Sesame Street censorship

[Drtooth]

Where the Heck is Heck?

I know they say Heck abunch of times on BTL, and there's no complaint. In one episode, Theo tells Cleo, "That was one Heck of a Bed Time Story!" Never edited out! Beleivve me! They show the same episodes in rotation so many times, I can tell.

I also seem to remember a cartoon about Cactuses singing about "here" and one said, "to Heck with there!" Of course, I haven't seen the sketch for some time.

I remeber reading about a sketch they only showed once on Sesame, from another board a year ago, in which kids were improvising different words that begin with "B", and one kid pointed his finger out like a gun and said, "BANG! BANG!!" while two kids reacted by keeling over. Anyone know about this?

 

[punkNpuppets]

Splurge - "street muppet" doesn't sound that bad. it sounds cool! like STREET PUNK! or "Spirit Of The Street"

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Reply

What's BTL?

 

[Drtooth]

Daffyfan.... BTL, is Between the Lions. It's a show that first aired two years ago, featuring Lions who run a Library. A lot of former Sesame Employees work on this, so the humor is very similar to Sesame Street. It's a really good show! Check it out!

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Reply

Oh, yeah. I've heard of that show. Maybe I'll check it out some time when I have time. I do remember reading that Ernie has made a guest apperance on that show.

 

[roadrat15]

Does anyone know whether Harvey Kneeslapper was removed for censorship reasons?

 

[Boober_Gorg]

I'm not sure. According to the Unpaved book, it was too much of a strain for Oz to do Harvey's voice. But he WAS able to do Cookie Monster for all those years ...

Okay, that wasn't much help, right?

 

[Clean Gultch]

Originally posted by Boober_Gorg
I'm not sure. According to the Unpaved book, it was too much of a strain for Oz to do Harvey's voice. But he WAS able to do Cookie Monster for all those years ...

Okay, that wasn't much help, right?

well a shouting laugh was harveys trademark and i think thats what troubled his throat. cookie monster, yoda and grovers voices lean more towards his actual voice but more gruffer which is why its not so hard. guy smiley was hard on jims throat cause of the shouting voice but characters like rowlf were fine cause his voice leaned more towards that area.

 

[Ol' Buddy Bert]

Originally posted by Clean Gultch
guy smiley was hard on jims throat cause of the shouting voice but characters like rowlf were fine cause his voice leaned more towards that area.

I don't know...I find that the lower gruff voices are just as hard on my throat as well, especially as I get older.

Jim Henson even said in one of the interview segments on the MTM DVD that he could only do a few takes of Dr. Teeth because it was very hard on his vocal chords. I think that Rowlf and Dr. Teeth have very similar vocal qualities and might have been just as hard on the voice.

But I digress...that's not the point of this thread is it.

Awhile ago (on the old board) there was a discussion on several Ernie and Bert sketches that are now frowned upon by the workshop because Bert fainted at the end of them. Some of them have been reshot with Bert running out of the room. But I tell you what no one can make a puppet drop to the floor like Frank Oz can.

 

[ssetta]

I think another reason why Harvey Kneeslapper was chucked was because people didn't like him all that well. He was a one-note joker, where all of his jokes sounded pretty much the same. They still used inserts with him for many years after they stopped using him. They just didn't need to do anymore, because they were all the same.

And also, there is this Ernie & Bert sketch, probably from the 1st season, in The Sesame Street Story Book. I am assuming that it was on the show, but I'm not sure, here it is:

"BERT Presents The Number 5"

(We see Ernie sleeping in a chair, as Bert walks into the room.)
B: Wake up, Ernie. You're supposed to learn something.
E: I did learn something. I learned that you won't let me take a nap.
B: (holds up number 5) Don't be funny. What's this I'm holding up?
E: Uh...a banana cream pie?
B: NO, you meatball! Guess again.
E: I know! It's a CHOCOLATE cream pie!
B: (holds up chocolate cream pie in his other hand) Look, birdbrain. If this number 5 is a chocolate cream pie, then what's this in my other hand?
E: It's a number 5.
(Bert throws pie, and it dumps on Ernie's head)
E: I knew what it really was...but who wants to get hit with a number 5? Yum.

Maybe it would be better if they edited out the part with Bert throwing the pie. Anyway, was this ever on the show?