Warner Home Video now distributing Sesame Workshop DVDs

[minor muppetz]

Watching "Count on Elmo" right now. At the beginning, there is a montage of Count clips, including some classics ones, though it doesn't go as far back as the 1970s (I think 1981 is the farthest back it goes).

One thing that wasn't announced was that this is packaged with an Elmo the Musical pop-up book. I couldn't see the back of the DVD packaging due to it.

Well I just watched the whole DVD. It's really not bad, except for the disappointing selection of inserts. Most of them appeared in last years "Elmo's Super Numbers" DVD (I wondered if they just took that DVD and copied parts of it), including the only Muppet skit on there (which is the only non-Count Muppet clip here). But it does have segments not on that DVD, mainly for numbers past 10 (including the claymation remake of Pinball Number Count), and most of them are in widescreen.

As I said, at the beginning, there's a montage of Count clips. The only full Count clip is the Number of the Day song (for the number 20), which appears over the end credits.

One thing that's interesting: The video, before it gets to the counting ceremony, focuses on Elmo, Abby, Grover, and Cookie. Those are four of the six characters who the show will primarily focus on in season 46. I wonder if that was done on purpose. It's also interesting how those four don't have a large part in the counting ceremony street story (Elmo having the biggest part), yet are a heavy part of the linking footage here.

I wonder how many people watching this DVD in the future (or even now) will be confused by the fact that Chris welcomes us to Sesame Street and tells us about how the Count is getting an award halfway through this DVD, when that had been the subject for the first half. I was wondering if that part would be cut, but it's not.

I can't decide if I want to review this for The Muppet Mindset or not. But I don't mind if any of you send in a review.

 

[Oscarfan]

Is the song they sing ("Count on Friends") longer than it is in the preview, or are there more verses?

 

[minor muppetz]

Is the song they sing ("Count on Friends") longer than it is in the preview, or are there more verses?

I don't remember. I'll have to watch both the video and the preview again.

 

[sesamemuppetfan]

@minor muppetz So, does this DVD include the Count Tribute episode from 2 years ago or is it an entire new thing?

 

[minor muppetz]

@minor muppetz So, does this DVD include the Count Tribute episode from 2 years ago or is it an entire new thing?

Yes. The first half is new linking material taking place before the ceremony (as well as various number inserts), then the ceremony street story appears, and then there's a new scene at the very end following the ceremony.

 

[minor muppetz]

Is the song they sing ("Count on Friends") longer than it is in the preview, or are there more verses?

I just watched the preview and the video again, and the song does have extra verses, sung by Grover and Cookie Monster.

 

[Oscarfan]

I just won a copy of the DVD from an online contest; sweet!

 

[minor muppetz]

I mistakenly thought that the one non-Count Muppet segment included was also the same Muppet segment included in Elmo's Super Numbers, but I was wrong. Turns out there's two similar segments with a fish (performed by Kevin Clash) counting - the one on Elmo's Super Numbers was about the number five, the one on "Count on Elmo" is about the number eight.

It's still interesting that both of those releases have many of the same animated segments, and hardly any Muppet segments (with one of the few being similar to the other). Makes me wonder if the people in charge are really proud of those recent clips (which I find forgettable, for the most part), or if they're just taking clips from the same release (is that easier than picking clips?), or if they're picking these because they were already cleared for video releases. Regardless, there's no reason why these two numbers videos can't have more Muppet segments, classic or not, widescreen or not (and it does have some full frame clips), Count or no Count. And there is one scene in the linking footage that would have made a good lead-in to the sketch where The Count and Cookie Monster count and eat cookies.

It seems like there wasn't a "Sesame Bits" comic written to promote this. Was there one for "The Best of Elmo 3"?

 

[MuppetSpot]

I mistakenly thought that the one non-Count Muppet segment included was also the same Muppet segment included in Elmo's Super Numbers, but I was wrong. Turns out there's two similar segments with a fish (performed by Kevin Clash) counting - the one on Elmo's Super Numbers was about the number five, the one on "Count on Elmo" is about the number eight.

It's still interesting that both of those releases have many of the same animated segments, and hardly any Muppet segments (with one of the few being similar to the other). Makes me wonder if the people in charge are really proud of those recent clips (which I find forgettable, for the most part), or if they're just taking clips from the same release (is that easier than picking clips?), or if they're picking these because they were already cleared for video releases. Regardless, there's no reason why these two numbers videos can't have more Muppet segments, classic or not, widescreen or not (and it does have some full frame clips), Count or no Count. And there is one scene in the linking footage that would have made a good lead-in to the sketch where The Count and Cookie Monster count and eat cookies.

It seems like there wasn't a "Sesame Bits" comic written to promote this. Was there one for "The Best of Elmo 3"?

Their is one for Count on Elmo

 

[Oscarfan]

I mistakenly thought that the one non-Count Muppet segment included was also the same Muppet segment included in Elmo's Super Numbers, but I was wrong. Turns out there's two similar segments with a fish (performed by Kevin Clash) counting - the one on Elmo's Super Numbers was about the number five, the one on "Count on Elmo" is about the number eight.

It's still interesting that both of those releases have many of the same animated segments, and hardly any Muppet segments (with one of the few being similar to the other). Makes me wonder if the people in charge are really proud of those recent clips (which I find forgettable, for the most part), or if they're just taking clips from the same release (is that easier than picking clips?), or if they're picking these because they were already cleared for video releases. Regardless, there's no reason why these two numbers videos can't have more Muppet segments, classic or not, widescreen or not (and it does have some full frame clips), Count or no Count. And there is one scene in the linking footage that would have made a good lead-in to the sketch where The Count and Cookie Monster count and eat cookies.

It seems like there wasn't a "Sesame Bits" comic written to promote this. Was there one for "The Best of Elmo 3"?

Aside from celebrity clips, they've only made 3 Muppet-number centric bits (not involving the Count). So, if they're keeping things widescreen, it's understandable. But if they're throwing full-frame stuff in, there's no excuse.