According to Kevin Clash, it was by default that he wound up as the voice of Elmo on 'Sesame Street.' But it was his performance that turned the character into an icon, though most people are still surprised when they see him and discover what he does.

On 'The Daily Show' (Weeknights, 11PM ET on Comedy Central), he shared a fun story about being asked by a flight attendant to speak to the children over the microphone on an airplane as it was landing. The best bit was that when he was finished, he said he saw people peeking into the aisles to see who it was. When he came through, they shook their heads in disbelief.

Kevin Clash, the puppeteer known as the voice of Elmo, stopped by 'The View' (weekdays, syndicated on ABC) to look back on his career and talk about the new film 'Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.' He surprised the ladies with a surprisingly deep, Barry White-esque voice that was a hilarious contrast to Elmo's high-pitched squeal.

Delving into the history of Elmo, Clash mentioned that he was the third person to voice the lovable Muppet, as Jim Henson found that both of the first voices, one of which Clash described as a screaming caveman, wasn't quite right. Clash came up with Elmo's trademark high-pitched tone and practiced that summer on his mom's daycare class. The rest is Muppet history.

It's been 20 years since Baby Sinclair first uttered the words "Not the mama!"

Yep, it's OK to feel old now.

On April 26, 1991, the world was introduced to the Sinclair family on ABC's 'Dinosaurs.' The sitcom lasted for four seasons and 65 episodes (58 episodes aired during the first run; the remaining aired in syndication) before ultimately ending with the extinction of dinosaurs. (Inevitable, we suppose.)

While 'Dinosaurs' was a sitcom, the show broke the mold by not having a studio audience or a laugh track. Brought to life by a cast of experienced Henson puppeteers and seasoned voice actors, 'Dinosaurs' is heralded as one of the most ambitious sitcoms ever.

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the premiere of 'Dinosaurs' with a walk down memory lane after the jump.

November 18, 1985 was a day that changed children's television. It was on this day that Elmo, the furry red monster of 'Sesame Street,' came into his own, thanks to puppeteer Kevin Clash.

An extra for years, voiced on occasion by folks like Carol Spinney (Big Bird) and Richard Hunt (Scooter from 'The Muppet Show'), Clash turned the very minor character into a 3 1/2-year-old mainstay that, depending on your feelings, transformed 'Sesame Street' in a good or bad way.

Since his introduction to 'Sesame Street,' Elmo has become the face of the four-decade old series, appearing on talk shows, primetime series, his own movie ('Elmo in Grouchland') and on the toy shelves as Tickle Me Elmo. He even has his own 15-minute show-within-a-show on 'Sesame Street' titled 'Elmo's World.'

Like many of you, I've been waiting since the 1999 film The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland for the little red Muppet to return to the big screen. Every morning I would wake up and check all the trade papers to see if li'l Elmo was ready to make his big screen comeback, and every day I was disappointed.

Actually, everything in that paragraph is a lie, though I did see The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland in the theater, along with my then three-year-old nephew and a theater full of little kids (they loved it). Muppet News Flash is reporting that a possible movie version of the "Elmo's World" segment on Sesame Street is in the very early stages of development. So early, in fact, that there's no guarantee the movie will be made at all. If it does get made, word is that it will put Elmo in a CG crayon-drawn world in the vein of Harold and the Purple Crayon or Chalk Zone.

I know parents and those of us who grew up with "classic" Sesame Street aren't especially fond of Elmo, but you can't deny the little guy has his fans. Also, it helps to keep in mind that Elmo is specifically designed to appeal to smaller children, not their older siblings.

The always informative Muppet News Flash has the scoop on two new Muppet-related books, both slated for release in September. The first is an inspirational book by Muppeteer Kevin Clash, best known as the puppeteer and voice behind Elmo. Clash was also the voice of the Baby on the series Dinosaurs and also played Splinter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie franchise. The book is titled My Life as a Furry Red Monster: What Being Elmo Has Taught Me About Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud. The other book, written by Kermit the Frog himself, will focus on what he's learned throughout his illustrious career in show business. Kermit's book, A Frog's Life: Where I've Been and the Lessons I've Learned, will be out on September 30. Clash's book comes out September 5.