You gotta love classic Sesame Street. Remember the Twiddlebugs, that family of insects who lived in Ernie's window box? Sesame Workshop, which recently announced a new animated program featuring Bert and Ernie, have also announced a series of three-minute CGI shorts featuring the cuddly bugs. Muppet News Flash reports the shorts will pop up some time in 2008, but where exactly is still unknown.
The Twiddlebugs, named Tina, Thomas, Teddy and Tessie, first appeared on Sesame Street in 1972. The squeaky-voiced bugs used random objects to build and furnish their milk carton home, such as buttons and thimbles. Below is a clip from Sesame Street featuring a CGI version of the Twiddlebugs, which will give you some idea what the new series will look like. I've also posted a classic Twiddlebugs clip, because, frankly, I prefer the puppet version. I'm not against CGI, but I'll take the original Muppets over those sterile and inflated-looking computer versions any day.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-06-2007 @ 10:44AM
Paul Hillsdon said...
I'm surprised at how well done the CGI is. It's obviously not Pixar quality, but it's way better than most TV-type graphics. I wonder if it was done by Henson, which dipped into CG here and there.
It's hard to say which to keep. The transition from Muppet to CG felt a bit weird, but you could tell the animators enjoyed the freedom the digital character allowed them. The movements were very fluid and the shots were varied.
Let's say I liked them both! :)
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3-06-2007 @ 8:02PM
Wild Bill said...
Duuude, Twiddlebugs. Good find. Those little buggers inspired all the trash dioramas that found it's way to the coffee table when I was a kid. Mom's still proud.
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3-09-2007 @ 9:06PM
Stacy said...
Ernie and Bert and the Twiddlebugs in stop animation and CGI? Jim Henson is rolling over in his grave. I can't even imagine a world without his puppets, but this feels like the beginning...
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