Older Children On SST

[Redsonga]

You know, I was watching a SS show made in 1993 (when I was ten years old) and just thought of something...The reason why I felt even then that I was not too old for SS (and did not ever even get that feeling up until I was about fourteen, not that I ever stopped watching because of that feeling of course) was partly because it always seemed like there were older children (nine-to sometimes teenage) on SS having fun in the 80's-mid-90's. Now that SS is aiming so young it seems like it has lost a lot of them showing those different ages in street scenes just enjoying living there...What do you think? Did the different ages of the supporting cast make anyone else feel loved and included?

 

[mikebennidict]

What do you mean SS aiming so young?

Pre-schoolers have always been their main audience.

 

[StreetScenes]

yes! not only were kids and grownups of all ages present, but they interacted with each other in the scenes, so it showed the street as a community. i was just thinking about this b/c of doctor13's post in the season 39 thread, too. i always think of a bunch of random kids playing in the background as an essential part of the background, not to mention kids & teens who actually have characters. but more importantly, i think the whole way the humans interact with the muppets is different now that most of the focus is on the silly & imaginative play of the muppets-representing-small-children. they're sort of separated from the humans now, and instead of people playing WITH muppets, they're more reacting TO muppet antics. it sends a different message about what role grownups should have in imaginative play with their kids. i definitely miss kids on the street. especially now that the original cast is getting old, if they brought back some teens and 'tweens they could have a full community of every aged person & muppet...if they would only write some scripts that involved people who aren't celebrity guests...

 

[Redsonga]

What do you mean SS aiming so young?

Pre-schoolers have always been their main audience.

That might be true, but they use to be more welcoming to more mature ideas and characters older than that as well, somewhere between Big Bird and the adults as an age group . As such there seemed to be more older children and even teenagers sometimes just living with the muppet characters and interacting with them. Now IMHO not as much of that extra mile is being done

 

[CensoredAlso]

That might be true, but they use to be more welcoming to more mature ideas and characters older than that as well, somewhere between Big Bird and the adults as an age group . As such there seemed to be more older children and even teenagers sometimes just living with the muppet characters and interacting with them. Now IMHO not as much of that extra mile is being done

I agree; while pre scoolers was the main audience, they used to have a wider range of kids. There also used to be more natural interactions with the kids, now it seems very scripted.

 

[The Shoe Fairy]

But we have had generations of kids who have been acting on the street for years, and the roles have grown with them. Also, these sorts of characters get featured regulary, a contrast between older cast members like Bob, and the kids that make up the children playing

 

[Redsonga]

But we have had generations of kids who have been acting on the street for years, and the roles have grown with them. Also, these sorts of characters get featured regulary, a contrast between older cast members like Bob, and the kids that make up the children playing

It's not quite the same thing IMHO, many of those older children were pretty much main supporting characters from the start: ) I'm talking about how in older shows it felt more like a real live part of a city with children of all ages interacting with the SS muppets and in that way making the characters feel more like people everyone could love the adventures of..if that makes any sense.
And with most of the 'children' from then being at least college age now, and no one really replacing them in the background, talking to the characters and just playing with them in the street scenes, it seems a little hollow now IMHO ...

But that's sort of besides the point I made the topic about, I was just wondering if seeing older children on the street treating the SS muppets like real people helped anyone else enjoy SS that little bit extra?

 

[CensoredAlso]

Interesting, I was just reading the book Sesame Street and the Reform of Children's Television, and it says "In its early years, Sesame Street had a fresh quality, due in part to Connell's insistence that no child actors be used." Meaning they just used regular kids, as opposed to clearly rehearsed ones (which I think we see more of today).

 

[Redsonga]

Interesting, I was just reading the book Sesame Street and the Reform of Children's Television, and it says "In its early years, Sesame Street had a fresh quality, due in part to Connell's insistence that no child actors be used." Meaning they just used regular kids, as opposed to clearly rehearsed ones (which I think we see more of today).

I did get the feeling that a lot of the questions the children asked were just honest ones with nearly no acting...I loved how back in the day Big Bird seemed to know each of them by name

 

[CensoredAlso]

I loved how back in the day Big Bird seemed to know each of them by name

I do get the impression there were a lot of kids that were there on a regular basis that the cast members got to know, which is awesome. Makes me jealous though!