April Fools: Sesame Street's Most Controversial Moments coming to DVD in August

[minor muppetz]

Shout! just posted on their Facebook page that their first real collectors-marketed Sesame Street release is coming in August, and is called "Sesame Street's Most Controversial Moments".

The post:
We at Shout! Factory are pleased to announce the release of our first Sesame Street DVD to be aimed primarily at collectors, entitled Sesame Street's Most Controversial Moments, a perfect collection aimed at older audiences as well as the perfect DVD collection to honor the shows 50th anniversary.

Contents to be included on this DVD set will include:

• Episode 847 - this episode finds Margret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West in this episode that was banned after only one television airing. This alone should be enough for all the fans sending us letters.
• Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce - This episode never even aired, as test audiences were confused and upset over this episode.
• Long-Unseen Segments - over 30 minutes worth of segments that haven't been seen or officially released in years, many only having a few broadcasts. This includes such scary segments as "BIRD" and "CRACKS", segments with imitable behavior such as the Baker Film series and some Don Music, appearances by Lefty the Salesman, Monsterpiece Theater segments where Alistair Cookie eats a pipe, segments that offended viewers (including one with John Candy), and more!
• Controversial Celebrities - segments featuring celebrity guests who have gone on to become controversial in some way, including Bill Cosby, Paul Reubens, Mel Gibson, and Chris Brown.
• Unaired Segments - segments that for one reason or another never aired, including Katy Perry's infamous appearance, early alternate versions of such classic songs as "Imagination", "Me Lost Me Cookie at the Disco", and "I Love My Elbows" (which was originally "I Love My Knees"), a completely unaired recurring series called The Man from Alphabet, and longlost editions of Monsterpiece Theater, Kermit News, Super Grover, Global Grover, and Elmo the Musical!
• Many of the content will also include special video introductions explaining why certain things are considered controversial.

We expect the "Controversial" nature of this release to drive up sales, but due to the controversial aspect, both Sesame Workshop and us at Shout! have agreed that it will only be available for a limited time and exclusively as a burn-on-demand release. We will also be holding a special contest where two lucky buyers will be entered to win a trip to either Boston or Washington, DC and spend up to nine hours watching episodes available at the American Public Televison Archives.

Sounds exciting. Too bad it doesn't say whether episode 847 or "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce" will be the full episodes (with insert segments) or just the street scenes. Too bad it's burn-on-demand, I usually don't order things online but I think I'll make an exception for this.

Oh, wait... Can we all guess what's about to come?...

That's right, APRIL FOOLS!

 

[D'Snowth]

Now this is a good one.

 

[minor muppetz]

Now this is a good one.

It was a toss-up between this idea for a concept I had ended up bringing up in the 50th anniversary thread that would be similar to "Best of Friends" but would focus on the Muppets who have been on the show since the first season.

As I was writing this, I almost considered using the term "Sesame Brats" in what appears to be an official press release.

I can't believe I didn't think to mention inclusion of Roosevelt Franklin or "I Want a Monster to Be My Friend" (if this was real, they'd probably mention Roosevelt Franklin). Then again, a real press release probably wouldn't announce EVERYTHING that's included. Which makes me wonder: If there was an official announcement for a collectors-themed release, would I be happy or not if they actually officially announced every single insert to be included (which would be great to know in the first announcement, but then I couldn't speculate or make a wishlist)?

 

[Blue Frackle]

lol, the post should've said "ATTENTION ALL SESAME BRATS" at the top.

All the clips of Richard Hunt as Elmo better be featured as well!

 

[MuppetSpot]

Paul Reubens

I don’t think Paul Rubens would be considered a controversial figure because, they are willing to put him on 40th Anniversary DVD set. Plus put down the ducky segment with him on it as Pee Wee is more common than the remake.

 

[minor muppetz]

All the clips of Richard Hunt as Elmo better be featured as well!

I don't think those are really considered controversial (aside from confusion). Maybe if it were titled "Sesame Rarities Collection" I'd have listed some (though my intent was to imply it has some rare segments that might not be particularly controversial as much as they failed at testing, either before airing or after).

I don’t think Paul Rubens would be considered a controversial figure because, they are willing to put him on 40th Anniversary DVD set. Plus put down the ducky segment with him on it as Pee Wee is more common than the remake.

I know. I did mention some "controversial" stuff that Sesame Workshop is clearly willing to put on DVD or online (like Don Music, Alistair Cookie's pipe, and the baker films).

I would have thought the re-edited celebrity version of Put Down the Duckie was more common, as that was the one that frequently aired in the late-1990s (maybe I should see if I can determine which version was broadcast more), and that (as well as the original celebrity-free version) is the version Sesame Workshop has uploaded online. But it is the only version of the segment that has been released on home video.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

That would definitely be a good idea. Plus they really did explain divorce a few years back with Abby's parents, so the Snuffy episode in DVD form or streaming in some way shape or form shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Kinda sad though that it seems most likely we never will see anymore Bill Cosby clips in future releases. I highly doubt Sesame Workshop would want to promote a criminal we once looked up to as the African American TV dad we all loved.

 

[Cookie3001]

Kinda sad though that it seems most likely we never will see anymore Bill Cosby clips in future releases. I highly doubt Sesame Workshop would want to promote a criminal we once looked up to as the African American TV dad we all loved.

I know, it really sucks, I don't think we will get to see Sesame Street 20 Years and Still Counting either which really sucks since that's one of my favorite SS specials

 

[minor muppetz]

Kinda sad though that it seems most likely we never will see anymore Bill Cosby clips in future releases. I highly doubt Sesame Workshop would want to promote a criminal we once looked up to as the African American TV dad we all loved.

I wonder if we've seen the last of an official home video/online release of The Electric Company (well, there are plenty of segments without him, he was only in the first season). Though as far as I know, Old School Vol. 1 hasn't been recalled and episodes with him haven't been removed or edited from the Sesame Street Classics iTunes releases.