Sherlock Hemlock
Encyclopedia
Sherlock Hemlock is a former Muppet character on the children's TV show Sesame Street
. His catchphrase is "Egad!" which he exclaims whenever he makes a discovery. Sherlock Hemlock was performed by Jerry Nelson
.
, Guy Smiley
, and The Amazing Mumford, is still a popular main character on Sesamstrasse, the German version of the show.
and the stereotypical detective. He wears a similar hat and cloak and looks at everything through a magnifying glass
. However, his name also seems to be a reference to hemlock
, the poisonous plant used to kill the philosopher Socrates
.
He appears to have been originally made from a green Anything Muppet.
opens his lunch box to find that half of his sandwich is missing, so he asks Sherlock Hemlock to help him figure out who took the missing half. After analyzing some clues like leftover bread crusts ("many people think bread crust is yucky" Sherlock says), they come to the conclusion that Sherlock ate half of the sandwich, and he asks for the other half as his reward. Another memorable sketch was the "Twiddlebug Picnic Case" when he deduced when the Twiddlebugs were having a picnic being interrupted by Herry Monster. One of his most famous segments is "X Marks the Spot" in which Sherlock sings about the letter "X". The imagery of X-ray
machines and bottles of poison used during the number frightened many young viewers. He is also known for occasionally having a dog help him solve mysteries; the dog often solves the mystery long before Sherlock does.
Sherlock Hemlock starred in all of the episodes of a former recurring Sesame Street segment, "Mysterious Theater" (hosted by Vincent Twice Vincent Twice), which is spoof of the TV series Mystery!
(once hosted by Vincent Price
). In these sketches, he is aided a trusted companion, Watson (a dog performed by Kevin Clash
), a spoof of Sherlock Holmes's companion, Dr. Watson. Watson frequently solved the case long before Hemlock, but is unable to communicate this to his master who wouldn't find what Watson discovered until the end of each segment (very similar to Inspector Gadget
).
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. His catchphrase is "Egad!" which he exclaims whenever he makes a discovery. Sherlock Hemlock was performed by Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson
Jerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
.
Prevalence on the show
While Sherlock Hemlock made frequent appearances on the show in the 1970s and '80s, in recent years he has been phased out in favor of newer characters. However, he, like Lefty the SalesmanLefty the Salesman
Lefty the Salesman — commonly known as Lefty or simply The Salesman) was a Muppet character on the children's television program Sesame Street...
, Guy Smiley
Guy Smiley
Guy Smiley is a character on Sesame Street who was dubbed "America's favorite game show host." His skits are among those on the show that parody commercial media. Guy has also hosted parodies of This Is Your Life called "Here Is Your Life." Guests who were profiled included a loaf of bread, a tooth...
, and The Amazing Mumford, is still a popular main character on Sesamstrasse, the German version of the show.
Name and appearance
Sherlock Hemlock is an obvious parody of Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
and the stereotypical detective. He wears a similar hat and cloak and looks at everything through a magnifying glass
Magnifying glass
A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle ....
. However, his name also seems to be a reference to hemlock
Conium
Conium is a genus of two species of highly poisonous perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to Europe and the Mediterranean region as Conium maculatum, and to southern Africa as Conium chaerophylloides....
, the poisonous plant used to kill the philosopher Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
.
He appears to have been originally made from a green Anything Muppet.
Famous skits
Sherlock Hemlock is known for his humorous skits in which he tries to solve a mystery, only to discover that he is the culprit. A well-known example of this is the "Chicken Salad Sandwich" skit, originally aired in 1970, which was Sherlock's first appearance. In this skit, ErnieErnie
Ernie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
opens his lunch box to find that half of his sandwich is missing, so he asks Sherlock Hemlock to help him figure out who took the missing half. After analyzing some clues like leftover bread crusts ("many people think bread crust is yucky" Sherlock says), they come to the conclusion that Sherlock ate half of the sandwich, and he asks for the other half as his reward. Another memorable sketch was the "Twiddlebug Picnic Case" when he deduced when the Twiddlebugs were having a picnic being interrupted by Herry Monster. One of his most famous segments is "X Marks the Spot" in which Sherlock sings about the letter "X". The imagery of X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
machines and bottles of poison used during the number frightened many young viewers. He is also known for occasionally having a dog help him solve mysteries; the dog often solves the mystery long before Sherlock does.
Sherlock Hemlock starred in all of the episodes of a former recurring Sesame Street segment, "Mysterious Theater" (hosted by Vincent Twice Vincent Twice), which is spoof of the TV series Mystery!
Mystery!
Mystery! is an episodic television series that debuted in 1980 in the USA. It airs on PBS and is produced by WGBH...
(once hosted by Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
). In these sketches, he is aided a trusted companion, Watson (a dog performed by Kevin Clash
Kevin Clash
Kevin Jeffrey Clash is an American puppeteer and voice actor whose characters include Elmo, Baby Sinclair, Clifford, Splinter and Hoots the Owl...
), a spoof of Sherlock Holmes's companion, Dr. Watson. Watson frequently solved the case long before Hemlock, but is unable to communicate this to his master who wouldn't find what Watson discovered until the end of each segment (very similar to Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
).
Sesame Street books featuring Sherlock Hemlock
The following Sesame Street books feature Sherlock Hemlock as the main character:- Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery: or The Mystery of the Terrible Mess in My Friend's Front Yard (by Betty Lou as Told to Sir Arthur Conan Rubberducque) (Western PublishingWestern PublishingWestern Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
, 1972) written by Revena Dwight and illustrated by Jolly Roger BradfieldRoger Bradfield"Jolly" Roger Bradfield is a children's book author, illustrator, cartoonist, painter, and world traveller.-Art:...
(A Whitman Tell-a-Tale Book by the same duo that did The Together Book)
- The Case of the Missing Duckie (Western PublishingWestern PublishingWestern Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
, 1981) written by Linda Hayward and illustrated by Maggie Swanson. ISBN 0-307-11609-3
- Sherlock Hemlock and the Creatures from Outer Space (Western PublishingWestern PublishingWestern Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
, 1981) written by Ray Sipherd and illustrated by Sammis McLean. ISBN 0-307-23132-1