Editing Elmo (section)

==History==
Elmo is self-described as three-and-a-half years old and his birthday is on February 3.<ref>{{Cite web |title=This Week in Sesame Street: Elmo's Birthday |url=http://www.sesameworkshop.org/our-blog/2012/02/03/this-week-in-sesame-street-elmos-birthday |publisher=Sesame Workshop |access-date=August 15, 2012 |archive-date=July 8, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160708191522/http://www.sesameworkshop.org/our-blog/2012/02/03/this-week-in-sesame-street-elmos-birthday/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> Elmo characteristically avoids [[pronoun]]s in reference to himself, instead [[illeism|referring to himself in the third person]] (e.g., saying "Elmo wants this" instead of "I want this").<ref name=":0" /> ''Sesame Street'' staff writer Nancy Sans once described Elmo's origins: "There was this extra red puppet lying around and the cast would pick him up sometimes and try to create a personality, but nothing seemed to materialize."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rhoades |first=Shirrel |date=December 20, 2011 |title=Being Elmo |url=http://tropiccinema.blogspot.com/2011/12/being-elmo-rhoades.html |access-date=July 5, 2012 |publisher=Tropic Cinema}}</ref>

[[File:Sesame Street- Grand Canyon Families.webm|thumb|Elmo with Murray, another ''Sesame Street'' Muppet, in a video published by the [[National Park Service]].]]
The character of Elmo was originally conceived as a supporting character and background character by Henson Associates-based Muppet artist/builder [[Caroly Wilcox]] in 1979, first appearing in the ''Sesame Street'' song "We Are All Monsters", which first aired in a Season 11 episode during 1980. Elmo became a named and recurring character on ''Sesame Street'' (during the street storylines) sometime later that season (episode 1439, to be exact), although he still appeared as a supporting character in segments in later episodes of the show at the time. The character was performed by a rotating ensemble of Muppet performers such as [[Jerry Nelson]] and [[Kathryn Mullen]] while he was a background character in such ''Sesame Street'' segments from 1980 to 1984. As a named character, Elmo was performed by [[Brian Muehl]] from 1980 to 1984, and later [[Richard Hunt (puppeteer)|Richard Hunt]] from 1984 to 1985 upon Muehl's departure. However, in 1985, Hunt was so frustrated with the puppet, he squeezed it and threw it at [[Kevin Clash]], who then performed Elmo. Clash said that Elmo should be a character who is kind and loving. Sans says of Clash, "one day in 1985, Kevin Clash, a talented puppeteer, raised him up and brought energy and life into Elmo and from that day forward we would all write for Elmo."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shon |first=Debora |date=January 31, 2006 |title=Sesame Street will spend this weekend in Poughkeepsie |work=Poughkeepsie Journal |url=http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060131/LIFE/601310301/1005}}</ref> 

Modern Elmo debuted with the Season 17 premiere of ''Sesame Street'', episode 2096 (first aired November 18, 1985, following the release of the ''Sesame Street'' film ''Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird''). In the episode, Big Bird is tired of the adults refusing to believe him about Snuffy, so he decides to arrange for them to come to his nest and meet Snuffy, and Elmo offers to help. Snuffy returns, then tells Elmo he had better go home and brush his fur to prepare for the grown-ups' arrival, but Elmo holds on to his snuffle so he cannot go; as such, the adults meet Snuffy for the first time ever. Clash cites a moment later in season 17 (from Episode 2215 in which Elmo packs for an imaginary vacation) as the moment when he "found his voice" as Elmo, and by 1987, he became added to various episodes and product lines. [[John Tartaglia]], [[Matt Vogel (puppeteer)|Matt Vogel]], and [[Jim Martin (puppeteer)|Jim Martin]] have all been secondary performers for the character, providing movement for Elmo's arms and legs, particularly in green-screen shots.

Alongside [[Cookie Monster]], Elmo has appeared in ''[[The Furchester Hotel]]'', where he is taking an extended stay because of his fascination with the Furchester Hotel. His father Louie is the brother of Funella Furchester. 
On May 27, 2020, ''[[The Not Too Late Show with Elmo]]'' premiered on [[Max (streaming service)|Max]]. The series stars Elmo as the host of his own [[late-night talk show]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sesame Workshop to debut 'The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo' on HBO MAX on Tuesday, May 27, 2020 &#124; Sesame Workshop |url=https://www.sesameworkshop.org/press-room/press-releases/sesame-workshop-debut-not-too-late-show-elmo-hbo-max-tuesday-may-27-2020 |website=www.sesameworkshop.org |access-date=May 30, 2020 |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530194144/https://www.sesameworkshop.org/press-room/press-releases/sesame-workshop-debut-not-too-late-show-elmo-hbo-max-tuesday-may-27-2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref>