Sesame Street: Mystery Gordon Actor Found

[azumanga]

Thanks to the internet, the producers of "Sesame Street" found the actor who played Gordon in the pilot episodes in 1969, but for some reason, slipped out of the credits:

http://sesamestreet.tumblr.com/post/13975009441/we-found-gordon

 

[FreddyE1977]

Was the pilot episode not the first episode broadcast?
I remember watching the first episode of Sesame Street.
I was young and it was a LOOOOOONG time ago...but I am pretty sure
this was not the guy. Holly Robinson Peete's father is the Gordon I remember.

 

[visaman]

Was the pilot episode not the first episode broadcast?

In the article it states that the pilot episode was shot several months before episode 001 was filmed.

 

[azumanga]

A week of test episodes were taped and broadcast in July 1969 on WUHY-TV (now WYBE) in Philadelphia -- these episodes featured the Bob, Susan and Mr. Hooper that we always known, but a different Gordon, which we now know was played by Garrett Saunders. Apparently, the producers felt that Saunders was not friendly enough towards kids, so they had Gordon re-cast before the start of the series -- and THAT'S when they decided on Matt Robinson as a perfect "Gordon".