 | |
| PERFORMER | various |
| DEBUT | 1979 |
| DESIGN | Ed Christie designer/builder |
The tiger's modern Sesame Street appearance.
Butch is a Bengal tiger who made various appearances on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.
He was the first Muppet designed and built by Ed Christie, originally appearing on Sesame Street as a saber-toothed tiger (performed by Brian Muehl) in the "Caveman Days: Toothbrush" sketch.[1]
A slightly different version of the puppet was used for The Muppet Show starting in season 4. The tiger was named onscreen in episode 416 (performed by Jim Henson), when he teamed up with a lion as "Butch and Sundance," running away from an animal training act. Like its Sesame counterpart, this puppet was also used as a saber-toothed tiger on The Muppet Show in episodes 513 and 516. Butch was later seen as an audience member on Muppets Tonight and later reworked as Mrs. Tiger for Mopatop's Shop.
A modified version of the Sesame Street puppet appeared as Tungar the Tiger on Panwapa, and has continued to be used on Sesame Street (performed on several occasions by Matt Vogel as early as Episode 4102). While this version now sports white eyes, the Muppet Show version retains its yellow ones.
Filmography
- Sesame Street
- Sketches: Caveman Days: Toothbrush, Manny's Casting Office (Michael Earl), "When I Listen", How the King Got His Kazoo, On Vacation with Guy Smiley (Martin P. Robinson), News Flash: Miami Mice, Calling All Pigeons (Jerry Nelson), "The Most Important Meal of the Day", Letter E Cookie (Jim Martin), Elmo's World: Wild Animals, "In My Book" (Kevin Clash), Sounds of the Street, "The Sesame Street Alphabet", "Me Want It (But Me Wait)", Karate Master the Musical, Name That Emotion, Smart Cookies: The Hidden Teething Biscuit
- Episodes: 2799, 2860, 3129 (Robinson), 3139, 3145 (Martin), 3156, 3220, 3275 (Martin), 3948, 3985 (Robinson), 4102, 4225, 4308 (John Kennedy), 4414, 4603, 4720, 4927 (Robinson), 5417
- The Word of the Day: Nibble, Strategy, Translate, Empty
- The Muppet Show
- Episode 404: Dyan Cannon
- Episode 410: Kenny Rogers
- Episode 416: Jonathan Winters (performed by Jim Henson)
- Episode 422: Andy Williams (performed by Jerry Nelson)
- Episode 509: Debbie Harry
- Episode 513: Tony Randall ("Yakety Yak," performed by Jerry Nelson)
- Episode 516: Gladys Knight ("Alley Oop")
- Episode 517: Hal Linden ("Just an Old Fashioned Girl")
- Episode 524: Roger Moore ("Talk to the Animals," performed by Dave Goelz)
- Little Muppet Monsters
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
- The Ghost of Faffner Hall
- Sing, Hoot & Howl with the Sesame Street Animals
- Muppets Tonight (in audience)
- Mopatop's Shop
- Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt (as Mr. Stripey)
- Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Sources
- ↑ The Barretta Brothers: Episode #7, with Ed Christie, July 11, 2020 (YouTube) (1:22:50)