Speculation: Sesame Street 45th Anniversary Possibilities

[SpinneyBigBird1]

So, aside from a few books and such, Sesame Street's 40th anniversary sort of came and went without too much hullabaloo. Since they made such a big deal out of the 35th (two anniversary specials, a crap load of merchandise, celebrity introductions to every episode, and much more) I was surprised that the 40th didn't even get a special. But, next year marks the 45th anniversary, so I was hoping we could get a jump start on our wishes for the anniversary.

I would think that a big anniversary special would be a given. They are always so nice of getting the whole cast of humans and Muppets together at the same time (something that is quite a rarity these days on the show). Somebody posted an idea in the 40th anniversary thread about Murray "hosting" this special with the Word on the Street being "anniversary." I love that idea.

I also would love to see a behind-the-scenes prime-time special with interviews with the cast and Muppeteers reflecting on their time on the show. It would also be great if they could invite back past cast members and Muppeteers (Olamide Faison, Linda Bove, Ruth Buzzi, Annette Calud, Savion Glover, David Smyrl, Desiree Casado, Frank Oz, and so on). I feel like that would be SO cool to the super-fans. Something on TV. All the one-night chats at colleges and stuff are great, but it leaves out a huge percentage of fans who cannot make it to the event.

What do you think?

 

[FunnyBear]

Well, I'd like to see Sesason Sets of the first few seasons of Sesame Street, even if it's spilt into volumes

 

[Oscarfan]

Well, I'd like to see Sesason Sets of the first few seasons of Sesame Street, even if it's spilt into volumes

Those would be the worst things ever, especially in the first few seasons. By episode, like, five, you'll have seen the same segments replay dozens of times. Unless they made a set of just all the segments/street scenes that made up each episode to avoid any repeats, the DVDs would be endless, repetitive and would take days to get through.

I wouldn't mind another anniversary DVD, but I don't know how they can top the 40 Years boxset. I'd like a special new music video or something, something like the "Sunny Days" cover from season 32, only a different song (I think "Another Sunny Day" would work for a great, big cast number). And it'd involve a bunch of characters, new and old.

 

[minor muppetz]

I wouldn't mind another anniversary DVD, but I don't know how they can top the 40 Years boxset.

Recently I've been thinking that maybe they can release three separate DVDs (and maybe a boxed set for all three), each representing a 15-year period (I doubt we'll get three discs that are only available together). Volume 1 would be the best of seasons 1-15, volume 2 the best of seasons 16-30, and volume 3 seasons 31-45.

 

[FunnyBear]

Those would be the worst things ever, especially in the first few seasons. By episode, like, five, you'll have seen the same segments replay dozens of times. Unless they made a set of just all the segments/street scenes that made up each episode to avoid any repeats, the DVDs would be endless, repetitive and would take days to get through.

I wouldn't mind another anniversary DVD, but I don't know how they can top the 40 Years boxset. I'd like a special new music video or something, something like the "Sunny Days" cover from season 32, only a different song (I think "Another Sunny Day" would work for a great, big cast number). And it'd involve a bunch of characters, new and old.

Yeah, I meant the street scenes and cutting out repeat

 

[Drtooth]

Cutting repeats and editing those episodes to avoid too many copy episodes would be even worse, considering the massive amount of man hours it would take to sort through every single episode.

Think of it this way. Even if we had the current 26 episode seasons on DVD, it would cost an ever loving fortune. The shows are about an hour long, and a DVD can only hold so much information. Now, take a season that, reruns or no reruns, is well over 100 episodes...

Only a very rich collector with thousands upon thousands of dollars in their disposal would be able to afford half way through Sesame Street's library. And that's not even counting celebrity appearances and music licensing fees. If Sesame Workshop can't release episodes uncut due to said rights, you couldn't even get the actual episodes unaltered on DVD for thousands of dollars. There is no fiscal way Sesame Workshop could profit from season by season DVD's of a show with that many episodes that lasted this long. Even Soap Operas barely get DVD releases. And usually only best ofs.

When Sesame Workshop releases a few episodes to DVD, and select ones to iTunes/Amazon/Netflix/youtube, whatever, that is the best they can do.

______________________________________________________

As for the 45th anniversary, here's what I want to see.

• An actual TV special this time. No prime time episode premieres,especially since we didn't get one the last time when they said we were to. This would no doubt fall on PBS, who'd rather show the same tired Health, self help, and fiscal solvency programs that are in no way infomercials for Medicine Wagon type scams instead of actual programming to get said pledges.
• A coffee table book is a given, so we'll no doubt see one.
• Hasbro to make a huge effort with the Sesame Street license and create affordable collectible versions of fan favorite characters. If that means like a plush or PVC of just Herry, Guy Smiley, and one other character, I'd be happy.I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed in the lack of hustle in the Sesame Street Pals line. They only have leftover Rosita/Abby and Count/Elmo sets on sheves now. Time for some more characters, and the 45th anniversary is good potential.
• I'd like to see the hidden gems back, sure... but how about we do things a little differently this time? Have more classic/obscure characters pop up in crowd scenes (especially if they're AM based), and less newspaper headlines that you need a blu-ray quality screen shot to almost make out if you can even get an unobstructed view of it.
• In fact, take that to the next level, and redo classic episode plots with modern characters. Have more contests to have indie animators make up clever remakes of old sketches (that, before anyone whines about, wouldn't be shown on the show proper anyway).
• NO intrusive curriculum initiatives. Season 40 was tainted by nature episodes. That one where Chris and Elmo try to find what animals eat was lame. I'd rather see Sesame Street episodes that pay tribute to classic stories than 13 of 26 stories about one specific failing in school systems.
• Above all... let's really have some fun this time, guys. Hey... Parody older shows that were on the air every decade Sesame Street was on. Rather than some at the time thing that will soon be forgotten. We don't want another Joe Hundred Guy situation.

 

[D'Snowth]

So, aside from a few books and such, Sesame Street's 40th anniversary sort of came and went without too much hullabaloo.

Dude, what's your idea of a hullabaloo? SST's 40th anniversary was HYPED, man, EVERYBODY made a big deal out of it, EVERYBODY was celebrating their big 4-0... I don't know what more you were expecting.

 

[minor muppetz]

I'd like to see a new (physical) anniversary album, even though it'd most likely have tracks we've heard many times. But I could also see it having unreleased tracks from the last 10-15 years. I'd also like it to have all or most of the songs I listed in my two Muppet Mindset articles listing the top ten (okay, it's actually 20, since it's two lists) Sesame Street songs not on any album. Maybe a two-disc anniversary set, disc one being an "essentials" disc (though some of the unreleased songs on my lists I feel are essential, such as "Imagine That", "Bert's Blanket", and "Fat Cat") and disc two being fan favorites and all-unreleased stuff.

One thing I had considered for an April Fools thread this year, and it would probably be too late for it to work next year (as I'm sure anniversary plans as well as plans for the season in general will be announced by then) was for a handful of two-disc anniversary DVD releases spread out through the year:

• Sesame Street Silver Collection - Featuring many of the best fan favorites.
• Sesame Street Gold Collection - Featuring four of the best-known episodes: "Goodbye, Mr. Hooper", "Snuffy is Seen", "Luis and Maria Get Married", and "Slimey Lands on the Moon", plus a selection of memorable street stories.
• Sesame Street Ruby Collection - Featuring all of the best-known recurring segments. Disc 1 would be all long-form segments like "Elmo the Musical", "Elmo's World", "Super Grover 2.0", and "Abby's Flying Fairy School", while disc 2 would be additional recurring segments like "Monsterpiece Theater", "Sesame Street News", "Super Grover", "Miami Mice", "Mysterious Theater", and so on.
• Sesame Street Platinum Collection - Disc 1 would be various street stories, disc 2 would be various inserts.

I could go for any of those ideas, or the ideas I had for individually-sold discs representing different 15-year periods. A single two-disc set with clips from all 45 seasons would be good, but it'd be a lot to cram, especially when a lot of old school characters weren't featured in 40 Years of Sunny Days.

 

[Oscarfan]

As much as I'd like an anniversary album, the majority of songs it would have would most likely be already downloadible from the other albums already available; like those "digital collection albums" they've been doing.

I want an album of completely new, unreleased material. I don't know why they haven't been doing that; songs like "What I Am" or "I Love My Hair" would sell like hotcakes. An Elmo the Musical digital album sounds like a complete no-brainer.

 

[minor muppetz]

Regarding what I thought for an anniversary album, here's a selection of songs I thought up (which I think would be a realistic way to go);

Disc 1: Essentials
1. Sesame Street Theme... The Kids
2. Rubber Duckie... Ernie
3. C is for Cookie... Cookie Monster
4. What I Am... Will.I.Am and the Muppets
5. ABC-DEF-GHI (1980s version)... Big Bird
6. La, La, La... Bert and Ernie
7. Elmo's Song... Elmo, Big Bird, and Snuffy
8. I Love Trash... Oscar the Grouch
9. The People in Your Neighborhood... Bob and the Anything Muppets
10. Bein' Green... Lena Horne and Kermit
11. Nasty Dan... Johnny Cash and Oscar
12. The Song of the Count... The Count
13. Fuzzy and Blue (and Orange)... Grover, Herry, Cookie Monster, and Frazzle
14. Telephone Rock... Little Jerry and the Monotones
15. Because We're Friends... Abby, Zoe, and Rosita
16. Doin' the Pigeon... Bert
17. Fat Cat... Bip Bippadotta and the Anything Muppets
18. Imagine That... Ernie
19. I Like My Hair... A Girl
20. Do De Rubber Duck... Ernie, Telly, Oscar, Kermit, The Count, Biff, Guy Smiley, Gladys, and Hoots.
21. Sing... The Cast (preferably the version from 20 and Still Counting... if they can't do that (due to Henson owning the rights to that special) then the version from A Musical Celebration)

Disc 2: Fan Favorites and Unreleased
1. Special... Grover
2. That Grouchy Face... James Taylor and Oscar
3. U Really Got a Hold of Me... Smokey Robinson
4. 1,2,3,4... Feist and the monsters
5. Hurray-Hurray for Broccoli... Abby Cadabby
6. I Love My Elbows... Kermit the Frog
7. You're Alive... Chrissy and the Alphabeats
8. If I Was a Cloud in the Sky... Mr. Snuffleupagus
9. Wheels on my Feet... Big Bird
10. Things That I Remember... Bert and Ernie
11. What's the Name of That Song?... Forgetful Jones and friends
12. Disco Toothbrush... A Monster
13. Song About Elmo... Adam Sandler and Elmo
14. A Cookie is a Sometimes Food... Hoots the Owl and Cookie Monster
15. Me Am What Me Am... Cookie Monster
16. A Song from Kermit... Kermit the Frog
17. Bert's Blanket... Bert and the Sheep
18. Trash Outta Heaven... Oscar the Grouch
19. You Say Hola and I Say Hola... Maria and Luis
20. Tu Me Gustas... Rosita and Gabby
21. You Tickle Me... Elmo, Zoe, Telly, Baby Bear, Herry, Rosita, and Frazzle