Unearthing previously "lost" Sesame Street episodes

[cjd874]

I love the old scenes on the street, which seemed to have a lot of ad libbing. They knew what the topic was to be about, and how it was supposed to resolve, but it seems like it was up to the actors to help provide the dialogue.

But I could be wrong. If I am, then they did a good job making it seem unscripted

Matt was SO good at ad-libbing, although his slang sounds very dated. He seemed to be more adventurous with his lines compared to Loretta, Bob, Will, and the other future cast members. In terms of ad-libbing skill, I think Matt might have been up there with the Muppeteers, especially Jim and Frank who REALLY knew how to ad-lib.

 

[D'Snowth]

I love the old scenes on the street, which seemed to have a lot of ad libbing. They knew what the topic was to be about, and how it was supposed to resolve, but it seems like it was up to the actors to help provide the dialogue.

But I could be wrong. If I am, then they did a good job making it seem unscripted

I've noticed that about the earlier seasons as well - everything seems off-the-cuff, and like they just talk through their bits rather than following scripts to a tee (much like how Jim and Frank would do Ernie and Bert): there's a lot of "uhs" and "ums," sometimes there's a brief line flub, or tripping over certain lines, but very early SS does really feel like it was unscripted.

 

[scarecroe]

I love the old scenes on the street, which seemed to have a lot of ad libbing. They knew what the topic was to be about, and how it was supposed to resolve, but it seems like it was up to the actors to help provide the dialogue.

But I could be wrong. If I am, then they did a good job making it seem unscripted

You're half and half. All of their dialogue was scripted, but they took a lot of liberty with what they could do with it.

 

[Blue Frackle]

"You got the right string baby, but the wrong yo-yo."

Whenever you wanna burn someone:

Matt Robinson was cool as **** tho.

 

[D'Snowth]

Even the 40 years book notes that Matt's Gordon was a lot more "street" than his successors.

 

[scarecroe]

He was a lot more street, but he was also fairly aggressive toward his wife. Much more indicative of how a "man" should manage his marriage 50+ years ago versus more of a partnership we more often see today.

 

[D'Snowth]

Well, I mean . . . that was kind of the way it was back then: the man was in charge, the woman was submissive. Up until they made Susan a career woman, she clearly was a little more than a typical housewife.

 

[scarecroe]

That's what I mean. He's very "my way or the highway".

Of course, they hadn't even made it halfway through production in the first year by the time they got letters complaining that Susan was too submissive and she should be doing more than hanging around in the kitchen all day making meals for Gordon. So, at some point in season 1, Susan gets a job as a nurse. We probably have that episode guided, but I haven't read them all (Guillermo wrote most of those guides based on scripts), so I don't know which one it is.

 

[D'Snowth]

And lest we forget that Susan also eventually was shown to be a very good mechanic as well, being able to fix a bus that broke down before transporting Big Bird and other kids to Camp Echo Rock, and she also is the one who works on hers and Gordon's Volkswagen.

Then, as we mentioned in this thread already, Maria also worked as a construction worker at some point, as Sonia has noted this was during the height of Feminism in the 70s.

These are all of the positive ways that SS has always been both subversive and progressive at the same time, and for all the right reasons. We might have even gone a step further had Gordon and Susan been an unmarried couple living together, as was originally suggested, though Joan Ganz Cooney insisted they be married.

 

[hooperfan]

That's what I mean. He's very "my way or the highway".

Of course, they hadn't even made it halfway through production in the first year by the time they got letters complaining that Susan was too submissive and she should be doing more than hanging around in the kitchen all day making meals for Gordon. So, at some point in season 1, Susan gets a job as a nurse. We probably have that episode guided, but I haven't read them all (Guillermo wrote most of those guides based on scripts), so I don't know which one it is.

And from what I can recall, Susan --almost hesitantly -- asks Gordon for his approval to become a nurse. It was mentioned in at least one news article back in the day. Gordon apparently isn't too thrilled about it but relents. Susan ends up being really excited about it. Gordon turns to the viewer and says, " Well, she's happy now".