Chris Higgins
The Late Movies: Monsterpiece Theater
by Chris Higgins - April 28, 2010 - 10:00 PM

The Late Movies

Monsterpiece Theater is a Sesame Street segment parodying Masterpiece Theater (which is now known just as Masterpiece). Monsterpiece Theater has been running since 1982; it’s hosted by Cookie Monster (actually, Alistair Cookie), and it’s brilliant. Although somehow I don’t remember seeing this as a kid, there’s a TON of awesome Monsterpiece segments on YouTube. Enjoy!

Hamlet

“It don’t get classier than this.” Featuring Mel Gibson.

Chariots of Fur

It’s not often that you see muppet legs.

Me, Claudius

“Monsterpiece Theater, home of classy drama.” Brilliant and weird. “And so end our drama. Me still not know who Claudius.”

The Old Man and the C

“That surprise ending get me every time, blow me away!”

1 Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

It’s not what you think it is.

TONS MORE AWESOMENESS

Wikipedia has a list of episodes, and you can find lots of them on YouTube.

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Comments (10)

  1. Aw, awesome! I used to love Monsterpiece Theater. Of course I didn’t get the Alistair Cookie joke until I was much older. (Part of the reason I love Sesame Street–all of the injokes/puns for adults)

    posted by KC on 4-28-2010 at 10:23 pm

  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqZJyXSI7_g&feature=related

    Little Red Riding Cookie

    posted by GH on 4-29-2010 at 3:17 am

  3. Was that elmo with a different voice in Me, Claudius? Was that before the Kevin Clash era?

    posted by L on 4-29-2010 at 10:56 am

  4. It wasn’t pre-Elmo (well before the saturation point, though) but there were a few times when they used the Elmo muppet without the voice. They’ve done that with a couple of other muppets from time to time, also.

    posted by KC on 4-29-2010 at 6:06 pm

  5. I’m shocked you didn’t include Guys & Dolls, or Gone With the Wind, or the King & I – some of the most classic ones!

    posted by Nyghtbeauty on 4-29-2010 at 9:07 pm

  6. The list on the Muppet Wiki is a little easier to read than the one on Wikipedia.

    http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Monsterpiece_Theater

    posted by JoeH on 4-30-2010 at 4:45 pm

  7. I love Monsterpiece Theatre! It’s also how I remember that Alastair Cooke spells his name with an ‘e’. Weird mental associations FTW!

    posted by Katie on 5-2-2010 at 6:24 pm

  8. Oh my God, I forgot how much I used to love Monsterpiece Theater! This takes me back.

    posted by heather on 5-5-2010 at 9:47 pm

  9. I laugh so hard every time he eats his pipe at the end of the sketch.

    posted by Eric on 5-12-2010 at 11:00 pm

  10. Heh. I have a collectible Alistair Cookie pulshie. My mom remember how much I loved Cookie Monster as a kid and bought me one.

    posted by Dany on 5-14-2010 at 12:30 pm

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