Sonny Friendly

PERFORMER	Richard Hunt 1987-1992
	David Rudman 1992-2000
DEBUT	1987

The Live Hand version of Sonny Friendly

The Little Anything Muppet version of Sonny Friendly

Sonny Friendly, "America's friendliest game show host," first appeared on Sesame Street in Season 18. Most of his game shows are under the umbrella title "Sonny Friendly's Traveling Game Show," which he hosts from various sites all over Sesame Street. His signature phrase is "Are we having a nice day, or what?" to which the unseen studio audience often shouts out "What!" in unison. He is named after TV personality Sonny Fox.

Sonny was first seen in Episode 2274, hosting "The My Best Friend Game Show." The episode's script describes him as "insistently friendly and pathologically congenial." Many Street scenes featuring Sonny have him popping out of nowhere to host one of his game shows (complete with audience, music, and followspots), where often his overbearing affability is played off of the more grounded human characters. Two of Sonny's most common contestants are Maria and Gina, who are roped into playing even though they're fully aware that his game shows almost always involve an adverse outcome. The result is usually either a terrible prize, no prize at all, or a great prize that gets taken away.

Outside of Street storylines, Sonny hosted "Alphabet Treasure Hunt" in the video The Alphabet Game. Sonny also appeared as a guest on Guy Smiley's "What's My Job?" in which panelists had to guess Sonny's occupation. One of Guy's clues is that Sonny's job is like his only Sonny doesn't do it as well. Near the end, Sonny hijacks the program, upstaging Guy as host and treating him like the guest. In the 1990s, Sonny replaced Guy as the host of "The New Here is Your Life." Sonny also hosted "The Crying Game," in which the grand prize was his own teddy bear. The realization of this makes Sonny cry so much that he wins the game and gets to keep his teddy bear.

Sonny Friendly's appearance evolved during his time on the show. The first version of the character was made from the rod hand variant of the Large Lavender Live Hand Anything Muppet pattern. He was rebuilt with live hands for Episode 3224 and his appearances in the following season. After a few years' absence, Sonny reappeared in Episode 3745, reworked as a Little Lavender Anything Muppet. The episode also reveals he has a sister, Sissy Friendly. Sonny made his last appearance in Episode 3911, hosting "What's Prairie's Problem."

In the first season sketch "Pick Your Pet", the name "Sonny Friendly" was used for the character who would later become Guy Smiley.

Game Shows

• "Alphabet Treasure Hunt" (The Alphabet Game)
• "The Brothers and Sisters Game" (Episode 3745)
• "The Choose Your Cheese Challenge" (Episode 3224)
• "The Crying Game" (Episode 3201)
• "Duck for a Day" (Episode 3095)
• "Find Your Prize" (Episode 2572)
• "The Home Game" (Episode 3037)
• "The My Best Friend Game Show" (Episode 2274)
• "Name That Sound!" (Episode 2558)
• "Name That Sound in the Middle of the Night" (Episode 2423)
• "The New Here is Your Life" (Episode 3367, Episode 3384)
• "The Number One Game" (Episode 3374)
• "The Sandwich Game" (Episode 3084, Episode 3102)
• "The Triangle Game" (Episode 3036)
• "What You Read is What You Get" (Episode 3000)
• "What's My Job?" (Episode 2608)
• "What's My Number" (Episode 2422)
• "What's Prairie's Problem" (Episode 3911)
• "When You're Hot, You're Hot!" (Episode 2926)