Big Bird started a hotline for literacy. The 90s were weird and wonderful.
The video promotes reading skills with various Sesame inserts, along with a new framing sequence where Big Bird operates his own "Reading Hotline."
Acting
Spinney's Big Bird carries the whole hotline operation flawlessly.
Practical Effects
Peak Henson-era puppetry—no CGI, just pure felt magic.
Director
Jon Stone
Sonia Manzano
Maria
Caroll Spinney
Big Bird / Oscar (voice)
Jim Henson
Kermit / Ernie / Bip Bippadotta (voice)
Frank Oz
Bert / Grover / Cookie Monster (voice)
Fran Brill
"OP" Family Song (voice)
Jerry Nelson
"OP" Family Song / Farley / Two-Headed Monster (voice)
Richard Hunt
Two-Headed Monster (voice)
Martin P. Robinson
Old MacDougal / Rocky (voice)
Kevin Clash
Sam / Ferlinghetti Donizetti (voice)
Pam Arciero
Pammy / Honkers (voice)
Dick Maitland
Slimey (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was one of the last projects Jim Henson worked on before his death in 1990—though released later, his voice performances were recorded during his final sessions.
The 'Reading Hotline' format parodied 1-900 psychic hotlines that dominated late-night 90s TV, making this secretly subversive educational satire for exhausted parents.
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