When did this begin?

[ISNorden]

I've watched enough Season 35 and Season 36 episodes to notice a trend: the topic of "Elmo's World" is usually linked to the main story on the street. The one which aired today (Grover teaching a school for would-be superheroes) had cast members rescuing an H from a tree nearby; the "EW" segment (about firefighters) showed Dorothy's vision of Elmo as a firefighter, rescuing a cat from a tree.

Even when there's no common imagery between EW and the street story, I've learned to expect that Elmo will discuss a related topic. When did the producers start doing that on a regular basis--Season 35 or an earlier one?

 

[mikebennidict]

Elmo's World

about 1998 I think.

 

[D'Snowth]

about 1998 I think.

I think he meant when did Elmo's World start linking to the main story line on a regular basis. If you remember when Elmo's World started, back then the only topics were shoes, hats, dancing, and jackets. Not too many main storylines centered around them.

 

[minor muppetz]

In the last few years, it seems like most of the skits in each episode somehow revolve around the street storyline, with some exceptions (Number of the day, Letter of the Day, etc.)

 

[ISNorden]

I think he meant when did Elmo's World start linking to the main story line on a regular basis. If you remember when Elmo's World started, back then the only topics were shoes, hats, dancing, and jackets. Not too many main storylines centered around them.

You and I must be on the same wavelength; that's exactly what I meant. (You forgot one topic that was on the very first EW: balls.)

On a related note, have you noticed that even the oldest topics have been partially redone? When I first watched Elmo's World, I wondered how many kids thought the "What Else?" part was really stooopid: when I was four years old, I didn't need a Muppet to tell me that birthday cakes didn't bounce, dance, or wear shoes. I also thought that Elmo did a bad job singing his "Jingle Bells" topic song when a topic had more than one syllable: "Jacket-jacket-jacket" to three notes sounds just plain awkward. (Thankfully, the writers have fixed that problem in the new versions...)

 

[D'Snowth]

I thought Elmo's World of Balls came just a little later. But yeah, I see what you mean about the birthday cake thing. I remember like "what is it with Elmo and birthday cakes?!"

 

[Ilikemuppets]

I don't know, It's not like he'll ever turn four.

 

[ISNorden]

I thought Elmo's World of Balls came just a little later. But yeah, I see what you mean about the birthday cake thing. I remember like "what is it with Elmo and birthday cakes?!"

You must have read my mind; even in the newer "What Else?" bits, at least one of Elmo's questions will involve birthday cakes. At least, the Little Red Menace* keeps that obsession to his own part of the show.

Ilikemuppets made a good point, too: Muppet characters never celebrate birthdays/grow older unless the producers devote a whole program to it. As much exposure as Elmo's gotten nowadays, though, I'm surprised he never had an official birthday celebration--either on the "regular" Sesame Street or as a special. (The EW writers might be harping on birthday cakes because they think Elmo's dropping an obvious hint... )


*"Little Red Menace" is a nickname I saw used on another site for adult fans of Sesame Street (I'll post the URL if the moderators allow that...)

 

[furryredmonster]

*sighs* Why must you all give Elmo bad nicknames? Why is it only Elmo that gets talked bad about? I am getting sick of this.... *sighs again*

 

[Drtooth]

I thought Elmo's World of Balls came just a little later. But yeah, I see what you mean about the birthday cake thing. I remember like "what is it with Elmo and birthday cakes?!"

Personally, the fact the smashed a birthday cake in the Ball episode was worth watching. But I'm guessing the Birthday cake may be some sort of inside joke, or a poor attempt at a running gag. Garfield and Friends definition of a Running gag is something that isn't funny the first time, but afteer a while it starts to get funny.


Once again, I must add, I don't hate Elmo, just the popularity and his segment. It's definately designed for the youngest of the young SS fans, and nothing more. I feel it should wither be its own seperate show, or its own sepreate line of DVD's, and just be seperated from the main program.

The stream of conciousness eems to be on par with the whole "structured" feeling of the newer show. I mean, if you're going to put everything in some sort of structure, you pretty much have to link it all together. I still dislike the structure, but linking it makes sense.