Why is Sesame Street slowly dying?

[timrikthegorf]

I know there are threads like this, but we need another.

The number of productions has been cut drastically for a few years now, they have no new music anymore, the human cast is almost non-existant, a lot of things are re-used, the educational value has declined greatly, and they've actually gone backwards in some case (went from counting to 40 back to 20). Why is Sesame Workshop letting Sesame Street die like this? It can't just be Elmo's fault. Is it a lack of money? A lack of wanting to do anything good? Are there simply no creative people out there?

I know I'm just being nostalgic when I say this, but Sesame Street use to be a show that everyone could watch. Now it seems the show talks downto it's audience. Why is it allowed to die like this? A season of new shows only lasts about a month before endless replays start. Each show canbe re-run about 12 times! It's madness. Eventually there will be one new show a year and it will be an hour long Elmo's world. Why are they letting it fizzle out? This show needs to get back to teaching more things in greater depth and NOT do it via Elmo's world.

Parent's on these boards, I implore you! Write letters. Get your friends to write letters. Demandthat the show be revamped. Demand more shows per season. Frankly I don't see how any parent can sit with their child on a daily basis and watch Sesame Street without being bored out of their skull.

 

[King Jim]

Your Right.

 

[salemfan]

Yeah, Sesame Street is not as good as it used to be. I can't easily be into it anymore because of the small quantity of episodes and the decline in classic clips.

 

[Vic Romano]

You're also looking at a show that's run for over thirty years, despite talent, money and staying power, television shows have a life span and will eventually die, if for no other reason then an old life. New people come in and say; "We need something different." It's sad, but it's been an amazing run.

 

[maxdrive]

i dont like to look at seseme street dieing they coudl not re cast but hire new people as part of the cast if sesame street goes we lose one of the main fighters for real educational tv and not jsut mindless trash i wont name names

*coughs teletubbies boobah*

but that will all that be left and kids will not learn like they used to

 

[jeffkjoe]

Sesame Street is not as good because RESEARCH has shown that they needed to re-think their ways of reaching out to TODAY's children.

The attention spans and minds of kids in the year 2005 is different from those in 1969.

SESAME had to adapt with the times.


If I had to guess, you're upset that SESAME doesn't resemble the SESAME that you remember as a child. But then again, my daughter loves SESAME as much as I did, even though SESAME is not like what it was in the old days.

 

[timrikthegorf]

The show doesneed more humans. It seemsthe human cast is decreasing a lot. It's just Miles, Gabby, and Alan mostly with Gordon thrown in. I remember when the human cast played a much larger part. It's just slowly losing it's education value and slowly dieing. They need some hard hitting issues again like dealing weith death and marriage and stuff. It's the one show that should be allowed to repeat story lines.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Hmmm. I wouldn't say the human cast is completely gone. After all, we always see Gordon in the Trash Gordon segment. Maria, Luis and Bob still show up pretty often as well.

I see what you're saying though. They need to bring back the old format maybe with sketches like Masterpiece Theater, Grover the Waiter, Kermit's News Flashes (if they get permission from Henson productions.) Maybe they could even get rid of Elmo's World and make that a spin-off, so it would be on seperately from the actual Sesame Street and wouldn't get in the way. Just a thought.

 

[Docnzhoss]

Maybe they could even get rid of Elmo's World and make that a spin-off, so it would be on seperately from the actual Sesame Street and wouldn't get in the way. Just a thought.

That's actually a good idea. It would give SS the opportunity to put in some new and creative material. And think of the brand new marketing bonanza a new Elmo's World show would create. It could introduce new characters and give Elmo a chance to branch out and give those Teletubbies a run for their money. That way, people who love Sesame Street would find it easier to watch and people who love Elmo would have something to be very excited about.

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Well, formats change based on research and what the educational goals are, but what really concerns me is the small number of episodes and the small use of the human cast (two or three per episode max, for the most part). This seems like mostly a funding issue, and I wonder if there is any way to improve it dramatically. Maybe a rich benefactor could call in to a pledge drive or something... Sesame Street needs to be given the funding it deserves!