What could Ray Romano of Everybody Loves Raymond possibly have in common with a little blue monster named Gover? They're both cuddly and funny - and that's just for starters.
Sesame Street's 33rd season begins February 4 (PBS, check listings). What does TV's longest-running children's show have in store for this year? For the first time, new learning segments will air at the same time in each episode-something young children can count on. "At school or day care, children have snack time, story time during the same 15 minutes each day," says Michael Loman, the show's executive producer. "We want to connect the Muppets to that [routine]."
Being a team player, Grover's doing his best to help out. He'll make a special guest appearances on "Rosita's Spanish Word of the Day," and he sat down back stage with Romano, this week's guest star, to disguss everything-including the secret behind Super Grover. -Amy Kover
Why do people find you both funny?
Gover: People understand my sophisticated sense of humor, and they get my witty wordplay. They especially appreciate how I never stoop low for a joke. That, and they like seeing a sute and furry monster fall flat on his face every now and then.
Romano: They think I'm funny for just the opposite reasons. I will stoop low enough for a laugh, and I'm very bad at wordplay. I'm not [long pause] good with it.
Tell us something special about yourselves that few people know.
Romano: I know how to juggle.
Wow! Show us.
Romano: What do you got? Give me a mushroom, give me three tomatoes. I don't lie to Grover.
[Starts juggling]
Grover: Do we have a bowling ball we can throw in there too?
Do you know how to juggle, Grover?
Grover: Um, yes.
Is that what's special about you?
Grover: No, no, it is not what is special about me. You know, anybody can juggle.
Romano: Wait a second!
Grover: This is something that I have not told anybody before. You know Super Grover?
Romano: Yeah.
Grover: Well, Super Grover and I, we're actually the same monster.
Romano: [Aghast] I don't-please!
Grover: Well, you see this "Super"-this "Super"-kind of throws people off. But if you look real closely, our names are very similar.
Romano and Grover together: Super Grover and Grover.
Romano: I never thought of that.
Grover: Well, there you have it.
Romano: You never see both of you in the same place at the same time.
Grover: That's right!
Romano: Son of a gun.
Grover: You heard it here first!
