A question for Xeurus about Telly and Mr. Hooper

[AmazingMumford]

This is a question for Xeurus or anyone who knows a lot about Sesame Street from the early 80's. I know there was only about 3 seasons or so when Telly and Mr. Hooper were on the show together. Does anyone know of anything they did together while they were in the show, can you name off some scenes that took place in the store or on the street with these 2? They seem like an unlikely match, but I guess that's cause Telly started becoming popular around the time Mr. Hooper died, and Telly was a brand new charachter toward's the end of Mr. Hooper's time on the show. Well can anyone answer this???

 

[sesameguy]

I happened to be watching the day that Telly Monster made his very first appearance on the show, and the first person he spoke to was Mr. Hooper!

He was not the character we know today. The "Telly" name came from his obsession with television. His eyes, if I recall correctly, were also different - with swirls perhaps.

The scene began in Mr. Hooper's store. Mr. Hooper was standing behind the counter when suddenly the "wild-eyed" Telly ran into the store with an extension chord. He asks Mr. Hooper frantically, "Would you please plug this in?!?" Mr. Hooper plugs the chord into an outlet, and Telly runs outside. Mr. Hooper follows him to find Telly staring into the screen of a small TV set. (He was, as they used to say, much too close to the screen) When they ask him his name, he looks away and says slowly, "I'm. . .Telly Monster."

The segment ends, but a later segment showed a few people trying to pry Telly away from the TV. Thankfully, he quickly gave up his TV obsession. The series of shows where the Fix-It-Shop was rebuilt was where Telly began to come into his own as the "worrisome" character we know.

 

[AmazingMumford]

So Sesameguy, did Telly change from being the Television Monster halfway through the first season he was in? Or was he changed into the Telly we know and love at the begginning of the next Season?

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Yeah, this sounds interesting. I would like to have seen that ep or maybe see a pic of the original wide-eyed Telly.

 

[sesameguy]

There was definitely a gap in time between Telly's first appearance and his later appearance at the reopening of the Fix-It-Shop. He didn't appear in many (if any) segments in between. But I'm not sure if there was a "season break" during that period - It may have been all in the same season. Although I don't remember him specifically in another Telly skit, I think Mr. Hooper was still around during this time, which would put it pre-1983 or so.

 

[AmazingMumford]

So Telly was only the Television Monster for one episode? Or was he seen as the Television Monster more than once? I'm a little confused.

 

[sesameguy]

As far as I know, it was only one episode as the "Television monster." There may have been more, but I didn't see them. The second time I remember seeing Telly was his "second debut" when the Fix-It-Shop was redone. By this time, his TV addiction was gone and he was pretty much the character we know today. The "triangle addiction" would come later.

 

[AmazingMumford]

Thanks Sesame Guy! I am a big Brian Muehl Telly fan so I wonder a lot about what he was like back then. BTW I emailed you a few times. Did you get my Emails?

 

[Xerus]

I remember one classic skit where Telly was going to Mr. Hooper's for some breakfast. Until he saw the CLOSED sign on the door. Telly was worried that Mr. Hooper was closing his store forever. He didn't know was that it was early and Mr. Hooper hadn't come in yet. Then Mr. Hooper opened his shop while Telly wasn't paying attention, still worrying about the out of work Mr. Hooper.

When night came, Mr. Hooper closed the store and Telly saw the sign again and panicked. Mr. Hooper explained that he only closes the store when he's not there and opened up the store and turned back on the lights just to show Telly he can open the store anytime. Telly was so happy and asked Mr. Hooper to make him some breakfast. Even if it was late at night. Mr. Hooper sighed and agreed.

 

[Dantecat]

What year was that skit Xerus?