Boxed set of classic SS episodes -- coming soon??

[PiLfan]

Just an fyi, for the hey of it, i sent the sesameworkshop folks an email asking if they had or could/would sell complete episodes of classic sesame street from the 70s-80s. Below is the reply i got:

Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, we cannot provide segments, or any video of past episodes (due to certain legalities).

I can offer you some hopeful suggestions, however:

1) Sony Wonder is our domestic licensee for all home video & audio products; I would encourage you to visit their website @ www.sonywonder.com where you can peruse titles (and even listen to audio samples) and subsequently purchase them. Specifically, look for our 25th anniversary/birthday title, which includes many old clips and segments. There is also a 35th birthday edition.

2) Releasing past, "classic" episodes on a boxed set of DVDs is something we are considering. I can keep your email address on file and send you any information when we are ready to make an official release.

I hope that this is has been helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us with further questions, comments, or concerns.

so at least they are "considering" the possibility of releasing some of the older espiodes for us nostalgic yokels who had the misfortune of never having Noggin back when it showed the old classics. good news...

 

[anythingmuppet]

good job dude! It helps them consider it if you email em!

 

[Andrew T]

In the meantime, we have a DVD set of The Electric Company to look forward to, coming early next year:

http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=20055
http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=21704

I feel that Sesame Workshop's plan may be to release the best-of Electric Company set as a tool to gauge how much interest there is in buying its older programs on DVD. If it is a success, commercially-released sets of classic episodes of Sesame Street (and perhaps other programs like 3-2-1 Contact and Square One TV) may well be around the corner.

 

[GelflingWaldo]

"Classic" Sesame DVD Box Sets?

More information on this news can be found here: http://muppetnewsflash.blogspot.com/2005/09/classic-sesame-street-dvd-sets-you-can.html

 

[chpoof]

Reply from Sesame Workshop

Well, I sent an e-mail to Sesame Workshop, and they responded almost immediately with the following:

Thank you for your inquiry. As a matter of fact, yes, we are considering releasing "classic" episodes, although this is something that may not happen for a while (not until at least '07), as there are many legalities that would first need to be addressed. I will keep your email address on file, so that I can send you more information when we are ready to make an official release statement.

In the meantime, we will be releasing a boxed set of The Electric Company in February '06.

I figured that there must be legality issues involved, but at least this is encouraging. At this point I believe they are aware of the genuine interest out there.

 

[PiLfan]

the "legalities", i'm certain, are from all the authors/animators/song-writers that are responsible for the many, many short segments and skits of the show...while CTW may have had rights to show them at the time they were in rotation a few decades ago, that legal period has probably expired...so they must work out proper credits and royalties before repackaging for sale.

given the massive amounts of SS material accumulated over the years, i guess it's no wonder that this would take some time.

 

[Ziffel]

That is indeed encouraging, Gelfing Waldo and chpoof. At least Sesame Workshop is giving it consideration. Slowly but surely....

Edit: Oh and I emailed them, too, expressing my desire for classic SS on dvd. I'll let you know if I get any feedback that differs from that already mentioned above.

 

[Erine81981]

I tried to email sesame street workshop but kept getting something back that says it didn't go through. Which one did ya'll email?

 

[SesameMike]

Sesame Street - The Complete First Season

Yeah, I know. But we can fantasize, can't we? If such a box set were released, what would it be like to slip that long-awaited DVD into the player?

First, we would hear the metal-plastic sound of the drive door closing. Then we'd hear a subdued whirring sound as the disk began to spin.

Then on the screen, we'd see an FBI Warning. Then perhaps a scrolling Interpol message in English and Spanish.

Next would be a standard PBS logo with sound. Then a vintage CTW logo (that sculpture-like piece with the cherub(s) ), which would gradually flash and morph with a "whoosh" sound effect into the modern-day Sesame Workshop logo.

The main menu would appear to the sound of the first few bars of the SS theme music (the "jing-jing" sound, with a fading out on the words "sunny day"). While the menu is up, there would be a muted playing of the slower harmonica vamp of the theme, the one that's usually played in the background of the first few minutes of the show after they fade from the main theme.

The main menu would be an animated or CGI view of the street: Hoopers store on the left and Oscar's can on the right. Big Bird would be present with that old hair-do (feather-do?) and Oscar would be orange. Perhaps other characters from Season 1 could be present.

On Hooper's awning would read "Languages", and selecting it would show an image of the interior of Hooper's store. On a sign that usually announced "Today's Special" there would be an option for English or Spanish, and maybe subtitles in either language or even French. No audio options would be needed, because these were all recorded in mono.

On Oscar's can would read "Extras"; Spinney could record Oscar saying "You wanna see some more junk?" with the sound of the can clanging when it's selected.

Finally, on the 1-2-3 door it would read "Episodes". Selecting that would have the sound of a door creaking open. The viewer would end up in Ernie and Bert's apartment! Ernie (in his original shirt) would be holding up a blackboard with two columns of 5 chalk numbers. Those would be the episode numbers, with two weeks worth shown on the board at a time. Selecting Bert would be "Back" and Ernie would be "Next". To the right of Ernie would be Cookie Monster, who would have "Play All" displayed on his fur in block letters.
(For an easter egg, a rare or unused E+B skit could be played upon selecting the hanging picture of the two of them on the wall)

Each episode would be divided into chapters: Opening credits, each appearance of the street characters, and just before the sponsor letters/numbers are announced.

The box for each season would have a cast photo from that particular season, making sure to include folks like Matt Robinson as Gordon, Tom, Molly the Mail Lady, etc.

 

[PiLfan]

I tried to email sesame street workshop but kept getting something back that says it didn't go through. Which one did ya'll email?

Go here: http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/inside_contact.php

select "DVD/Home Video" from the drop down menu, write your message, provide your email address, and click 'submit'.....at least that's what i did. other folks may have gone somewhere else, but the responses seem very much alike.