2002

Television & Movies

 * Sesame Street Season 33, February 4
 * Play With Me Sesame premieres on Noggin, April 1 (first season)
 * Farscape Season 4 premieres on Sci Fi, June 7 (final season)
 * Kermit's Swamp Years released direct-to-video, September 3
 * It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie premieres on NBC, November 29

International Television

 * Gulliver's Travels airs in Denmark on DR, July 23 (part 1) & July 30 (part 2)
 * I Love Muppets BBC documentary premieres in the UK
 * Elmers Verden (Elmo's World) airs in Denmark on TV2

Appearances

 * Kermit and Miss Piggy appear on The Today Show's 50th anniversary celebration, January 14
 * Note: This is the last known appearance of Frank Oz as Miss Piggy.


 * Bear appears at a Chicago Cubs game, April 26
 * Kermit the Frog on Hollywood Squares, May 13-17
 * Kermit, Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf in a series of Denny's commercials launched May 20
 * Bear appears at a New York Mets game, June 23
 * Kermit the Frog on Jeopardy!, June 28
 * Kermit the Frog on Morning Edition, November 14
 * Kermit and Miss Piggy appear on The Late Late Show, November 14
 * Pepe the King Prawn in series of Long John Silver's commercials
 * Kermit, Miss Piggy, Rizzo, Animal, Gonzo, Sam the Eagle, Fozzie, Pepe the King Prawn, and Rowlf the Dog star in a series of MasterCard commercials
 * Kermit and Miss Piggy on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, November 28
 * Kermit and The Snowths on The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon

Live Appearances

 * Super Grover and Maria at the Stage Deli, February 27
 * Kermit the Frog receives a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, November 14
 * Kermit at Macy's Windows unveiling, November 22
 * Bruce McSpruce auctioned off for the Save the Children Festival of Trees

Video

 * Computer Caper, February 12


 * Bert and Ernie's Word Play, June 11
 * Elmo Visits the Firehouse, September 3


 * Kermit's Swamp Years, September 3


 * Elmo's World: Happy Holidays, September 24
 * Friends to the Rescue

Action Figures

 * Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Action Figure
 * Crash Helmet Gonzo Action Figure
 * Crazy Harry Action Figure
 * Dr. Teeth Action Figure
 * Dr. Teeth Variant Action Figure
 * Electric Mayhem Playset
 * Floyd Pepper Action Figure
 * Fozzie Bear Action Figure
 * Glamour Piggy Action Figure
 * Holiday Kermit Action Figure
 * Invisible Beaker Action Figure
 * Invisible Fozzie Action Figure
 * Kermit Action Figure
 * Muppet Labs Playset
 * Miss Piggy Action Figure
 * Stuntman Gonzo Action Figure
 * Tuxedo Kermit Action Figure
 * Vacation Fozzie Action Figure
 * Vanishing Cream Beaker Action Figure

Video Games

 * Bear in the Big Blue House for GameBoy Color released
 * Muppet Pinball Mayhem released

Storybooks

 * ABC and Me
 * Bear's Valentine's Day

Behind the scenes

 * Eric Jacobson starts to regularly perform Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Animal
 * Although he continues to provide the voices for his Sesame Street characters, as well as the voices of his characters for It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (except Lew Zealand), Jerry Nelson retires from Muppet performing
 * Steve Whitmire starts to regularly perform Statler starting with the "Keep Fishin'" music video

Business

 * The Jim Henson Company sells its half of Hallmark Channel to Crown Media Holdings.
 * Sesame Workshop sells its half of Noggin to Viacom's Nickelodeon.

Music videos

 * "Keep Fishin'" from Maladroit
 * We Are Family

Stage Shows

 * Bear in the Big Blue House Live presents, Bear in the Big Blue House Live's A First Time for Everything

Muppet Character Debuts

 * Takalani Sesame: Kami

Muppet Character Exits

 * Sesamstrasse: Buh

Parades

 * Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade features a Sesame Street Float, and the debut of the Kermit Balloon. Al Roker interviews Kermit and Miss Piggy for the occasion, November 28

People

 * Matt Robinson dies, August 5