The Furry Arms (series)

In 2002, producer Arlene Sherman commissioned members of the show's writing team (including Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, Joey Mazzarino, Belinda Ward, and Lou Berger) to develop a pitch for a Sesame Street spin-off, aimed at an all-family audience.Jake's Happy Nostalgia Show: Belinda Ward (Writer) || Ep. 211 (32:18) The team crafted a pitch document (to be formatted like a brochure) based on a popular feature of the recently removed "Around the Corner" area - The Furry Arms Hotel. 
The series was pitched as running from 11 to 22 minutes, and targeted at an audience between the ages of five to 921/2. While the pitch documents stress humor and entertainment over education, they hint that diversity plays a large part in the show's curriculum, with all manner of Muppet guests from all walks of life (animal, vegetable, mineral, and more) coming to stay at the "world class" hotel. Problem solving is also suggested, as every episode would deal with the chaotic problems arising from both the unique clientele and the incompetent staff. 
The cast would retain a majority of the Muppets from the original show - hotel owner Sherry Netherland (now blessed with the full name of Sherry Waldorf Ritz Plaza Netherland), managers Humphrey and Ingrid, their daughter Natasha, cranky bellhop Benny Rabbit, and the Elephant Elevator Operator. The hotel is made into more of a family business, as Sherry is rewritten to be the mother of either Humphrey or Ingrid. The establishment is also relocated from New York City to "the chic Hoho district of London," where it is squashed between two larger, five-star hotels.
New characters would have been added to the staff, including a sentient player piano in the lobby named Beatrice "Bea" Flatt, the cheese-obsessed hotel chef mouse Monsieur Yques Souris, and the hotel security team of Bangers and Mash. It was also pitched for Benny to have an ever-growing roster of visiting family members, including Sunny Bunny, Funny Bunny, Honey Bunny, Nunny Bunny, and Enrique.
While the series never went forward, Belinda Ward would later retool the idea for the 2014 co-production between Sesame Workshop and Cbeebies, The Furchester Hotel.Nerdist Writers Panel #114: Sesame Street (01:13:15)
==Sources==
*Tony Geiss papers at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University
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Category:Unfinished Sesame Street Projects
Category:Unfinished TV