Grover
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This page is about a Sesame Street character. For other uses, see Grover (disambiguation).
Grover is a friendly, very likable, childlike Muppet in the children's television show Sesame Street. He is without a trace of guile. His character is multi-talented, taking on many different roles and professions throughout the series run. However, in recent years, his role on Sesame Street has decreased in favor of Elmo, who represents a younger child with whom the target demographic can presumably identify.
Grover describes himself as a "cute, furry, adorable monster." He is fuzzy and blue (though he was brown in the first season), and much like other Muppets on the show in appearance. Grover does not use contractions when speaking, giving him a distinctive vocal pattern unlike other Sesame Street characters, all of which tend to be child-like. In addition to his distinctive vocal pattern, Grover displays a wide array of eloquent and erudite articulation, suggesting a high level of education and sophistication for a 'monster'. Furthermore, he occasionally breaks the 'monster fourth wall' and references something for his 'grown-up' viewers
He is genuinely selfless and over-zealously concerned for others. Though he is usually aloof to the stress his enthusiasm causes others when he assists. (See Fat Blue)
In When Grover Moved to Sesame Street, it is learned that Grover has a toy named Teddy Monster, and an exotically-finned goldfish.
Grover, along with Elmo, is one of the more popular characters created during the show's run, partially for his distinct manner of speaking and for his numerous imaginary adventures (particularly as Super Grover), with which children easily identify. He is also shown in several skits as a waiter in a restaurant who always serves the same bald blue human muppet customer (Fat Blue) and while Grover tries his very best to satisfy him, he never quite gets it right which results in the customer getting really frustrated, sometimes to the point of fainting.
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[edit] Appearances
The Grover character appeared in the following memorable skits:
- 'Purple and poka dot'
- 'Captain Vegetable' "... with my carrot, and my celery ..."
- 'Over and Under and Through'
- 'Sharing', with Grover and Prairie Dawn
- Grover takes the stairs, while Kermit takes the elevator
- Grover and Herry Monster as policemen singing the alphabet (may only be shown on Plaza Sesamo.)
- 'Darnce', with Grover and Wayne Sleep
- 'Professor Grover's Tub Tips' with his mother.
- The Super Grover series
- Various Professor Grover skits
- Various skits at Charlie's Restaurant, commonly as a waiter messing up situations for the Fat Blue Muppet character
- Lena Horne singing to him when he was shy
He is perhaps most remembered for the now famous "Near, Far" sketch, in which he demonstrated the positional concepts until he fainted from exhaustion, and also for his role as Super Grover.
[edit] Behind the scenes
Grover was originally performed by puppeteer (now film director) Frank Oz. Since Oz has left the series, newcomer Eric Jacobson has taken over the role. Many note the similarity between Grover's voice and that of Yoda, also an Oz character (this one from Star Wars).
Grover may have been named after former U.S. president Grover Cleveland. It is also speculated, however, that the Muppet Workshop and Sesame Workshop chose this name because it was out of vogue and unlikely to unintentionally offend many viewers.
[edit] Books
In the children's book "The Monster at the End of This Book", Grover goes through greater and greater efforts to keep the reader from turning the pages of the book, because there is a monster at the end of the book. Despite Grover nailing pages together and building a brick wall to block access to the end of the book, eventually the reader does reach the end of the book, where it is discovered that Grover is, in fact, the monster at the end of the book.
[edit] International
Sesame Street is localised for some different markets, and Grover is often renamed.
- In Germany his name is 'Grobi', which seems like a diminutive to the German 'grob' meaning 'rough' or 'rude'.
- In Portugal he is 'Gualter' (Walter).
- In Spain he is called 'Coco'.
- In Latin America, he is known as 'Archibaldo'.
- In Brazil he is known as "El pinchy Tore"
- In Norway, he's known as 'Gunnar'.
However the name Grover is used unaltered in the Netherlands and Sweden.
