Sketches and Songs on Sesame Street videos

[rumtar_10165]

I knew that the sesame street version of mah na mah na was produced in 1969, but I thought that the ed sullivan version was also broadcast in 1969.QUOTE]
This is a link that will show you what he first looked like and when Manna Manna had his name actauly changed into Mr Bop Bippidatta.
http://www.toughpigs.com/anthhipster07.htm

 

[GonzoLeaper]

sorry, I was a little off in my spelling. Just double checked. Here's the correct spelling.
Martina Navratilova- a really great tennis player (very famous in the 1980s) and of course, another great Sesame Street guest star.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Okay, here's a really quick and abbreviated review of "The Great Numbers Game". It's a 1998 release and the back of the box has the 30 Years of Sesame Street logo on it, so I guess this counts in as a 30th. anniversary item. This thing actually starts with a big button labelled "Start". You see 4 hands reaching up to press on it (2 of them fuzzy) and then it turns out that Gabi, Alice (I think that was the name- one of the kids), Elmo and Telly all wind up in some sort of game- which is in fact, of course, The Great Numbers Game. They see a bridge and get on it which takes them to a castle with a 1 on it. They figure out that they have to count from 1 to 20 in the game and go forth to do so. Then we see a calvacade of counting clips. Throughout the video at different times it jumps back to Telly and Elmo and Gabi and the other girl to show them running from a gigantic cookie. I have no idea what this has to do with anything else in the plot. Apparently, the cookie is the big "bad guy" of the video game. There is one part where Elmo and Telly have to jump onto moving platforms to get to another level and Elmo makes it while Telly falls back to an earlier level. Later on, he gets a skateboard and rides it to catch up with Elmo in another level. The one cool thing about this is that in these scenes, some music really similar to the music on Super Mario Bros. 1 for Nintendo Entertainment System is played. Well, not the whole thing, but the opening riff is almost exactly the same tune as the start of Super Mario Bros. 1
At the end of the video, all 4 of them run backwards through the different counting clips scenes to get back to the start to play it again. (I noticed that some of the clips they ran by were clips that were not shown on the video. Like at number 2, they showed a picture of the cartoon bellhop who always has to carry a ton of things up, like 18 floors of stairs and it's insane. I wish they'd shown that clip. That was one of my favorites as a child.)
Anyway, the plot seemed to be a little haphazard at best and was basically an excuse to show the best of Sesame Street's classic cartoons (at least that's what the video bills itself as)
There are some good counting clips in there, like Alligator King #7, King of Eight, Country Two (with the cartoon fiddle player), Mother Brown's Farm (I remember this cartoon clip with the dancing farmer), the classic Pinball number count for 12, and a counting clip using what looked like printed figures of people with some funky music (I remember this as a child, but I don't know how to describe it). Unfortunately, there's a lot of them that I don't really know how to describe and I really don't remember the rest of them. Most of them were new to me.
Most of the cool clips I liked are on other videos- so I'd have to say this probably isn't one of my favorites. But there are a couple of classic counting clips that I do remember from childhood that aren't on other videos, so that's at least good.

I just wish some counting clips with The Count or some more of the Muppets might have been used, or maybe the cartoon clip with the spies and racing cars or the classic falling baker clips.
Anyway, there you go.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

And here's a review of the 2005 release of "Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor"- brought to you by Pfizer! (At least they had their commercial on at the start of the video)

We hear the strains of the Sesame Street theme song (though not actually sung) and a blue Muppet looking really similar to one of The Blues Brothers (with the shades and everything) sitting on the corner and playing a harmonica.
Elmo and Gina are playing checkers and Gina notices Elmo scratching at his ear. He finally admits to Gina that he isn't feeling well and has an earache and Gina tells him that he needs to see the doctor. Elmo is scared and doesn't want to go to the doctor. Big Bird and Rosita come by and find Elmo hiding under the table. They and Gina coax him to come out and Big Bird offers Elmo Radar so he won't be so scared. Rosita reassures him that she has been to the doctor and Elmo has too and there's nothing to be afraid of. With well wishes from Big Bird and Rosita, Elmo and Gina take off to the doctor's office. Susan is working as a receptionist there (I didn't realize that was her job on the show- or is that just for this one time appearance?)
Bert and Ernie are also there- Bert apparently has a cold. Baby Bear and his dad, Curly, are there too- Baby Bear has a really bad sore throat. There's also a horse, chicken and cow and a farmer and a AM mom and her son. Elmo goes to talk to Baby Bear and Bert and Ernie and they all talk about their symptoms. Then they all sing a song about their sicknesses-pleading to see the doctor soon. Cool thing about this song- a lot of Muppets make quick cameo appearances- Chicago the lion has a line in the song, as does an elephant, goat, The Count (in his maracas type shirt) and the reindeer from "Elmo Saves Christmas". There's also some sort of green monster, yellow monster, and blue monster playing the musical instruments. Susan tells Bert that he's next in a break in the song. And then at another break, it's Baby Bear's turn. At the end of the song, Susan comes to tell Elmo he's next. Susan and Gina help Elmo into the doctor's office, where Elmo gets freaked out by all the posters and instruments. He makes a break for it and then we switch to the Muppet doctor working with Bert and Ernie. Elmo runs by and the doctor keeps going on telling Bert what to do to get better. Bert and Ernie tell Gina where Elmo went and then we see Elmo go by some sheep that another doctor's looking at. Then he comes to another room where a doctor's with Curly and Baby Bear. Elmo hides another a bed while Gina comes into the room. Then Elmo pops up when he hears the doctor's about to put a stick into Baby Bear's mouth. Baby Bear does well and tells Elmo that it went well. Elmo gets encouraged and tells Gina he wants to see the doctor so he can get better. The doctor tells Baby Bear that he has strep throat and he'll be better soon as he takes the medicine. The doctor that was with Bert and Ernie comes to help Elmo and lets him listen to her heartbeat with the stethoscope. Then she proceeds to check Elmo's conditions and teaches Elmo new words like "infection" and "antibiotic". After the doctor gives him the medicine, she says there's only 1 thing left to do. Elmo gets scared for a second, but then gets excited when he gets to pick out a rainbow sticker and wear it on his chest. Then we jump to Sesame Street where Elmo's playing with the kids. Susan and Gina are watching from the stoop. Ernie has Bert outside wrapped with a shawl to make sure he doesn't catch cold again. (Bert says he's feeling better, but to me Eric Jacobson's voice makes Bert sound like he still has a cold! But I know he's trying to live up to Frank Oz- but it's never the same.)
Baby Bear's about to go join the fun, but Curly makes him stop and take his medicine. Elmo shows off his sticker to Big Bird and Rosita and then Baby Bear shows them his. Elmo tells Big Bird and Rosita that they were right and he didn't need to be scared. He starts singing an intro line to a song about doctors helping people and the doctors all show up on the street and join in. Then Curly, Baby Bear, Rosita, Big Bird, Gina, and Susan all join in. Bert and Ernie walk by with Bert telling Ernie he doesn't need a hot water bottle.
At the end of the song, we hear sneezing and Elmo asks who's sick now. Big Bird says it's Radar who's sick now. And then we have a quick reprise of the last song. And then the doctor sneezes and Ernie gives her a handkerchief. By the way, the credits list Kevin Clash as Elmo, Carroll Spinney as Big Bird, Jerry Nelson as the Count, and Steve Whitmire as Ernie. The ending credits play the instrumental Sesame Street theme song again.
It was a pretty good video though it's a theme that's been hit on before in 1990's Sesame Street Home Video Visits The Hospital. (though this video was a trip to the doctor's office and the other one was actually staying in the hospital and there's definitely a difference there.)

And there you have it.

 

[minor muppetz]

It's weird that the credits for Elmo Goes To The Doctor don't list Eric Jacopson as Bert.

Does that video have any inserts? I thought I read somewhere else that it does.

 

[minor muppetz]

I have seen The Great Numbers game and was hoping that somebody else would list the skits, since I can't describe (or remember) all of them. My favortie skit in that video that wasn't in any other video was the first one, where a group of kids kept counting the number of ducks in the pond, but there was only one. Another great skit was the last one, which had numbers (I think with eyes and arms) and a kids voice counting to 20, but I don't know how to describe that skit. I have seen it shortened on the show (to count to lower numbers). I don't know what that's called.

It would be great to know what's on The Alphabet Jungle Game, though I suppose that video also has segments that are hard to describe.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Well, I just named the counting sketches that I remembered and actually liked on The Great Numbers Game. I own the video, so when I get some more time I might see if I can fully list some sort of description of all the counting sketches, just for the sake of completeness.

And the "Sesame Street Goes to the Doctor" (that is the name, right? Or is it "Elmo Goes to the Doctor"? I just used the name that was on the video I got from the library, which by the way has a different cover from what I've seen in stores. It's green all over and kinda plain except for a Sesame Street logo and Elmo tucked into the top left hand corner and the name of the video)

And the credits did list Eric Jacobson as one of the performers. I just meant that the only actors listed separately, along with their characters performed, were Kevin Clash, Steve Whitmire, Carroll Spinney, and Jerry Nelson. Then there was a list of people under the heading of "Other Performers".

 

[minor muppetz]

yes, it's actually called Elmo Goes To The Doctor (or I could be wrong and it could be titled Elmo Visits The Doctor).

 

[minor muppetz]

video title: Sing, Hoot, & Howl with The Sesame Street Animals

release year: 1991

plot: Big Bird and various animals get togetehr for The Sing, Hoot & Howl club, where they all sing songs about animals. The video begins with them singing Old Mac Donald Had a Farm. Then, Big Bird let's other animals pick songs. A dog wants to be the first to pick a song, since he has to go to work soon (he's a watch dog... "does anybody want to buy a watch?"). Gladys The Cow has a song that she wants to request, but she keeps getting interrupted by other animals. She tries to hint to them on what the song is about, but they keep guessing wrong. Eventually, she gets to tell them what the song is about (of course, it's about being a cow). Then she wants to request her second favorite song. All of the other animals complain because they think it's another cow song, and they want songs about their own species, but Gladys tells them that this song is about every animal, and the song is We Are All earthlings. Then, a lion (is this Chicogo or a different lion?) wants to hear a song about babies. Big Bird tells him that they don't know of any songs about babies, so the lion let's out a big loud roar, and Big Bird then suddenly thinks of one. A chicken and an unhatched chicken argue over the next song to include, and Big Bird tells them that they can have both songs. The video ends with them all singing Old Mac Donald had a farm again.

Segments:
Cow Dog Song (film segment)
Baa Baa Bamba (with Luis, The Sheep, Gladys, and either Chip or Dip, whichever ones performed by Kevin Clash)
Starfish (film segment)
The Insects In Your Neighborhood (with Ernie and the bugs)
I'm An Aardvark (film segment)
Pig's Love Song (film segment)
Proud To Be a Cow (with Gladys, Buster, and Fred The Wonder Horse)
We Are All Earthlings (with Elmo, an anything muppet boy, Little Bird, and the animals)
Kids (a.k.a. What Are Babies Called?) (film segment)
The Chicken or The Egg (film segment)
Cluck Around The Clock (with Chrissy and the Alphabeats)

nitpicks:
*it seems like this video has too many non-muppet segments (though all of the non-muppet segments are from the 1970s, so all is forgiven).
*one thing that I've noticed: all of the non-muppet segments are from the 1970s, but none of the muppet segments included are from the 1970s (unless Proud To Be a Cow is from the '70s, I can't tell if that's from the '70s or '80s).
*some animal segments that could have been included: My Pollywog Ways, tadpole, This Frog, The Frogs In The Glen, Pigeons On Parade, Three Blue Pigeons, This Song Is For The Birds, That's Not Homer, and Has Anybody Seen My Dog?

 

[minor muppetz]

I need an opinion

I have been thinking about listing the pro's and con's of various videos, but I'm not sure if I should list them in this thread or if I should just start another thread. Any suggestions?