*Sigh* It's That Time of the Decade Again...

[muppet baby]

does anyone know when we will know for sure if parts of sesme street will get the ax ? All of this is really werid .

Even though they try to do it every three years as some have said .

i hope that none of that does happen i still love every part of sesame street .

Even thouh i am 27 years old now .

My faverite parts are still our wonderful friends Elmo and the count and Big Bird and all the other muppets that are a part of the show .

 

[wwfpooh]

and all the other muppets that are a part of the show

In a limited capacity, given how Elmo--and Kevin Clash, his performer--have been given the greenlit chance to mug for the camera all they want, apparently.

 

[mikebennidict]

What I am surprised about, regarding PBS, is that they promised to air both Mr. Rogers and Reading Rainbow for as long as possible, and now, practically both shows are often-times nowhere to be found!

Mr. Rogers is still being shown on PBS.

Certainly it's airing here in the Chicago area.

 

[wwfpooh]

Mr. Rogers is still being shown on PBS.

Certainly it's airing here in the Chicago area.

Must just be my area then, because even when it rarely aired, it aired at 5 am or some other ungodly hour.

 

[D'Snowth]

What I am surprised about, regarding PBS, is that they promised to air both Mr. Rogers and Reading Rainbow for as long as possible, and now, practically both shows are often-times nowhere to be found!

Um... both of those shows are still on PBS everyday.

 

[Drtooth]

Um... both of those shows are still on PBS everyday.

Depends on the Market. Some markets air different programming than others. It's not a set guideline, which makes PBS different from other television networks. Sure, they have programs that they are told to air, but they air them at the individual programmer's discression.

As I said, Reading Rainbow airs (I don't know if this is still the case) 6AM on Sunday mornings. And Mr. Rogers was being phased out of my PBS stations. Then he passed on, and they felt, almost like an obligation, to rerun them one more time for a couple years. But dropped it quickly after. To think, a performer's death is the only way to bring a classic show like that back.

I think one of the most depressing sights I've ever seen was Levarr Burton accepting the Emmy for Reading Rainbow, and having a heart felt, frank confab about how they were begging for sponsership.

 

[D'Snowth]

On my PBS, Mister Rogers's Neighborhood is on every weekday at 1:00, while Reading Rainbow (new school I'm afraid, they don't air old school episodes anymore) airs every weekday at 2:00.

 

[wwfpooh]

On my PBS, Mister Rogers's Neighborhood is on every weekday at 1:00, while Reading Rainbow (new school I'm afraid, they don't air old school episodes anymore) airs every weekday at 2:00.

For me, both are seemingly gone, and it's been ages since I've seen an old-school RRB episode.

 

[frogboy4]

Old and New

The Sesame Old School releases (cheesy warning label aside) are a fantastic and respectful effort to honor great work of Sesame seasons past. If not for those episodes Elmo and Abby wouldn't exist.

However, kids are sharp and can tell the difference between old and new footage. For one reason or another (timing, production elements, dated puppet designs) many kids don't respond to the old footage the same way they do with the new stuff. It would be nice for them to have a weekly "retro corner" segment that incorporates a minute or two of the classic content.

These PBS morning programs are about the kids. Not pandering to them, but connecting with them. I'm glad that Reading Rainbow and the Electric Company have been re-launched. I haven't seen the new incarnations so I don't know how the new stuff compares with the classics, but it is a necessary step and one that is much better than much of the other garbage that has overstayed its welcome...cough, cough..Barney.

 

[Drtooth]

These PBS morning programs are about the kids. Not pandering to them, but connecting with them. I'm glad that Reading Rainbow and the Electric Company have been re-launched. I haven't seen the new incarnations so I don't know how the new stuff compares with the classics, but it is a necessary step and one that is much better than much of the other garbage that has overstayed its welcome...cough, cough..Barney.

There are quite a few pandering shows. I hate to bring up Superwhy again, but it's just a dreadful, ugly looking show with no appeal to anyone over the age of 2 months (of Pregnancy) that tries to be interractive, but comes off more condesending and patronizing. Plus, speaking as a fan of the Superhero parody genre, making them superheroes for no apparent reason does a disservice to people that want a decent, good superhero parody.

There are some other pretty dreary things, like Barney, Callou, and Teletubbies (which thankfully has been phasing out, but I'm sure it's still stinking up the joint). Even the newest incarnation of Thomas the Tank Engine is slanted to the pandering. And they chose one crappy narrator too. Can't act, can't do more than 2 voices. And he has a horrible Americn accent that makes me cringe everytime he says "Sir Toppumhat was Very Cross!" UGH.

But there is hope. There are some very good shows there... Word Girl (a hillarious Soup 2 Nuts production, for fans of Dr. Katz and Home Movies), Word World for the liddle iddle ones (at least the character designs are appealing), and Curious George. Yes, it does play like Curious George the movie the series, but it really has great writing and great voice talent (from the likes of Jeff Geln bennet, Jim Cummings, and Frank Welker). I see the trend shift to better programming coincide with new, terrible choices. Luckily the good outnumbers the bad these days.