Sherlock Hemlock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sherlock Hemlock |
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| Sesame Street character | |
Sherlock Hemlock
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| Portrayed by | Jerry Nelson (circa 1970–2012) Martin P. Robinson (2018) Matt Vogel (2019) |
| Voiced by | Jerry Nelson |
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| Gender | Male |
Sherlock Hemlock is a funny Muppet character from the TV show Sesame Street. He calls himself "the world's greatest detective." Whenever he figures something out, he shouts his famous catchphrase: "Egad!" The talented Jerry Nelson was the main performer for Sherlock Hemlock for many years.
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Who is Sherlock Hemlock?
Sherlock Hemlock is a detective who loves to solve mysteries. He is a silly character who often makes mistakes. He tries his best to find clues and solve cases, but sometimes he is the one who caused the mystery in the first place!
Where You Can See Him
Sherlock Hemlock was on Sesame Street a lot in the 1970s and 1980s. Lately, new characters have appeared on the show. But Sherlock is still a very popular character on Sesamstrasse, which is the German version of Sesame Street.
His Look and Name
Sherlock Hemlock looks like a classic detective. He wears a special hat called a deerstalker hat and a long cloak. He also often uses a magnifying glass to look for clues. These are all things that the famous detective Sherlock Holmes is known for.
Sherlock Hemlock's name is a funny play on words. It sounds like Sherlock Holmes. But "hemlock" is also a type of poisonous plant. This plant was used to kill a famous old philosopher named Socrates.
Sherlock Hemlock was first made from a green Anything Muppet. In 2010, he appeared again on Sesame Street for a short moment at Hooper's Store.
Sherlock's Funniest Cases
Sherlock Hemlock is famous for his funny skits. In these skits, he tries to solve a mystery. But he often finds out that he was the one who caused the problem!
The Missing Sandwich Mystery
One famous skit is called the "Chicken Salad Sandwich" mystery. This was one of Sherlock's first appearances in 1970. In this skit, Ernie opens his lunch box. He finds that half of his sandwich is gone! Ernie asks Sherlock Hemlock to help him find the missing half.
Sherlock looks at clues like bread crusts. He says, "many people think bread crust is yucky." After looking at all the clues, they figure out that Sherlock ate half of the sandwich! Then, Sherlock asks for the other half as his reward.
Other Famous Skits
Another memorable case was the "Twiddlebug Picnic Case." In this one, Sherlock figured out when the Twiddlebugs were having their picnic. The picnic was interrupted by Herry Monster.
One of Sherlock's most famous moments is his song "X Marks the Spot." In this song, Sherlock sings all about the letter "X." Some of the pictures in the song, like X-ray machines and danger signs, were a little scary for some young viewers.
Mysterious Theater
Sherlock Hemlock also starred in a special part of Sesame Street called "Mysterious Theater." This segment was hosted by a character named Vincent Twice Vincent Twice. It was a funny copy of a TV show called Mystery!.
In these "Mysterious Theater" skits, Sherlock had a helper. His helper was a dog named Watson, performed by Kevin Clash. Watson was a spoof of Dr. Watson, who was Sherlock Holmes's helper. Watson often solved the mystery much faster than Sherlock. But he couldn't tell Sherlock what he found! Sherlock would only figure it out at the very end of the skit. This was a bit like the cartoon Inspector Gadget.
Books Featuring Sherlock Hemlock
Sherlock Hemlock has also been the main character in some Sesame Street books:
- Sherlock Hemlock and the Great Twiddlebug Mystery: or The Mystery of the Terrible Mess in My Friend's Front Yard (1972)
- The Case of the Missing Duckie (1981)
- Sherlock Hemlock and the Creatures from Outer Space (1981)
- Sherlock Hemlock on Muppet Wiki, a Wikia wiki
