Sesame Street: A Very Grouchy Halloween

Sesame Street: A Very Grouchy Halloween is a Halloween special which first aired on HBO on October 20, 2019 to coincide with Sesame Street's 50th anniversary, with an additional broadcast on PBS three days later.

The afternoon before Halloween, Oscar the Grouch receives an invitation to tour the basement of the castle once inhabited by Count von Count's late ancestor, the Grandcount Belugosi, which is said to have been abandoned for a third of a century. Sesame Street's resident Grouch must come face-to-face with ghosts who look (and act) eerily similar to the monsters, people and animals he lives with, and must escape the castle before midnight. Along the way, Oscar has to deal with the Grandcount's wicked great-granddaughter, Countess Treach (the runt of the Count's family), who, backed up by Modo and Hugo (two gargoyles who are really bad at being evil), rules the Grandcount's domain with an iron fist. She feigns interest in marrying Oscar by tricking him into believing she is an honorary Grouch (with the intention of killing the Grouch soon after their marriage is finalized).

The exteriors (and some interiors) of the Grandcount's castle were filmed at the Jim Henson Company lot in Los Angeles, California, while the Sesame Street scenes (and most of the castle interiors) were filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York as usual. Sequences featuring stop-motion puppets of the Sesame Street Muppets are also included, designed and animated by L.A.-based Screen Novelties.

Characters
Muppets: Abby Cadabby, Alice Snuffleupagus, The Amazing Mumford, Athena, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Barkley, Benny Rabbit, Bert, Betty Lou, Biff, The Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, Bip Bippadotta, Brad, Bruno the Trashman, The Busby Twins, Buster the Horse, Chicago the Lion, Chip and Dip, Clementine, Cookie Monster, Cookie Monster's Mommy, Count von Count, Curly Bear, Daniel, Deena, Dingers, Dr. Nobel Price, Don Music, Elena, Elizabeth, Elmo, Ernestine, Ernie, Farley, Ferlinghetti Donizetti, Forgetful Jones, Francine Lloyd Wright, Frazzle, Fred the Wonder Horse, Freddy, Ftateeta and the Bats, Georgie, Gladys the Cow, Glo Worm, Gonger, Grandcount Belugosi, Granny Bird, Granny Fanny Nesselrode, Grouches, Grover, Grover's Mommy, Grundgetta, Guy Smiley, Harvey Kneeslapper, Herb, Herry Monster, Honkers, Hoots the Owl, Horatio the Elephant, Humphrey, Ingrid, Irvine, Joey and Davey Monkey, Julia, Lefty the Salesman, Little Bird, Little Murray Sparkles, Louie, Lulu, Maggie Cadabby, Mae, Mama Bear, The Martians, Merry Monster, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Modo and Hugo, Monty, Mrs. Crustworthy, Murray Monster, Old MacDonald, Oscar the Grouch, Oscar's Mother, Ovejita, Papa Bear, Placido Flamingo, Poco Loco, Polly Darton, Prairie Dawn, Preston Rabbit, Professor Hastings, Ricardo, Roosevelt Franklin, Rosa, Rose, Rosita, Roxie Marie, Ruby, Rudy, SAM the Robot, Samuel, Shelley the Turtle, Sherlock Hemlock, Simon Soundman, Slimey, Stinky the Stinkweed, Telly Monster, Tessie Twiddlebug, Thomas Twiddlebug, The Three Little Pigs, Timmy Twiddlebug, Tina Twiddlebug, Two-Headed Monster, Wanda Cousteau, Wolfgang the Seal, Zoe

Background Muppets: Alfred Duck, Alligator, AM Monsters, Anything Muppets, Bear, Billy Monster, Blue Jay, Bruce Monster, Butch the Tiger, Camel, Casey, Chickens, Clancy, Colambo, Collie, Crow, David Attenbird, Dawg the Dog, Dimples the Dog, Ducks, Duke the Horse, Gabrielle, Goat, Googel, Harry Monster, Harvey Monster, Helena, Herbert Birdsfoot, Iago, Imogene, Karina the Ballerina, Kathleen the Cow, Kermit the Forg, Kingston Livingston III, Leo Birdelli, Madame Chairbird, Marian, Marissa, Maurice Monster, Max the Magnificent, Mel, Narf, Parker Monster, Pearl, Penguins, Pigeons, Pigs, Phoebe, Preposterous, Rocky the Cat, Rodeo Rosie, Roosevelt Franklin's Mother, Segi, Sheep, Sherry Netherland, Shivers the Penguin, Skunk, Sloppy, Snake, Sonny Friendly, Stuie Monster, Stuntkip, Sully, Super Chicken, Toucan, Watson

Photographed Muppets: Abelardo Montoya, The Count's Grandparents, The Countess, Countess Dahling von Dahling, Countess von Backwards, Count von Count's Brother, Ernest the Grouch, Felix the Grouch, Mama Countess, Masha, Moishe Oofnik, Teeny Little Super Guy

Credits
Executive Producers BROWN JOHNSON BENJAMIN LEHMANN

Produced by KEN SCARBOROUGH AUTUMN P. ZITANI STEFANO, M.A.

Directed by RICK FERNANDES SCOTT PRESTON

Written by JOE FALLON ANDREW MORIARTY

Starring WILLIAM ATHERTON HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN GRACIE DZIENNY KURT FULLER JULIE GONZALO STEVE HARVEY JAMES MONROE IGLEHART DOUG JONES CHRIS KNOWINGS PAUL LEVESQUE SUKI LOPEZ STEPHANIE McMAHON ALAN MURAOKA ROSCOE ORMAN PATTON OSWALT DEVON SAWA ALEX TREBEK PEYTON WICH

with the voices of MARK HAMILL J.K. SIMMONS

and special guest appearances by KERMIT THE FROG and MISS PIGGY

The Sesame Street Muppet Players PAM ARCIERO JENNIFER BARNHART WARRICK BROWNLOW-PIKE TYLER BUNCH LESLIE CARRARA-RUDOLPH FRANKIE CORDERO STEPHANIE D'ABRUZZO RYAN DILLON STACEY GORDON CHRIS THOMAS HAYES ERIC JACOBSON JOHN KENNEDY PETER LINZ CARMEN OSBAHR MARTIN P. ROBINSON DAVID RUDMAN MATT VOGEL

with special appearance by KAREN PRELL

Additional Muppet Performers HEATHER ASCH JAKE BAZEL TAU BENNETT RICKEY BOYD WESTON CHANDLER LONG AUSTIN COSTELLO MARK GALE LIZ HARA ANDY HAYWARD HALEY JENKINS KATHLEEN KIM SPENCER LOTT LARA MacLEAN NOEL MacNEAL AMANDA MADDOCK PAUL McGINNIS ANDREW MORIARTY JOEY RUDMAN ANDY STONE JOHN TARTAGLIA JACK VOGEL JAMES WOJTAL ERIC WRIGHT BRYANT YOUNG

L.A. Muppet Performers GRANT BACIOCCO ALICE DINNEAN BRIAN JONES DONNA KIMBALL TIM LAGASSE ALISON MORK COLLEEN SMITH

CAST

Special Production & Puppet Design by PAUL ANDREJCO (Puppet Heap Workshop, LLC) EDWARD EYTH PATRICK JOHNSON & SEAN JOHNSON (Swazzle Inc.) JIM KROUPA & JOHN ORBERG (3/Design Studio) MICHAEL LATINI & MARC PETROSINO (Monkey Boys Productions) RICK LYON (The Lyon Puppets)

Special Costume Design by LISA DAVIS

Puppets, Costumes & Props by The Jim Henson Company NY Creature Shop MATT VOGEL (Puppet Captain) HEATHER ASCH RONALD BINION DAVID BIZZARO ERIN SLATTERY BLACK MARY BREHMER MATT BROOKS BRIAN CARSON ED CHRISTIE JOHN CODY CAROLE SIMMS D'AGOSTINO ANDREA DETWILER ROSA DOUGLAS BEN DUROCHER VICTORIA ELLIS BOB FLANAGAN JOEL GENNARI VANESSA GIFFORD GILLIS JAMES GODWIN BRIAN HAIMES TYLER HALL LIZ HARA PAUL HARTIS MICHELLE HICKEY ANN MARIE HOLDGRUEN J. DOUGLAS JAMES ROLLIE KREWSON SARAH LAFFERTY KARI LOVE LARA MacLEAN AMANDA MADDOCK CASEY MILLER TOM NEWBY ANNEY FRESH OZAR CONSTANCE PETERSON JANE PIEN KIP RATHKE LILY ROSEN STEPHEN ROTONDARO KATE RUSEK SIERRA SCHOENING MICHAEL SCHUPBACH JESSICA SIMON POLLY SMITH KEELY SNOOK DAVID PARKINSON VALENTINE JASON WEBER STACEY WEINGARTEN JAMES WOJTAL

Special Ghost Muppets Created by The Jim Henson Company LA Creature Shop JANE GOOTNICK (Puppet Captain) GREG BALLORA ROBERT H. BENNETT CAROL BINION JOHN CRISWELL GRETCHEN CROOKES ARTIE ESPOSITO ALEX "JURGEN" FERGUSON BJ GUYER SCOTT JOHNSON TIM LAGASSE FRANK LANGLEY GREG MANION MICHAEL OOSTEROM TIM ROSE DAVID SKELLY NORMAN TEMPIA RUSS WALKO JULIE ZOBEL with JULIANNE BUESCHER DREW MASSEY JESS McKAY VICTOR YERRID

Production (Henson) MELISSA CREIGHTON GABRIELLA DEGENNARO RICHARD DYAR JONATHAN EHRICH CAROLYN FANELLI JOSEPH RODDY

Stop-Motion Puppet Sequences Designed & Animated by Screen Novelties LIZ ALLEN CAMERON BAITY MARK CABALLERO BRIAN CAPATI SHELBY CAPATI DEXTER CASERES JEFF CROSS FRANK DURAN WILLY FAIR DAN FIELD CHRIS FINNEGAN YOOSEON VERONICA HWANG STEPHANIE JAMES JOHN JOYCE DICK KANESHIRO MISHA KLEIN EVAN KOEHNE PAULA LATERBACH ADRIAN ROSE LEONARD BARNEY MARQUEZ KELLY MAZUROWSKI MARGARET MEYER JEANETTE MOFFAT TENNESSEE REID NORTON LEAH N. OLBRICH MELISSA PIEKAAR CHRISTOPHER RABILWONGSE NIKKI RICE CESAR ROMERO ROB RONNING ROB SAUNDERS JOE SCHMIDT TOM SMITH JENNIFER SOSINSKI JENNIFER STAVISH REBECCA STILLMAN CHRISTOPHER SWANSON ZACH TOLCHINSKY DAVID WADDLE ROBIN WALSH SEAMUS WALSH SIMONE WILLIAMS MAX WINSTON