Warner Home Video now distributing Sesame Workshop DVDs

[minor muppetz]

Recently, in the Muppet Mindset interview with Henry Louis Mitchell, it was said that Disney finally agreed to allow for Kermit to appear on the Silly Storytime cover after being told that the cover would have a starburst saying that Kermit was making a special appearance. But judging by the pictures I've seen online, I've seen no such thing referring to Kermit as a special guest. It was said that Kermit has been taken off the spine since the cover was shown online, but I would think that announcing Kermit as a special guest would have been included on the cover before being shown online.

 

[minor muppetz]

In April there's going to be a release called "Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures". It is interesting because yesterday I was wondering when the next-to-be-announced DVD will be announced, and today was trying to think up an outdoors-themed release. Big Bird, Snuffy, and Elmo are on the cover (how often does Snuffy appear on a DVD cover?).

I assume this is a release of recent street stories, yet the Muppet Wiki page doesn't mention any street stories. It does mention a few guest stars, including Jimmy Fallon, so it should have the "Wild Nature Survivor Guy" episode (no surprise there!). I would expect the "Big Bird's Habitat" episode to be included, but the page doesn't mention the guest star from that episode. I won't be surprised if Elmo and Chris' camping episode will be included, but I don't know for sure (that episode doesn't have any guest stars). Aside from guest stars the only speciffic thing mentioned is "The Alphabet Jungle Song" as a bonus feature (I would have included one of Ernie and Bert's fishing segments, or Ernie and Bert's camping trip, or Ernie and Bert's trip to the jungle, or a Global Grover sketch, or maybe the three-part newsflash sketch where Kermit looks for the reported person standing outside for a long time in a snowstorm... But maybe one of those will be part of the main program). In a way I wouldn't be surprised if this was more liek C is for Cookie Monster or the Preschool is Cool! DVDs, where two street stories are included along with new linking material and plenty of inserts (well, more inserts than what usually get sincluded on DVDs that mainly compile street stories)... But we'll find out in April.

In listing the guest stars, I am also surprised that Jason Mraz isn't listed. I would expect "Outdoors" to be included in an outdoor-themed DVD. I know, it was already released on The Best of Elmo 2, and I don't really plan on buying this one unless I hear it has something I really want on a physical DVD. Then again, the announcements for The best of Elmo 2 didn't list every guest star and ended up being longer than the announced running time (I think C is for Cookie Monster also ended up longer than previously announced, while the "Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures" DVD included 13 shorts after it had been announced it'd only have 10).

 

[minor muppetz]

A preview for Silly Storytime has been posted online: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qTly0TDNgc&feature=sub

Unfortunately, it does not include clips from any of the Newsflash segments featured. But it does show a slightly-different cover (of course Kermit is still there).

 

[minor muppetz]

I started thinking, it's a shame they didn't put Abby Cadabby on the cover of Silly Storytime. It would have been great to see an official image featuring both Kermit and Abby Cadabby together, without just inserting existing photos together.

 

[minor muppetz]

Well, it's out in stores now. The newsflash segments included are "Rupunzel" (1980s edit), Sleeping Beauty (Prince falls asleep), Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood (with Cookie Monster).

 

[minor muppetz]

On May 3 there's going to be a new DVD called Elmo's Travel Songs and Games. I looked at the "Kermit in Sesame Street Merchandise" page, and there was an edit saying that Kermit will be in there, but it was removed (edit history saying that it's best to wait until it comes out). The editing history for "Kermit in Sesame Street Merchandise" cited a Warner Bros. store press release, but I can't find anything about it. I hope it's true, and if it is true I wonder what Kermit segment/segments will be included. I'll have to figure out which Kermit segments have to do with traveling.

EDIT: Found a page about it at The WB Studio Shop. The page lists Kermit under the trademark credits.

 

[Oscarfan]

There was no press release mentioning him; the WB Shop lists him in the copyright credits.

 

[Muppet Frog]

The two traveling songs that had Kermit in are Subway and he made a brief cameo with The Count in Forty Blocks from my Home.

 

[minor muppetz]

The two traveling songs that had Kermit in are Subway and he made a brief cameo with The Count in Forty Blocks from my Home.

I can't believe that I forgot about The Subway. I am surprised that the pre-order page at The WB Studio Shop website actually contained a trademark credit for Kermit here, since he's not on the cover; While a trademark credit will appear in any DVD with Kermit regardless of how he's featured, the DVDs tend to only include the credit on the packaging if he's pictured or mentioned in the description (though the recent Follow That Bird DVD has a copyright credit for the character yet he's not pictured on the box or mentioned in the description). I checked and the page for Elmo's World: Penguins and Animal Friends also has a trademark credit. Oh, and there's no trademark credit for Kermit on the upcoming Wild Words and Outdoor Fun DVD.

Aside from those segments, I could see Carribian Amphibian included. That seems like a vacationy song that could be sung while traveling. Kermit has also appeared in quite a few segments invovling games, even if the games have nothing to do with transportation. It very well could have Kermit's imagination game, or one of his "magic finger games", or the mystery box segment. The Sesame Street News segment with Christopher Columbus would also be a good choice, since Columbus traveled around the world. But I'll be surprised if this release has more than one Kermit segment.

It's interesting... When Silly Storytime was first announced, I started wondering if maybe there'll be more Sesame Street DVDs featuring Kermit material, to maybe promote the new Muppet film. And it seems like they are including Kermit on quite a few DVDs this year. Maybe it's a coincidence, but then again, it seems like it's always been a little uncommon for Kermit to be in Sesame Street video releases. It's not exactly been rare for him to be on Sesame videos, but it's not like he's in every other release. He was in four of the first six releases in 1986, but afterwards he's appeared less frequently in videos, though many of the videos with Kermit have included him in multiple sketches. And after the Disney sale it had been more rare for Kermit to be in Sesame Street DVDs outside of stuff aimed at us. And there have been many Kermit segments that fit the theme of many DVD releases that haven't included him.

There are a number of classic segments that could be included in this release, though most of them aren't too important for me to own copies of. But classic segments that I could see included include:

• Let's Go Driving (I'll honestly be surprised if it's not included, even though I don't care much for it and it's been released twice already)
• Going for a Ride (it'd be great to see a first season clip on a DVD aimed at the show's current target audience... and outside of releases aimed at adult fans it's always been rare for season one segments to be included on video releases)
• How Do You Get From Here to There?
• Bert and Ernie: Fish Call
• On Vacation with Guy Smiley
• Bert and Maria imagine flying a plane (though if it's included at all I'd expect it to be as a bonus segment)
• Elmo's imaginary trip (ditto)
• Any of the "Wish You Were Here" segments
• The Ballad of Casey McPhee

As for later segments, I think Grover's demonstration of near and far on a surf board would be appropriate. As well as Elmo's World: Transportation (one of the most rarely-seen Elmo's World segments, one of the few not on DVD, and the earliest one not on DVD). And if it has any street stories, Oscar and Telly's road trip from season 33 would be a good one. But judging by the cover I think this DVD will contain new linking footage.

I think it is interesting how "Wild Words and Outdoor Fun" and "Elmo's Travel Songs and Games" are released back-to-back, as they seem to be similar themes (perhaps they want them out in time for the summer?). Still, despite Kermit being on the "Travel Songs and Games" release I think I'll wait until I know what all's on it before purchasing.

 

[minor muppetz]

I was looking at the travel DVD, and in the bottom left corner there's a box reading "Learn about: Alphabet, Counting, shapes". I'm sure it'll have some segments unrelated to those learning subjects, but I guess it's a safe bet that Forty Blocks from My Home will be included. I can't think of any other transportation-related segments that fit those subjects (okay, so I'm sure there's some segments out there comparing circles to wheels...).