Sketches and Songs on Sesame Street videos

[MuppetDude]

I never knew "Mah Na Mah Na" was replaced on the video release. Why? Music rights?

 

[minor muppetz]

I never knew "Mah Na Mah Na" was replaced on the video release. Why? Music rights?

Music Rights is the only reason I can think of, but I could be wrong. It would be weird if that was the reason. The song has been included in quite a few Sesame Street albums, and The Jim Henson Company and Disney have both never seemed to have any problems releasing that song on video or DVD. Goodtimes Home Video also didn't seem to have any trouble releasing it in the Muppets Magic from The Ed Sullivan Show DVD. That song is also on a lot of Muppet albums. Of course, Sesame Workshop is a different company than Henson and Disney.

I also wonder why Ten Tiny Turtles On The Telephone was cut. Maybe it was music rights, though that song was written especially for Sesame Street and I don't think it's common for original songs to be cut from what they were created for due to music rights. Maybe Sesame Workshop didn't want to pay Bud Luckey, who wrote the song and did the animation and vocals (he also did ladybug Picnic, which was in the closing timeline sequence that was cut). Of course, this song was reviously released in Sing Yourself Silly. Maybe it was cut because Sesame Workshop was planning on releasing that video on DVD a few months later, though that would be a stupid reason to cut something.

It seems like it is also rare for something to be cut on video because certain celebrities wouldn't allow for them to be on a video, which could explain the absense of some of the guest stars in Dance Yourself To Sleep. Of course, I've heard that Norah Jones was one of the guests who got cut, and her song "Don't Know Why Y Didn't Show" was recently included on the All-Star Alphabet video.

There could be other legal issues with the time line sequence. This sequence included a clip from 1978 with C3PO and R2D2. Maybe Sesame Workshop was able to use this clip on the television broadcast but, due to character rights, couldn't show it on the DVD.

I wish one of us knew for sure. (if there are any "spies" from sesame Workshop, I think now would be a good time to reveal yourself)

 

[rumtar_10165]

I never knew "Mah Na Mah Na" was replaced on the video release. Why? Music rights?

I think the main reason is why is because if you watche the Muppet Show, or the Muppet Magic dvd I'd say that Jim wanted the perfected version.

 

[minor muppetz]

I think the main reason is why is because if you watche the Muppet Show, or the Muppet Magic dvd I'd say that Jim wanted the perfected version.

I thought that the version from The Ed Sullivan Show was from before the Sesame Street version, though the version from The Muppet Show is the best version I've seen. Also, the Muppets Magic DVD was produced by the company that owns the video rights for The Ed Sullivan Show, not Henson, though I think the DVD was approved by Jim Hensons family. As far as I know, the only reason why the DVD only included 20 out of 25 Muppet appearances was due to music rights, so considering that Mahna Mahna was included, I guess The Jim Henson Company didn't say "no" to any appearances.

Also, Sesame Workshop now has full say over what is and isn't included in merchandise, and Henson can't object anymore to certain content.

 

[minor muppetz]

'tis the season for Elmo Saves Christmas...

I would like to talk about Elmo Saves Christmas, which was released in 1996. This video doesn't have any segments from the show, and I'm not sure whether this was originally broadcast on TV or made for video. The Internet Movie database lists this as being made for video, but i do know that it has been shown on television in 1996, 1997, and 1998, and as far as I know very few Sesame Street videos have been broadcast on television.

Anyway, the special starst out with Telly, Zoe, Baby bear, and some kids joining Maya Angela for christmas. When they decide that they want it to be christmas every day, Maya Angela asks them if Elmo had ever told them about how he once saved christmas and then almost ruined it, and then starts to tell them the story...

It starts during christmas eve. Bob and a singing group called 14 Karat Soul sing a song called "It's Christmas Again" (and they sing it in almost every scene they appear in). grover is selling christmas trees. Mr. Snuffleuagus says good bye to Big Bird because he is spending christmas with his granny. The Count is counting one christmas. Oscar is glad that christmas is only once a year. Elmo is taking a plate of cookies home, but Cookie Monster wants them, and when he learns that the cookies are for Santa Clause, he disguises himself as santa, but doesn't fool Elmo. Elmo decides to stay up all night so that he can see santa come down the chimney. He falls asleep, but wakes up when Santa comes, because santa is stuck. Elmo helps him get unstuck, and it turns out that Santa got stuck because a reindeer, Lightening, was hiding in the gift bag (was this the first house santa went to?). Santa is mad at Lightening but is happy that Elmo helped him down the chimney, so he offers Elmo his choice of two special presents: a pink toy bear or a magic snowglobe. Elmo wants the bear, but then Santa tells Elmo that the snow globe can grant him three wishes, so he chooses the globe instead. Elmo makes his first wish, for a glass of water. Santa tells Elmo not to waste his last two wishes. he takes the cookies, and Elmo points out that his mommy told him that if you eat too many cookies, you'll get fat, and Santa says that Elmos mommy is right (maybe Elmo should have given Cookie Monster some of the cookies).

The next morning, Elmo decides to wish for it to be christmas again. He makes his wish, but a first thinks that he didn't get his wish (because it's already christmas). However, Kermit gives a news report that it will be christmas again tomorrow, so everybody goes to do some more shopping (won't most places be closed?). An alarm at the north pole alerts the elves that it will be christmas again, and Santa realizes what happened. Since all of his other reindeer are tired from the previous night, he has no choice but to let Ligthening take him to Sesame Street. There, santa tries to convince Elmo that christmas can't be every day, and sings a song, "Everyday Can't be Christmas", but this doesn't convince Elmo, so he tells Lightening, who can run at the speed of lightening, to take Elmo to the spring, the summer, and next christmas, to show Elmo what christmas will be like if it's every day.

First, they go to the spring. So far no major problems. Maria and Luis have a huge pile of toasters that need to be fixed, but they don't work because it's christmas. Grover has a shortage of good quality christmas trees. Big Bird has a lot of neat toys but is sad because Snuffy is still visiting his granny for christmas, and he can't write a letter to Snuffy because the mailman doesn't work on christmas. Elmo and Lightening see the easter bunny, who now has to pose as The Christmas Bunny and sings a song that I can't remember the title of.

Back at the north pole, the elves are all angry because they are workign every day isntead of taking their promised vacation. They keep making mitakes, such as accidently putting bunny ears on a toy cow, so they decide to leave the cows like that and call them Moo Bunnies.

Next, they go to the summer. people are now starting to get more depressed over the fact that christmas is now every day. Maria misses fixing toasters so much that she decides to get back to work and fix some, but then realizes that she'll never get caught up. Fat Blue goes to buy another christmas tree, and is tired of it being christmas every day, and so is Grover (though grover's not as angry as Fat Blue). Elmo and Lightening visit Big Bird, who really misses Snuffy. he calls Snuffy, but his grannies answering machien picks up the phone (although it's his grandmas answering machine, Snuffy is the one who's voice leaves an answering machine message). Big Bird leaves a long message, singing a new song, "All I want For Christmas Is You". Elmo starst to be a little convinced that christmas every day isn't so good. oscar is happy that christmas is every day, because it makes everybody miserable. he points out that there's nothign on TV but it's a Wonderful Life (this wouldn't be realistic. there are many other christmas specials and movies that could be on TV, like A Christmas Story (which, even back then, TNT shows 24 hours on christmas) A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph The Red-Nosed reindeer, A Muppet Family Christmas, Christmas Eve On sesame Street....). Elmo beleives that everybody will be happy again when it is the real christmas again, so he has Lightening take him to the next real christmas.

Unfortunately, it is really depressing. The Count is even tired of counting all of the christmasses. Ernie and Bert walk past a TV that plays a scene from It's a Wonderful Life, where the Ernie and bert characters from the movie are mentioned by name. Grover shouts "Christmas tree for sale! 25 cents!". Fat Blue rushes and wants the tree for 25 cents, but it turns out that grover isn't actually selling a tree. he's selling a "christmas tree for sale" sign for 25 cents. Big Bird is really upset and Bob and 14 karat soul are losing their voices because of their constant singing. Elmo sings a reprise of "every day can't be christmas", and Santa shows up, telling Elmo that he is retiring from delivering presents.

Elmo then realizes that he has one wish left, so he tells everybody that he wished for christmas to be every day, and although he planned to wish for a new pair of roller skates, he is going to wish for christmas to go back to being only once a year (oscar tells him to wish for the roller skates). Unfortunately, before he can complete his wish, the snow globe slips off his hands and breaks. It's now christmas forever (hmm, since Santa gave him the snow globe that can give three wishes, couldn't he give himself one and wish for everything to be back to normal?). Elmo then realizes that since Lightening can take him to the future, maybe he can take Elmo back to the past, so Elmo goes back to the night of christmas eve and decides to wish for the bear, but this time, Santa also offers a Moo Bunny, and Elmo chooses that.

Back on Sesame Street, everybody sings "keep christmas with you", and Snuffy shows up, telling Big Bird that his granny decided to come to sesame Street for christmas.

 

[rumtar_10165]

I thought that the version from The Ed Sullivan Show was from before the Sesame Street version, though the version from The Muppet Show is the best version I've seen.

Ok if you watched the dvd it will read 1970. But on the very first season of Sesame Street they peformed that in 1969. The stetch was pretty well but it had two girls and a anything puppet that had the beard and hair. but it also had eyes. It was before a performance that Jim changed the puppet to give it blinking eyes.

 

[minor muppetz]

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. it's been awhile since I've watched my copy of the Muppets Magic DVD, so i guess I should check later to make sure.

It's a little funny how this threads title suggests that it's just a list of what songs and skits are included, yet the person who started this thread and me have included full plot descriptions and even videos that didn't even have skits. Going by this fact, do you think it would be right if I decided to review some of the Golden Book Home Video releases?

Also, I hope I don't sound like I'm nagging, but could somebody please post a review, plot description, and listing of skits from the videos I'm Glad I'm me, Getting Ready For School, We All Sing Together, and Sing-Along Earth Songs? I do know what most of the skits included on three of those videos are (the videos that are not Getting Ready For School), but could somebody talk about them in detail?

 

[minor muppetz]

I am going to write about Put Down The Duckie now. This special was originally broadcast in 1988 as a PBS pledge drive special called The Sesame Street Special, it was released on video by Random House in 1994 (or possibly 1995), and was re-released on video by Sony Wonder in 1996, and I think it was rteleased on DVD in 2001.

I have only seen this special on television, but according to the internet movie database, there were some changes made between the broadcast and video versions. I will list all changes I know of. This special also has a mix of new and old segments.

This special begins with Big Bird coming onto the street and seeing Gladys Knight and The Pips in the arbor area, singing the theme song. There is a sign that reads the title (I've read that the words Put Down The Duckie were written in the video. How was this done? Was the sign digitally altered to have a different title? Was the original title still shown on-camera as the new title was on-screen? Was a different shot used to show this new title?). Most of the human cast were on the street jamming and grooving along to the music. The street was filled with humans, kids, and muppets. Elmo sits on the stairway in the arbor area, Hoots, Chip, and Dip play back-up music, Cookie Monster and Grover dance behind a crate (no, not with each other), and Bert makes a brief, non-speaking appearance, the only time in this video that he appears (though all of Frank Oz's main characters are in this scene, none of them talk, so I suppose he probably wasn't on the set for this scene).

After they are done, Phil Donahue is on the street talking. Gina tries to say "Hi, Mom", while Oscar, grungetta, and another grouch (I think it's the same puppet used as gary grouch in The Alphabet Game) object to Donnahues comment about the residents of Sesame Street all being in perfect harmony. He says that there's not enough trash, not enough arguing, and too much cooperating. maria disagrees with oscar on this, but The Count agrees that Sesame Street is not perfect because there is not enough counting. The, Ernie tells Phil that Rubber Duckie has to say something. Phil thinks this is ridiculous, but Uncle Wally, David, and others demand to "let the duckie squeek!" Phil Donahue agrees, but then a Dinger wants to ding, and a duck wants to quack, and a honker wants to honk. Bob then tells him that Linda has something to say, so Phil holds a microphone to her, only for her to sign, but then Bob translates, and she thinks that everybody on Sesame Street can agree on one thing: That they all really like kids.

After that is the Monsterpiece Theatre segment The 39 Stairs. In the original broadcast this had the opening from the 1980s, but I've read that the video has the 1990s opening, and the dialogue between Cookie Monster and Grover at the end is also changed for some reason.

Next, Bruno is carrying Oscar when music starts playing and oscar goes into his can. The song that is palyed is The People In Your neighborhood, sung by Bob and a few celebrities, including some tennis player, babra walters, and Ralph nader. After the song, oscar decides that the song wasn't as bad as he thought. I'm sure that this sequence was made especially for the special, since Bob wears the same outfit that he wore at the beginning.

Next is the celebrity-filled version of Put Down The Duckie. I think this special was actually the debut of the celebrity version, since I don't remember seeing celebrities in the song before I saw this special, and I was surprised when I later saw this version of the song in an actual episode of the show.

After that is a new segment where kermit interviews Oscar The grouch. He is there to fidn out why oscar The grouch likes public television, but Oscar denies that he likes public television. Kermit keeps coming up with reasons to liek it and oscar comes up with reasosn to hate it. Finally, Kermit is convinced that oscar doesn't like public television and returns the viewers to the phones to pledge money to PBS. Oscar hears this and asks what kermit is talking about. Kermit talks to oscar about pledge breaks, and oscar knows that this is where PBS interrupts the show to have people ask for money when the viewer only cares about knowing how the program ends. he likes that and goes into his can to watch it. This entire sequence was cut from the video. After the pledge drive, oscar comes out of his can and comments on it. I'm sure that this was also cut, but I'm not sure.

Then, we get a few segments from th show: How I Miss My X, Grover as a singing and dancing waiter at charlie's resturaunt, and mari and Luis in a museum, singing a parody of Let's Call The Whole Thing Off which is about different ways of saying the same thing (the song listing calls it Sing Your Synoms, but I've also seen it listed as Let's call The Whole Thing Small).

Next is a segment that I think was made especially for this special. I've never seen it on the show, and I always watched sesame Street at the time that this special aired. This segment was called The Sesame Street Special report, where Robert mcNeil interviewed Cookie Monster, who was accused of taking susan and Gordons cookies. Kermit appeared as Cookies lawyer, often whispering things into Cookie Monsters ear, which seems a little bit simialr to how lefty would "SHH!" at Ernie for talking real loud. I think Kermit's appearance here is a bit odd, and would probably be more in character if it were Ernie or Elmo.

Then, we get james taylor singing jellyman kelley, and then Pretty great performances, where Placedo Flamingo and an animal orchestra perform The italian Street Song.

Finally, we get the ending credits, which is a reprise of Put Down The Duckie, only with new shots of celebrities singing verses of the song. This includes unused verses from the segment, such as a verse sung by Jane Curtain (who appeared in the segment but didn't sing any verses), a verse sung by the cast (the only time in this video that Mr. Snuffleupagus appears), a shot from the Put Down The Duckie segment, and all of the guests who only appeared in new footage singing verses (one of them is Robert McNiel in his newsroom, with Ernie in the room with him). Oddly enough, there is a scene with babra walters singing, and she only sang a verse during this credits sequence, but in the book Sesame Street Unpaved, she is quoted as saying that she hears more from fans who saw her singing Put Down The Duckie than from any interview she did. After the credits, Ernie is behind a brick wall when Hoots comes to him with a problem: whenever he squeeks his rubber duckie (which has green sunglasses), it make sa weird sound. He squeeks it and plays the saxaphone at the same time, and Ernie says, "You've gotta put down the saxaphone if you want to squeek your duckie".

This is a good special. it's good for fans of 1980s sesame street. One weird thing about this special is that Big Bird hardly speaks in this special.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

By the way, the tennis player Bob sang with on "Put Down the Duckie" is Martina Navrilota (I think that's how you spell it)

I actually have the "Getting Ready for School" video and I currently have the "I'm Glad I'm Me" video checked out from the library. As soon as I get a chance, I will try to put up a review for both. As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, I find myself loaded down with assignments I'm trying to finish up and it's keeping me quite busy at the moment.

 

[minor muppetz]

By the way, the tennis player Bob sang with on "Put Down the Duckie" is Martina Navrilota (I think that's how you spell it)

The main problem I had was knowing how her name was spelled. I could say it, but couldn't spell it.