when did the amount of sponsors get smaller?

[minor muppetz]

In the first season, episodes were brought to you by three letters and 2 numbers, later, the sponsors were reduced to two letters and one number (were there any seasons with two letters and two numbers?), and currently the shows are brought to you by one letter and one number.

does anybody know what seasons the amouint of letter and number sponsors were reduced? does anybody know why (I would say that theres 1 letter and number each in current seasons because of the letter and number of the day, but it's been that way since at least season 29, when the format was like it originally was)?

 

[Drtooth]

The first change had to have been before the 80's, since the concept of 3 letters and 2 numbers was foreign to me until I read the Unpaved book. But, the one number one letter started to take shape around the time Elmo's World came about (there wasn't enough time for all the segments and Elmo's World, so they just axed one letter). The grouping of the letter and number segments (rather than have, lets say cartoons about the number 5, intersperced throught the show, they had three cartoons grouped together) started, I'm guessing during th 1993 rebirth of Sesame Street....

 

[DTF]

Among those fuzzy memories of when I was 5 and 6 is "Sesame Street is brought to you by the letters Whaever and Whatever, and by the number Whatever." (Wait, I just said that's a letter So, by the middle 70s it would have been 2 and 1. I don't recall there being 2 numbers at any time, though I suppose it's possible.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm guessing the 3 letters, 2 numbers was probably a first season thing, then... like dopey Big Bird and Orange Oscar... they changed it because it worked better for the series.

 

[ssetta]

Well, it was 3 letters and 2 numbers for Season 1, and then from Season 2 up until Season 26, it was 2 letters 1 number, BUT, often times, the season premiere would only have 1 letter, but not always. And from Seasons 3 - 7, apparently, they actually always had the numbers go in order from 2 - 12, and then they would start over.