Kirchberger's first in person visit to Sesamstrasse
Kirchberger in a 2000 episode
In a "Bumfidel" insert
Peter Kirchberger (b. 1943) is a German voice actor based out of Hamburg who was involved with Sesamstrasse since its start. He dubbed Don Music and various Anything Muppets (such as one of Snow White's dwarves) in the early seasons. He later added Snuffy, Biff, and others, including the narrator of the "Connie the Cow" segments. Following the death of Gerd Duwner, he took over as the voice of Ernie from 1997 until 2001, and later as Count von Count as well. He served as a recording director and script adaptor/translator at various times and filled the same capacity on Elmo - das Musical and Das Furchester Hotel.
Kirchberger appeared on-camera on the show periodically, as early as the 1970s in film inserts shot in Hamburg, including as a TV host in a "Bumfidel" segment and as a judo instructor in one of the recurring "Sportverein Hagen Ahrensburg" inserts. He was a guest in street scenes on Sesamstrasse, as an Elvis-like customer at Bettina's shop in a late 1990s episode and then as a hotel guest in 2000.
Kirchberger's live-action dub credits include Elvis Presley in six films and John Candy in five. He dubbed Adam West on Batman, Stephen Fry in Oscar Wilde and on Jeeves and Wooster, David Canary on Bonanza, Joe Santos on The Rockford Files, John Fiedler on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and various Columbo guest stars (including George Hamilton, William Shatner, Little Richard, and Bob Dishy as Sgt. Wilson). He also voice directed several Columbo installments (with dialogue adaptation by Eberhard Storeck).
Cartoon dub roles include Wallace in the Wallace and Gromit franchise and magical little critters on The Smurfs and Barbapapa. Kirchberger was heard, but seldom seen, in several German TV series and films, voicing off-camera radio announcers, police voices, and the like on Percy Stuart, Hamburg Transit, and others.
Outside of dubbing, Kirchberger performed with the German rock group Rudolf Rock & Die Schocker (often doing his Elvis impression) and released a few pop song singles in the late seventies and early eighties. On records and cassettes, he played supporting roles in the Three Investigators series and narrated the Heidi series.
Kirchberger's daughter, Stephanie Kirchberger, later worked as a voice actress on Sesamstrasse-related projects.
Muppet dub credits[]
- Sesamstrasse: Don Music, Ernie (1997-2001), Count von Count (current voice), Biff, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Little Jerry, announcer on "Super Grover 2.0" and "Cookie's Crumby Pictures", other singing and speaking parts; voice director/adaptor, including German lyrics for "Frogs in the Glen" and "Google Bugle"
- Bitte nicht die Bilder essen!: Mr. Snuffleupagus
- Silvester auf der Sesamstrasse: Mr. Snuffleupagus
- Elmo rettet Weihnachten: Mr. Snuffleupagus
- Elmo - das Musical: The Dragon ("Der Prinz und der Drache"); dialogue adaptation/voice director
- Das Furchester Hotel: dialogue adaptation/voice director