Ernie and Bert are two roommates on the popular U.S. children's television show Sesame Street. The two appear together in numerous skits, forming a comic duo that is one of the centerpieces of the program. Originated by Frank Oz and Jim Henson, the characters are currently performed by Muppeteers Eric Jacobson and Steve Whitmire, with Oz performing Bert occasionally since 2000.
According to A&E's Biography, Ernie and Bert were virtually the only Muppets to appear in the Sesame Street pilot episode, which was screen tested to a number of families in July 1969. Their brief appearance was the only part of the pilot that tested well, so it was decided that not only should Muppet characters be the stars of the show, but would also interact with the human characters, something that was not done in the pilot.[citation needed]
In the movie Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, Ernie and Bert go to search for Big Bird in a plane. When Bert spots Big Bird, nearby a farm field, Ernie turns the plane upside down and begins to sing Upside Down World with Bert beginning to join in singing. However when Ernie turns the plane back up, Big Bird is gone and Ernie blames it all on Bert.
A running gag for the series involves Ernie presenting a hare-brained idea and Bert trying to dissuade him. Bert loses his temper while Ernie refuses to listen, and some element of truth in Ernie's idea adds to Bert's frustration. Another Ernie gag is that he refers to his bathtub and bath time as Tubby time before his performance of his song Rubber Duckie.
