Does anyone remember?

[Drtooth]

I know I may not be able to read this, but does anyone remember a sketch in which Grover is singing "the hills are alive with the sound of music" and he's on a hill and it actually moves? Please tell me I'm not insane!

 

[juliette]

It's a "Monsterpiece Theater" episode, and I've seen it recently, I'm trying to remember where. Maybe in one of the Elmo videos?

Anyway, it does exist, you're not crazy. (Or maybe you are, but not because of that.)

 

[erracht]

Actually if I recall correctly (I must have been
about six when I saw it) Grover gets freaked
because the hills roll when someone else (Julie
Andrews?) sings the song. The skit may actually
have been called "The Sound of Music" and yes,
I may have found it spooky too.

 

[sstVideo]

Yes, it is indeed, a Monsterpiece Theater, called The Sound of Music. It was first produced in season 14 -- 1983. The actual educational goal was the teaching of sounds...so grover hears a siren (that is not the sound of music...) and a chicken ("I do not think that is music....although it is catchy it would be very hard to dance to...I give it a 6."). Finally he hears music.
The payoff, as you remember well is that the hill he is on starts to move and shake and it ends with grover screaming for the singer to stop and the hill to stop moving. Then Cookie gives his sign off.
The piece was last aired in two shows in Season 30 (1998-99), and was also in home viedo.
by the way, the singer is not Julie Andrews, but a very good sound-alike, and the band is the Sesame Street house band.

 

[Vendaface]

I was probably 14 or 15 the first time I saw the sketch, but it gave me the creeps as well

If I remember correctly, when the hill starts to rock, Grover looks down and says "Hey! This hill is alive with the sound of music!"

The late 80s/early 90s seasons were a great time for Monsterpiece Theater sketches. Another of my favorites from that time period was "Twin Beaks," where Grover (as Agent Cooper) walks into a diner and tries to figure out what's weird about the town of Twin Beaks. (All the birds have two beaks! I don't think Grover ever got it, hehe.) I'd love a screenshot of this sketch if anybody runs across one.

 

[sstVideo]

It was actually Cookie Monster himself...he ends the bit saying,"darn fine story, darn fine acting!"

 

[juliette]

Monsterpiece Theater

I'm a realistic person. I don't expect a Sesame channel, and I know that full episodes can't be released on video.

But if Sesame Workshop ever released a "Best of Monsterpiece Theater" videotape or DVD, I would buy copies for me and for everyone else I knew. That's my little fantasy wish-list item.

Just imagine getting Chariots of Fur, Twin Beaks, The Sound of Music, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The 39 Stairs, Gone with the Wind, The Old Man and the C, etc. all on one tape. Wow.

 

[FellowWLover]

Juliette

Hey, your website it pretty cool! I think the episode summaries are terrific. I have often thought it would be nice to have a resource to look up past show stories! Well done!