Your Thoughts: Sesame Street Old School DVD

[theprawncracker]

UCH! NO stores in my area are getting this set in at all! It's driving me crazy...Okay, crazier. So I guess I'm gonna have to help out good ol' MC and buy it from Amazon.

 

[minor muppetz]

Well, I finally found a copy. One copy at Suncoast. It wasn't ther eyesterday, but it was there today.

I watched disc one. I really liked the first episode. It was said that the first skit that got cut was replaced, but I expected it to be shown at the same spot in the show. Still, I liked Ernie, Bert, and Kermit's scenes. I also laughed really hard at Buddy and Jim. The animated introduction was better than I'd expected. The scenes with the dots were also better than I'd expected, though they did eventually get old (but then got better by the last one). I kind of wish that either Big Bird or Oscar would have joined the cast at the very end of the episode (was caroll Spinney performing Ernie's right hand in that scene?).

I also liked the pitch pilot. It's ironic that Kermit kept refusing to agree to be on the show, as he's the only character from that pilto to be a lasting character on the show (I don't know if Grover counts. Is there a difference between Gleep and the first Grover puppet?). I wonder if Jim Henson got an idea for the characters of Ernie and Bert when this film was made. Theyw ere absent, yet ironically they were the only Muppets to appear in the test pilots (unless the A&E biography was wrong).

I only had time to watch oen of the first season bonus skits, the one where Big Bird met Little Bird. I'll post my thoughts after I watch them all. Now I'm gonna watch another episode.

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

UCH! NO stores in my area are getting this set in at all! It's driving me crazy...Okay, crazier. So I guess I'm gonna have to help out good ol' MC and buy it from Amazon.

yeah I know the feelin' about NOT finding it..... in ANY STORES near me, i could drive 1 hour to the city (theres fye and best buy in the mall) but i REALLY DONT wana have to drive just for thos. IF i had more things to get then i would... but... i JUST placed my order for "Sesame Street: Old School" and "World according to Sesame Street" dvds from Deep Discount Dvd.com and it ONLY came up to $35 with FREE S&H too!

 

[chpoof]

Well, I ordered mine from Deepdiscountdvd.com about a month and a half ago, and I got a notice saying it was shipped today. That means I probably won't get it till sometime next week, so I guess I will have to wait just a little bit longer. Patience is a virtue!

 

[minor muppetz]

I watched all of the Season 1 Classic Cuts, so I'll post my thoughts on the clips included. First of all, this seems to have the rarest clips, only two of which have previously been released on video, and as far as I know only two were shown on Noggin's Sesame Street Unpaved series.Still, for awhile I had thought that every song that was included in the first album were performed before the album was made, but in the last year I started to have some doubt about some songs, and started to think that maybe thye were originally recorded for the first album but shown on television later. I also wish that more Muppet skits from this season were included.

My thoughts on the individual sketches:
*Bein' Green: I like the original version the best (though it's been a long time since I last saw the Lena Horne version, so my opinion might change if I ever see that version again). I'm glad to own this now (of course, I could have just bought the 25th anniversary DVD to have it). However, since this version was already released on DVD, I would have preferred to have seen another first season Kermit skit in it's place (also, it would have been great if Sesame Workshop saved some of the best-known early songs for future sets). Perhaps the set could have instead included Kermit's lecture on "in" (that would have given this set a first season Grover sketch), Kermit's hair lecture, Kermit's milk lecture (so that most of the first season monsters would have been included in this set), or Kermit's bear excersizes.
*Rubber Duckie: the classic version that we've all seen hundreds of times. However, although it's not the rarely-seen original version, I really like this song, and this version of the song. Even though it's been released on other videos and DVDs, this one deserves to be included. This song is to Ernie what Duck Amuck is to Daffy Duck (only Rubber Duckie doens't give Ernie any kind of conflict).
*James Earl Jones counts to 10: at first I thought that all celebrity appearances from the first season featured celebrities counting to 10, and thought that this set should have included James Earl Jones reciting the alphabet instead, but then I realized that the other two celebrities recited the alphabet (how ironic). This sketch is good, though the ending seems a bit weird (Jones ducking after saying 10).
*I Love Trash: a classic Oscar song, and this version is perhaps one of the most rarely-seen on the set. It looks like this might have been part of a street plot, as it seems like it begins after Gordon and a kid have a conversation. I wonder if this versionw as shown in multiple episodes.
*Jackie Rogers recites the alphabet: Not too interesting. Doesn't seem to have much purpose other than to include a celebrity reciting the alphabet.
*ABC-DEF-GHI: It's good to see the original version. The A&E Biography featured an early clip of Big Bird singing this song, which I thought was the original, and thought that Big Bird looked like his original version in that clip (maybe the original audio was used, throwing me off), but this is clearly a different version (the clip shown showed Big Bird looking out his doors, while this version doesn't show Big Bird anwhere near his doors). I wonder if this song was still shown in new episodes after Matt Robinson left and Mr. Hooper died. Gordon doens't appear, and Big Bird mentions to Susan that Bob or Gordon could explain to him what the word means, without mentioning Mr. Hooper at all.
*Swinging Gibbon: I didn't pay much attention to this, but it's mostly a flm clip about soem animals, I guess they are called gibbons. When I first read that this was included, I really hoped that it was a lecture by Proffessor Hastings about swinging gibbons.
*The Alphabet with Lou Rawls: I didn't pay much atention to this scene, but I wonder if it was a last minute addition. Lou Rawls is the only celebrity in bonus clips to not be mentioned in the press release, but the press release did mention Sing with Bob and Pinball Number Count, both of which aren't included. Perhaps Sesame Workshop relaized that Pinball Number Count wasn't from the first five seasons (I'm not sure about Bob's version of Sing) and replaced it with this. Again, I'm only speculating.
*Batman crosses the street: This is a very funny cartoon. It shows that Batman doesn't want The Joker to die, even though he was an enemey.
*I've Got Two: I had wondered if this was performed in the first season or if it originated on the first album. This answers that question, though the televised version only has Susan and Bob, but not Big Bird, Oscar, Gordon, or Mr. Hooper. Still, it is good to see a sketch with just the humans (though I'd rather see a Muppet sketch). This looks like it might have been part of a street story, or edited in some way. The way that the clip begisn looks like Susna and Bob had just had a conversation that was meant for the viewers to have seen when originally aired.
*Alphabet Soup: this skit was better than I'd expected.
*First Season Credits Crawl: It looks like the first season didn't have a consistent closing, instead showing new footage during the credits. It is a bit interesting seeing the turtles, and it would be great if this episode were to be included in the next set so that what happens earlier will make more sense.

top five skits that I most wished were included: besides what I mentioned when reviewing Bein' Green, I wish this disc included Everyone Likes Ice Cream, Lefty attempting to sell a U, the original Near and Far, Baker #9, and Lulu's back in Town (I hope that Sesame Workshop can secure the rights to this song for a future set).

 

[minor muppetz]

I forgot to give my comments on the skit where Big Bird met Little Bird. Anyway, I thought that skit was good. I figured that Jim Henson probably performed Little Bird in that appearance, though I expected him to give Little Bird a high-pitched Kermit-sounding voice rather than a Waldorf-like voice.

And now my review for disc 2:
Episode 131: A very good episode. I liked Big Bird's "Everyon Makes Mistakes" song, as well as Cookie Monster eating the J. Big Bird almost gettign hit by a car seems a bit extreme for Sesame Street. No wonder Noggin cut it. By the way, was that one of the performers who voiced the driver who almost hit Big Bird? It kind of sounds like Jerry Nelson, but also like Jim Henson or Caroll Spinney. I liked What's My Part?, Circles, and Ernie counting to 10 (I thought the review said that this release included the ending with Bert screaming and banging his head, but I didn't notice such a scene..... and if it was edited from both Noggin and this DVD, then maybe it was already edited when the episode was made). I Whistle a Happy Tune was also very funny, and I saw the top of Frank Oz's head at one point in this song.
Season 2 Classic Cuts: A very small selection, and only one Muppet skit, but still enjoyable.
King of 8: I've seen this one many times.
Over, Under, Around, and Through: This is the only Muppet skit from the secodn season included in this feature. I would have liked for somethign else to have been included, as it was recently included in A Celebration of Me, Grover, and Play-Along Games and Songs, which also features it, was recently released on DVD. However, on my copy the entire audio is missing (though after a few secdns of no sound I merely skipped to the enxt skit). Is it like this on other copies (of course, I think I would have read this in a review).
Astronaut Drawing: Similar to the M drawing sketch from one of the epsiodes in this disc. I guess the bonus skits include editions of recurring sketches that were in episodes inlcuded after all.
Listen, My Brother: Counting to 20: This song is interesting, but who is the group that performs it?
S-Superman: A good skit.
I Love Being a Pig: A good song about pigs.
Season 2 credits crawl: It seems like this season had a specific closing, so I don't know why the ending of an episode that led to this had to be included.
Episode 276: The beginning is interesting. Two kids narrarate, and properly introduce the variosu characters, including the new characters, but they act as if they already know Tom and Rafael. I liked both of Kermit's scenes, Herbert Birdsfoot's M lecture, the cartoon with the M being invited to dinner, and The Great Cookie Thief. I also liekd Snuffy's debut, though it was a bit weird. Snuffy seemed to be more zombie-like in his first appearance, not just in looks but also personality. When Big Bird asks where Snuffy went, he just says, "I suppose so". What's that supposed to mean? Did he mishear the question? And I guess Snuffy was really shy in his first appearance. And the cartoon character in that skit about Up sound s abit like Big Bird's original voice. Did Carol Spinney voice him?
Season 3 Classic Cuts: This selection fo classic cuts seems to have the msot stuff that I remember seeing.
C is for Cookie: A true classic, worthy of this release.
The Ladybug Picnic: Another classic.
Martians Telephoen: Another classic. I thought that the skit ended with the Martians reacting to the telephone ringing the first time, instead of them observing the sound.
Mumford's Magic Trick: Another classic. It's good to have Mumford on this set. The ending does go on a bit long though. And is that set seen behind the curtain the same one from The Question Song?
The Alligator King: One of my favortie of Bud Luckey's contributions.
Animal Breathing Song: he singer in this sort of sounds like Kevin Clash, but that's probably not right, unless Kevin Clash dubebd the voice.
A Special Day: a good, random Ernie and Bert skit, with Ernie decoratign the apartment and Bert trying to figure out why.
I Am Somebody: I don't ever remember seeing this one, but I read it in Sesame Street Unpaved. I didn't expect the kids to repeat the poem.
J Friends: a very good J song.
Would You Like to Buy an O?: Yayyy!!! Lefty gets included! Though I would ahve preferred to have seen another Lefty skit, like The Golden An or the one where Lefty tried to sell a snowman.
Harvey Kneeslapper with Mirror: This is different from how I'd pictured it. I expected it to have a plain-colored background (like most Harvey Kneeslapper skits), and I expected the mirror to be a hand-held one.
Capital I: A good song, though since it was recently included as a bonus skit in All-Star Alphabet I would have prefferred something else (perhaps, oh, I don't know, AN EXTRA KERMIT SKIT!).
Martian Beauty: Another great song to have.
My Favorite Letter: Good, but not the best.
Mad Painter: This is really funny. The painter keeps painting a 3 on a snadwhich, and it keeps getting eaten. Cookie Monster should have co-starred with the painter.
Season 3 Credits Crawl: After the secodns eason had a more specific closing, this one goes back to continung showing the action from the episode continuing into the credits. I could be wrong, but it seems like Fran Brill wasn't credited as a performer, even though she was credited the previous year.

 

[gbrobeck]

I must point out something. I never said that the Counter of Numbers sketch included that ending in the review. Phillip added that when he edited it. I'm of the belief that that ending is urban legend, so I didn't mention it as being edited.

Listen My Brother was an ensemble music group of the late 60s/early 70s that featured a very young and unknown by name Luther Vandross.

I also noticed in that season 3 closing that Emilio Delgado isn't credited. Very strange.


Greg

 

[jeffkjoe]

Does anyone know what the name of the musical group was who performed the "COUNTING TO 20: LISTEN, MY BROTHER" segment from the 1970 classic cuts section?

 

[gbrobeck]

Listen, My Brother was the name of the group.


Greg

 

[mjb1124]

Over, Under, Around, and Through: This is the only Muppet skit from the secodn season included in this feature. I would have liked for somethign else to have been included, as it was recently included in A Celebration of Me, Grover, and Play-Along Games and Songs, which also features it, was recently released on DVD. However, on my copy the entire audio is missing (though after a few secdns of no sound I merely skipped to the enxt skit). Is it like this on other copies (of course, I think I would have read this in a review).

Someone on the Square One TV message board said that there's no sound on the right channel in that segment.

Season 2 credits crawl: It seems like this season had a specific closing, so I don't know why the ending of an episode that led to this had to be included.

They also included the episode endings for seasons 4 and 5, both of which have the scrolling building closing. I happen to think that was a good idea.