Samson Through the Years

The evolution of Samson.
Image 	As seen in / Year 	Notes
 	Sesamstrasse(four unaired test pilots, 1977)	The original Samson was a reddish-brown color. This version had a wider mouth with a tongue and a larger lower jaw, as well as small light-brown fur underneath his eyes.
Samson’s first performer, Peter Röders initially gives the character a robust, almost too adult-sounding and self-confident voice.
 	Sesamstrasse(1978-1979) 	This version of Samson was modified with more fur added, especially around his head, neck, and lower jaw. His mouth becomes fully red and slightly smaller.
 	Sesamstrasse(1979-1983) 	Samson's body becomes a bit wider and his fur becomes less reddish and more of a paler brown. The color around his stomach also becomes a more dark brown. His eyes also gain a new mechanism that allow his pupils to shift from left to right. Additionally, Samson's mouth turns from red to black and becomes even smaller and almost unnoticeable. At times it barely moves, particularly whenever Peter Röders has to operate both of his arms.
At this point, the character gradually becomes more warm and cuddly in personality. Röders' voice for Samson also becomes less hoarse and more natural and jolly.
 	Sesamstrasse(1983-1985) 	Samson's brown fur becomes a bit more light and vibrant, and he's given a minor facelift. The shape of his head is also slightly altered, and the puppet was modified to have a more flexible mouth.
 	Sesamstrasse(1986-1987) 	Not much has changed from the previous version, except that his face color becomes a slightly darker brown and his eyes become a bit smaller. Since the show's concept and characters were slightly changed to resemble a modern-day family, his personality becomes more excitable, childlike, and energetic. He was also performed by Herbert Langemann until the actor's death in 1987.
 	Sesamstrasse(1990-1991) 	A new Samson puppet is built due to a fire that destroyed all the original Sesamstrasse Muppets. This version of Samson is somewhat more slender than the other puppets. He is taken over by Matthias Bullach, who gave Samson an unusually higher-pitched voice compared to the character's other performers, adding more to the bear's already-excitable personality.
By 1991, the puppet begins to fall apart, with Samson's fabric becoming wider and Bullach slightly toned down the character's energetic personality. It's also at this point where, due to the fur becoming uneven, Samson occasionally gains a small tuft of hair over his eyes, resulting in the character having somewhat small bangs. This tuft of hair would come and go with the next puppet until 1995.
 	Sesamstrasse(1991-1994) 	A new larger Samson puppet is built in the USA. Samson's colors are completely changed from the earlier versions, and he now gains a light-brown mane, resulting in a two-tone color palette. He also no longer has a colored stomach.
Starting in 1992, he is performed by Klaus Esch, who has become his regular performer ever since. His voice for Samson bears a closer resemblance to Röders' performance, especially during the earlier years. It started out sounding either very eager or somewhat worrisome, similar to the previous two performers, but gradually became more deep and jolly within a few years. Klaus also brings back the character's trademark "uuiuuiuui!" catchphrase.
This version of the puppet begins to fall apart by 1994, with Samson's mouth looking crooked, his fur looking worn, and the lower part of his body becoming a bit wider.
 	Sesamstrasse(1995-2000) 	All Sesamstrasse Muppets are rebuilt in an effort to update the program. Samson is given a much friendlier appearance and more closely resembled a teddy bear. He's given a major facelift, complete with a square-shaped head, larger eyes, and a wider smile. Samson's fur color also becomes brighter and more vibrant, as well as his face. His sneakers are also slightly changed for the first time.
By this point, Klaus Esch's performance of the character becomes much more childlike and lively in both voice and personality.
An earlier version of the puppet from 1995 still had a darker brown face and a nose that pointed slightly upward. His eyes were also shifted downward. The subsequent version had an improved eye focus and was used beginning in 1996, although the earlier version continued to be used for live performances and as a backup puppet at the time.
 	Sesamstrasse(2000-2010) 	Samson's head becomes more pear-shaped and his fur color gains a vibrant orange tint. He also gains a wider smile.
This puppet underwent minor adjustments through the years. The prototype version from 2000 had a slightly uneven appearance and the shape of his head was also a bit wider. It was modified to include an improved eye focus and groomed fur.
Alternate Samson Puppets and Characters	 	
 	Sesamstraat Live(2004-2005) 	A different looking walkaround Samson. He has a lightly smaller face, his eyes are further apart, and the body shape looks shorter than on the show. His fur is all the same color and no feathers are used in between. His pupils are smaller and his face is colored more lightly. His voice is deeper and slower than Klaus Esch's version on television.
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Category:Character Evolution