Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street

[GelflingWaldo]

Viking Press is planning to release a brand new book that chronicles the incredible history Sesame Street. "Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street" by Michael J. Davis will take an extensive look at the development, rise and enduring success of television's most influential children's show. The 384-page hardcover book will be released by Viking Books in December 2008.

More information: http://www.muppetnewsflash.com/2008/03/new-book-chronicles-history-of-sesame.html


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[ploobis]

I can't wait for this book! This book will be just as cool as the Sesame Street Unpaved book!

 

[The Count]

Hey Greg... Could you please tell us more about this planned release? If it plans on covering all 39 seasons then well, I think it'd be a must-buy for all us Sesame seeds. Though I'd've waited till next year to get in on the 40th anniversary cashé... Thanks for the news, extremely intrigued.

 

[zns]

This is definately going to be a great Christmas this year. First they do a book for Fraggle Rock , now they are doing one for Sesame Street . I only have one question. Eill the book be something like Unpaved, full of pictures and rare behind the scenes photos, or will it just be one long chapter book? Either way, I can't wait.

 

[Ilikemuppets]

This is s exciting! I want to book so much and I cannot wait until if comes out!

 

[zns]

The only downside about this release is that it is scheduled to hit bookstore shelves on December 26th, the day after Christmas. It would be easier to bring it out before the holiday and recieve it as a gift. On the other hand, I can use the money that I recieve from relatives to purchase that book. Oh well, can't wait.

 

[minor muppetz]

I can't believe that I haven't commented on this yet. I wodner if this will be more like Sesame Street Unpaved or Jim Henson: The Works. It would be grreat if scripts and song lyrics were included in this book, of course I'm hoping for scripts and scene descriptiosn for sketches not scripted or mentioned in Unpaved, and hopefully some song lyrics that weren't reprinted in the first one. And maybe a biography on Richard Hunt.

But somehow I have a feeling that each chapter will talk about the show, from conception to now. For example, the firs tseason talking about the show's early planning up to the first broadcast, then a chapter on the first season, then a chapter on the 1970s, then a chapter on the 1980s, then a 1990s chapter, and then a 2000s chapter. If not like that, then mayeb a chapter on the adoption of Miles, marriage of Maria and Luis, and birth of Gabbi, a chapter on Around the Corner, a chapter on Elm's sudden popularity, and a chapter on the changed format.

 

[minor muppetz]

If this book has scripts and scene descriptions presented like in Sesame Street Unpaved, I think that more fan favorites shoudl get their own sections. A two-page spread of Harvey Kneeslaper sketches would be nice, as would a big section on Forgetful Jones. Back when Unpaved was released I was surprised that Guy Smiley got a big section in the sketches chapter but Baby Bear and Rosita only had small sections in the "More Mupets" section of the characters chapter. I was surprised that Guy Smiley wasn't in the "whatever happened to...?" section (in fact, none of Jim Henson's characters were there).

If sketches are grouped by character sections, then the Prairie Dawn section should at least have info on her pageants (it's odd that her two-page section in Unpaved didn't represent any pageants at all). I also found it odd that the book mentioned Kermit and Grover being best friends but didn't include any scripts or sketch descriptions of any of the sketches that Kermit and Grover appeared in together. In fact, the only time they are shown together in the book is in the two-page spread listing the Muppet performers and their characters, and even there they don't appear on the same page. In fact, I think the Kermit section focused too much on his news sketches. Only one non-news Kermit sketchw as included in that section (though others were in other parts of the book).

Of course, what would be better than all that would be a section that includes epsidoe guides for the various recurring sketches, in whatever Sesame Workshop considers the official order to be.

One thing that's odd about Unpaved is that Pinball Number Count wasn't represented at all. No lyrics (though the lyrics are just "1,2,3, 4,5,6,7,8,9, 10, 11,12), no mention, no images. I bet this one will, though. Sesame Workshop seems to be giving those sketches a lot of attention sicne the 35th anniversary (maybe not on the show itself, but elsewhere).

 

[zns]

Well........ from what I have been seeing in the description of this item, I have a feeling it will be more like "Jim Henson: The Works", rather than "Sesame Street Unpaved". It says that the focus is on the development of the show rather than just being mostly scripts and song lyrics like "Unapved". But anyway, can't wait for December. When can we expect to see cover designs and stuff like that?

 

[TotallySpiesFan]

You know Lefty the Salesman, Dr. Nobel Price, Sinister Sam, and Herbert Birdsfoot would have been listed in the "More Muppets" category of "Sesame Street Unpaved", and Rodeo Rosie, Deena and Pearl Monster, and Granny Fanny Nesselrode would have been listed in the "Whatever Happened To...?" category of the same book.