNIE AND BERT HAVE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER, FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.
COMPLETELY DOMESTIC, AND BLESSED WITH A COZY APARTMENT.
ERNIE AND BERT, MAY THEY ALWAYS BE WELCOME, ON SESAME STREET.
OR YOUR STREET, OR MINE! LET'S PRAISE THEIR DEVOTION,
THEIR OUTWARD DISPLAYS OF EMOTION. THEY BICKER, THEY TEASE, IT'S A LIVIN'.
IT'S TIME THEY WERE GIVEN THREE CHEERS.
BECAUSE ERNIE AND BERT HAVE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER, FOR TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
FOR TWENTY-SIX YEARS..
TWENTY SEVEN LONG YEARS!
LIVING TOGETHER FOR ALL OF THOSE YEARS!

This is pretty depressing, man. Killing off the characters? Going off the air? Hey I understand the Six Million Dollar Man, and I suppose there's a rationale for yanking the Fall Guy, but Sesame Street? I'm 33 and this is the first time I've felt really and truly old. Man how could they get rid of Grover. That's some stupid short-sighted sh*t.
A good bio though. You're a good writer, buddy. If I were you I'd get Variety to do a column every week.
Cheers
AFR

DUDE where i come from you'd think nobody watched Sesame Steet, everybody here walks around like mindless zombies perfect little f*ck'n angels.
Later
I_LOVE_PROZAC

It was good to finally hear Grover's side of the story. Grover - we'll always love you. Thanks for all the memories.
And, Bert and Ernie were not gay!
Neha

This is a fabulous site - I cried from Laughter! I am a child of the late 70s/early 80s and I loved Sesame Street. Not only that, I watched them all over again when my younger brother and sister were growing up and I STILL loved it (so what if I was a teenager then?). I loved Bert, I loved Ernie, I loved Big bird but most of all I loved Grover (I even read his all time best-seller - 'The monster at the end of this book').
I always imagined that one day my kids too would be watching this show (and getting to know Grover of course) and am horrified to have discovered from this site that these favourites are either gone or going fast. I'm even more horrified to have discovered just what Grover was going through with his drug and alcohol hell. If only I'd known...
Jane.

My son Johnny - now 26 - loved Grover. I still have his Grove 'as he used to call him'. Actually, Grover saved him from a very bad fall. He tripped coming out of a patio door and went flying. Thank God, he was holding Grove at the time. We all miss Grover.

Wow! I am honestly sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks! You see I love Grov...No, I really love him. When I was a kid I had a Grover puppet, which I still have. I was one of those kids who could not express angry or hurt, so Grov would do it for me. I would not be mad a Mommy or Daddy but Grover would be. I used his voice and his body to tell adults why I was upset. Grover was my only comfort and friend for so long. I would not have reached adulthood with out this lovable furry monster. I owe him my life. So, Grover Blue, if you need anything ever, I am there for you buddy, just as you were for me!!! (I know that this sounds sarcastic and bogus, but it is from the very bottom of my soul) I love you Grover...Thank you.

Bert and Ernie are not gay.
Bert and Ernie are not gay.
Bert.And.Ernie.Are.Not.Gay.

Ernie does have problems though.
And tangentially, Mr. Rogers is not a pedophile!!!
Long Live Grover!

Hey this is the webmaster, Jason, again. I just want to say how much I've enjoyed reading your posts over the last few days- Grover is obviously still very much loved and missed- and add a couple of comments myself. First off, yes Grover is pretty much off the Street, along with Bert and pretty soon Big Bird. The only Grover footage they might show is older stuff now. And with Elmo dominating the show there's really not much room left for anyone else anyway. Secondly, I've been having thoughts about taking the gay stuff off about Ernie and Bert. Mainly because I just don't think it's that funny, it kind of plays on an old rumour that's been around for years, but also because, next to Grover, E & B are my favorite characters from the show and I don't want to sully their memory (not that there's anything wrong with being gay, I just think it kind of ruins the sense of innocence to a degree). So I'll take an informal survey on this page and you guys tell me what you think. I also wanted to say that for fans of the old SS who don't have digital cable, a lot of the Sesame Street home videos are chock full of some of the classic Muppet skits. I have a 3 year old and we both get no end of enjoyment watching these, many of which are available at our local library (check yours). I would also recommend a great book called "Sesame Street Unpaved" which is a very colorful pictorial history of the show and can be enjoyed by old and young alike. Nice Grover section too. The book is out of print now but it's not hard to find on EBay. Anyway, keep the comments coming, and thank you all so much for the support. Grover rocks!!
-Jason

What is there *really* to say about the downfall of such a great show? I needed some comfort in my life a few years back, and turned on Sesame Street. I will be forever scarred (and horrified) by the realization that the old SS was well and truly gone. I love/d all the characters, but I had/have the most compassion for Grover. The beauty and vulnerability of his performance was astonishing.
Now I'd like to know -- what new channel on Noggin???

Great job with a very difficult topic...but a story that needed to be told. I first met Mr. Carbunkle in 1976 - and I would like to share my experience here for the first time.
It was July 4th '76 - the Bicentenial - I was working at a small comedy club off of the strip...and that night I was bombing. I started getting heckled pretty bad from a table in the back. Took me a few minutes before I realized that the "hecklers" in the back were throwing out straightlines to me. I just started responding to the banter and ended up having one of the best sets of my life...we had *everyone* rolling in the aisles. Unquestionably the most unselfish, mensch-iest thing I have ever seen.
GC (as he instisted on being called) came back to my dressing room with this gay couple (Bert and Ernie) who had just finished auditioning as a magic act over at the MGM Grand and had heard that the gig was to go to Zigfried and Roy - unknowns at the time. GC and I got to talking and drinking and the next thing I knew we were hitch-hiking through the deep south with a duty-free bag filled with airline sized bottles of every booze known to the free world and 46 vials of some liquid that, when inhaled, made us cluck like chickens. We finally made it back to New York and hopped a taxi for Manhattan. I vaguely remebered that it seemed odd that our driver seemed to *know* GC and was chatting him up excitedly.
We arrived at CTW and GC jumped out, wished me the best, and suggested we, "...do this again sometime..." With that he leapt out of the cab, flipped the driver a pair of C-notes, and was immediatly swarmed by throngs of autograph seekers. The driver turned to me and saw my confusion - "Buddy," he said with solemnity ususally reserved for funerals, "you just partied with the best, you partied with GROVER."
hs. grover_is_lord@hotmail.com

I've banged both Bert and Ernie and I'm a male. So yes, they are gay. ps - ernie is HUGE!

Nice website, I always wondered why Grover looked so strung out.
"Ernie and Bert WERE NOT GAY! Get over that! - Susan"
Sorry Susan, but they were both gay as a tangerine.

Oh. Grover. How the mighty have fallen. Your site is kick ass! see our site at www.lostandfrowned.com.

life can be so cruel. i guess you could say that its also not easy being blue.

Fortunately for Grover fans (as are my sister & I and my 8 month old daughter) Grover can now be found on the new Noggin channel! Viva Le Grover and never forget that "Wubba Wubba Wubba is a monster's song"!

looks like it's time for a "best of sesame street" DVD collection. those of us who grew up on the original need a way to recapture the magic of the original, and to share it with younger generations.

WOW , THIS IS AN AMAZING STORY...I HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE BUT NOW IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE...IF YOU TALK TO GROVER PLEASE GIVE HIM MY LOVE...THIS WAS NOT A ONE HIT WONDER BUT A WORLD ICON FOR MANY YEARS...SINCERELY...NILS ANDERS ERICKSON...ALSO CHECK OUT MY BAND...PADDY O FURNITURE ON MP3...THE BAND BEST LEFT OUTSIDE.. WWW.WHOSYOURPADDY.COM

"One! One outstanding website! Ha hahahaha!"

HI JASON, AND ALL WHO MISS THE "REAL SESAME STREET".
So glad to see a site dedicated to the best and most lovable of all the Monsters. When my daughters were little , i would do my best "Grover" voice, and read the Monster at The End of The Book for them nearly every nite..and not be allowed by them to read it as anything but in our favorite furry buddie's voice..which was so much fun to do.
Thanks so much for helping me relive their childhood in my mind,and if any networkk honchos are reading this..for pete's sake..bring back Grover..and give his greatness to a new generation! Long live Grover!
Ken.

It's been a long time since I last watched Sesame Street, a whole 3 years I think (a record for a muppet fan)... so when I came across this site I nearly freaked at the thought that Grover is gone. However I am comforted that he is not forgotten. He is at least still featured on the webpage, and in the magazine. Long live grover. To Grover... "Monster at the End of This Book" will remain one of my all time favorite books, it was the first book that I actually wanted to read, and was not forced to sit through.

I have loved Grover for SO LONG! I am a teacher and these little idiots have the audacity to call Grover "Elmo." How wrong is that?!?!?!?!

Ernie and Bert WERE NOT GAY! Get over that!
- Susan

Hey, Thanks for saying something about that bastard Elmo. I've hated him since he came on the show. I am a huge Cookie Monster fan. Grover is also very near to my heart. Frank Oz, Jim Henson you guy's are/were geniuses. Sesame Street was the greatest television show ever. It's a shame that it seems to be in a downward spiral.
-Michael

Grover loved his Mommy and that always made him my favorite. I sing to my second graders "G Grover, G Georgie, there are two G sounds etc." I feel sorry for them not getting to hear it in the original.

Grover was and will always be my absolute favorite Muppet! I was so sad to see him leave the "Street"! Especially to be replaced by that non-sensical, overly cute, red thing that refuses to speak with correct subject/ verb agreement. Talk about the "dumbing down" of America.
Thanks, though, for the amusing read! Grover, if you are out there, please come back!

VIVA GROVER!!
I miss Grover, and agree on the whole Elmo thing. His presence struck me as simple corporate pandering to a marketable demographic. That doesn't belong in the world Jim & Frank built. *sigh*
I miss Grover.

This was absolutely brilliant.

it was funny, that's for sure, but i have to say it was a bit long, and i skimmed a lot of it. otherwise, well done.

Don't worry Grover, I have saved my children's Fisher Price Sesame Street toys. You are there along with Mr. Hooper and Snuffy. I even have one of your books. We don't have anything with Elmo, so my Grandchildren will only know the original characters. Glad you stuck around. I even have the original Sesame Street Magazines when you helped to teach the children important lessons through games. So know that you are loved and respected for all the love you shared.
Hurray for the cute Blue Monster named Grover. Say hi to Bert and Ernie, by the way they are not gay, just good friends who are very opposite by nature. Say hi to Big Bird and all the other originals.
From a Mom who loved watching you with my children everyday at eleven in the morning, or was it noon, and again at 4:00. Happy Sesame Streeting.
Mary Ann

Wow. I was surfing around trying to find funny things in my boredom when I literally stumbled onto your site. Expecting a humorous parody of some sort, I was deeply (and surprisingly) touched by the quality of compassion you have set here. Sesame Street was practically the only thing I watched on TV for nearly all of my formative years, and I miss the feel of that wonderful, wonderful program. Thank you for this true gem. I am getting a shirt right away!
Jamie Holman c.r.bagel@excite.com

Really cute site Jason! May "NEAR-------FAR" live forever in our memories!
Martha

long live Grover!!!
Mark

Great job! It really took me back, and Grover was always my favorite!

I am a 43 year old mother of four. I can't even express how much Sesame Street meant to my me through my childhood. I never missed a morning with my ol' pal Grover. When I started having kids of my own, I began to realize the direction the show was headed. I wanted my children to know "the street" the way I knew it. So I went video shopping. "Dance Along" "Rock and Roll" "Sing Yourself Silly" and my personal favorite "Monster Hits" became required watching for my kids. We avoided the new show and I truly think they are better teenagers because of it. They know the beauty of Grover and for that I have to pat myself on the back.

Long Live Grover!... and the 80's!!!

Wow, this is a good site. I'm not sure if I wanted to know about Grover's personal life around the time that I was watching him perform, but all in all, very informative.
Grover was always my favorite. My favorite skit was always the waiter bit, especially the one where the customer orders alphabet soup, and he's going thru the letters and pointing out the missing ones. You could sense the agrivation that Grover portrays, but he never lets it go too far. He was always light hearted.
I still have a Super Grover doll from when I was 8 years old. I'm 25 now, with my own son, and I gave the doll to him. It's still in good shape after all these years. But, of course, he much preferes Elmo. So sad. I guess those days are gone. Grover, you're the man! God bless.
Joe

you are truly sick, exposing the soft underbelly of a great monster like grover. I hope the muppet mafia sends you a dead fish....

My son is now 2 and has started watching Seasame Street so I'm watching it for the first time in over 25 years. I knew about Elmo but was surprised to see Snuffy out of the closet. I was pretty bummed when, after watching a few episodes I realized that the blue monsters such as Harry and Grover were gone. I was looking forward to watching SS with my own son, so he could enjoy what I enjoyed, but I guess you can't go home again.

thanx dude,i thought the whole world had forgotten bout grover.

It's kind of funny to find this site now, I was just trying to teach my son the near/far routine, so for the first time in years I watched "the street" to show him how Grover explained it. Much to my dismay the "G-Man" was no where to be found. That was the last time for me, I'll now have to look for prirate copies of the good years. What ever happened to teaching kids important things like near/far?

No way, man! Absolutely no way!!! Ernie and Bert were not Gay. Do not try to ruin my childhood years.
Yeah, sure, I heard the rumours but that was just a futile attempt by some to try and legitimise the Gay lobby. Tom Cruise just successfully sued a guy for $10 million for saying something similar about him.
Don't go there!!! DO NOT GO THERE!!!

i'm 24 and i caught some sesame street a little while ago. it was so different to how i remembered it. a lot of elmo and some new characters too. something felt really off. it was very different in a bad way. i couldn't quite put my finger on what was missing.
then i realized, grover was gone. grover was my favourite character in retrospect. who can forget super grover??
i'd watch show centred on him for sure! even at my age!
-bagman

Mildly amusing, but with too many errors that nearly everyone makes and really cheese me off. It's Fozzie Bear, not Fozzie the Bear. Its Kermit D. Frog, not Kermit the frog.

Woops! Thanks for pointing that out. I did try to make the site as accurate as possible. I've made the changes you mentioned.
-J

Thanks for the reminder of what a pivital role grover actually played in my life.
-Schaf

Hey everyone- this is the webmaster, Jason, and I guess this is the first post on this page. I just wanted you all to know that I really enjoyed putting this site together and I hope you like it. I also wanted to state that just for the record, this site is not intended to paint Sesame Street or the Children's Television Workshop in a bad light at all. This was a labor of love and I have the utmost respect for the 30+ years of quality children's programming that they have brought to the world. However, I do think that Sesame Street has been badly crippled by the arrival of Elmo and the fazing out of some of "Street"'s best characters- the main one for me being, of course, our old pal Grover. To be fair, Grover's dissapearance has more to do with the fact that Frank Oz wanted to do other things with his life, like direct movies etc., and you can't begrudge him that, but I still find it lamentable. I guess you can never go home, and we can never return to Sesame Street's true glory days of the seventies and early eighties. But we can remember, and I hope this site has helped you to do that. I look forward to reading your thoughts.
-Jason