Pino

 Performer: Dirk Grijspeirt (1976) Theo Joling (1977) Bert Plagman (1978) Erik J. Meijer (1979 - 1983) Lejo Dijkgraaf (1984 - 1990) Renée Menschaar (1991 - present) Pino is the Full-Bodied character on Sesamstraat, the Dutch co-production of Sesame Street. His role on the street is similar to Big Bird's, whom he physically resembles.

Pino is a large blue bird that represents the psychological age of a four year old. He is always cheerful and eager to learn new things. He is a little younger than his friends Tommie and Ieniemienie, and sometimes he has a little trouble keeping up with them. Being the youngest, he likes to play with Purk. He is best known for his funny laugh and his catchphrase "Echt waar?!" ("Really?!").

Pino has been a part of the Sesamstraat cast from the beginning in 1976. He started out as a big clumsy dopey bird with a Belgian accent; the first episodes were Dutch/Belgian coproductions. He evolved slowly from an ageless bird who is a little slower than the others to a more childlike Pino.

Pino has had many different performers through the years, including Dirk Grijspeirt (1976), Theo Joling (1977), Bert Plagman (1978), Erik J. Meijer (1979) and Lejo Dijkgraaf (1984). In 1990, Renée Menschaar started performing Pino, and she has been his regular performer ever since. She is the first woman to play Pino, who has always remained a boy character.

Six different Pino puppets have been used through the run of the show. The first Pino, not yet built by Henson, was rather plump and messylooking; through the years he lost a little weight, his white tummy became blue like the rest of his body, his legs grew, and his eyes switched from realistic to cartoonlike, and from blue to black. Pino went through the most drastic change in 1999. In order to make him look younger, his beak was shortened and he got colourful feathers on his head.

From the beginning of the series, Pino lived in a nest. The first Pino nest was on the rooftop, like a storch's nest. It could only be reached by climbing a stepladder. In the 1980's, the nest area was moved downstairs, on a heightened platform. The nest was abandoned in 2005 when the street set became abstract. These days Pino can be seen sleeping on the beach, or in a bedroom with the other puppets.

Big Bird is not featured on Sesamstraat episodes, but he does show up in dubbed versions of movies and specials on DVD, and in the Sesame Street Live shows.

For a while Big Bird was named Pino in merchandise, but after many confusing name mixups -- ("How can Pino be blue AND yellow at the same time?") -- he became Pino's cousin. Big Bird's Dutch name is Neef Jan; Cousin John in English.

Character Merchandise

 * Pino puppet
 * Chosun doll
 * Mattel doll
 * Rubo Toys doll
 * 4 different Pino PVC figures
 * 2 different Pino PVC figures
 * 2 different Pino plastic figures
 * Doudah Pino sculpting putty