Bear Family (Sesame Street)

The Bear Family are characters from ‘Sesame Street’, the American TV series. The family is based on the three bears ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. The family consists of Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Baby Bear and Curly Bear.

Baby Bear

Baby Bear is the most famous character of the Bear family ‘Sesame Street’ and son of Papa and Mama Bear. Baby Bear began as a nameless bear in 1990, only to be named Baby Bear in 1991, episode 2909. In that episode he tries to hide from his nemesis Goldilocks. Eventually he became a regularly character and became best friends with ‘Telly Monster’. Later, Papa Bear and Mama Bear (episode 3906) and in 2003 his little sister Curly Bear (4059 episode) were introduced.

Baby Bear appears the most in ‘Sesame Street’, probably because he is the age of many viewers of the show. He pronounces the ‘L’ and ‘R’ like a ‘W’, making him pronounce ‘Superhero’ as ‘Supo Hewo’. Hero Guy is a character that Baby Bear draws on a piece of paper, he comes to life and has adventures with Baby Bear. The voice of Baby Bear is provided by David Rudman.

Papa Bear

Papa Bear is the father of the Bear family, and he usually wears a bowler hat. Daddy Bear works at the honey factory. Before Curly Bear was born, he appeared the most on ‘Sesame Street’, behind Baby Bear, but he has since been overtaken by Curly Bear. The voice of Papa Bear is Joey Mazzarino.

Mama Bear

Mama Bear is the mother of the Bear family and married to Papa Bear. Her voice from 1993 till 2003 was Alice Dinnean Vernon, from 2003 it is Jennifer Barnhart.

Curly Bear

Curly Bear is the daughter of Papa Bear and Mama Bear and the youngest of the family, her birthday is May 9. Since season 34, she is the second most important character of the family. She was introduced as an infant, making Baby Bear having to adjust to not being the baby of the family. Curly, now a toddler, loves her brother, whom she calls ‘Bebo’. Unlike Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear, Curly Bear does not like porridge and she can growl louder than Baby Bear. Her voice is Stephanie D’Abruzzo.

Trivia

  • Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Curly Bear never appear in the show without Baby Bear;
  • In the section ‘Hero Guy’, the family ‘Bear Family Dance’ is demonstrated: one step forward, one step back, one step forward, one step back, a shimmy and side-stepping from left to right;
  • In ‘Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays’ it is revealed that the Bear Family was Jewish.