Major Changes in store for Sesame Street Season 46

[Oscarfan]

To quoth the Workshop themselves:

In today’s world where changes are fast and frequent, a sense of place and belonging is more important to kids than ever. Sesame Street is expanding upon this notion with more than just a fresh take on its signature features, the redesigned set aims to familiarize preschoolers with the homes of their Sesame friends by anchoring them in places around the neighborhood.

“In this redesign, since being a real place was a quintessential part of Sesame Street, we sought to emphasize the realness of our world,” said Carol-Lynn Parente, Executive Producer of Sesame Street. “Elements like Abby’s Garden, the water tower area on top of the carriage house and even the redesigned Hooper’s Store, are all intended to make the street feel current and colorful in a way that reflects the world kids see around them every day. Furthermore, anchoring our core characters in places around our neighborhood will help kids build an even deeper bond with our characters by better understanding who they are, where they live, and what they do.”

I don't see what the big deal is. In the grand scheme of things, Oscar's can moved a few feet, Big Bird has no doors and Elmo lives in 123 now. I hardly see that as cause for alarm. If you even watched the video with David Gallo, he explains the purpose behind all the changes and they do make sense.

 

[somethingofafan]

I don't like change. I prefer paper money and debit cards...
But in all seriousness, I do like the new set. And at least the new set is clearly recognizable as an evolution of the old set, rather than a completely different place (as has happened with some of the longer-running international co-productions).

 

[The Count]

The one change I just really don't get is Big Bird now living atop a tree. Yes, I know birds usually live in trees, and that fits with what SW is going for with reinforcing a more natural habitat for the "core" characters... But uh, he's an almost eight foot tall bird. The tree that he would have to build a nest in would have to be massive, akin to a Snuffle-sized tree or a giant redwood from California when Sesame Street is in New York City. And then there's the problem of how the heck he'd manage to get up into the tree to build his nest. Does the tree have a staircase carved into the outer bark? Or does it have an elevator inside the trunk like that beanstalk from Looney Tunes version of Bugs Bunny and the Beanstalk? It's much more practical for a bird of Big Bird's size to have his nest on the ground with all his keepsakes around him in a semi-closed off lot like we've been familiar with seeing for the past 45 years.

 

[Drtooth]

I don't see what the big deal is. In the grand scheme of things, Oscar's can moved a few feet, Big Bird has no doors and Elmo lives in 123 now. I hardly see that as cause for alarm. If you even watched the video with David Gallo, he explains the purpose behind all the changes and they do make sense.

Not that I was ever really against these changes, but I really like how David essentially confirmed what I've been saying all along, but with that unique designers perspective. It's only natural the street would have changes with the times, but I liked the little details about why and how he gave. Retro-modernizing Hooper's really pays off, and I'm liking Big Bird's new nest a bit more. But the one change that I have to say I love and am looking forward to is Oscar popping up anywhere to comment on a scene. As he's one of my favorite characters, I have a bias. If this means he'll be in more episodes, even in a Statler and Waldorf capacity, I'm for it. Not to mention that characters no longer have to go to him to interact. Yeah, I know full well there were regular occasions where he'd roam the street without his can. But the whole popping up anywhere to troll residents? Wonder why they didn't think of that before.

On another note, Billy has really come into his own with Ernie. He's been good before, but I think he came closest in that Rove interview.

 

[D'Snowth]

And then there's the problem of how the heck he'd manage to get up into the tree to build his nest. Does the tree have a staircase carved into the outer bark?

The tree has a pretty wide trunk that the nest is wedge into, there's two or three branches holding it in place, and the nest is close to the ground, it's not a particularly tall tree.

 

[The Count]

Oh, so it's more of like a tree-bench support beneath the low-to-the-ground nest. That makes much more sense now. That's the one thing that was bugging me this whole time. Thanks Snowth.

BTW: Does the new location mean that and Bob are neighbors above Hooper's Store?

 

[Drtooth]

New location as in Big Bird's Nest is essentially in the same spot it used to be. Just no doors. There's a short chain link fence to the side facing the corner. That's about it. Like, one you'd see in a residential area that barely comes up past a mid-sized person's waist.

 

[D'Snowth]

There's a short chain link fence to the side facing the corner. That's about it. Like, one you'd see in a residential area that barely comes up past a mid-sized person's waist.

That's been there as long as that large brick wall has been there.

But that does bring to mind something that I've observed that David confirmed in the video: he said Abby's garden was built by basically reusing the elements that made up those apartments in the back of the arbor. Up until Season 39, the dead-end alley next to Big Bird's nest area was made from elements of ATC. The shaftway adjacent to Finder's Keeper's was at the end of the alley, and that large brick wall is actually the side walls of Furry Arms and Finder's Keepers put together to make one large brick wall.

 

[ThePuppeteer]

So am I really the ONLY person that realized Big Bird's rebuild?.. His beak and hands are now lighter then his body feathers and he now has a mix of vibrant yellow feathers and the lighter feathers in The picture of his new nest

 

[D'Snowth]

With the exception of one of the puppets from the 70s, Big Bird's beak and hands have kind of always been a shade or two lighter than the rest of his body feathers.

Up till the mid-90s, he kept getting more white feathers around his eyes and the front of his face, but they really drew back on those afterwards.