For the first time on YouTube ever...

[minor muppetz]

John Candy is mentioned.

The Put Down the Duckie clip is followed by a clip from another appearance by John Candy on the show.

It's also interesting how some of the celebrities to make cameos (Danny DeVito, Rosie O'Donnel) also appear in some of the clips.

 

[minor muppetz]

I can't really decide if this special feels "bigger" than the 20th anniversary special or not. Maybe they're both bigger in different ways. This one had a heavy celebrity focus, in both the linking footage and in the clips (it seems more than half the total clips had celebrities). It also seems like the character pressense (in new material) was a bit smaller. Of course, the 20th anniversary seemed to have less clips. Most of the clip montages there had less clips but had a bit more focus on the various clips featured (plus a few "stand alone" clips), while the clip montages here had a lot more clips, with the clips being shorter.

I wonder how much time there was in planning this special. It seems this special has a lot of different clips from the same segments in multiple clip montages. I'll overlook them scattering multiple clips from the same segments/episodes in the "Believe in Yourself" montage, there it feels neccessary to show the starts of conflicts, some struggling, and then the solutions. But there's a lot that's a bit odd... The alphabet montage has two different clips from the "gift of the Magi" sequence from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (and "animated images" of Bert and Ernie taken from that special appear in the opening sequence), clips from Gabbi's birth appear in both the "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and alphabet montages, both montages also feature clips from when the adults met Snuffy (though it's less obvious with the alphabet montage). Both montages also have clips from Gina's graduation. And it's interesting how the alphabet montage is the only one to show clips from animated segments (the 20th anniversary special also only had one montage with animated segments, but that was more the point of that montage).

And in fact, most of those "animated images" in the opening sequence were taken from clips in this special. Not all of them, though. I wonder if any of the clips used for certain images were intended to be in the special.

And there's so many clips included that I'm pretty sure aren't noted on Muppet Wiki and aren't on YouTube (and most of these appear to be from the late-1980s/early-1990s). There's some that I wish I knew the context of, like that clip of Oscar in a giant trash can. And I'd like to see that full clip of Oscar in an oriental robe telling a drummer "beat it". I don't think Muppet Wiki has pages for the episodes with Gina graduating (I think I remember seeing that one... I don't remember the ceremony part, but there's a "class of 1990" banner in the background... I remember around that time seeing a scene where Susan talks to Big Bird about when Miles will go to college, and a scene where Gina told Big Bird she was crying because she's so happy... Those sound like scenes that would be appropriate for that episode). I'd also like to know more about the episode where Tarah competed in a wheelchair obstacle course.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Nice! I have heard about this one and have wanted to see it for a while now- so thanks for the link to finally do so.

 

[antsamthompson9]

Just wondering what people have to say about these behind the scenes bits:

,

,

.

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

Nice! I have heard about this one and have wanted to see it for a while now- so thanks for the link to finally do so.

No problem! How did you enjoy it?

 

[minor muppetz]

It's interesting how this doesn't use the recent "calypso" version of the theme that had debuted around that time. The version of the theme at the beginning sounds like the backing track to the version from Sesame Street Special, while the end music is the classic harmonica closing theme.

 

[Gordon Matt]

I can't really decide if this special feels "bigger" than the 20th anniversary special or not. Maybe they're both bigger in different ways. This one had a heavy celebrity focus, in both the linking footage and in the clips (it seems more than half the total clips had celebrities). It also seems like the character pressense (in new material) was a bit smaller. Of course, the 20th anniversary seemed to have less clips. Most of the clip montages there had less clips but had a bit more focus on the various clips featured (plus a few "stand alone" clips), while the clip montages here had a lot more clips, with the clips being shorter.

I wonder how much time there was in planning this special. It seems this special has a lot of different clips from the same segments in multiple clip montages. I'll overlook them scattering multiple clips from the same segments/episodes in the "Believe in Yourself" montage, there it feels neccessary to show the starts of conflicts, some struggling, and then the solutions. But there's a lot that's a bit odd... The alphabet montage has two different clips from the "gift of the Magi" sequence from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (and "animated images" of Bert and Ernie taken from that special appear in the opening sequence), clips from Gabbi's birth appear in both the "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and alphabet montages, both montages also feature clips from when the adults met Snuffy (though it's less obvious with the alphabet montage). Both montages also have clips from Gina's graduation. And it's interesting how the alphabet montage is the only one to show clips from animated segments (the 20th anniversary special also only had one montage with animated segments, but that was more the point of that montage).

And in fact, most of those "animated images" in the opening sequence were taken from clips in this special. Not all of them, though. I wonder if any of the clips used for certain images were intended to be in the special.

And there's so many clips included that I'm pretty sure aren't noted on Muppet Wiki and aren't on YouTube (and most of these appear to be from the late-1980s/early-1990s). There's some that I wish I knew the context of, like that clip of Oscar in a giant trash can. And I'd like to see that full clip of Oscar in an oriental robe telling a drummer "beat it". I don't think Muppet Wiki has pages for the episodes with Gina graduating (I think I remember seeing that one... I don't remember the ceremony part, but there's a "class of 1990" banner in the background... I remember around that time seeing a scene where Susan talks to Big Bird about when Miles will go to college, and a scene where Gina told Big Bird she was crying because she's so happy... Those sound like scenes that would be appropriate for that episode). I'd also like to know more about the episode where Tarah competed in a wheelchair obstacle course.

This is kind of why it really surprised me to see the vintage shows on Noggin. For instance, in the 20 And Still Counting special, as far as I remember there was not a single pre-1980s clip of a "street scene." There was mention of Mr. Hooper's death and clips from that famous scene, but no real discussion of the character and no footage of Will Lee at all from the 13 years he was on the show. David barely appeared at all, and he was still on the show (though towards the end of his tenure and of course, now I understand why). I remember thinking if there was an occasion to use that stuff, this would be it, and I was somewhat disappointed. Though they made fairly good use of some of the Muppet material and animations through the years. I remember thinking they must not have maintained an archive of shows. Glad I was wrong!

 

[zns]

I remember when this special aired that night. I was five years old and loved it. If they do something for the shows 45th year, hopefully it will be something like this.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

No problem! How did you enjoy it?

Haven't had a chance to watch it just yet. As soon as I do, I'll post my thoughts on it here.

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

I remember when this special aired that night. I was five years old and loved it. If they do something for the shows 45th year, hopefully it will be something like this.

I was 8 months when it aired, and my mom taped it then. As I mentioned before, I wasn't too fond of this special when I was 3- I would always run out of the room crying whenever we watched it. My mom thinks it was because of how harsh Mr. Grump was overall, or the way he yelled at everyone. Luckily, when I was in 5th or 6th grade, I found the tape in a box in my garage, and after watching it for the first time in years, I gained respect for it, and now I of course enjoy it a lot.

As for this current anniversary, Sesame Workshop pretty much seems to be glossing over the fact that it's supposed to be an anniversary season, so I don't think there will be a special. I just hope they make a better effort with the big 50 in 2019...