Current episodes without Elmo's world...

[minor muppetz]

It could be that they're trying to phase out Elmo's World. I don't discount that. I'm just saying companies know by experience that when they start rerunning a show too much, people get tired of it and stop watching (yes even if they're little kids).

But there have been a lot of repeats of complete episodes recently. So a sketch being repeated woldn't be too different.

 

[Drtooth]

It could be that they're trying to phase out Elmo's World. I don't discount that. I'm just saying companies know by experience that when they start rerunning a show too much, people get tired of it and stop watching (yes even if they're little kids).

Exactly. But even if they are trying, it doesn't mean it will be gone. it is an experiment. Even though the SS of today is pretty much completely accepted and there isn't much room to play around with stuff, SS is and always will be an experiment.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

They could clearly have shown any one of many Elmo's Worlds in those 2 episodes. It has nothing to do with Kevin at all.

Mayhaps after years off fan complaints, they're actually trying to see what would happen if EW was no longer a part of the show. That's why those 2 episodes had recurring segments.

I highly doubt Kevin has much to do with it. Now I could see Carroll Spinney phasing out of the show because it does seem like he's getting a bit old to play Big Bird and that he has Matt as his understudy, but I could see Kevin still on the show for a good number of years. My thoughts on this are that, maybe the writers do listen to us. Maybe they agree that there has been too much focus on Elmo, so it does get to be too much when he's on the last 15 minutes of the show. For the most part, I agree with Dr. Tooth said. They just seem to be experimenting.

 

[Larxene]

Shortening Elmo's World seems like a better deal to me. 25 minutes of Elmo makes my head hurt, it's like the rest of the show has to be super compacted so Elmo can bounce around all that time. I'm disappointed teaching ABCs and 123s has taken a backseat to a goldfish thinking about hands and a lot of really irritating chatter. 10 minutes sounds good to me, enough time for me to use the bathroom and then get a snack so I can avoid it entirely =)

 

[Drtooth]

Shortening Elmo's World seems like a better deal to me. 25 minutes of Elmo makes my head hurt, it's like the rest of the show has to be super compacted so Elmo can bounce around all that time. I'm disappointed teaching ABCs and 123s has taken a backseat to a goldfish thinking about hands and a lot of really irritating chatter. 10 minutes sounds good to me, enough time for me to use the bathroom and then get a snack so I can avoid it entirely =)

A) Elmo's world actually is only 15 minutes. Maybe a little over. 25 minutes would be half the show.

B) If you don't like it, watch the other "Quality" kids shows like Blues Clues and Dora, whom have corrupted SS into a little kid's show. Remember. When SS first started there weren't 3 different cable channels running poor quality toy commercial style kid's programming. it is a shame that they had to stoop to the lowest common denominator (but at least in a far more enjoyable way) to save their skins.

Personally, I think that you can shorten Elmo's world to 10 minutes if you take out or truncate different things. First, shorten Mr. Noodle's Capering (it's not the same without Mr.Jeter), then cut out the opeing montage of kids doing various things with the subject du jour. Shorten the film insert of some kid visiting something. Put only 3 examples of What does something and what doesn't. Comedy three. Cut "how do you do" segment with 1 kid and then one let's talk to a baby. And finally, get rid of the song at the end.

Now, why I wanted this segment seperated from the show completely is that it just doesn't mesh. for 10 years now they had a segment that doesn't mesh with the rest of the show. But sadly, PBS thinks it needs to run something called "Super Why!" in a time slot they could just run this show.

I mean, EW is geared to the youngest viewers whos parents don't read the "Television isn't beneficial to 1 and 2 year olds" reports, and that actually think Baby Einstine videos are a good investment. I cannot even blame SS for sliding downhill. Look at everything else....

This cartoon expresses how I feel

 

[Larxene]

Seriously? Only 15 minutes? It starts at like 10:35AM here and that's usually where I turn the channel. Not that Maury Povich is any better...

I don't care for Blue or Dora either, in fact, I hated 90% of the shows from the 90's when this turn towards dumbing down of kids programming began. I have no idea how this got acceptable either because I sure as heck don't approve. I like the original idea of Sesame Street best: that the audience is just very, very short.

 

[Drtooth]

Seriously? Only 15 minutes? It starts at like 10:35AM here and that's usually where I turn the channel. Not that Maury Povich is any better....

15-20 minutes... remember the show ends at 55 minutes past the hour, and begins at like 3-5 minutes past the hour (no thanks to the sponsership). I broke it down a while back. So the show is about 50 minutes long.

And it definately is the fault of inferior shows like Barney, Teletubbies, and Dora the Explora why SS had to suffer. In the beginning they did have demographics and studies, but it was basically about the subject matter of the show, not what can they do to keep their show alive due to moronic choices on other channels. Those shows are like candy. They have no nutritional value. SS had to drop substance for taste, and it took the demographic of the show down to a younger audience.

But I cannot think of any show that held it's shape and size for that long. SNL isn't as good as it used to be, ditto the Simpsons. Large ammounts of this are due in part to losing various people who shaped the show. Carol is the only one still there who was at the beginning of the show. Sometimes Frank.

That said, I'm getting this thread back to speculation of why these were missing in 2 episodes, only because no one can really say anything more that hasn't been said.

 

[wiley207]

But I cannot think of any show that held it's shape and size for that long. SNL isn't as good as it used to be, ditto the Simpsons. Large ammounts of this are due in part to losing various people who shaped the show. Carol is the only one still there who was at the beginning of the show. Sometimes Frank.

And the only human cast members that are still on from since 1969 are Bob McGrath and Loretta Long. So far there's been no new material with Bob this season, and there was a cameo by Susan in Episode 4138. Then again, Luis and Maria have had the same actors since 1971, and we still have Fran Brill and Jerry Nelson (both joined the show in 1970). Marty Robinson and David Rudman both joined the show in 1980 (I think), and Kevin Clash joined in maybe 1983 or 1984.

 

[Drtooth]

Exactly. Most of the people who shaped the show either passed on or left. In any matter, when someone passes on or leaves, things always change due to new people involved. it sadly can't be helped.

That said.... will Monday's episode feature EW? Tune in next time to find out. Same SS Place, Same SS Time.