Included in this episode is some audio taken from the upcoming Road Trip DVD, in which you’ll hear Jane Hunt (mother of Muppeteer Richard Hunt) and I sitting and talking in her kitchen. If you’ve just joined us, I recently took a trip to New Jersey to visit Jane, who’s become a good friend, at her home. The house she lives in is the same one all of her children, including Richard, grew up in, so naturally there’s a lot of wonderful history there.

There’s also another new Muppet List segment, and in celebration of the new Sesame Street season debuting on PBS on August 11, listener Steve Finney and I discuss our favorite monsters.

Steve F. and I also discuss the recent Disney Channel production, Studio DC: Almost Live. We begin the discussion having very different opinions, but as we talk we see how much, at the core of our arguments, we both really have in common.

The annual festival Puppets Up was recently held in Almonte, Ontario. This was one of the road trips The MuppetCast took last year, but unfortunately couldn’t make this time around. I’d love to hear from anyone who was able to go and enjoy the festivities. Email me with your trip report!

The next stop in the 2008 Road Trip series takes us to Atlanta, GA. The Center for Puppetry Arts, a worldwide hub for puppetry and a good friend of the show, is celebrating its 30th anniversary! I’ll be there covering the festivities and bringing it all back to you, hopefully in yet another DVD! The event takes place in mid-September. See the Puppetry Arts page on MuppetCast.com for more details.

In this episode, we will not be discussing the recent announcement that HIT Entertainment won’t be releasing a separate Fraggle Rock 4th Season DVD, opting instead to release one complete set of seasons 1-3 (previously sold separately) and season 4 combined. This piece of news will receive special treatment on next week’s show.

The MuppetCast remembers and misses Bernie Brillstein, Jim Henson‘s onetime manager and friend (Chicago Tribute, USA Today, Variety, AP). Did you know that Brillstein, along with David Lazer, were was responsible for Jim Henson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

We also celebrate the opening of SesameStreet.org! This all-new website is the digital counterpart to the world’s most successful children’s show, and it is one heckuva website! Daily character intros and playlists, and an ever-growing video library of new and classic clips makes this a top pick for children’s destinations on the web. We’d expect nothing less from the fine folks at Sesame Workshop.

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA will soon be bringing a little bit of Sesame Street to its family visitors. With new rides, dining and character experiences, and the new 4D movie, this will be very exciting to see come spring 2009.

Move over, Tickle-Me-Elmo! Here comes Elmo Live, the new doll who talks (and whose mouth moves just like the real Elmo), waves his arms, sits, stands, and tells jokes. Come to think of it, Fozzie should be a little worried too!

Keep your eye on iTunes. The Jim Henson company is releasing some of Jim’s non-Muppet film pieces like the TV film The Cube, and the short film Time Piece.

Along the same lines as the 2006 book “Before You Leap“, Pepe the King Prawn will soon have his own book on the market! “It’s Hard Out Here For A Shrimp“. Priceless. Many thanks to Jim Lewis for all of his wonderful work with these books.

Keep an eye on the Muppet News Flash and Tough Pigs for all the latest Muppet news and commentary.

New listener Matt found this on YouTube recently. Take a look and listen to “Fat Cat“, a clip discussed on the previous Muppet List.

Clay in Georgia pointed out two Muppet appearances on TotallyLooksLike.com. Bill Schneider and Ludacris each seem to have a Muppet counterpart, whoda thunk it?

Young James has quite a talent already for puppeteering, as well as some pretty good Muppet impressions! Check out his video here.

David Q. has a new addition to the MuppetCast Flickr page. Check out his new photo addition, fresh from Washington DC’s Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibit!

Check out Joel, aka CoconutWireless, in his vidcasts for Meandering Mouse Club TV. Aloha, Joel!

Sesame Street is all over the Muppet Montage this week, with all clips included being pulled from the new crop of brand-new Sesame episodes. You’ll be happy to know that Cookie Monster eats a whole plate full of cookies!

Thanks again for downloading and listening to The MuppetCast, and thank you for your continued support.

Questions/Comments can be emailed to me@muppetcast.com, or called in to the voicemail line at 614-364-4270. Also, stop by the Muppet Central Forums and say hello to the thousands of Muppet fans that await you there. Or maybe just pick a few and say hi; typing “hello” thousands of times will make your fingers hurt. Wocka wocka.

Have a great week!

-Steve