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CNN Live Today

'Sesame Street' Smarts

Aired May 12, 2003 - 11:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLL SPINNEY, ACTOR: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here we come. Whoa, I have a feeling we're not on Sesame Street any more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: That's exactly right, Big Bird. This is CNN, as the James Earl Jones voice used to say here. The actor who plays Big Bird is arguably one of the most famous on the planet, yet most people wouldn't recognize him on the street. Well, you will after this hour. Our special guest this hour is sharing what he has learned after some 34 years on Sesame Street. His new book is "The Wisdom of Big Bird, The Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch."

Caroll Spinney is the author, and the master puppeteer, who joins us her in Atlanta.

Nice to see you.

SPINNEY: It's great to be here. I watch this show every day.

HARRIS: We watched you probably more than you watched us. Four thousand 4,000 shows and running you've done.

SPINNEY: Yes. We keep count. We started in the '60s. So that does take a while.

HARRIS: It's a phenomenal story, because I know 34 years ago, you had no idea this was going to get as big as it did.

SPINNEY: No, I didn't. Although, on the very first show, I knew it was going to be different. Matt Robinson played "Gordon." He came out, and he was a producer, too. He was sweating, so a big ring of sweat was showing, and somebody in wardrobe said, we'll change your shirt. And He no, no, said this was going to be called an "Itty, Bitty, Nitty, Gritty, Little, Bitty Kiddy Show," and so they wanted a little nitty gritty, and they had him keep his sweaty shirt. Instead of saying, hi, boys and girls, it's going to be a goody, goody time, he said, "Hey, how you doing? I'm Gordon." All kind of crazy stuff goes on here. He was just so laid back. I said, now that's a good approach. That's different.

HARRIS: Now, the voices that you guys come up with for the characters, how much time did you spend coming up with the voice for Big Bird? SPINNEY: He was a bit of a country bumpkin to begin with, because Jim didn't -- hadn't thought much of what a character would be like. He was interested in the puppet building. But he started out, as I say, "well, here I am." But then a few shows on, I said, you know, I think he should be a child learning along with the children. The producers were all with me. And he was a kid, so his voice got a lot higher and lighter.

But Oscar was another problem.

HARRIS: Yes, now Oscar's voice is probably one of the most recognizable ones from the show. As a matter of fact, Oscar is here, is he not, Oscar?

SPINNEY: I love trash, anything dirty, or dingy or dusty.

Hey, Leon.

HARRIS: You should feel right at home in this place then, Oscar. What is the dark genius Oscar the Grouch, if I can ask you that.

SPINNEY: Well, it's how to make fun out of being rotten. I don't know if that's even in there. But I wake up each day with a smile. That was I get it over with.

But I think, that I get the chance to alternate with being a grouch and being a bird.

HARRIS: Exactly. I mean, those two characters are on both ends of the spectrum. Is that a part of you or what? These two guys, if you combine them, do you get Caroll Spinney?

SPINNEY: I think a little less of Oscar and more of the bird. Once in a while if I'm driving -- somehow in Hawaii, the speed limit is 30; everybody is doing 20, as opposed to the East Coaster, and you know, light changes and nobody's in any hurry to even start up. So that's when I sound a lot like Oscar.

HARRIS: Well, listen...

SPINNEY: I love Hawaii, though.

HARRIS: What is the number one lesson that you've got in this book. It's a great idea. I can't believe you waited this long to write the book, 34 years of doing...

SPINNEY: Yes, I just kind of never got around to it. I always planned on it, talked about it for years. But I worked along the writers -- Jay Milligan (ph), who is on the bottom of the page there, and he is very organized. I wrote the whole book longhand. It's the biggest homework assignment I've ever had. And -- but he turned it into a book, because it indeed assembly. I needed help. And I had it illustrated, and it's got a lot of very funny stories.

HARRIS: But you know what, you don't look eight feet tall to me. How in the heck, do you make Big Bird eight feet tall? SPINNEY: Well, my right hand is helping the bird be so tall, and I hold my arm over my head for quite a while. I could paint ceilings for hours and not tire.

HARRIS: Well, Listen, thanks for painting some great stories and pictures for kids over the years. I thank you for all the kids in my family, and mine own little ones as well.

SPINNEY: Thank you, Leon. Pleasure to meet to you.

HARRIS: Caroll Spinney, the book is "The Wisdom of Big Bird, and The Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch."

Folks, check it out. Caroll Spinney, thank you very much, and good luck, and have fun.

You, too, Oscar.

SPINNEY: Have a rotten day.

HARRIS: That can be arranged.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 12, 2003 - 11:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLL SPINNEY, ACTOR: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Ready or not, here we come. Whoa, I have a feeling we're not on Sesame Street any more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: That's exactly right, Big Bird. This is CNN, as the James Earl Jones voice used to say here. The actor who plays Big Bird is arguably one of the most famous on the planet, yet most people wouldn't recognize him on the street. Well, you will after this hour. Our special guest this hour is sharing what he has learned after some 34 years on Sesame Street. His new book is "The Wisdom of Big Bird, The Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch."

Caroll Spinney is the author, and the master puppeteer, who joins us her in Atlanta.

Nice to see you.

SPINNEY: It's great to be here. I watch this show every day.

HARRIS: We watched you probably more than you watched us. Four thousand 4,000 shows and running you've done.

SPINNEY: Yes. We keep count. We started in the '60s. So that does take a while.

HARRIS: It's a phenomenal story, because I know 34 years ago, you had no idea this was going to get as big as it did.

SPINNEY: No, I didn't. Although, on the very first show, I knew it was going to be different. Matt Robinson played "Gordon." He came out, and he was a producer, too. He was sweating, so a big ring of sweat was showing, and somebody in wardrobe said, we'll change your shirt. And He no, no, said this was going to be called an "Itty, Bitty, Nitty, Gritty, Little, Bitty Kiddy Show," and so they wanted a little nitty gritty, and they had him keep his sweaty shirt. Instead of saying, hi, boys and girls, it's going to be a goody, goody time, he said, "Hey, how you doing? I'm Gordon." All kind of crazy stuff goes on here. He was just so laid back. I said, now that's a good approach. That's different.

HARRIS: Now, the voices that you guys come up with for the characters, how much time did you spend coming up with the voice for Big Bird? SPINNEY: He was a bit of a country bumpkin to begin with, because Jim didn't -- hadn't thought much of what a character would be like. He was interested in the puppet building. But he started out, as I say, "well, here I am." But then a few shows on, I said, you know, I think he should be a child learning along with the children. The producers were all with me. And he was a kid, so his voice got a lot higher and lighter.

But Oscar was another problem.

HARRIS: Yes, now Oscar's voice is probably one of the most recognizable ones from the show. As a matter of fact, Oscar is here, is he not, Oscar?

SPINNEY: I love trash, anything dirty, or dingy or dusty.

Hey, Leon.

HARRIS: You should feel right at home in this place then, Oscar. What is the dark genius Oscar the Grouch, if I can ask you that.

SPINNEY: Well, it's how to make fun out of being rotten. I don't know if that's even in there. But I wake up each day with a smile. That was I get it over with.

But I think, that I get the chance to alternate with being a grouch and being a bird.

HARRIS: Exactly. I mean, those two characters are on both ends of the spectrum. Is that a part of you or what? These two guys, if you combine them, do you get Caroll Spinney?

SPINNEY: I think a little less of Oscar and more of the bird. Once in a while if I'm driving -- somehow in Hawaii, the speed limit is 30; everybody is doing 20, as opposed to the East Coaster, and you know, light changes and nobody's in any hurry to even start up. So that's when I sound a lot like Oscar.

HARRIS: Well, listen...

SPINNEY: I love Hawaii, though.

HARRIS: What is the number one lesson that you've got in this book. It's a great idea. I can't believe you waited this long to write the book, 34 years of doing...

SPINNEY: Yes, I just kind of never got around to it. I always planned on it, talked about it for years. But I worked along the writers -- Jay Milligan (ph), who is on the bottom of the page there, and he is very organized. I wrote the whole book longhand. It's the biggest homework assignment I've ever had. And -- but he turned it into a book, because it indeed assembly. I needed help. And I had it illustrated, and it's got a lot of very funny stories.

HARRIS: But you know what, you don't look eight feet tall to me. How in the heck, do you make Big Bird eight feet tall? SPINNEY: Well, my right hand is helping the bird be so tall, and I hold my arm over my head for quite a while. I could paint ceilings for hours and not tire.

HARRIS: Well, Listen, thanks for painting some great stories and pictures for kids over the years. I thank you for all the kids in my family, and mine own little ones as well.

SPINNEY: Thank you, Leon. Pleasure to meet to you.

HARRIS: Caroll Spinney, the book is "The Wisdom of Big Bird, and The Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch."

Folks, check it out. Caroll Spinney, thank you very much, and good luck, and have fun.

You, too, Oscar.

SPINNEY: Have a rotten day.

HARRIS: That can be arranged.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com