Sesame Street Episode 847 with Margaret Hamilton

[minor muppetz]

What? So something in the public domain gets adapted and gets copyrighted.

The story was in the public domain, but the adaptation can have original elements which can't easily be used in other adaptations. Many of the original elements in the 1939 film (like how the Witch looks, the songs, ruby slippers instead of red slippers, there only being one good witch) just happen to be among the things casual audiences associate with the film. I wouldn't be surprised if having a cast member appear as one of the characters would count under Warner's copyrights to the film.

Even when works are in the public domain, companies can make a case out of them including things that are still under copyright. It's a Wonderful Life is in the public domain, but the script is still under copyright, and the copyright holders made a big case out of that, and since then, video and television releases of the movie have been limited. Many of the public domain Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies used to be heavily available in public domain video collections, but I think Warner Bros. eventually made a case out of the fact that the company still owns the characters and music, and it's less common for those shorts to be in videos from public domain companies (the main exceptions seem to be for Bosko and Private Snafu, but Warner never owned the rights to the Bosko character, not sure about Snafu but since those shorts were created by the government they're automatically public domain). I've also read that Disney made a case out of the few Disney shorts that are in the public domain for the same reason.

 

[Blue Frackle]

I emailed Sesame Workshop about a week ago about this to no response. I don't know if they just ignored it or haven't got to it due to a high number of emails, but they did respond do dycaite about 'Cracks', which technically was something just lost, not banned.

Even though it's 40 years old, I don't think they want anything out there to conflict with the SS brand as long as it's still on the air. I didn't even ask to see it; all I said is "will we ever see it again?". I guess we're basically just asking them to shoot themselves in the foot.

I mean, that's about all we can do, so it seems like the search has hit a brick wall. Maybe one day it'll appear when we're least expecting it.

It's so weird that we can watch Season 1 eps in high quality on YouTube, but this is just like "YOU CAN'T SEE IT!".

YOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! This just hit the Muppet Wiki page recently! Perhaps there's still hope...

 

[gravy]

YOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! This just hit the Muppet Wiki page recently! Perhaps there's still hope...

I'm speechless.
NEW EVIDENCE!

This is REMARKABLE!
THANK YOU!

I found a better looking version of the picture.

 

[Blue Frackle]

Does this picture come from "I Am Big Bird"? gavry, where did you find yours at?

One of Caroll's favorite SS moments; so they couldn't show footage from the banned episode, so they showed a Polaroid still... touché.

I want to share this with the LMW, but it's not letting me comment on their site.

 

[gravy]

Does this picture come from "I Am Big Bird"? gavry, where did you find yours at?

Yes, indeed! It came from the ''I Am Big Bird'' website. The image was slightly less blurry.

 

[cjd874]

I emailed Sesame Workshop about a week ago about this to no response. I don't know if they just ignored it or haven't got to it due to a high number of emails, but they did respond do dycaite about 'Cracks', which technically was something just lost, not banned.

Even though it's 40 years old, I don't think they want anything out there to conflict with the SS brand as long as it's still on the air. I didn't even ask to see it; all I said is "will we ever see it again?". I guess we're basically just asking them to shoot themselves in the foot.

I mean, that's about all we can do, so it seems like the search has hit a brick wall. Maybe one day it'll appear when we're least expecting it.

It's so weird that we can watch Season 1 eps in high quality on YouTube, but this is just like "YOU CAN'T SEE IT!".

YOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! This just hit the Muppet Wiki page recently! Perhaps there's still hope...

So...they won't show it because they're afraid of tarnishing the brand they've spent 45 years to establish? I'm not exactly sure how this episode could do that, but then again, nobody seems to remember much about the episode or want to remember it. Do you think that when the folks at Sesame Workshop look back on it, they see it as a misstep in Sesame Street's history? It was pretty early on in the show's run, and SS was a very experimental show in many regards. So perhaps I could see why some people would block it out from their memories. I wonder if Caroll Spinney would ever be open to discussing this particular show in depth, since he had such a huge role in it (playing both Big Bird and Oscar).

I know that there may be clearance issues too, but I do hope that this episode will see the light of day again, just like the "Surprise" clip from around the same time. It will just take time to see how things play out. @fuzzygobo hadn't seen "The Boy, The Girl, and the Jellybeans" in over 40 years, and recently he found it in a Season 1 episode posted on YouTube. I will wait as long as necessary to see if this episode will see the day of light...if it's 40 years, so be it.

 

[gravy]

I wonder if Caroll Spinney would ever be open to discussing this particular show in depth, since he had such a huge role in it (playing both Big Bird and Oscar).

Well, I looked in a previous thread from 6 years ago and someone said this:

I just met Mr. Caroll Spinney tonight and asked him his favorite memory of the past 41 years.

He said the time that Margaret Hamilton reprised her role as the Wicked Witch of the West (the only time, he said).

She flew on her broom over Sesame Street and fell off. The broom landed in front of Mr. Hooper's Store and Big Bird figured he should use it to sweep the street there.

The Witch thought she'd change herself into a sweet old woman to get the broom back. When Mr. Hooper saw her (I love this part) he invited her in for a cup of coffee. (now this was the days when Margaret Hamilton did the tv commercials for coffee...was it Maxwell House or Folger's?)

The sweet old woman said to Mr. Hooper, "I don't LIKE coffee!"

Caroll Spinney was a joy, as was his wife, Debra. I'm so glad I met them.

 

[Blue Frackle]

So...they won't show it because they're afraid of tarnishing the brand they've spent 45 years to establish? I'm not exactly sure how this episode could do that, but then again, nobody seems to remember much about the episode or want to remember it. Do you think that when the folks at Sesame Workshop look back on it, they see it as a misstep in Sesame Street's history? It was pretty early on in the show's run, and SS was a very experimental show in many regards. So perhaps I could see why some people would block it out from their memories. I wonder if Caroll Spinney would ever be open to discussing this particular show in depth, since he had such a huge role in it (playing both Big Bird and Oscar).

I know that there may be clearance issues too, but I do hope that this episode will see the light of day again, just like the "Surprise" clip from around the same time. It will just take time to see how things play out. @fuzzygobo hadn't seen "The Boy, The Girl, and the Jellybeans" in over 40 years, and recently he found it in a Season 1 episode posted on YouTube. I will wait as long as necessary to see if this episode will see the day of light...if it's 40 years, so be it.

I mean, from various posts and articles I've been able to gather a lot from this episode, like people saying the witch was just downright mean and it wasn't funny or nice.

The tricky thing is I still don't know how those Season 1 eps are appearing on YouTube in as high-quality as they are, but maybe that would point to the possibility of this episode ever resurfacing. One airing, but how many airings did these old episodes have?

 

[gravy]

The tricky thing is I still don't know how those Season 1 eps are appearing on YouTube in as high-quality as they are, but maybe that would point to the possibility of this episode ever resurfacing. One airing, but how many airings did these old episodes have?

I see your point. That really leaves me wondering, how those very first episodes were found by people who never even worked with or had any relation with the CTW, but meanwhile nobody can find THAT episode. I just think that nobody cares enough about the episode, that it stays a mystery, without anyone doing anything about it.

 

[Blue Frackle]

We received this comment on the Lost Media Wiki:

My family has recorded the Episode 847 many years ago . It is a VHS 11 minutes 43 seconds only. In the video she appears for 5 minute totaly I shared that video on LiveLeak.com the moderators deleted quickly . I think copyright reason..

I didn't know that video is so valuable and sought-after on the internet. Also we have a lot of UNSEEN and Banned cartoons Contact: hardwellstill@gmail.com

Don't get your hopes up, but I'll let you know if anything comes of this.