Your Thoughts: Sesame Street Season 38

[The Count]

Here it is, sorry for the lateness, I overslept a bit this morning so I figured I'd catch the repeat at 10 AM instead.

Rundown...
Episode 4149:Abby, Big Bird, and Elmo Sing.
Cold Opening: Word on the Street: Murray Monster asks about "predicament".
Street Story.
*Thumbs up, Jerry's wolf came back for a brief moment.
Song: "Count Me In".
Celebrity: Word on the Street Explanation: "Predicament".
Cavemen Claymation.
Muppets: Song: "Songs" performed by Sugarland (Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush) and Elmo, from Kids' Favorite Country Songs.
Animation: Musicians at a classical performance.
Muppet-Kid Moments: Bernie Broccoli guesses Anthony's favorite vegetable.
Song: "Eat Your Vegetables", similar to "Eat Your Favorite Fruits" from Episode 4148.
Letter of the Day: T, with Cookie Monster and Prairie Dawn.
Animation: T for tiger, teapot, television, taxi, and ta-ta.
Film: T for triangle.
Muppets: Triangle Bob Trianglepants.
Song: "That's What's Best About Getting Dressed".
The Count counts sheep to get to sleep, up to 3 before an elephant sneaks his way in.
Film: 3 Fish.
Film: Kids dancing in three colored grid squares.
Muppets: "Addition" by Ernie and Bert.
Animation: Song: "The Room Is Full Of Chickens" sung by Ivy Austin.
Elmo's World: Songs.
Bedtime Story: Telly reads his triangle the story of the Three Triangles.
*This would've been a better ending insert for Episode 4144: Triangle Lover of the Day.

 

[Drtooth]

First off... once again, self serving celebrity appearance in which they either sing a self serving parody of their own song, or ruin a Sesame Classic. Once again, Furry happy monsters= greatness, most of the others... lame.

That said, most of the rest of the episode was good. Cute beginning story with Abby Elmo and Big Bird. Great to see the classic 90's light purple wolf voiced by Jerry (even if it was a voice over). I also like how Eric Jacobson hints at him playing Miss Piggy by doing a male version of the voice for his pig. And I'm sure Peter Lindz did that pig voice in BTL as well (the BTL 3 little pigs is one of my favorite stories in that show).

Great ending with Telly and the triangles. So glad they didn't use another Gina segment. As I said, they're cute, but not funny at all.

Liked most of the reused muppet segments, especially the Ernie /Bert addition song, and Trianglebob Triangle pants.

Elmo's world was so old, it wasn't even the ones where he got E-mail.

Bad letter and number segments. But at least we got the Count not having to use his pip organ. Too bad there were only 2 in that series with the Elephant.

The veggy rap was bad, but I still love them using a real setting, and not just confining themselves to a studio.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I liked how Telly was waiving his feet in the background! That was so cute, heh!

 

[DTWolf]

Boy, talk about fast service! On Thursday I lamented the lack of Big Bird, Ernie, and Bert, and the very next morning we got an episode with all three on prominent display.

And the Count segment was a nice change from the pipe organ.

I complained about the triangle/jealous-Telly episode that 3 wasn't the number of the day after they spent so much time saying "THREE sides, THREE angles"--but in this episode they did it right. Over and over throughout the show the characters mentioned 3, and lo and behold, 3 was the number of the day!

Let me echo Drtooth by saying the so-called rap in the veggie-on-the-street segment was awful. I too like to see Muppets in the real world, but in this bit and the last veggie "rap" the audio was terrible--I can't call it music and I can't call it rap. It was like vocal lead. (That's lead the metal, by the way--darned homographs!)

 

[D'Snowth]

Now then, can someone help me before I make another change to my scalemodel of Sesame Street - in that skit with Elmo and them football players... WHAT in the world was that stuff all over Big Bird's doors, and WHEN did THAT happen, and HOW long is THAT going to last?

So, ANYBODY got an answer for that?

Oh, and I missed yesterday's new episode, I overslept, so... bummer.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I nocticed it but I can't tell you what it is or what it's doing there either. Sorry.

Boy, talk about fast service! On Thursday I lamented the lack of Big Bird, Ernie, and Bert, and the very next morning we got an episode with all three on prominent display.

Yeah, I think we all need to take a deep breath and stop freaking out a little bit. Everythind's going to work out for the best, for everybody!

 

[Convincing John]

I saw #4149

Hey all.

I saw episode #4149, and I haven't watched a full (recent) episode of Sesame Street in...at least 10 years.

As posted here, I gotta agree with Frank Oz on what he said:

Q: How do you feel about the direction "Sesame Street" has gone in, from the early days when you and Jim Henson worked on it?
A: It's just become a kids show, instead of a hip show. I've told them that, so many times - there's nothing I can do. I've given a master class in that stuff, but they don't get it. They're very nice people, and there are some really gifted people there. But the show was begun by people who were actually performers and actors.
The business now, it's mainly about people who are more executive, and people who come from television, and there's a difference, I think. I don't often watch the show, but I did a little bit, to see how it's going, and it's become a little kiddie show, and it's very sad. It was never like that with Jim and I, and everyone else back then. We always f - - - ed around, and did it for ourselves, and that's changed. I probably should be politic and diplomatic - but I'm not.

Q: I'm going to guess you're not a fan of their decision to make Snuffleupagus non-imaginary, so he'd be less confusing for children.
A: That's bulls - - t, if that's true. When that happens, the curriculum and the teaching aspect have taken over the imagination aspect, and it's a shame. Everyone's so f - - - ing politically correct, it's ridiculous. People are much more discerning than other people think.

Although there were some good points...

For me, the highlight of the episode was the "Adding" song with Ernie and Bert. Bert's reactions as everyone else around him was singing. That, I think, was Frank's Bert, but I'm not sure. Also Ernie's (poke poke poke) during the song was just classic Ernie. Kudos, Steve! Bravo!

If you missed it, watch it!

Jerry Nelson's wolf: Two words why I liked him: Jerry Nelson.

There were some sketches that had been used before, others that were trying to have that Muppety goodness. It's good for kids to have more complicated words tossed to them once in a while, like in the Murray the Monster segments. But why, oh why can't Disney let Kermit do this with the kids? Steve's around and performs Ernie...

IKids and Muppets together: YES. That's one thing (one of many) that made Sesame Street so special. Recent or old, unscripted moments are often a joy to see. No matter which Grover you see, its all cute and adorable.

But then which "character" do I see in this spot? A broccoli. Is Sesame Workshop that obsessed with nutrition now that main characters take a backseat to anonymous talking vegetables? What's the kid supposed to do, take a chomp out of him at the end of the sketch?

Then I see "The Vegetable Rap". Captain Vegetable did it so much better.

I didn't see EW (had to get my laundry from the laundromat).

Convincing John

 

[CensoredAlso]

I have seen that interview, and I'm personally very glad Frank shared his thoughts on SS. And he explained the problems very clearly and analytically.

 

[Convincing John]

Me too. He mentioned "a master's class in that stuff". Wonder what the syllabus would've been like?

Convincing John

 

[CensoredAlso]

I don't know, but I wish I could have taken it, lol.