Weekly Muppet Wednesdays: Baby Natasha

Written by Mike Baldasare.

BABY NATASHA

Performed by...
Kevin Clash

First appearance...
Sesame Street Season 18 (1986)

Most recent appearance...
Sesame Street Season 41 (2010)

Best known role...
Baby monster; daughter of Humphrey and Ingrid; very fast crawler

WHO IS BABY NATASHA?
Natasha is the furry baby daughter of Humphrey and Ingrid. She speaks in baby babbles and loves to blow raspberries. Natasha is best known on Sesame Street as a very fast crawler. Her parents can't keep her in one place or catch up to her once she gets going. In her earliest appearances just before her parents made their debut appearances, many various Sesame Street characters babysat Natasha. These babysitters include Oscar the Grouch, Snuffy (who taught her to say "Oh, dear."), Telly Monster, and Fran Drescher, aka TV's The Nanny.

In the late 1990s, Natasha was best known as Super Baby. In one sketch, Humphrey and Ingrid have a large bottle of milk, but no baby, and they don't want it to got to waste, so Super Baby arrives and drinks the milk. In another sketch, Humphrey and Ingrid wonder what Super Baby is going to do that begins with the letter S, which turns out to be "sleep." In another sketch, Super Grover talks about Super Baby as she constantly flies back and forth. She also appears in Elmo's World: Sky in this persona.

Natasha also had her own talk show segment, titled "Baby Talk," which was a spoof of The X-Files. She also earned a place in the opening credits during Seasons 26-29. Some of Natasha's more memorable moments include playing Baby Jesus in Elmo's World: Happy Holidays, singing "Baby, You Can Count on Me" with Count von Count, babbling in Sesame Street's 20th and 25th anniversary specials, and in Elmo Saves Christmas. In the 90s, Baby Natasha ranked at number four overall in Sesame Street Magazine's poll asking parents and children their favorite characters.

WHY DOES SESAME STREET NEED BABY NATASHA?
Baby Natasha was a favorite character of many children watching Sesame Street in the 1990s. Her role on the show has since become much smaller, but she is always adorable and funny, as many non-vocal Muppets tend to be. But Sesame Street needs her, because Baby Natasha shows educational lessons about babysitting and taking care of others. Plus, you can't resist a baby that can blow raspberries.

The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, muppetmindset@gmail.com