Sesame Workshop unveils plans for Season 37

[ISNorden]

I like Global Grover. He being one of my favoirte characters and all. Even tho' I might skip through the ones I already see I still like to see it. I know there are some out there that don't like those segments but I don't mind. As long as I get to see my SS muppets then that fine by me.

Global Grover is one of the best segments added to the show, in my opinion: it teaches about other cultures without resorting to stereotypes or dumbed-down language. (I'd still like to watch Grover go someplace Scandinavian, for once... )

 

[KazVorpal]

What Went Wrong...

Personally, I've been disappointed by Sesame Street, increasingly for each of the recent "revamps".

It's understandable that the show lost the free-flowing, experimental feel of its early years, where they were willing to try out new things and break new ground. Now they're a big, important franchise that has to test everything to death with focus groups, creating an ensured segment success but a lowest common denominator feel. Fortunately, I recorded a great many of the Sesame Street Unpaved episodes, which my kids much prefer to the modern version.

But what I find less forgivable is the way the current format has become so ritualized. I'm aware that "repetition" became the trendy edutainment keyword a few years ago, but I think Sesame Street has misinterpreted what that means for them.

Back in 1969, when I first watched Sesame Street as a two year old, they had the right kind of repetition; There was a letter and number of the day, and they kept doing completely different things centered on those. You were therefore faced with varying aspects of the information in question, giving you a richer understanding of it, and it was more inevitable that some segment was the one which hit upon your own learning strengths.

But now, encouraged by the success of Elmo's World I suppose, shows like Dora and Blue's Clues developed systems of ritualistic presentation, where exactly the same thing happened exactly the same way each episode, with only the subject matter changing.

But, ironically, right when those two shows departed somewhat from this format, breaking up their rituals and diversifying what happens even on the repeating segments of their shows, Sesame Street cloned the ritualization of Elmo's World, spreading it through the entire show. Journey to Ernie, the Number of the Day segment with Count von Count, et cetera...it became like a Catholic mass. Except less interesting for my kids, who (despite the younger two being in the target age range) mostly wander out of the room during the rituals.

And I'm glad the rituals bore them, really. Obviously that kind of really strict repetition is going to have the most reliable learning effect per isolated segment, in focus groups where the kids are stuck in a room with the show...but it's just not the healthy way for individual kids to learn. A child can easily be trained into too rigid a routine structure, becoming a junior version of Monk (albeit hopefully saner) .

Strict routinization may be interpreted by pop psychology as "reassuring" for children, but it's also a crutch, a dependency leaving the child's adaptability and independence atrophied.

Presenting a very diverse range of approaches to the idea being taught will not have the same lowest-common-denominator results per isolated segment, but will still have a better outcome overall, as each child can find segments even more specifically customized for himself, as well as being exposed to broader experience overall.

I hope that, in this new series, there's a move (as other shows have done) away from the rituals, and back to diverse approaches intra-show, if not the experimentation which was what "made" the show when it first came out.

 

[Drtooth]

Funny you should mention Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues....

Because of the popularity of those abominations to the human race....errr cartoons, Sesame had to emulate that kind of model. Something tells me in 5 years they'll realize it doesn't work out too well. But as of now, all I can say it's sad that a great show like SS have to emulate bubble gum, flavor of the month crap like that. I had the unfortunate happenstance of actually SEEING a minute of Dora the explora.

okay... do you know those people who go to foreign countries as tourists and refuse to learn their language or even buy a phrase book? You know how instead of attempting to speak their language, they just say things in English LOUD and S L O W? Basically that's the show. Had it not had a Latino character, I couldn't see any appeal on any level. It's poop!

And JTE did start out as a minldess emulation of Blue's Clues and evolved more into something more entertaining.

I think the show is doing the best it can with the materials at hand. Clearly not as great as the heydays of the 70's or the 80's, but they are trying.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

You know, The Dora the Explorer franchise has Single-handedly generated over 1.2 billion in the last five years, do you suppose this has something to do with it? In a non related topic, Sponge Bob has made Nickelodeon 1.5 billion in a single year at the height of the show, no wonder I was so tired of that show, and ranked in the top ten most recognized characters of the year.

 

[mikebennidict]

Personally, I've been disappointed by Sesame Street, increasingly for each of the recent "revamps".

It's understandable that the show lost the free-flowing, experimental feel of its early years, where they were willing to try out new things and break new ground. Now they're a big, important franchise that has to test everything to death with focus groups, creating an ensured segment success but a lowest common denominator feel. Fortunately, I recorded a great many of the Sesame Street Unpaved episodes, which my kids much prefer to the modern version.

But what I find less forgivable is the way the current format has become so ritualized. I'm aware that "repetition" became the trendy edutainment keyword a few years ago, but I think Sesame Street has misinterpreted what that means for them.

Back in 1969, when I first watched Sesame Street as a two year old, they had the right kind of repetition; There was a letter and number of the day, and they kept doing completely different things centered on those. You were therefore faced with varying aspects of the information in question, giving you a richer understanding of it, and it was more inevitable that some segment was the one which hit upon your own learning strengths.

But now, encouraged by the success of Elmo's World I suppose, shows like Dora and Blue's Clues developed systems of ritualistic presentation, where exactly the same thing happened exactly the same way each episode, with only the subject matter changing.

But, ironically, right when those two shows departed somewhat from this format, breaking up their rituals and diversifying what happens even on the repeating segments of their shows, Sesame Street cloned the ritualization of Elmo's World, spreading it through the entire show. Journey to Ernie, the Number of the Day segment with Count von Count, et cetera...it became like a Catholic mass. Except less interesting for my kids, who (despite the younger two being in the target age range) mostly wander out of the room during the rituals.

And I'm glad the rituals bore them, really. Obviously that kind of really strict repetition is going to have the most reliable learning effect per isolated segment, in focus groups where the kids are stuck in a room with the show...but it's just not the healthy way for individual kids to learn. A child can easily be trained into too rigid a routine structure, becoming a junior version of Monk (albeit hopefully saner) .

Strict routinization may be interpreted by pop psychology as "reassuring" for children, but it's also a crutch, a dependency leaving the child's adaptability and independence atrophied.

Presenting a very diverse range of approaches to the idea being taught will not have the same lowest-common-denominator results per isolated segment, but will still have a better outcome overall, as each child can find segments even more specifically customized for himself, as well as being exposed to broader experience overall.

I hope that, in this new series, there's a move (as other shows have done) away from the rituals, and back to diverse approaches intra-show, if not the experimentation which was what "made" the show when it first came out.

Perhaps if enough parents write into the SW maybe there'd be some changes. Don't know how many had the oppertunity to have seen the SSU shows and perhaps tape them for their kids. Maybe you could email this post to them and see what they'll say about your kids liking yesterday's SS.

BTW I see you're a new memmber here. Be sure to check out the Classic SS section to discuss anything reguarding SS past.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

You know, Sometimes I feel like this is the only place in the world where people are truly concerned about the state Sesame Street. I mean other people take notice but they don't pay as much attention.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

The type of money Dora and shows like that bring in makes me wonder what the motivation is behind some of these these "Educational" shows.

 

[ILuVERNIE]

i just wanna know: what happened to sesame street?!

 

[mikebennidict]

what do you mean?

 

[ILuVERNIE]

i mean, now it's not what it used to be! it's not as funny! we need more SUPER GROVER and stuff!