PERFORMER | Martin P. Robinson |
DEBUT | 1979 |
Irvine is Oscar the Grouch's niece, herself a baby Grouch. She has a tendency to scream and cry very often. Her parents are not seen in the series.
She was first seen on Sesame Street in season 10 (Episode 1216) and appeared up through season 30. She made a return appearance in a 2016 video for Sesame Street in Communities. (YouTube)
In her first appearances on the show, she was referred to as "Irving," but the name was changed to "Irvine" by season 12.
Irvine can also be spotted in the finale of The Muppets Take Manhattan.
Performer and puppet history[]
In her first appearance, Irvine was performed by Bob Payne. Michael Earl performed the character in seasons 11 and 12 before Martin P. Robinson took over in 1981. She was also performed by David Rudman in Episode 2626 and 2737 (scene 4 only), and Jim Martin in Episode 2810 when Robinson was performing Telly during the same scenes.
The puppet used for Irvine first appeared in Episode 1673 as Baby Grouch. Prior to Episode 1723, the character was originally made from other small, stock Grouch puppets. The Irvine puppet, stripped of her hair and bonnet, was used in Follow That Bird and The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland as various background Grouches. It was also used as a baby Oscar in Episode 2313.
Notes[]
- A similar looking Grouch nephew of Oscar's (performed by Richard Hunt) appears in Episode 0897.
- Irvine's age has fluctuated over the years. In her initial appearance, Oscar says she's nine months old, but in Episode 1335 she is seven months old.
- Starting in season 22, the Irvine puppet is given an eyebrow mechanism, just like her uncle.
Episodic Appearances[]
- Season 10: 1216
- Season 11: 1335, 1368
- Season 12: 1556
- Season 13: 1673, 1684
- Season 14: 1713, 1723, 1779, 1782, 1826
- Season 15: 1871
- Season 16: 1966, 1974, 2053
- Season 17: 2123, 2140
- Season 18: 2254, 2298
- Season 19: 2402
- Season 20: 2492, 2529, 2596, 2606
- Season 21: 2626, 2630, 2681, 2682, 2691, 2710, 2737
- Season 22: 2751, 2785, 2810, 2851
- Season 23: 2976, 2993, 3000
- Season 24: 3065, 3122
- Season 26: 3337, 3384
- Season 27: 3492, 3522
- Season 28: 3609, 3638
- Season 29: 3744
- Season 30: 3811, 3826
Video appearances[]
- Learning About Letters (1986)
- Lead Away! (1996)
- Language to Literacy (2000)
Book appearances[]
- Who's Who on Sesame Street (1989 and 1994 editions)
- 1-2-3 (1991)
- What Makes You Giggle? (2007)
- Over on Sesame Street (2012)
- Elmo's Lift and Slide ABC (2019)