Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures is an animated series developed by Sesame Workshop in which clay-animated versions of Bert and Ernie use their imaginations to travel to strange places and into entertaining situations.
The shorts were shown in the United States as inserts on Sesame Street, appearing irregularly from Season 39 through Season 43 and only occasionally since. Internationally, the shorts are shown as a standalone series in various overseas markets; the first season debuted in September 2008.[1] The animation for the series was produced by Italy's Misseri Studio. Two seasons of 26 five-minute episodes each were produced.
The characters' performers, Steve Whitmire and Eric Jacobson, provide the voices for the American Great Adventures segments. Additional voices are provided by Sesame puppeteers Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Joey Mazzarino, and Tyler Bunch.
Each episode begins with Bert and Ernie climbing into their beds for a night's sleep. Suddenly, Bert's bed starts shaking and tapping, and Ernie hops aboard as the bed flies out of their apartment and into their next great adventure. Each adventure has Bert and Ernie in a new location and a new situation. Sometimes they're accompanied by Bert's trusted pigeon-friend Bernice or Ernie's toy Rubber Duckie. Often they encounter new and old friends, and also adversaries, along the way.
The segment's theme song was written by Sarah Durkee (lyrics), Michael Abbott, and Joseph Franco.
Episodes[]
Season 1[]
Season 2[]
Notes[]
"This is kinda kicky!"
- The lyrics for the opening song were changed in Season 40. In the first season of episodes, Bert said, "This is kinda kicky!" In the second season, the word "kicky" was changed to "catchy."
- Ernie and Bert were previously seen molded in clay form by Stef de Reuver for the 1996 book Where's the Duckie?
- The "Secret Agents" episode received the Gold Award for the Children's Animation category at the 2009 World Media Festival as well as being a selection at the 2009 Annecy Animation Festival.
International broadcast[]
Early promotional image featuring original title.
Promotional image.
Promotional image.
The segment was added to Galli Galli Sim Sim in 2013, for its sixth season.[2]
It aired as a standalone program or as part of a Sesame lineup on the following stations:
- Asia: Disney Channel Asia
- Australia: ABC (2008-present), Seven Network (2009-2016), 9Go! (2016-present)
- Canada: Treehouse
- Finland: Yle TV2 (as a segment on Pikku Kakkonen)
- Ireland: TG4
- Italy: Rai 3 and Rai Yoyo
- Japan: As a segment on My Disney Junior.
- Germany (Ernie und Bert im Land der Träume): NDR, KIKA
- India: Cartoon Network
- Israel: Hop! Channel
- Latin America: Discovery Kids Latin America (as part of 3, 2, 1 Vamos!)
- The Netherlands: (De avonturen van Bert en Ernie): previously NPS, currently NTR, as part of Z@ppelin children's TV
- Nigeria: Arewa 24 - available in English and Hausa
- Norway (Bernt og Erling på nye eventyr): NRK - the show airs on both NRK1 and NRK Super
- Poland (Niezwykłe przygody Berta i Erniego): MiniMini, as part of the Sezamkowy Zakątek programming block
- Spain: Disney Channel Spain
- Sweden (Bert och Ernie på äventyr): Airing on SVT's Barnkanalen
- UK: Five's Milkshake preschool block
- Ukraine: Sonce TV
- Portugal: RTP
Credits[]
- Executive Producers: Arlene Sherman, Lisa Simon, Birgit Ponten, Holger Hermesmeyer, Nick Wilson
- Producer: Gina Maria Misseri
- Directors: Monica Fibbi, Francesco Misseri, Gina Maria Misseri
- Head Writer: Luis Santeiro
- Writers: Billy Aronson, Sara Compton, Sarah Durkee, J Milligan, Mark Saltzman, Nancy Sans, Luis Santiero, P. Kevin Strader, Rodney Stringfellow
- Music: Charles P. Roth