The Countess



The Countess is the title held by Count von Count's lady friend on Sesame Street. In keeping with his numbers obsession, however, and as the only Sesame Street Muppet with an active love life, the Count has been involved with multiple countesses. The fact that each Countess uses the same pattern and resembles a feminized Count, and is generally listed as simply "The Countess" on albums, has generated confusion. However, at least three of them can be individualized.

Countess Dahling von Dahling
Countess Dahling von Dahling was the Count's first girlfriend. She debuted on Sesame Street in Season 6, and was performed by Fran Brill. This Countess had a pet dog named Masha and spouted a Marlene Dietrich-esque accent and allure.

"The Countess"
The song "Transylvania Love Song," as included on the 1980 Love album, featured the Count in a tender duet with a figure only referred to as "The Countess." Performed by Richard Hunt, she has been designated in subsequent albums as "A Great and Good Friend," suggestive of both their romantic relationship but perhaps also the Count's desire to keep her identity a secret, to avoid arousing jealousy from whichever Countess happens to be the current incumbent.

Countess von Backwards
Countess von Backwards, performed by Camille Bonora, appeared on Sesame Street in Season 28. As indicated by her name, her own obsession lies in counting backwards. When she's finished counting, the howl of a wolf can be heard, in contrast to the Count's thunder and lightning.

Her mother also appeared on the show, and the two performed "I Could Have Counted All Night" with the Count. When the song was included on The Count's Countdown CD, she was identified simply as "The Countess."

Current Status
A Countess has appeared more recently, such as with the Count and Johnny Cash in the late 1990s, and since Season 36, has appeared regularly in "The Number of the Day" sketches (performer unknown). Whether this Countess is von Backwards, von Dahling, or yet another figure is unclear. She does possess a Germanic accent, however, affectionately referring to the Count as "Mein schnitzel."

Book Appearances

 * From Trash to Treasure (1993) (Countess Dahling von Dahling)