Sesame Street - General Discussion

[Kromm]

‘Sesame Street’ To Introduce First Muppet With Autism

 

I suppose, technically, this probably belongs just as much, if not more, in the HBO network topic now, but I still consider PBS the primary spiritual home of Sesame Street, and of course these episodes will eventually air there too.

60 Minutes Story on this: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/julia-sesame-street-new-muppet-autism/

A few actual clips (actually, kind of a ton of them):

 

 

[Meredith Quill]

Discuss Here!

[Meredith Quill]

Tell Us Here!

[Meredith Quill]

Your Guest Stars Topic!

[Meredith Quill]

A place to discuss particular episodes, arcs and moments from the show's run. Please remember this isn't a complete catch-all topic -- check out the forum for character topics and other places for show-related talk.

[Meredith Quill]

Your Music Topic!

[Blergh]

Hands down! COOKIE MONSTER! Not only did even were the Grown Ups intimidated by him but he could have ALL the cookies he wanted yet was a good, honest soul! Yep, I wanted to grow up to be JUST like him! LOL

[Blergh]

James Earl Jones reciting and Lena Horne singing the alphabet (at different times). Can anyone think of better ways to learn it?

[Kromm]

Not Elmo!

At different times in my life I've gone from liking Ernie best (as a young kid), to Cookie (slightly older kid), to The Count (still a kid, but too old for the show), to Oscar (young adult, looking back at the show, to Grover (who I think I've liked best, longest). 

I kind of see Elmo as horning in on Grover's territory. Although clearly not a child character himself, Grover was, nevertheless, the "innocent" who earlier in the show often acted as a stand-in for the child viewer. Elmo took all of that over, and was more of a blunt instrument in how they executed that.

[Kromm]

Music is so core to the DNA of this show. From their gigantic array of original songs, to a regular feature of having the biggest music stars on the planet show up on the show regularly, to perform altered versions of pop songs re-themed along educational lines.

I suspect this topic will get a lot of submissions, once people realize it's here.

From the "Sesame Street Originals" category, my favorite could be one of several powerful competitors, but going with the theme that Ernie was my original favorite character (who only faded on me later when I got a bit older and got replaced by a succession of others who were less... cheesy), I'd have to place "Rubber Duckie"at the top--because it's the song that goes furthest back with me.

 

From the "Music Stars doing adaptations" category, there are probably even MORE I'm split between as my top pick. I could ruin this topic for other posters by posting video after video I've loved--even still love. But I won't. Yet (I may jump in later and add more after some other people have had a chance to post their faves).

For now, I'll leave it be with Feist's reworking of her own song "1234". Which was just a genius adaptation. Absolutely perfect, in fact.

[Kromm]

It was LONG after I was a kid, but once I saw this, I could NEVER forget it. Ever.

[kathyk24]

I love Sesame Street and can't imagine life without it. I love all the original Muppets and I can't stand Elmo. I think Elmo took over the show at the expense of the other Muppets. I'm looking forward to seeing the new character Julia. I hope the show doesn't introduce her only to forget about her later.

[SVNBob]

On 3/21/2017 at 6:54 PM, Kromm said:

Although clearly not a child character himself, Grover was, nevertheless, the "innocent" who earlier in the show often acted as a stand-in for the child viewer.

Actually, the role of the child stand-in was Big Bird's.  He was designed to have the psychology of the average 6-year old, which was the age of the intended audience when the show started.  But the average age of the viewer went down to near three or four, so a new stand-in was needed.  That's where the little red monster came in.

I think I personally identify with Bert the most right now.  He's the quiet outsider that wants to be left alone to read and do his "boring" hobbies, but still goes and has fun with his friends every now and then...even if what they're doing isn't the most comfortable thing for him.

[SVNBob]

Great topic.  I distinctly remember as a child having a double-LP set (which shows my age) full of songs from Sesame Street.  Checking the Muppet Wiki, it looks like it was actually a special re-release of two prior albums in a single set.  For a young kid, it was a nice way to continue to play on the Street when it wasn't on TV.

But that album didn't contain one of the great classic songs I know will be earworming everyone else soon.  A song so well loved that our own David T. Cole once sold a shirt celebrating it...

 

And while the Pointer Sisters vocal is truly a classic, I do have to give respect to Pentatonix for their a capella remix that they performed on the Street.  It keeps the soul of the original, but changes it just enough to fit their style.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

Baby Bear.  

My kid is now 9 and has left his Sesame Street days behind him for Teen Titans and DragonBall Z but I will still stop dead in my tracks for any ep featuring Baby Bear.  I think "Baby Bear is Afraid of Bees" may be my fav ep of all time.

[Kromm]

I'd call what Pentatonix did more of a Mash-up than a Remix, because it contains pieces of 6 different Sesame Street songs. The Pointer Sisters song is the framing device for the whole thing though, and it's awesomely done.

[Kromm]

Sia shows FAR more of her face than usual in HER recent Sesame Street appearance (it got posted last Wednesday):

 

[Spartan Girl]

Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar, Cookie Monster, and Snuffy.

I'm not picking just one, that's impossible!

[Twilight Man]

Classic Sesame Street

 

James Taylor singing "Your Grouchy Face" to Oscar

[PRgal]

Favourite:  Cookie Monster!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ammmm numnumnumnumnum :) - though my parents probably didn't know that.  I didn't own a Cookie Monster or anything.  My mom gave me a stuffed Big Bird when I was a kid though.

Least favourite:  The Count (he scared me)

Edited June 10, 2017 by PRgal

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, PRgal said:

Favourite:  Cookie Monster!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ammmm numnumnumnumnum :) - though my parents probably didn't know that.  I didn't own a Cookie Monster or anything.  My mom gave me a stuffed Big Bird when I was a kid though.

Least favourite:  The Count (he scared me)

PRGal,

 

I don't know your parents from Adam or Eve but I wouldn't be surprised if they'd hoped you'd   to be more like Big Bird than Cookie ( I think mine did even though my late father WAS   like Cookie Monster). I mean, Big Bird was nice, curious and friendly but few parents worried about their kids wanting to scarf down the family birdseed supply due to his example while it was Katie Bar the Door re the cookie supply with Cookie encouraging us kids to have at them with a passion! LOL

[starri]

Shawn Colvin's cover of "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon."

I'm not crying.  YOU'RE crying.

[Blergh]

I don't know who the artists were but they were able to make the number 11 truly rock- one of my all-time fave beats of any genre! Check out the Eleven Party:

[Spartan Girl]

This was one of my personal favorites. Only Sesame Street can have a bunch of characters singing in the bath without it being creepy.

[Spartan Girl]

I loved watching Bert and Ernie skits. And this one is my favorite, because for once Bert gets the last laugh:

[Spartan Girl]

PBS' Greatest crossover event ever:

[Blergh]

On 3/6/2018 at 6:40 PM, Spartan Girl said:

PBS' Greatest crossover event ever:

 

Interestingly enough, when Big Bird went to visit Mr. Rogers, (as per Carroll Spinney), the latter tried to insist that Mr. Spinney take off the 'bird head' on camera while visiting the 'main house' so the young viewers at home would know that this was a man in a costume but Mr. Spinney refused saying he'd promised Jim Henson that he'd never do so on camera. Thus, Mr. Rogers compromised a bit by having Big Bird ONLY show up in the Neighborhood of Make Believe where puppets who lived in viewers' imaginations would be right at home with a costumed bird!

 

Oh, as long as we're doing human guests, I loved it when Johnny Cash visited Oscar and insisted on being called 'Johnny Trash'! LOL

[Twilight Man]

So, I've been "sitting" on this for quite some time.

Just a few days ago, a conversation with some friends led to someone mentioning "Alvin and the Chipmunks",

which led to jokes of them singing everything including the Macarena,

at which point I said "It couldn't be any worse than ...................... Sesame Street Fever!!!

So, they took classic Sesame Streets songs, like Rubber Duckie, Doin' the Piegon, and C is for Cookie, and put them to disco music.

and Robin Gibb himself, from the Bee Gees, co-wrote and sings part of the title track.

I am so glad the "disco era" was mercifully short.

Edited March 20, 2018 by Twilight Man

[KWalkerInc]

There's no media thread, so I'll put this here.  Caroll Spinney is retiring from the show:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/17/entertainment/carroll-spinney-big-bird-leaving/index.html

[PamelaMaeSnap]

A little bump here because with Halloween coming up I've got a lot of Sesame Street on my mind (working on a mostly homemade costume of Abby Cadabby -- the "mostly" because I bought headband and wand for cheap on eBay -- and making an Elmo costume for my dog who co-greets trick-or-treaters with me). I'd been thinking about a Baby Bear costume for the dog but think Elmo is more easily recognized ... from what I can tell, Abby is friends with both of them. (I also like that once I finish this costume, I can tuck it away for all future Halloweens and non-seasonal costume parties!)

I'm in the minority that still loves Elmo after all these years ... I'd watched the "original" Sesame Street with my younger sister back in the day and then got back into it with my daughter, around the time Elmo joined the gang (to this day, with Little Snappy all grown up and getting married next fall, I STILL rewatch the old recordings we saved of some of the skits, most notably the Big Bad Perpetrator Wolf) 

I ADORE Baby Bear. He just cracks me up every time he opens his mouth. 

[Wicked Wonder]

Between this and learning that Bob, Luis and Gordon are no longer regularly on the show I'm having an Old Moment.

[revbfc]

Lily is in no way the “first homeless muppet.”

#justiceforoscar 

[VCRTracking]

[piccadilly83]

My favorite was Snuffaluffagus. If I'm not mistaken he sort of disappeared at a certain point and never came back. 😢

Also, I saw this a few weeks ago and when I came across this forum today, I decided I would share.

Sesame Street: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

[xaxat]

[Galileo908]

On 12/13/2018 at 2:45 PM, revbfc said:

Lily is in no way the “first homeless muppet.”

#justiceforoscar 

If someone lives in a trash can for 50 years, it's a home.

Last night HBO aired the 50th Anniversary special and lots of old Muppets came back! Like Don Music, Biff & Sully, Sherlock Hemlock, Roosevelt Franklin, Forgetful Jones, Harvey Kneeslapper, and Lefty! They remembered Lefty!

[revbfc]

8 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

If someone lives in a trash can for 50 years, it's a home.

A trash can is a home the same way a tent by the overpass is a home:  It’s not.  Everyone may be fine with him living in a trash can for 50 years, but that doesn’t make him any less homeless.

[Growsonwalls]

So I wrote up a 50 year anniversary tribute to Sesame Street on my blog:

https://humbledandoverwhelmed.blogspot.com/2019/11/sesame-street-at-50-years-for-arts-b-is.html

[kathyk2]

On 11/10/2019 at 11:27 PM, Galileo908 said:

If someone lives in a trash can for 50 years, it's a home.

Last night HBO aired the 50th Anniversary special and lots of old Muppets came back! Like Don Music, Biff & Sully, Sherlock Hemlock, Roosevelt Franklin, Forgetful Jones, Harvey Kneeslapper, and Lefty! They remembered Lefty!

You left out the best one Kermit! I squealed when he sang Being Green.

[punkypower]

Carroll Spinney, better known as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch has passed away this morning at 85. He had been suffering from dystonia.

Sesame Street just posted this on their FB page and it hasn't hit the media yet, so I'm posting screenshots of the announcement instead.

Heartbroken. This guy was such a huge part of my childhood and making me who I am today.😭😭😭
 

[kathyk24]

ABC is showing a special dedicated to to Sesame Street Monday night at 8:00.

[docmatt]

So this special has about 20 minutes of Rosie Perez but no Bob McGrath, Loretta Long or Emilio Delgado. Hell No!

[kathyk24]

I loved this it was so different from the 50th anniversary special on PBS. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

[Galileo908]

1 hour ago, docmatt said:

So this special has about 20 minutes of Rosie Perez but no Bob McGrath, Loretta Long or Emilio Delgado. Hell No!

Usually I'd say don't trust a special that focuses more on celebrities than people in the cast, but there was a lot of cast member focus here, too, which I enjoyed.

Spoiler

And holy crap, was not expecting actual acknowledgment, let alone footage of the infamous "Snuffy's parents get divorced" episode.

 

[kathyk24]

44 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Usually I'd say don't trust a special that focuses more on celebrities than people in the cast, but there was a lot of cast member focus here, too, which I enjoyed.

  Hide contents

And holy crap, was not expecting actual acknowledgment, let alone footage of the infamous "Snuffy's parents get divorced" episode.

 

I was shocked that it was discussed. Fifty years later Abby's parents are divorced and she has a stepfather and stepbrother.

[Wordsworth]

I stopped watching the special last night about an hour and fifteen minutes into it and, instead, played a bunch of "Sesame Street" clips on YouTube.

I get that the special may not have wanted to spend the whole time running "The Best of..." segments, but some of that nostalgia would have been nice.  They only interviewed Sonia Manzano from the original cast.  Instead, we got a bunch of guest star memories and huge portions of the show devoted to how important it is to have an African-American muppet.  

[Spartan Girl]

I watched the special last night and loved it. Anything about Sesame is an automatic win for me.

I can’t believe they shelved that episode about Snuffy’s parents getting divorced. I know it was upsetting to the test audience of kids but I thought they did the subject matter beautifully.

[starri]

I posted about this elsewhere, but Sesame Street had its first family with a same-sex couple for Pride.  It...I had a moment.

 

[kathyk24]

I watched the documentary Street Gang tonight on HBO it was excellent. The scene where Mr. Hooper died is so sad now that Carroll Spinney died. The outtakes were hilarious.

[danderson400]

I remember a film insert from the 70s that i remember seeing as a child, where Megan (i think that who it was) goes to the doctor and gets a cast on her arm so it can heal. Is it this one?