The Penguins are mostly nameless and undifferentiated from one another. Generally playful and wacky in nature, they have appeared in many Muppet productions (sometimes in places where penguins are not commonly seen). They are best known for tossing themselves into the air. The Muppet Penguins usually communicate with sounds that penguins would make, but they have spoken a few times. In The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, the Muppet penguins are referred to by Scooter as "unisex" (gender androgynous or applicable to male and female), reflecting the fact that they function as a collective, identical and indistinguishable.
The Muppet Show
Brian Henson built the very first Muppet penguin, which was used by Frank Oz for the "Lullaby of Broadway" on The Muppet Show Episode 304.[2] He was given the name Winky Pinkerton in episode 308. He was the only penguin in the cast until four penguins popped up in episode 320's "Hawaiian War Chant." The complete group of penguins appeared for the first time in episode 321, in which one of them is the first Muppet affected by the Cluckitis. In episode 424, a supposed penguin affirms that he's a flamingo disguised with a tuxedo. Groups of penguins include the Pilgrim Penguins and the Endangered Species Chorus Line.
Other Muppet Productions
Penguins are featured as musicians in the orchestra pit in a few Muppet productions. In Muppet*Vision 3D, Nicky Napoleon and His Emperor Penguins appeared in both puppet and animatronic form. The penguins also provided the background music for Little Muppet Monsters.
There was also Charlotte the Penguin who appeared in The Animal Show episode "Penguin & Kiwi." In the episode "Indian Elephant and Human," it is shown that a penguin serves as a camera operator for the show.
Nellie Penguin also made an appearance on an episode of Mopatop's Shop.
On The Muppets, Miss Piggy kept a baby penguin, whom she named Gloria Estefan, after smuggling her back from a vacation in Argentina.
The 2018 Muppet Babies series introduced Summer Penguin as a main character in the Muppet Babies group.
Sesame Street
Shivers the Penguin, a Caroll Spinney character, made a few appearances in the early 1980s. However, it would not be until the early '90s that an entire array of Muppet penguins would have a more recurring prominence on Sesame Street. These penguins vary slightly from those on The Muppet Show, mostly notably in possessing orange eyelids and light gray beaks. A team of penguin softball players appeared on episode 4072, while episode 4112 featured a graduating class of penguins. An entire episode of Elmo's World was dedicated the antarctic bird, including one Caesar Penguin. Telly would also sing a song about having "Six Penguins in My Shirt" in a Season 39 episode.
An Elmo the Musical segment features Elmo as a pilot flying a penguin bride-to-be to her wedding.
- International Sesame Street
A blue-billed penguin named Georges appears on 5, Rue Sésame, the most recent French Sesame Street co-production.
Filmography
- Sesame Street
- The Muppet Show
- The Muppets Go to the Movies
- The Muppets Take Manhattan
- Little Muppet Monsters
- The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
- A Muppet Family Christmas
- National Wildlife Federation
- Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along
- The Muppet Traffic Safety Show
- The Jim Henson Hour
- The Ghost of Faffner Hall
- The Cosby Show
- The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson
- Muppet*Vision 3D
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- Billy Bunny's Animal Songs
- The Animal Show
- Muppets Tonight
- Muppets from Space
- Mopatop's Shop
- Muppet RaceMania
- The Muppet Show Live
- Kermit's Swamp Years
- It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie
- Keep Fishin' Music Video
- Spy Muppets: License to Croak
- Good Morning America
- America's Funniest Home Videos
- The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
- Statler & Waldorf: From the Balcony
- 5, Rue Sesame
- Disney Xtreme Digital
- Muppet viral videos
- Studio DC Hosted by Selena Gomez
- A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa
- Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. commercials
- Andrea Bocelli & David Foster: My Christmas
- The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora
- The X Factor
- AMC Theatres
- The Muppets
- Kermit's Party
- Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular
- Muppets Most Wanted
- Disney Drive-On with The Muppets
- The Muppets 2015 Presentation Pilot
- The Muppets Take the Bowl
- The Muppets Take the O2
- Muppets Now
Merchandise
- A pair of Penguins Action Figures were released by Palisades Toys in 2005.
Sources
- ↑ Brian Henson Introductions
- ↑ The Muppet Show Fan Club Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 4