Index of shows where a segment appeared

[crackmaster]

Apparently, the "Today's Secret Drawing" segments were last shown in 1998 according to the "what links here" pages for them. What's the matter, think kids won't know "The Real Space Ghost?"

 

[Gordon Matt]

Here's an example with one of my favorite cartoons: https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Spec...Y4pH5qjhjVQp3UoA5sr-U7CjfV_9lLW-2iD92n2BE3jcY

It appeared mostly in Season 28. After the Season 29 appearance, it wouldn't be seen again until 2001, and then after THAT, it wouldn't be seen again until 2007, which was also its last appearance. I wonder why the two gaps?

This reminds me of something from my early childhood. When I first watched Sesame Street as a little kid, I remember the "Falling Baker" films being on all the time, usually multiple times within one show, then at some point they disappeared. There must have been a season where they didn't air at all (or at least very rarely), then all of a sudden they were back (which I guess was Season 4). I suppose I could look through these awesome guides and see if they confirm my memory.

 

[minor muppetz]

This reminds me of something from my early childhood. When I first watched Sesame Street as a little kid, I remember the "Falling Baker" films being on all the time, usually multiple times within one show, then at some point they disappeared. There must have been a season where they didn't air at all (or at least very rarely), then all of a sudden they were back (which I guess was Season 4). I suppose I could look through these awesome guides and see if they confirm my memory.

Somewhere on the wiki, it says they were not shown at all in season 3. I have heard something about the segments briefly being pulled before they decided to run them again.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Apparently, the "Today's Secret Drawing" segments were last shown in 1998 according to the "what links here" pages for them. What's the matter, think kids won't know "The Real Space Ghost?"

I think it's more of a case of the segments just being pulled naturally rather than a controversial reason.

 

[Gordon Matt]

Somewhere on the wiki, it says they were not shown at all in season 3. I have heard something about the segments briefly being pulled before they decided to run them again.

That sounds right -- I went to the Wiki and that's indeed what it says, and that matches up with what I remember. Season 3 it is. I know one or two are in the first show of Season 4.

I'm glad they were brought back. Those were some of my favorite segments as a kid.

 

[minor muppetz]

I think it's more of a case of the segments just being pulled naturally rather than a controversial reason.

I wonder how natural it is if segments just stop showing.

Yeah, many segments were pulled for either being dated or controversial, and segments with former cast members were pulled, and some segments failed to really teach the kids. It's possible some royalty/residual deals expired (were any of the first season song covers shown in the 1990s?).

But there's also thousands of segments, even with 130 episodes a season it would be hard to show every segment that's not officially out of the shows circulation every season. They probably weren't thinking "we got to make sure we air every segment at least once a season as long as it's still allowed to be shown." If, pre-season 33, there were segments that they just chose to retire, without any controversy or dated content or any other issues, then that would be sad.

 

[LittleJerry92]

I mean I think that’s literally the case. Many segments just end up retiring because they don’t feel the need to re-air them anymore. Everything has to go eventually.

 

[YellowYahooey]

I find that many segments have heavy exposure for years, and afterwards it doesn't get aired for a long time, only for it to appear again some years later, and then get retired afterwards. This was typically the case with Muppet sketches. I remember several segments with Herbert Birdsfoot that didn't air for years and then reappear for its final airing. One example is his M and W discussion which was shown in December 1987 (Ep. 2383) and was never shown again until March 1994 )Ep. 3222) and after that it disappeared from the show. Another Herbert sketch that was absent for a long time was the one where Ernie tries to borrow Herbert's vacuum cleaner. Its second last airing was in March 1983 (Ep. 1796), and there would be a 12 year wait before its next - and final - airing in April 1995 (Ep. 3374). I also know the segment where he and Grover count to 20 - that aired in May 1977 (Ep. 1037), and didn't air again until February 1985 (Ep. 2036, its only airing in the 1980s), and disappeared afterwards. The segment in which Herbert explains the concept of shadows to Grover was shown in January 1981 (Ep. 1489), and there would be a wait of five years before its final airing in January 1986 (Ep. 2149).

It seems as if the show has a tendency to phase out segments by putting a lengthy gap between their final two airings, but this typically applies mostly to Muppet and cast sketches, maybe some celebrity sketches.

Regarding cast appearances in recycled segments after they left the show, I believe they aired the song and dance number about the letter K with Buffy and Mr. McIntosh as recently as March 1988, and it''s very surprising considering she left the show just before the end of Season 12 in May 1981, many years ago at the time.

I believe they aired "The Riddle" and "Singing in the Shower" - segments in which Olivia was involved - in the early 1990s, despite that Olivia left in 1988.

They also aired recycled footage with Mr. Hooper in an April 1985 episode (Ep. 2073) when the new human character, Piri, questioned Big Bird about Mr. Hooper and who he is (or should I say, was) and why the store is called Hooper's Store. This was meant to be a plot designed to be a remembrance of Mr. Hooper. Noggin aired that episode in their "Unpaved" package.

 

[hooperfan]

They also aired recycled footage with Mr. Hooper in an April 1985 episode (Ep. 2073) when the new human character, Piri, questioned Big Bird about Mr. Hooper and who he is (or should I say, was) and why the store is called Hooper's Store. This was meant to be a plot designed to be a remembrance of Mr. Hooper. Noggin aired that episode in their "Unpaved" package.

Not quite, they showed still screenshots from a few episodes while Big Bird is reminiscing about his departed friend. 3 of the stills are actually from one episode, where Big Bird has Mr. Hooper imagine that they're visiting the beach... And, oddly enough, in 1997, they discussed Mr. Hooper again - this time using some brief video clips - in episode 3611. The plot of that episode was about an art dealer (Leo Birdelli) interested in Big Bird's famous drawing of Mr. Hooper, and is willing to give him as much as 100 bags of birdseed for it.

 

[minor muppetz]

I believe they aired "The Riddle" and "Singing in the Shower" - segments in which Olivia was involved - in the early 1990s, despite that Olivia left in 1988.

Season 20, the first season without any new Olivia content, repeated at least one street story that she was part of.