 In a series of test pilots, Garrett Saunders played Gordon; records of his appearance were lost by producers, and his identity unknown until his family identified him in 2011.Matt Robinson had joined Children's Television Workshop (CTW) to assist in the development of "Sesame Street", producing and overseeing filmed segments focusing on the diversity of different characters on the show.Robinson was eventually chosen to play the fictional character of Gordon in the series, after the performance of the character by Saunders in test episodes did not work out as the producers hoped.