Question about Season 40

[An Outsider]

Everywhere I look I see references to Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary, as well as statements that the show is "beginning its 40th season."

How can that be? If the first season began in November 1969, then the 40th season must have started in November 2008.

That would make what's starting now, Season 41.

Unless there was a year somewhere along the line in which they didn't produce any shows?

Someone please ask The Count.

Thanks.

 

[The Count]

Uh no... It is indeed Season 40. I won't list how it should be counted out because it hasn't hexactly followed perfectly in pattern, but this is Season 40. Check the Muppet Wiki to get a better idea of how/when the seasons of the show follow in order.

Hope this helps. Oh, and welcome to MC. Have fun exploring the rest of the forums.

 

[An Outsider]

OK. I took your advice and looked it up.

For the first 30 years, the show tracked properly -- one season, one year. So Season 30 began in 1998, as I would have expected.

But the first episode of Season 31 (#3851) did not air in 1999. Rather, it appeared Jan. 3, 2000. Everything snowballed from there, creating this 40th SEASON which begins -- confusingly -- at the beginning of the show's 41st YEAR.

Oh well.

 

[Oscarfan]

Look: 1969 + 10 years = 1979 + 10 years = 1989 +10 years = 1999 + 10 years = 2009, making for years.

 

[An Outsider]

Look: 1969 + 10 years = 1979 + 10 years = 1989 +10 years = 1999 + 10 years = 2009, making for years.

You're obviously a fan of Oscar and not the Count.

What do you call the 1969 Season? Season Zero? No, it's Season One.
That makes the 1979 Season - Season 11.
1989 - Season 21
1999 - Season 31
2009 - Season 41

All cleared up in previous post, but please don't tell me 1969 + 40 = 2009 so that's correct. Think about it.

 

[The Count]

Erherm... Perhaps we could be a bit more civil when replying to each other. However, 1969 + 40 does = 2009.

1969-1970: 1
1970-1971: 2
1971-1972: 3
1972-1973: 4
1973-1974: 5
1974-1975: 6
1975-1976: 7
1976-1977: 8
1977-1978: 9
1978-1979: 10

1988-1989: 20

1998-1999: 30

2008-2009: 40

True, 2009-2010, the current TV year, which runs from Septemberish of one year to the next (the year we're currently in) would be Season 41... But ever since Season 30, the SST seasons have been skewed so that if all the episodes air within the latter year of a respective TV season/year, then it counts for that previous year.
Example: All the Season 40 episodes air from November 10 to December 31 2009, then they're counted as "Season 40", even though TV-wise we're in the 2009-2010 year.
All Season 41 episodes air within January 1 to December 31 2010, then they count as "Season 41", whether they air before September 2010 in the 2009-2010 season or after September in the 2010-2011 season.

At least that's the way how it can be pieced together to make sense. Hope this helps.

 

[An Outsider]

Yes, I agree with everything you said there (see my post from 1:14 pm), except that the statement, "However, 1969 + 40 does = 2009" is irrelevant to this question.

The ONLY reason it is now "Season 40" is because of the counting glitch from 10 years ago.

Moving on now. Goodbye.

 

[dwmckim]

The funny thing is i was reflecting on this very topic before i visited the forum and saw this post.

What confuses people is that people think of tv show seasons the same way people think of people's ages but it doesn't work that way. When a show begins, right there at its moment of on-air conception it's at season #1. When a person is born, they're not "one". They don't become "one" until they're literally one year old.

When Sesame Street (or any other show) turned one year old it was starting season #2. Think of a number line - everything is shifted over one spot because you're starting at one, not zero.

So yes, under ORDINARY circumstances, Sesame Street should be starting its 41st season now. The reason why it is not is because of the combination of fewer episodes produced per season (from 130 down to 26) and different seasons' debut dates being delayed - while there wasn't a year where they weren't active, all those push-backs - a couple months this year, a couple more the next eventually accumulate to where we've actually lost a season in the process.

BTW - this anomoly explains why shows like SST and TMS are able to stretch out anniversary celebrations so long - they can start a "35th anniverary celebration" when the show's actually 34 years old because they're entering its 35th season, and then keep the anniversary hooplah and marketing running an extra year because it keep going when the show actually reaches the 35th YEAR mark - hence the seemingly eternal 35th celebration of SS, and 25th anniversary of TMS (even though it was off the air!)

 

[D'Snowth]

The funny thing is i was reflecting on this very topic before i visited the forum and saw this post.

What confuses people is that people think of tv show seasons the same way people think of people's ages but it doesn't work that way. When a show begins, right there at its moment of on-air conception it's at season #1. When a person is born, they're not "one". They don't become "one" until they're literally one year old.

When Sesame Street (or any other show) turned one year old it was starting season #2. Think of a number line - everything is shifted over one spot because you're starting at one, not zero.

So yes, under ORDINARY circumstances, Sesame Street should be starting its 41st season now. The reason why it is not is because of the combination of fewer episodes produced per season (from 130 down to 26) and different seasons' debut dates being delayed - while there wasn't a year where they weren't active, all those push-backs - a couple months this year, a couple more the next eventually accumulate to where we've actually lost a season in the process.

BTW - this anomoly explains why shows like SST and TMS are able to stretch out anniversary celebrations so long - they can start a "35th anniverary celebration" when the show's actually 34 years old because they're entering its 35th season, and then keep the anniversary hooplah and marketing running an extra year because it keep going when the show actually reaches the 35th YEAR mark - hence the seemingly eternal 35th celebration of SS, and 25th anniversary of TMS (even though it was off the air!)

Two words: Thank you for explaining in detail for everybody.

 

[BEAR]

We are starting the 41st year, but as of right now, the show has been on the air for 40 years.