Top 15 Sesame Street Home Videos of all time

[BWSmith]

Here's my list, based mainly on a combination of a) intrinsic entertainment value and b) number of times the tape has been spun for my 4-year-old and 2-year-old: (If there are any really great ones that are excluded, it's possible that I don't have them yet.)

1. Elmo's World: Wild Wild West
This is a classic, and the pinnacle of achievement by which all the other Elmo's World releases should be measured. It's seamlessly done from start-to-finish. Elmo is definitely in his element in the western genre.

2. Best of Ernie and Bert
Ernie and Bert remain the strongest staple of the "old" Sesame Street sketches, and this video is a classic, hindered only by the weak performance of teenager Gina in the main plotline.

3. Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
A holiday classic with touching subplots and excellent music. Would be #1 if it weren't hindered by its holiday-specific content that reduces watchability throughout the year.

4. Big Bird's Story Time
"Best of" video for Kermit's "Sesame Street News" skits. Brilliant production whose only flaws lie in the slow section where Maria reads the "Goldilocks" story while Big Bird and Snuffy fall asleep, which would be better replaced by another Kermit sketch.

5. Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf
Excellent introduction to the orchestra and the majesty of Peter and the Wolf. Only flaws are awkward acting by conductor Keith Lockhart and dragging action near the end of the play following the capture of the wolf.

6. Elmo Visits the Firehouse
Touching video that explores the full range of emotions kids have about fires and helps them understand the task and tools of fire fighters. This is currently a daily ritual for my kids.

7. Kids' Favorite Songs 2
Outstanding graphics and hilarious kid interviews highlight this outstanding production. This represents the "new Sesame Street" at its very best.

8. Sleepytime Songs and Stories
Soothing in tone, this video surveys numerous aspects of sleep and bedtime stories portrayed in past sketches. Includes a redone "Everybody Sleeps" film and song.

9. Learning About Numbers
Hilarious look at past number sketches through the format of the "Numbers Show", a take-off on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show". Probably should be ranked higher, but I want to be fair to the "newer stuff"...

10. Sing, Hoot, and Howl
Tribute to the great "animal" songs of the past.

11. Learning About Letters
12. Elmo Says Boo
13. Alphabet Jungle Game
14. Kids' Guide to Life: Telling the Truth
15. Get Up and Dance

Honorable Mention:
Kids' Favorite Songs
Do the Alphabet
Rest of the Elmo's World series

Top 3 Worst Videos of All Time:
1) Elmo in Grouchland (movie)
The topic is unpleasant (Elmo losing his blankie), the music is bad, and the production is disappointing. Unwatchable.

2) Elmo Saves Christmas
Depressing and pointless, this video tells the story of how terrible the world would be if everyone celebrated Christmas every single day. Features a flaming gay Harvey Fierstein as the Easter rabbit. Also features a surly, grizzled Santa Claus.

3) CinderElmo
Not nearly as bad as the above two, but still remarkably boring. Imagine an entire video designed around a pun between "Elmo" and "Cinderella". Does not hold children's attention.

Disappointing, but not unwatchable:
1-2-3, Count with Me
Ernie/Humphrey/Ingrid/Benny sequences are much too long.

Cookie Monster's Best Bites
Emphasizes that Cookie Monster is a one-trick pony. Annette Bening sketch is much too long. Like "Best of Kermit", this feels like a hasty farewell to a departing Frank Oz.

Best of Kermit on Sesame Street
Appears to have been thrown together at the last minute following the threat of losing the rights to the Kermit character. Instead of entire SS News sketches, features isolated clips. "Big Bird's Story Time" is far superior.

Great Numbers Game
With an uninteresting subplot of being trapped in a "game", this is little more than an attempt to cram as many number sketches as possible into one video. Really drags in the cartoons about numbers higher than 15. "Learning About Numbers" is a more interesting effort.

Elmocize
Pales to "Get Up and Dance" as an exercise video. Mr. Monty is boorish, and Cyndi Lauper appears to have showed up intoxicated on filming day.

Others that are too disappointing for me to have seen in a while:
Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game (confusing premise)
Best of Elmo (too much Whoopi)
Sing Yourself Siller At the Movies (this one gets 5 phooeys)
We All Sing Together (ugga wugga annoying...)

Comments?

 

[Drtooth]

I guess you have to be an 80's SS watcher to appreciate Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies. I only bought this one for the "Monty Python" segment (that's the character's name)

I felt the 25th anniversary video was dissappointing, since it differed too much from the broadcast version on PBS... plus they cut off "Du de rubber duck"

 

[BWSmith]

Agree on the 25th, Dr. T.

Also, I haven't made the time to get into Elmopalooza either. I watched the first 5 minutes of it and shelved it when I saw that it wasn't a collection of skits...

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah, everyone complained about the 35th special (though I think they put much more effort into the DVD), but I think Elmopalooza was the total dud, and I skipped out on it.

 

[Boober_Gorg]

Nice list, but you unfairly left one out of the top 15:

GETTING READY TO READ

This is probably the best selection of old clips. See the link above for more info.

 

[pipmama]

Sesame Sings Karoke is at the top of my new release list!

 

[Klonoa]

When my little brothers were Sesame Street watching age, they had a few VHS videos they really liked.

Monster Songs
OK, I don't know if that's the correct title or not, but the video was an award show for the best monster, with old classic clips like C is for Cookie, That Blue Furry Mommy of Mine, Fuzzy and Blue, etc. It was great.

Sing Yourself Silly
A collection of silly songs, many classics: Ten Tiny Turtles on the Telephone, 12 Ladybug Picnic, Honker Ducky Dinger Jamboree, Put Down the Duckie, etc.

Dance Along
I don't remember much of what was on this one, but I do know it had Disco ABCs with Disco Grover on it, and that's worth it right there.

Sadly I don't know if we have those videos anymore. And the boys are all grown out of Sesame Street.

--Klonoa

 

[BWSmith]

Arrrrrrgh!!!

I can't believe I left "Getting Ready to Read" off the list!

Slip it in at #4 1/2...

 

[dalexandre]

What about when they are locked in the Metropolitain Museam?

That was always a favorite of mine.

 

[Splurge]

What about when they are locked in the Metropolitain Museam?

That was always a favorite of mine.

Oh yeah, "Don't Eat the Pictures". That was cool.