Jules Verne

80 days with Wilkins Coffee

Around the World in 80 Days, as availible at the Sesame Street Library.

Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist best known for his adventure stories, usually incorporating exploration, technology, and science themes and contributing significantly to the development of science-fiction. His books, while sometimes delving into pure fantasy, anticipated such actual advances as the submarine, moon exploration, compressed global travel, and light-propelled space vessels.

Some of his best known books include Around the World in 80 Days (1873), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), and Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864). Most of his books have been adapted multiple times to other media, including film, television, and of course, the Muppets. The 2004 film version of Around the World in 80 Days included digital effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

References

• The earliest known reference to Around the World in 80 Days was in a Wilkins Coffee commercial, with a top-hatted Wilkins in the Phileas Fogg role. After dropping Wontkins out of the balloon, he remarks with satisfaction that it will be just him and Wilkins Coffee for 80 days.
• In a Simon Soundman sketch on Sesame Street, the colonel (in his club) attempts to tell Simon the story of how he went around the world in 80 days... without sleep. (As a result, he keeps dozing off.) (EKA: Episode 1781)
• The Sesame Street 1978 Calendar took as its theme "Around the World in 365 Days."
• The third season Muppet Babies episode "Around the Nursery in 80 Days," as the title indicates, features Around the World in 80 Days prominently. Kermit takes the role of "Phileas Frogg," and includes a scene focusing on the wager which starts the adventure. The babies also change modes of transportation, as in the novel, when coping with difficulties.
• In the first season Muppet Babies episode "Close Encounters of the Frog Kind," Robin leaps into 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a favorite story of Count von Count, as expected. In Sesame Street episode 2423 (1988), the Count wants to use David's VCR to watch 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. At the end of a "Count's Storybook Theatre" sketch (EKA: Episode 3147), he mentions the book as his next tale.
• The Count checks out both 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in 80 Days from the library in episode 3339 of Sesame Street (1995).
• In the story "What Shall We Play" from Stories to Share (1991), Chester the frog wants to play "20,000 Leagues Under the Pond."
• In the 1996 Sesamstraat album Kompe Dompe Doeli, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is one of the books in Uncle Rudolf's box.
• The Muppet Babies tackled another Verne book in the fourth season episode "Journey to the Center of the Nursery" (mostly in title and the concept of traveling inside the earth itself.)
• A MuppetToons installment from 2000 was titled "Journey to the Center of the Cyberverse."

Connections

• Pierce Brosnan played Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days (1989 miniseries)
• Red Buttons played Donald O'Shay in Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962 film)
• Barbara Eden played Susan Gale in Five Weeks in a Balloon (1962 film)
• John Gielgud played Foster in Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)
• Hermione Gingold played a sporting lady in Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film)
• James Mason played Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film) and Professor Lindenbrook in Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959 film)
• Robert Morley played Ralph in Around the World in 80 Days (1956 film) and Wentworth in Around the World in 80 Days (1989 miniseries)
• Vincent Price played Robur in Master of the World (1961 film)
• Omar Sharif played Captain Nemo in The Mysterious Island (1973 film)