What made Sesame Workshop repeat episodes again?

[D'Snowth]

Last season apparently they started repeating older episodes with the newer episodes of the season, something they haven't done since Season 32; last year the new episodes of Season 41 were mixed with repeats from Season 39, and it appears this year, the new episodes of Season 42 are mixed with repeats from Season 40. What made them decide to start doing that again? I thought their budget, among other reasons, was why years ago, they reduced the number of episodes per season to 26 (I know some wanted 24, but Lou Berger argued which two letters of the alphabet would he have to fire).



EDIT: Okay, this time I'm aware I made an obvious typo in the thread title, so yeah, this time I don't mind if Ed or whoever changes/edits the title.

 

[Drtooth]

Last years line of pseudo-new episode repeats had different letters and numbers footage, and also a new production number. However, this time they're just repeating the same episodes from season 40 with new production numbers for no reason whatsoever.

Now I understand the need to change the segments in the show for the sake of making it look like a different episode, but now they're just lazily posting new numbers on old episode, even though it would have been easier to NOT put new production numbers and just air the reruns anyway.

Making a fake new episode with different footage was their way of trying to add to the episode count because certain episodes as is were rerun too many times. And they have this idiotic thing where they have to stretch out 5 weeks of episodes over 5 months (thanks PBS) and need to bulk that up with reruns.

 

[ISNorden]

I agree that Sesame Workshop is getting lazier and lazier with their repeat episodes; they used to add new segments and even change the Things of the Day (at least since Season 40). Just slapping a new episode number onto an unchanged rerun is dishonest--like selling last year's detergent formula as "New and Improved" after re-designing the box.

P.S. If the producers really wanted 25 episodes a season without ignoring part of the alphabet, why couldn't they teach two letters on one of them? Make the premiere a two-letter episode (as they did in Season 37), and they'd save both money and shooting time.

 

[Drtooth]

I

P.S. If the producers really wanted 25 episodes a season without ignoring part of the alphabet, why couldn't they teach two letters on one of them? Make the premiere a two-letter episode (as they did in Season 37), and they'd save both money and shooting time.

The one thing we don't need is less episodes.

Changing the skits makes something worthy of being a "new" episode. They used to do that all the time. Now here's the question about this paradox...

If they're too lazy to replace segments within an old episode, why do they change the number? I mean, if you're going to put forth NO effort, why put forth the effort of giving them new episode production numbers when just rerunning them with their regular numbers requires the least amount of effort? Is it some sort of thing to trick PBS, or did PBS force them not to spend any more money restructuring existing episodes?

 

[D'Snowth]

If they're too lazy to replace segments within an old episode, why do they change the number? I mean, if you're going to put forth NO effort, why put forth the effort of giving them new episode production numbers when just rerunning them with their regular numbers requires the least amount of effort? Is it some sort of thing to trick PBS, or did PBS force them not to spend any more money restructuring existing episodes?

They actually were doing that, as I recall years ago... I think starting in 2005 or so, they began alternating repeats of that current season, with reruns from like two seasons ago every other day, but it was clear then that the reruns were just that: reruns, no repeating, no slapping a new production number at the beginning, just reruns... I remember being overjoyed at seeing reruns from Season 34 mixed in with the current reruns of Season 36, and again, I'm pretty sure that carried on through the years up until last year when apparently, they did officially start repeating the episodes specifically for the new season.

Or maybe, all things considered, maybe they've been repeating episodes each new season all this time, and we just weren't quite aware of it?