Out To Lunch

[zns]

You didn't get the account or name of the Youtube poster, have you?

That's the problem with something that old. We didn't have the same VCR technology that helped the old school fan base alive to this day. That is, it wasn't as easily accessible as it was in the 80's. Now things get posted on YT all the time, and SW has thankfully had a good humor about it most of the time. Long lost skits that even they don't remember have been captured on old tapes. Even before that there was still tape trading.

I don't see what the major problem with releasing this somewhere is. I really think SW needs to consider the burn on demand service for older specials and select full episodes that they just can't get out there at retail. I'm sure there's some rights bugaboo with this special (does Shout still have the license to Electric Company? I know they released Ghostwriter sometime this year), not to mention celeb likenesses. I'd love them to release the Julie Andrews one as well in time somewhere.

As long as SW has access to it themselves, I'm sure something will turn up.

I don't think anyone got the account. It was mentioned on the discussion board on the Muppet Wiki, but that was back in 2006 that they were posted. Hopefully that guy who posted it is reading this discussion.

 

[Tim]

4 Classic Television Series That Should Get a Second Life

Found this on the web today:

"Out to Lunch: This barely-remembered 1974 special unleashed the casts of Sesame Street and The Electric Company onto the set of the ABC Evening News. Despite feature the Muppets (and guest stars like Carol Burnett, Elliot Gould, and Barbara Eden), it’s been impossible to find for the last 36 years. But seven-year-old me remembers it being hilarious — and even better than Legends of the Super Heroes was for 12-year-old me."

http://www.movieline.com/2010/10/dvd-classic-tv----found-but-still-mostly-lost.php

 

[zns]

Found this on the web today:

"Out to Lunch: This barely-remembered 1974 special unleashed the casts of Sesame Street and The Electric Company onto the set of the ABC Evening News. Despite feature the Muppets (and guest stars like Carol Burnett, Elliot Gould, and Barbara Eden), it’s been impossible to find for the last 36 years. But seven-year-old me remembers it being hilarious — and even better than Legends of the Super Heroes was for 12-year-old me."

http://www.movieline.com/2010/10/dvd-classic-tv----found-but-still-mostly-lost.php

Nice comment. Now the only thing left to do is release it for all the world to see. But I don't know if there is any chance of that happening now.

 

[Drtooth]

I wonder if SW even has it in their archives anywhere. They'd have to, right? I don't see what they'd potentially lose if they didn't either release this for the general public or at least get on the MOD circuit. Though, I would imagine any likeness (and if there are any song) rights are keeping this from seeing the light of day. it seems like a very important piece of CTW history... if some sort of silly rights about TEC still being under Shout (who hasn't released anything of theirs in years) would cause any trouble. Makes me wish SW sub-licensed classic SS stuff stuff for collectors. heck, they could even put bits of it online if they could.

 

[zns]

I wonder if SW even has it in their archives anywhere. They'd have to, right? I don't see what they'd potentially lose if they didn't either release this for the general public or at least get on the MOD circuit. Though, I would imagine any likeness (and if there are any song) rights are keeping this from seeing the light of day. it seems like a very important piece of CTW history... if some sort of silly rights about TEC still being under Shout (who hasn't released anything of theirs in years) would cause any trouble. Makes me wish SW sub-licensed classic SS stuff stuff for collectors. heck, they could even put bits of it online if they could.

Is there any way of knowing if they have it in their archives? Does anyone on this forum have any personal connections with them?

 

[Boober_Gorg]

The special does exist. I saw clips from it at YBCA last Saturday, along with several other rarities which made up a program called "Jim Henson and Friends: Inside the Sesame Street Vault". (The series of screenings was assembled last year by Craig Shemin and screened at BAM in December '09, so anyone who went there would have seen the same.)

The OTL clips looked awesome - vibrant and colorful. "We're in Charge," "Grover Knover" and "The Nighty-Night Show" (Guy Smiley sounded exactly like I imagined when I read the script) ... they left me drooling for more.

The following comes from my email correspondence a few years ago with T.F. ...

1/5/04
So, I got ahold of the woman I've been talking to at
Sesame Workshop. She says the workshop isn't legally
allowed to release "Out to Lunch" because ABC produced
it. So there's one dead end.

1/21/04
I actually looked up the number for ABC (who would
legally own the Out to Lunch special) and called them.
The woman I spoke to couldn't find any trace of such a
special and couldn't direct me to anyone else to find
it. She also said that if it was a one time
promotional special it would most likely be impossible
for ABC to release it.

Things may have changed by now. Since Elmo's Christmas Countdown aired on ABC, that makes me a little optimistic about the chances of it being seen again.

So we have proof that the master does exist and has been well-kept. But getting cranky won't solve anything. Being civil and knowing the right people will.

 

[Oscarfan]

Oooh, man. I wish I'd seen those during the BAM screenings....It's a shame they didn't show Barbra's version of "Go Ahead and Touch"; it sounds like it'd be really sweet.

EDIT: Elmopalooza also aired on ABC, which also provides some hope.

 

[ErnieBert]

Since they said ABC produced it, that means Disney owns it now. Maybe Lionsgate could help, since they've seemed to work miracles this year about getting stuff out on DVD that has to be cross-licensed from Disney and the Workshop (like 20 Years and Counting and Henson's Place).

Ken

 

[zns]

The special does exist. I saw clips from it at YBCA last Saturday, along with several other rarities which made up a program called "Jim Henson and Friends: Inside the Sesame Street Vault". (The series of screenings was assembled last year by Craig Shemin and screened at BAM in December '09, so anyone who went there would have seen the same.)

The OTL clips looked awesome - vibrant and colorful. "We're in Charge," "Grover Knover" and "The Nighty-Night Show" (Guy Smiley sounded exactly like I imagined when I read the script) ... they left me drooling for more.

The following comes from my email correspondence a few years ago with T.F. ...



Things may have changed by now. Since Elmo's Christmas Countdown aired on ABC, that makes me a little optimistic about the chances of it being seen again.

So we have proof that the master does exist and has been well-kept. But getting cranky won't solve anything. Being civil and knowing the right people will.

You're definately lucky to have seen clips from it Guille. I envy you. With all of the tape trades that we Muppet fans are so famous for, maybe there's a way we can get a burned copy from someone who might be able to find it. I know that doesn't sound safe or legal, but it's just a shot in the dark.

 

[minor muppetz]

Things may have changed by now. Since Elmo's Christmas Countdown aired on ABC, that makes me a little optimistic about the chances of it being seen again.

There might be a difference between ABC producing the special and broadcasting it. ABC also broadcast Elmopalooza which was released on video an DVD afterwards.

It's ironic. Just a few dasy ago I was wondering if Sesame Workshop owns the distribution rights to that special. I wonder if that's the case with other rare 1970s specials. I also wodner if ABC produced Stars and Streets Forever. Makes me wonder if Sesame Workshop could legally release This Way to Sesame Street on DVD, if they make another Old School collection or something similar enough.

If it was a "promotional special" then it's a shame ABC can't release it despite owning it. I would hope that they could work out some way to release it. Sigh...