Little things we've noticed

[hooperfan]

Apparently, Mumford causing Maria to quack like a duck wasn't a one-time only instance, it happened in 2293...and again in 2360...

 

[minor muppetz]

Many of the segments shot in location in New York City feature either Big Bird, Oscar, Barkley, or Mr. Snuffleupagus (or Murray Monster and Ovejita). Actually, I don't think Snuffy is in that many on-location segments, but there also tends to be a few that involve Snuffy, even if he doesn't appear on camera.

I guess it makes sense that most of the Muppets to appear in on-location segments are the full-bodied ones, and makes sense that Oscar would be one of the regular-sized puppets to be in such segments since Caroll Spinney would have been more readily available than most of the other performers. Too bad, as far as I currently know, there weren't any on-location segments featuring Bruno (Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat Cake doesn't count).

 

[minor muppetz]

Recently on Muppet Wiki, I started a page for Sesame Street inserts shot on location. I've heard that a season 10 press release talks about how they shot so many inserts on location in New York City that season, but it wasn't exactly new. I found that quite a few on-location pieces first aired in season 8 (and a handful in earlier seasons).

But as I was looking at what all segments have been listed and the first episodes they aired in (which doesn't always reflect production season), it seems like between seasons 8 and, let's say, 15, they usually did on-location inserts in seasons that didn't have traveling stroyarcs. No on-location inserts in seasons 9 (which had the Hawaii arc) or 11 (which had the Purto Rico arc), though I did find that season 14 (the season with Big Bird going to camp) having at least one insert shot on location.

I guess when they took week-long trips, that went into the on-location budget (I wondered if I might be overthinking that, but I hear that New York City is one of the most expensive places to film, I guess taping a week of shows on location out of state could cost about as much as shooting a day of scenes on location in New York).

Maybe I'm looking too much into this, but it is interesting to think of. Before season 7 there were very few segments with the Muppets or regular cast shot outdoors, I wonder if they were just doing those to be innovative or something, and then decided they wanted to do more. Or could the experience from the New Mexico arc of season 7 led them to decide that it'd be fun to do more on-location segments, only locally?

Additionally, while these kinds of inserts were done less often by season 20, that season has about two or three episodes that involve scenes shot on location.

 

[minor muppetz]

The first two Monsterpiece Theater segments to use the regular library set have a little bit of difference still, as there’s more shelf’s full of books at the bottom. But today I’ve noticed another little change.

It looks like in The Sound of Music and Chariots of Fur, the window is just painted, with a painted window cover partially open. I can’t tell whether that’s also the case with The 39 Stairs, where we see less looks on shelves. I want to say maybe the window is still painted but the curtains are real.

But then with the MonsterpieceTheater segments of season 19, it’s different. I think the window is real, but the window curtain is white and almost see-through, while previously it was a red-ish color.

If The 39 Stairs didn’t have a real window curtain (I think), then I’d say the first to use a real window cover (as opposed to painted on) was Gone with the Wind, which would make sense due to the wind. We see the cover blowing with the wind, which wouldnt be possible with a painted-on curtain.

 

[SesameMike]

In the "Falling Baker" sketches for both 4 and 10, you know how they have "n wind-up toys"? One of those is a drummer, with the words "Arthur a-go-go" on the bass drum. Turns out that's Ringo Starr, albeit a non-official likeness.

Chalk up another Beatles reference on the show! BTW, a quick Google search says that the toy is actually battery-powered, not "wind-up".

 

[LittleJerry92]

So I noticed in the late 80s/90s is when segments really started to have effects when transitioning from one another. But one thing I’ve always wondered is when exactly these transitions started to happen? I know by season 33 that’s also when they had the screen get filled up while transitioning.

 

[minor muppetz]

Tonight I just noticed something about Kermit News: Rupunzel. So Rupunzel keeps asking Prince Charming to talk louder. Why? Is her hair in the way? Is he simply so far away that she needs him to talk louder?

Well I noticed that, after her hair falls off, in addition to lacking hair, she also doesn't have visible ears. Perhaps that's why she was so hard of hearing!

I wonder if that was intentional.

So I noticed in the late 80s/90s is when segments really started to have effects when transitioning from one another. But one thing I’ve always wondered is when exactly these transitions started to happen? I know by season 33 that’s also when they had the screen get filled up while transitioning.

I was surprised when I got the first Old School set and saw how common it was for there to be fades to black. If the show aired on commercial-free television, then why do they need fades? And I do recall seeing fades to black in episodes from the 1990s (as well as in Sesame Street, Special from 1988).

I was similarly surprised to see so many fades and transitions in at least one of the season 25 episodes found in Sesame Street Classics Volume 2.

 

[MuppetSpot]

Is it just me or does seem like Telly is off?

 

[D'Snowth]

Beats me, I just keeping an error saying playback is unavailable.

EDIT: Oh wait, I forgot, I think one of the stipulations of this new COPPA crap is kid videos can't be embedded on external sites.

 

[LittleJerry92]

Same