Warner Home Video now distributing Sesame Workshop DVDs

[minor muppetz]

I didn't know about this until I was at Best Buy today, but there was a new release today called "Sesame Street Essentials", including "Ready for School", "Elmo Visits the Doctor", and "Bedtime with Elmo". I haven't seen any of those but didn't pick it up (with the exception of maybe "Bedtime with Elmo" I don't have a big desire to see them). The packaging looks like the packaging for a single-disc release but it looks like it's a three pack to me (would it have really been much trouble to put three existign videos on one disc?).

I wonder if those videos really are essential. There's a lot of other videos more worthy of the "essential" status (Learnign About Letters, Learning About Numbers, Bedtime Stories and Songs, Sing-Along, Sing Yourself Silly, Monster Hits, Do the Alphabet, A Celebration of Me Grover, the 25th and 35th anniversary videos, and maybe Count it Higher). At first when I saw it I was hoping it was some kind of collectible release, only to be disapointed that it was three existing DVDs (well, my wallet wasn't disapointed).

An essential collection of Sesame Street segments would be cool, even though it would most likely contain many of the segments that have been released many times (how many segments would such a collection include that can't be found in "A Musical Celebration" or "40 Years of Sunny Days"?). But there are a lot of classic (and recent) segments I view as "essential" that haven't been released yet (I would ay to do a forum search for any wishlists I've made, but then again there are also quite a few segments I put on many wishlists that I don't see as "essential"). I wonder what the chances would be of a big collection like that coming out without us knowing until the day of release.

 

[Drtooth]

The packaging looks like the packaging for a single-disc release but it looks like it's a three pack to me (would it have really been much trouble to put three existign videos on one disc?).

Well, you answered your own question with:

At first when I saw it I was hoping it was some kind of collectible release, only to be disapointed that it was three existing DVDs (well, my wallet wasn't disapointed).

The one thing that I think EVERY company that released SS DVD's has dropped the ball is that they really CAN fit multiple single releases on one disk for a nice price break. I'm not saying we need put 4 or 5 half hour videos on a single disk (they should), but 2 or 3 can fit fine. Wouldn't it be great to have BOTH Sing Yourself silly releases on one disk or both Rock N' Roll and Count it Higher in one collection? Saves on packaging, saves on disks, saves money on all ends, production, wholesale and retail... plus, it would be a great way to get old product out faster than before. Save the single disks for hour + long new releases.

 

[minor muppetz]

The one thing that I think EVERY company that released SS DVD's has dropped the ball is that they really CAN fit multiple single releases on one disk for a nice price break. I'm not saying we need put 4 or 5 half hour videos on a single disk (they should), but 2 or 3 can fit fine. Wouldn't it be great to have BOTH Sing Yourself silly releases on one disk or both Rock N' Roll and Count it Higher in one collection? Saves on packaging, saves on disks, saves money on all ends, production, wholesale and retail... plus, it would be a great way to get old product out faster than before. Save the single disks for hour + long new releases.

Part of me wonders if they just want to keep all DVD menus in print. Though I don't know how important menu screens are. But regardless it does keep all bonus features in print (though with the exception of bonus clips Sesame DVDs rarely have any good bonus features).

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Okay- this is totally unrelated to this conversation, but I just saw minor muppetz' signature and whoa- that is awesome! Jim Henson's "Wizard of Id" pilot on Youtube? I definitely want to check that out. Johnny Hart always did a great job with "The Wizard of Id" comic strip as well as his most famous one- "B.C." And I love both- it will be great to see this pilot.
Okay- back to your regularly scheduled conversation.

 

[Drtooth]

Part of me wonders if they just want to keep all DVD menus in print. Though I don't know how important menu screens are. But regardless it does keep all bonus features in print (though with the exception of bonus clips Sesame DVDs rarely have any good bonus features).

Problem that I see is that SS DVD's were just ports of old videos and all these companies are apparently too cheap to just completely do them all over and put 2 or 3 into a single DVD. Either that or they absolutely are stuck in the 90's and think that charging 10 bucks for a half hour of footage will really rake in the bucks. That's the reason I don't own any of these except for the 35th anniversary and Big Bird in China. Plus, all the clips of old segments I wanted to watch are on YT.

 

[Oscarfan]

Just so you all know, the release following "Elmo's Travel Games and Songs" will be another Elmo's World compilation, "The People in Your Neighborhood." On the WB Shop site, Sonia M and Bob are given credits, so perhaps it will include a classic PIYN bit.

 

[minor muppetz]

Just so you all know, the release following "Elmo's Travel Games and Songs" will be another Elmo's World compilation, "The People in Your Neighborhood." On the WB Shop site, Sonia M and Bob are given credits, so perhaps it will include a classic PIYN bit.

I've checked and there are only three Elmo's World segments left that haven't been released on DVD (helping, building things, and transportation). Could this be the content of the release? Of course with a title like that I'd expect it to have the doctors and firefighters episodes.

Did Bob or Maria ever make cameos in any Elmo's World segments? I'll have to check the wiki's pages on all episodes I'd expect to be included to see if those two were in any.

Also, it is a slight bit disapointing that there'll be another Elmo's World DVD so soon to the last one. Why not release an Abby's Flyign Fairy School or Super Grover 2.0 DVD? Or another Bert & Ernie's Great Adventures? Or give Murray his own DVD? Or finally give The Count or Oscar their own spotlight releases?

 

[Daffney]

You might have not noticed, but when I was at Wall-Mart a year ago, I saw some past Sesame Street DVD's (at least from the Genius era) and on the back covers there was a white stamp with Warner Home Video's distribution notice covering the outdated copyright information.

However, at Target I saw the 40 Years of Sunny Days DVD with the WHV logo directly on the back cover. The copyright notice was alerted.

How WHV is re-releasing past DVD's is confusing me.

 

[Drtooth]

Hey! At least they're keeping them in print.

 

[minor muppetz]

Well, Muppet Wiki says that Elmo's World: The People in Your Neighborhood will have the helping, doctors, and firefighters episodes. As far as I can tell from the guides Maria and Bob weren't in those, though there's still no word on any bonus segments.

Still, I find it odd that the online store would note them but not Bill Irwin or Michael Jeter.