Entertainment

Celebrate #MayThe4th With These Fun 'Star Wars' Cameos & Parodies On 'Sesame Street'

by Morgan Brinlee

Although it's not technically an official holiday, Star Wars fans have long celebrated May 4 as Star Wars Day. And, sure, watching one, or all, of the Star Wars films is certainly a fitting way to mark the day, there are other ways to celebrate. This year, why not get the kids involved and commemorate George Lucas' franchise with Big Bird and the gang at Sesame Street. To celebrate May 4th and beyond, here are a few times Star Wars and Sesame Street have collided.

At first glance it may seem like Star Wars, a media franchise created by Lucas around a series of space-opera films, and Sesame Street, an educational children's television show starring a cast of muppets, have little in common. And while it's true that you won't find explosions, epic lightsaber battles, or princesses in metal bikini slave uniforms on Sesame Street, there is one important connection between the two media franchises: puppeteer Frank Oz.

Before giving voicing and puppeteering Yoda in Return of the Jedi (and then later The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, and Revenge of the Sith) Oz was known for being the performer behind Grover, Bert, and Cookie Monster on Sesame Street.

Check out three times Sesame Street and Star Wars have collided:

When Big Bird Meets C-3PO & R2D2

Sesame Street and Star Wars first collided in January 1980, roughly four months before The Empire Strikes Back was released in theaters. In a Sesame Street episode entitled simply, "Episode 1394," Big Bird spots two metal creatures exit what he believes is a flying saucer. While the adults on Sesame Street initially think Big Bird has imagined the metal men, the appearance of C-3PO and R2D2 soon have them believing.

Tired from their journey, C-3PO and R2D2 ask David, Maria, and Luis for some refreshments. But, of course, droids don't eat and drink as humans do and so they turn down the adults' initial offer of a ham sandwich and coffee. Instead, the two droids ask for some oil and brake fluid from the Sesame Street Fix-It Shop.

After a good oiling and a fluid refuel, the droids set out to deliver a special message to Oscar the Grouch, giving clues about who their message is for to David and two children along the way. Once they find Sesame Street's resident grouch, R2D2 plays a hologram message from Lothar the Grouch: "Oscar the Grouch, get lost!"

Later in the episode, Big Bird spends some time with C3PO and R2D2, learning about how the droids experience feelings. The three then team up with some children to play a game of Blind Man's Bluff before the droid's must head back into space.

When C3PO & R2D2 Returned To Sesame Street

C3PO and R2D2 returned to Sesame Street for a second episode in March of 1980. This time, however, the droids arrived by bus, or at least they try to. In Episode 1396, an overly excited Big Bird accidentally boards the bus C3PO and R2D2 arrive on, preventing the pair from being able to get off at their Sesame Street stop.

When C3PO, R2D2, and Big Bird find their way back to Sesame Street they meet up with Bob and some kids who are singing the alphabet. Enthralled by the song, the droids ask if they join in. It's a rendition of the alphabet song you've likely never heard before.

Later, Big Bird introduces C3PO and R2D2 to Linda, who is deaf. Thankfully, R2D2 can understand sign language, enabling the pair to communicate. The episode ends with R2D2 falling in love with a fire hydrant before he, C3PO, and Big Bird head off to play at the park.

When Cookie Monster Was "Flan Solo"

While a number of Star Wars references, including a number of encouragements to "use the force," have been made on Sesame Street over the years, it wasn't until 2014 that the children's show really attempted to tackle the movie franchise again. Sesame Street unveiled its Star Wars parody "Star S'mores" during an episode that aired in September 2014.

The parody saw Cookie Monster star as Flan Solo, a jedi who must use the power of self-control to refrain from eating a his cookie sidekick (not to be confused with a Wookie). The parody also features Darth Baker, Only One Cannoli, a jedi mentor to Luke Piewalker, and Princess Parfait-a, whose hair buns are made appropriately from Oreo cookies.

From hilarious muppet parodies to entertaining character cameos, there's more than one way to use Sesame Street to introduce your child to Star Wars this May 4 holiday.