The Noggin/Unpaved Collectors' Circuit

[dvakman]

It's a shame that SS Unpaved is not on Noggin anymore. There seems to be quite a trading system going now.

If you don't mind me tooting my own horn a bit, here's a little internet history.

In early 2002, Mark "the Shark" and I had just acquired Noggin around the same time and were beginning to collect the Unpaved episodes. Despite the fact that Unpaved had been running for about three years at that time, no one on the internet seemed to know how many episodes were included in the series. People surmised that there were around 50, but no one knew for sure.

After a month or so of careful taping and cataloging, I believe I was the first person on the internet to come up with the magic number of 67 episodes. Mark, who also posted on the SS newsgroup, thought that my number might be a little low but as it turned out, we were right, and he filled in some of the details that I had initially missed. Since that time, some other resourceful people figured out the episode numbers of the earlier eps (since they weren't included on Noggin). Anyway, our contribution may have been minor, but I'm glad this episode info has become common knowledge and has made it easier for collectors to keep track of the episodes that they would like to acquire.

I also see that people are now cataloging the skits in each of the episodes... wow!!! I had intended to do that myself at some point but never got around to it. Great work!!!

Just as an aside, there is actually a 68th segment of Unpaved (which I'm sure many of the collectors have) that may have only been aired on TV Land as a sort of advertisement for the upcoming Noggin network back in 1999. It was a retrospective that featured quite a few rare clips that weren't included in the main Unpaved run and conversations by regulars about the old days. It was hosted by "Maria".

Anyway, I'm glad to see that this Message Board has gotten so energized in the past year or so. Here's hoping we get to see some more classic SS made available one way or another!

 

[Mark The Shark]

Yeah, what he said

Hi, dvakman!

That's right...Chris was the one who came up with the number 67. At the time, I'd been recording them off Noggin (I think Chris got the complete set before I did) and I was checking Yahoo TV, which listed the shows by episode number, but not the episode numbers you and I know. (#1839 for the Mr. Hooper death episode, etc.) Yahoo TV listed them as Episode #1, Episode #2, Episode #46, etc., and there was a single generic description for most of the episodes, which was something along the lines of "Cast members discuss their favorite episodes," and this was used for 99% of the episodes (when there was a description at all). There were a few which had brief (*very* brief) descriptions which actually pertained to the specific episode in question (for instance, "Water Conservation;" that was the complete synopsis, verbatim). When Noggin ran the episode about Maria and Luis's wedding, the "Episode Number" in the Yahoo TV listings was something like "Episode #32" (that is not correct, I don't have a list in front of me), but anyway, it was not the actual episode number as seen at the top of the show (#2485) and also did not correspond to the actual sequence of where it fell in Noggin's running order. (Somewhere on the internet, there is a list someone got from Sesame Workshop which cross-references Noggin's episode numbers with the original episode numbers, but I don't remember exactly where; I do remember that the "Star Wars" episodes had numbers which were way out of sequence with the rest of the shows, and also were higher than 67, if I recall this correctly.) So that's where I got the idea that there were more than 67 episodes, but ultimately, that was proved correct.

By the way, I do have a complete set of the "Unpaved" episodes and most (but not all) of the 1993-1994 season "123 Sesame Streets." There are one or two people who I owe copies to. I have not forgotten you, I'm just disorganized. But my time has been better lately, so I can get caught up. I don't have all the shows catalogued (though like Chris mentioned, some folks out there have made some good efforts to do this, and that info can be found right here on this board) but for most of the earlier shows (say around the first 20 or so) I usually am pretty good at knowing where to find a certain sketch or animation or whatever. "A Loaf Of Bread, A Container Of Milk And A Stick Of Butter," by the way, is in one of the "Star Wars" episodes.

 

[jasona]

The first night Noggin went on the air they broadcast a "best of" episode of sesame street unpaved that included behind the scenes interviews with the cast members and all the casts favorite skits. This is the 68th episode you describe (i believe.) Lady bug picnik, Mr. Hoopers death, etc. were included. This was the greatest collection of SS videos my sister and I have ever seen and we both continue to look for it this day. Does anyone have this episode and would they be willing to dupe a copy? I can provide a blank DVD, VHS or FTP site and cash if required. For some freaky reason my younger sister and I were visiting our parents and somehow caught this episode and Noggin on its first airing on DirecTV. We had both forgotten about the Mister Hooper episode (we were little kids at the time.) Anyway, If anyone knows how to obtain copies of this show, please respond or contact through email.

Thanks,
--jason