Sesame Street episode highlights from 1977

[minor muppetz]

We don't have anything on seasons 11 or 12 (Danny never scanned that stuff, alas). And the missing season 10 episodes are coming soon; I'm getting some stuff from someone Danny sent the info to.

Oh, I thought that Danny or somebody else at Muppet Wiki had the means to make fairly regular trips there.

 

[Oscarfan]

If only.

 

[Gordon Matt]

Thanks, this is great stuff. I note how the articles hype and promote the Electric Company's new season, and buried in the article they admit that it's all reruns! Hey, I have some early parent-teacher guides from the first season. They are big huge sheets folded up IIRC -- they would be a pain to scan. But I could see what I can do if you like. Cover photo on the first issue shows Garrett Saunders, the test pilot Gordon, even though it's for the first month (I think it's monthly, might be weekly) of the "real" show. They give a schedule of episodes, listing a few highlights and say what the show is generally about.

Also, not quite the same thing, but here's an oldie but goodie:

http://web.archive.org/web/20001204222100/http://www.tvbroadcast.com/issues/2000/0721/0721.6.htm

 

[Gordon Matt]

Oh, I thought that Danny or somebody else at Muppet Wiki had the means to make fairly regular trips there.

I'd like to know if they have a list of every segment used in other seasons like they have for the first season. In looking it over, seems to be for a practical purpose -- I could be wrong, but it seems like a reference for repeating segments, which tapes they would need to pull to find them. And don't use the ones that say "dump!" (Like Buddy & Jim -- by the way, I remember seeing a skit and I could swear it was Wally & Ralph, where one was trying to eat soup with a fork. Apparently it was a remake of a Buddy & Jim segment.)

 

[minor muppetz]

It was so good to see that article from 1999 again regarding them duplicating the episodes. So I guess this does answer what I've been wondering (and have sort of suspected all along) about how the inserts are stored, if they're just stored in the episodes they aired in or if there were individual tapes or reels. Good to know that they used insert reels for storage.

That article does note that it helps save time in finding clips to use for future episodes, but there is one thing I've been wondering, and that's if they have people researching episodes to find inserts that may have been forgotten. It seems there are a lot of early segments that didn't air much but did air a few times in the 1980s or 1990s.

I liked that article about the "mini-shows" for use in schools. Anybody here ever watch those in class? I never heard of those before (and I can't decide if there should be a Muppet Wiki page/guide for those, or if those should be noted for releases on sketch pages). And although those guides are from 1972 and later, those mini-shows must have been made in 1970, since they seem to exclusively feature first season content (though the guides do mention Cookie Monster by name). And it seems like those don't have many Muppet inserts (most Muppet segments seem to be from street scenes). Also interesting how it mentions a certain number of segments for each tape, but many technically have more (multiple animations on certain subjects throughout one segment).

And that 1978 report mentions quite a few segments I've never heard of. They must have been one-time street scenes or stuff that were dropped early on. Like that "Dummy Blending" with Oscar and Crummy... I'm guessing Crummy was a grouch or pet of Oscar's.

 

[Oscarfan]

Thanks, this is great stuff. I note how the articles hype and promote the Electric Company's new season, and buried in the article they admit that it's all reruns! Hey, I have some early parent-teacher guides from the first season. They are big huge sheets folded up IIRC -- they would be a pain to scan. But I could see what I can do if you like. Cover photo on the first issue shows Garrett Saunders, the test pilot Gordon, even though it's for the first month (I think it's monthly, might be weekly) of the "real" show. They give a schedule of episodes, listing a few highlights and say what the show is generally about.

Also, not quite the same thing, but here's an oldie but goodie:

http://web.archive.org/web/20001204222100/http://www.tvbroadcast.com/issues/2000/0721/0721.6.htm

Interesting read. But, 3,2000 hour-long Sesame tapes? At that point, SW would've had nearly 4,000. Perhaps some things have been lost? That'd be a shame.

 

[Gordon Matt]

Interesting read. But, 3,2000 hour-long Sesame tapes? At that point, SW would've had nearly 4,000. Perhaps some things have been lost? That'd be a shame.

It's an old article, I think from circa 1999 or so. When I read it, it kind of surprised me that they kept an archive of shows, since prior to the Noggin channel, it seemed they never reran older shows. But I think I've read that they did repeat some in some other countries. I'm glad some vintage shows have surfaced. Personally I'm always interested in anything from the early years, especially from the era of the original Gordon. But seeing how repetitive the shows are, with many inserts recycled over and over, I completely understand why they haven't released "season sets" and stuff like that. But if they did, I'd probably crack down and get at least the first five!

I guess it doesn't really say they have everything. But still, 3,200 is really good for shows that never got repeated past the season they were produced.

 

[minor muppetz]

It's also interesting how that article stated that their new system for locating segments for new episodes came a few years before the format change, when they would start airing longer segments and significantly less classic clips. Though even without the majority of classic-era clips there were still a lot of 1990s clips to be repeated over the decade.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Thanks, this is great stuff. I note how the articles hype and promote the Electric Company's new season, and buried in the article they admit that it's all reruns! Hey, I have some early parent-teacher guides from the first season. They are big huge sheets folded up IIRC -- they would be a pain to scan. But I could see what I can do if you like. Cover photo on the first issue shows Garrett Saunders, the test pilot Gordon, even though it's for the first month (I think it's monthly, might be weekly) of the "real" show. They give a schedule of episodes, listing a few highlights and say what the show is generally about.

Also, not quite the same thing, but here's an oldie but goodie:

http://web.archive.org/web/20001204222100/http://www.tvbroadcast.com/issues/2000/0721/0721.6.htm

Nice! Yeah- that parent-teacher guide sounds way cool!
Regarding the repetitiveness of Sesame Street shows (with the same inserts being shown)- perhaps it would be possible to at least release the street stories separately for each season? For the most part, those would at least be different. (Although I do know some were rerun at certain points.)
The inserts are generally archived on SesameStreet.com and their Youtube channel now anyway... Nonetheless, I am glad that some key episodes have been released to DVD through the Old School volumes.... I'd still love to see Volume 4 soon.

 

[Gordon Matt]

I tried scanning them, but it just isn't working out. They are too huge and fragile.

First issue covers shows #1-24 (odd that it doesn't finish the week).

Well...we know which segment of show #1 was considered the most important. (Funny, I recently watched the DVD and fast forwarded through the cow film. I would have flunked! You mean they're not gonna ask what color Oscar is?)

PROGRAM #1
teaches THE LETTER W (in a weird story of Wanda the Witch) -- THE NUMBER 2 -- the words OVER, THROUGH, and AROUND -- and

where milk comes from
(a good look at the warm and friendly cow that gives us the milk we drink).

Talk more about cows. "What sound does a cow make?" "What do cows eat?" "Where do cows live?" Help the children use the information that they have learned about cows to answer more difficult questions such as, "Why do cows live in the country instead of in the city?" You may have to help them start to reason by asking a few questions that give hints: "Let's think. What was it that cows eat?" "Is there much grass in the city? In the country?"

Ask the children to draw pictures of cows. Add grass for them to eat and maybe the barn where they are milked.

Make butter. It's easy to do and as dramatic and exciting as a magic show. It's fun to have the children guess what will happen before you begin. Pour heavy cream into a mixing bowl and beat with an eggbeater (past the whipped cream stage) until flakes of butter form. Pour off the milk (it's buttermilk) and work the butter together with a spoon. Rinse it with cold water and taste. It's sweet butter. Add a little salt and taste again.

Talk about other things made from milk: cream, butter, whipped cream, ice cream, cottage cheese. Look through magazines for pictures of milk products.