Tough Pigs News Extra

January 29, 2002

News Extra Contents

 

Everybody Loves Grover

Sesame Street Veteran Grover Juggles One-Liners with Ray Romano

TV Guide, Feb 2-8, 2002

by Amy Kover

Reprinted entirely without permission

 

What could Ray Romano of Everybody Loves Raymond possibly have in common with a little blue monster named Grover? They're both cuddly and funny -- and that's just for starters.

 

   Sesame Street's 33rd season begins February 4. What does TV's longest-running children's show have in store for this year? For the first time, new learning segments will air at the same time in each episode -- something young children can count on. "At school or day care, children have snack time, story time during the same 15 minutes each day," says Michael Loman, the show's executive producer. "We want to connect the Muppets to that [routine]."

 

   Being a team player, Grover's doing his best to help out. He'll make special guest appearances on "Rosita's Spanish Word of the Day," and he sat down backstage with Romano, this week's guest star, to discuss everything -- including the secret behind Super Grover.

 

 

 

Why do people find you both to be funny?

 

Grover

 

People understand my sophisticated sense of humor, and they get my witty wordplay. They especially appreciate how I never stoop low for a joke. That, and they like seeing a cute and furry monster fall flat on his face every now and then. 

 

Romano

 

They think I'm funny for just the opposite reasons. I will stoop low enough for a laugh, and I'm very bad with wordplay. I'm not  [ long pause ]  good with it.

 

Grover

 

Very well articulated.

 

Romano

 

Yes.  [ Laughs ]  Exactly. And they feel sorry for me.

 

Tell us something special about yourselves that few people know. 

 

Romano

 

I know how to juggle.

 

Wow! Show us.

 

Romano

 

What do you got? Give me a mushroom, give me three tomatoes. I don't lie to Grover.  [ Starts juggling ]

 

Grover

 

Do we have a bowling ball we can throw in there, too?

 

Do you know how to juggle, Grover?

 

Grover

 

Um, yes.

 

Is that what's special about you?

 

Grover

 

No, no, it is not what is special about me. You know, anybody can juggle.

 

Romano

 

Wait a second!

 

Grover

 

This is something that I have not told anybody before. You know Super Grover?

 

Romano

 

Yeah.

 

Grover

 

Well, Super Grover and I, we're actually the same monster.

 

Romano

 

[ aghast ]  I don't -- please!

 

Grover

 

Well, you see this "Super" -- this "Super" -- kind of throws people off. But if you look real closely, our names are very similar.

 

Romano and Grover, together

 

Super Grover and Grover.

 

Romano

 

I never thought of that.

 

Grover

 

Well, there you have it.

 

Romano

 

You never see both of you in the same place at the same time.

 

Grover

 

That's right!

 

Romano

 

Son of a gun.

 

Grover

 

You heard it here first!

 

 

Danny@ToughPigs.com

 

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