The closing themes of Sesame Street

[Victoria]

Hi, i'm new I miss the one with the kids in the wagon and Barkley running by the tree, but not coming out of the other side.

 

[ssetta]

Was the one with the kids in the wagon different from Barkley? There was no wagon in the Barkley and the kids closing sequence that was used from 1980-1992. Was this an alternate ending they used sometimes?

 

[Victoria]

Hmmm, let me think back to when I was 5, LOL! Ok, it was maybe a hay ride?? Not sure. I know kids were on the back swinging their legs of the wagan/tralier thing. Sorry if I am confusing you guys.

 

[ssetta]

Well, here's how the Barkley closing sequence went:

First, we see an open field, and then Barkley comes on screen and barks twice. Then, he runs away from the camera with a bunch of other kids. We then see Barkley and the kids walking over a bridge. After the bridge part, we see them running through the field again. Then comes the part where they get behind the tree, but they don't come out the other side. HOW did they DO that? We then see them coming out from behind the tree, and they all run down the hill, and at the very end, we see them all lying down under the tree, all tired.

 

[Victoria]

I don't know. I just remember it started of with kids in back of a wagon/hay ride thingy. Maybe this will help; I watched SS from 81-88.

 

[ssetta]

Well, there was one opening theme sequence that started off with Big Bird and kids in a wagon/hay ride. Maybe that's what you're thinking of. It was used from 1988 until 1992.

 

[Victoria]

Oh, ok. Thanks.

 

[Don_Music_2004]

Okay since wer'e on the topic of closing themes here, does anyone remember an alternate closing theme they used instead of Barkley and the kids sometimes in the 80's. It had a bunch of kids running down some street and various things happening in the city, and it also had Oscar walk by in his garbage can with his feet sticking out of the bottom. Io seem to be the only one who remembers this, and it was used occasionally until 1987 or s.

 

[Mark The Shark]

Well, there was one opening theme sequence that started off with Big Bird and kids in a wagon/hay ride. Maybe that's what you're thinking of. It was used from 1988 until 1992.

Yes, that actually sounds like the *opening,* not the closing. That footage (with Big Bird on the hayride) was first seen at the top of show beginning with show #406 (the first show of the 1972-1973 season), and far as I can tell, that footage continued to be used at least through the 1980s. It wasn't always exactly the same sequence of shots; that varied from day to day. But the footage definitely dates back to 1972.

Also, another interesting thing is that the opening sequence with Big Bird on the hayride was shot on videotape, compared to the opening footage in the first three seasons, which was shot on film. In the first three seasons, there also was a variety of footage used (maybe even three entirely different opening title sequences altogether, all using footage unique to one another) showing a bunch of kids, but as far as I remember, no SS characters. This seemed to be an almost subtle change which coincided with the changing of Gordons, but I could be reading too much into that.

 

[ssetta]

Oh, and also, does anyone remember an alternate ending they used over the city and the sea at night? It was usually used if an episode ended at night. I have two shows with it on it. Unpaved episode #2615 used it, and I also have it on #2795. How far does this date back to? It looks like it was shot on film, unlike the ending with Barkley and the kids. Also, it didn't always have the original closing theme. There was also an alternate version of the theme that was often used if an episode ended at night. It sounded like a music box, and it was played on a celeste. And believe it or not, there were actually a few episodes where the celeste version of the theme played over the regular ending with Barkley and the kids. Does anyone remember this nighttime credit sequence that was occasionally used?