The Girls of the Gang: Abby Cadabby and Zoe
Between the glitter, tutus, wands and fairy wings, there is no denying that Zoe and Abby Cadabby are she-Muppets. And that's exactly how their characters were intended. To combat a noticeable lack of female Muppets on Sesame Street, in 1993, the show's producers introduced Zoe — a small, orange monster adorned with barrettes and jewelery, who loves to dance. Although she resembles her friend Elmo, Zoe was actually fashioned to have a face like Carol Channing, according to her performer, Fran Brill. Zoe became such a Muppet success, that one girl on the block was not enough. In 2006, producers introduced Abby Cadabby, a girl Muppet who not only gave the show more female representation, but added in some culture, as Abby is a fairy-in-training who hails from another land. Liz Nealon, creative director of Sesame Workshop, once likened Abby and Zoe's friendship to Mary Tyler Moore and Rhoda, in that they are two very different types of girls, who become the very best of friends.