Elmo's Backyard (new international segment)

[Drtooth]

While I already started a thread about Cookie Monster's solo adventures, Munchin' Impossible, I finally found some footage and a small page on Sesame Workshop's site.

Now, I'm not the biggest Elmo fan out there, nor am I completely a detractor, but I'm sort of digging this segment (at least compared to his other one). While it isn't confirmed to be absorbed into the US's main show (same thing with Munchin'), there is always that chance. I would LOVE to see SS attempt to (at least) alternate between EW and EBY, as EW seems to be mostly old footage now, only one new segment per season. Plus, a five minute segment has a LOT more bounce and pep to it than the 12-15 minute leviathan of uneven entertainment value they have at the end of the show, probably freeing enough time to get both EBY and MI in an episode.

 

[Mupp]

Looks interesting.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Sounds cool. While I like Elmo just fine, I would certainly welcome a change to the format with something other than Elmo's World capping off Sesame Street for once.

 

[Drtooth]

That is if they DO decide to replace it with this, and all of it is just pure speculation at this point. We don't even know if it really WILL be seen in the US at all.

But that doesn't mean I don't WANT such a change. the problem with EW is simple, it's too dang long, and it feels like a large, bloated, wasteful excersize in character excess... he doesn't even interact with other characters until the end, when they talk to a personified puppet version of the subject. This really seems to be a LOT more interesting than EW... but I doubt SW is in a rush to replace that. They tried 2 episodes a couple season back without an EW segment, and they tested poorly (apparently). But then again, it was only because kids were wondering where Elmo was. Seems there wouldn't be a problem if they replaced Elmo with another Elmo segment, but it all depends on how kids react to a shorter Elmo segment.

 

[ISNorden]

That is if they DO decide to replace it with this, and all of it is just pure speculation at this point. We don't even know if it really WILL be seen in the US at all.

[snippage]

This really seems to be a LOT more interesting than EW... but I doubt SW is in a rush to replace that. They tried 2 episodes a couple season back without an EW segment, and they tested poorly (apparently). But then again, it was only because kids were wondering where Elmo was. Seems there wouldn't be a problem if they replaced Elmo with another Elmo segment, but it all depends on how kids react to a shorter Elmo segment.

It's a shame you don't have a job on Sesame Workshop's curriculum staff; you make a pretty darn good point. On one hand, a pre-schooler who misses his favorite character on a show he sees every day is going to be badly upset. On the other hand, putting that same character into a segment that works better as part of the whole show sounds like the kind of change Sesame Street needs. I for one hope Elmo's Backyard gets tested on American children--and that they like it enough to let the new segment at least alternate with the old.

 

[Drtooth]

Enough to slowly make the segment go away. That' a good plan. Problem with the experimental No Elmo's World episodes was that they didn't have Elmo at ALL in the episodes, and the whole "we need to instill Rainman-esque routines in these kids" deal (which I hope gets discredited) demands that Elmo makes some sort of appearance. had it been a song or something in EW's place in both cases, I wonder how it would have panned out.

This season, we only saw one new EW segment... last season only 2 (and that's because Frogs was delayed for some reason.. I say held over so they had at least one new segment this year). Seems that everyone's itching to dump it, but they're having trouble actually getting rid of it.