Toys from the blackstuff: What next for Sesame Street's unemployed?

If Sesame Street is cancelled, Big Bird can work as a stud at an intensive chicken farm in Ohio

Perhaps a testament to the lack of zingers in the first US presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney was the fact that the most memorable line of the evening was Romney announcing that, if elected, he'd cancel any government subsidies to America's public broadcaster PBS, home of Sesame Street (despite Romney's protestations that "I like Big Bird").

So if Romney does manage to win, what next for the residents of kids' TV's most famous avenue?

Big Bird – Stud at intensive chicken farm in Ohio

Eric and Ernie – Salesmen/branding consultants for vulcanised bath accessories

Oscar the Grouch – Fox News talking head

Count von Count – Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve

Mr Snuffleupagus – Pantomime Snuffleupagus (seasonal)

Cookie Monster – Anti-diabetes campaigner

Elmo – "Me Elmo! Me professor of linguistics at MIT!"