Rare "Cracks" animation from 1970's Sesame Street

[minor muppetz]

And it wasn't Sesame Workshop that said they stored little video footage, it was the CTW Archives held at the University of Maryland.

I had known that the CTW Archives in Maryland didn't have any existing video from the show. If they did I would have expected more info at Muppet Wiki (which used programming guides and such to make episode pages).

I really don't know. It's unclear as to exactly who he got it from. Supposedly a contact close to Cosmo Anzilotti, the creator, contacted HIM regarding it, and helped him obtain a copy, after reading about his search effort online.

Maybe the creator had him sign the contract because he doesn't want to get in trouble with Sesame Workshop for making copies of the master tape.

I didn't realize that Muppet Wiki had an episode number for the segment until reading the info. Though I wonder how it was known that it happens in the first 15 minutes. The programming guides Muppet Wiki uses are not complete. I don't know whether they even list sketches in the right order (I wonder if anyone looked at guides for episodes listed on the wiki in full to see if the order corresponds with what little is in the guides).

 

[minor muppetz]

There is one thread I remember reading about a long time ago, I think it was in 2004 or 2005. Not quite sure if it'd be easy to find in search or what the best key word would be, but somebody started a thread long ago, saying that they were able to get Sesame Workshop to provide a DVD copy of five segments, I can't remember which five they were and don't know how rare those segments are (the only thing I know was that none of them were Muppet segments). The person who did this said they had to pay a certain amount of money (I think it was 50 dollars for five segments).

I'm a little surprised more fans hadn't tried that. Though I can't remember if the thread mentioned how they found out to do that or who they'd have to contact. Of course we don't know if Sesame Workshop has changed when it comes to selling their clips to fans, or if the person responsible for selling them is still employed there (he very well could have gotten fired for it.... I did not state a fact, just a possibility). But maybe that'd be a way to get a copy of the Crack Master sketch.

 

[Drtooth]

I just now looked at the link provided. It's weird that the person with the copy is contractually forbidden from sharing the clip with anyone (outside of screenings), yet is apparently allowed to make a documentary of it. And Sesame Workshop said they store very little video footage and don't have a copy in their archives? I thought I read that Sesame Workshop has every episode in its archives and has made copies of every episodes in different formats. Not to mention that thousands of clips over the years have surfaced, whether on recent DVD releases, sesamestreet.org, and of course the thousands of episodes that have repeated segments over the years. Something doesn't sound right there.

Unless they only want the master copies, I think the problem resides in the fact that they'd have to plow through hundreds of episodes (if they even have a direct clue which year it was from) to find it.

Anyway... how the heck did 7 Little Monsters get leaked? I don't see why Sesame Workshop doesn't contact this guy and ask him for the footage back to make a digital copy of.

 

[minor muppetz]

Unless they only want the master copies, I think the problem resides in the fact that they'd have to plow through hundreds of episodes (if they even have a direct clue which year it was from) to find it.

Well, the page about this clip mentions an episode that it appeared in. I searched the Muppet Wiki page for that episode, and I sure was surprised. I didn't think it was mentioned on the wiki (except for in talk pages).

 

[dycaite]

I didn't realize that Muppet Wiki had an episode number for the segment until reading the info. Though I wonder how it was known that it happens in the first 15 minutes.

Here's a direct scan of the record found at CTW archives; the episode was broken up into 15 minute segments:

http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/a/ac/SS_Crack_in_Wall.PDF

I had known that the CTW Archives in Maryland didn't have any existing video from the show.

Yeah, I didn't realise at the time, and rumour had it that that was where Armond got his copy, so I figured it would be worth contacting them (which I did).

 

[dycaite]

I'm a little surprised more fans hadn't tried that. Though I can't remember if the thread mentioned how they found out to do that or who they'd have to contact. Of course we don't know if Sesame Workshop has changed when it comes to selling their clips to fans, or if the person responsible for selling them is still employed there (he very well could have gotten fired for it.... I did not state a fact, just a possibility). But maybe that'd be a way to get a copy of the Crack Master sketch.

I actually did try that, but was told that they "will not be able to release the segment at all. Thank you for understanding". When I then asked why this was the case, I simply never received another reply...

 

[Drtooth]

I wonder if SW deleted every instance of it because it scared children. I doubt that they would, and if they only released that episode to iTunes/amazon/their pay Youtube channel, would it then be replaced by something else?

Let's hope that guy finishes his documentary soon enough so he can release it somewhere. I'm sure it exists, but without real proof, it's just going to come off as a Creepypasta hoax.

 

[dycaite]

I'm sure it exists, but without real proof, it's just going to come off as a Creepypasta hoax.

I'm 100% sure it exists. The head of the Sesame Workshop PR department acknowledged its existence when I emailed her recently.

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah. I have no doubt that it's real, and there is proof (minus the skit itself) But you know the internet... you throw enough of these stories around, and it's the boy who cried wolf.

 

[dycaite]

True. A lot of people doubted Cry Baby Lane's existence, but that leaked eventually. I so hope this does too >.> Until such time, I'm going to do everything in my power to find a copy.