Michael Wermuth, Jr. - Monsterpiece Theater is one of Sesame Street’s best recurring segments. While it’s hosted by Cookie Monster (in the role of Alistair Cookie), it sure does have a lot of variety (being an anthology series of parody segments). So here now is my top ten list of the best Monsterpiece Theater segments.
10. Guys and DollsGuys and Dolls is a great segment in which Herry Monster sings about the fact that some guys like to play with dolls, while the rarely-seen Ruby Monster sings about girls liking to play with trucks. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if the majority of fans only know Ruby from this song. I don’t think I cared much for this song as a kid, but in recent years I’ve found that this segment is very enjoyable.
9. ABCD BlueI first heard about this segment a few years ago, and it is a great segment. Grover and Herry play cops who help kids solve the alphabet. And pretty much any segment with Cookie, Grover, and Herry (even if they don’t all appear together) has to be great.
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
There’s been a number of great Monsterpiece Theater segments in which Cookie Monster keeps introducing the wrong story or the story keeps going wrong, and this is one of them. It’s a great way of teaching the number 1 (which seems hard to do). And it includes a cameo by The Muppet Show chickens!7. Upstairs, Downstairs
I don’t really remember seeing this one as a kid... Grover keeps running up and down the stairs. I’d like to see behind-the-scenes footage or videos of this segment (I wonder if Frank Oz kept getting on his knees and standing up straight, or what). And there’s a photo of Dr. Teeth in the background!
6. Little House on PrairieA funny parody of Little House on the Prairie, with a little house appearing on top of Prairie Dawn, as well as a couple of additional stories, showing a little house under Prairie, and then a little house in Alistair Cookie.
5. Twin Beaks
One of the few times Cookie Monster starred in the Monsterpiece Theater story, and it's my favorite of Cookie Monster's starring roles (on Monsterpiece Theater). This story is really weird and really funny. Cookie Monster plays a detective who tries to figure out why a town full of birds with two beaks is called "Twin Beaks." I especially like the Log Bird scene.4. Me, Claudius
I don’t really remember seeing this one as a child, but I remember watching Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting and seeing a clip from the introduction which took place in a different room than usual, and being very curious about it. The story itself is funny, with various monsters fighting over which one is Claudius, and none of them cooperating or figuring out which one is Claudius. And it’s an opportunity to hear Elmo with a different voice.3. The Taming of the Shoe
Many of the best Monsterpiece Theater segments star Grover, and this one is kind of funny. Grover needs to cooperate with a talking shoe, who refuses to be worn by Grover, but realizes she can’t walk on her own. I also like the music heard at the end of this sketch.
2. Gone with the WindThe only Monsterpiece Theater segment to feature Kermit. This parody of Gone with the Wind involves heavy wind and a lesson in subtraction. Kermit (in the role of “Green”) is paired with Miss Scarlett, who I’m unsure as to whether she’s a frog or a human. The end of this segment, in which Cookie Monster catches and cuddles with a lamb who got blown into the set, is kind of sweet (though it would be funny if Cookie Monster ate the lamb).
1. Chariots of Fur
My favorite of the Monsterpiece Theater segments, I always felt like it was an event whenever this one aired. I listed this as number one in my list of the top ten Sesame Street segments not on DVD and listed it in my Top 41 Sesame Street Moments list, so I won’t talk much more about this, other than the plot involves Grover and Herry running at the beach (and as I said about ABCD Blue, any sketch with Cookie, Grover, and Herry must be great).
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, ryguy102390@gmail.com
