http://www.flakmag.com/tv/sesame.html

The Count isn't the only character who has been toned down or underused. In a move that's sure to make an envious Bert even more vulnerable to the blandishments of terrorists, Ernie now gets his own segment on every show. But he spends most of it hiding in a box. "Journey to Ernie" consists of Big Bird looking for Ernie in various places, and then finding him, usually in the third or fourth place. That's it. The segment uses so little of Ernie's goofy, mischievous personality that it's not hard to see it and remember it as having starred Grover.