There are over 4,500 episodes of Sesame Street, many of which are primarily lost to the fans. We’re reviewing some of the best, strangest, and rarest episodes out there in our series Sesame Rewind!
There’s been a lot of talk about Jim Henson and his legacy recently, what with the permanent closure of his last major project and how we’ve now passed the point where he’s been dead longer than his time with the Muppets. With that in mind, let’s look back at what some Muppet scholars might say is one of, if not THE, most seminal performance of his career.
The time is January 1972. The program is Sesame Street. The season is three. Per Muppet Wiki, some scripts have been written for our lovable, furry old pal Grover. However, for whatever reason, Frank Oz is suddenly not available to be in the studio for those shoots. But, much like a Broadway show, when the leading man is out, the show must go on! So, who’s got far less going on in their life than Frank that can fill in? Why, Jim Henson of course! When you have a wife, five kids, and an entire production company to manage, you have lots of free time!
And so, those scripts got rekajiggered to accommodate Jim. One episode, Episode 0376 (aired April 3), had Grover’s role replaced by Kermit the Frog, who falls ill and struggles to stay in bed when there are so many games to play with his friends. You know, his defining characteristic that remains to this day. But, we’re going to be talking about instead a show that aired a couple of weeks prior on March 22 (Episode 0368). The production team must have felt that Grover’s scripted role suited neither Kermit, Ernie, or Sinister Sam. So they had to create what turned out to be the most importantist Muppet in Sesame Street history – Freddy!
Freddy is a Fat Blue Anything Muppet lad, who kind of sounds like Rowlf the Dog if he were prepubescent and had a slight speech impediment. He has what Rafael calls a “groovy hat,” and isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but that’s what makes him so endearing. He has approximately 10 minutes of screen time in the entire 60 minute episode, and also for the entire series, but obviously, that was enough to warm him to every Nielsen viewer in the country. Plus, you always have to leave the audience wanting more!
Hey, we’re four paragraphs in, let’s talk about the episode already! It’s a cold wintry day on Sesame Street, and Rafael finds Freddy just hangin’ out in the Fix-It Shop. How he got in there with no adult supervision is not explained, but that’s just classic Freddy! Always bein’ somewhere with no grown-ups around! But, it’s lucky he is there, because Rafael needs to run to the bank and asks Freddy to watch the shop while he’s gone. We’ve only known Freddy for about 30 seconds at this point, but we’re certain he’s a trustworthy soul. It also helps that business has been pretty slow for the shop, so Rafael can afford to leave an empty store in the hands of an innocent child for a few minutes.
But Freddy is not only trustworthy, but extremely thoughtful. He recognizes the economic problems this could cause for Rafael if there’s no customers, so he sets out to drum up some business for him. One could argue leaving the shop unattended like that and breaking Rafael’s trust would be a strike against Freddy, but the most compelling fictional characters in any narrative need some character flaw.
But, Freddy redeems himself by finding some things Rafael can repair and stay in business. First, he procures a walking toy robot some kids just leave behind on the street (that’s a strike against them!). Then, he takes Big Bird’s radio, which isn’t making any sound. Finally, he visits Susan’s kitchen and finds the light in the fridge is out, concluding the entire unit must be “undoubtably broken.” And, believe it or not, he manages to single-handedly move the entire fridge back to the Fix-It Shop. Golly, is there anything Freddy can’t do?
Turns out, there’s one thing – utilize his critical thinking skills. When Rafael returns to the shop, Freddy welcomes him with plenty of steady income, until Rafael points out all the items aren’t actually broken – the radio was turned off the whole time, the robot just needs to be wound up, and the fridge simply needs a new light bulb. Wow, what a colossal screw up! Only a total imbecile would make such mistakes! When Freddy comes back at the very end of the episode, Rafael is sharpening the kids’ ice skates and Freddy hands Rafael his rollerskates to sharpen! Sheesh! Where’s his head at?!
You know what? I take back everything I’ve said. Freddy is actually the WORST Muppet ever! I can’t believe I wasted any brain power thinking about that chowderhead.
But, as I sit and stew, I realize that’s okay. Not everybody can bat a thousand, even the most creative of geniuses. Jim Henson might not have made a star in Freddy, but he clearly learned from his mistakes and every single thing he did since that episode was 100% flawless. Maybe, in a way, Freddy truly is the most important Muppet in history after all. And you can quote me on that!
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By Shane Keating
