Your Thoughts: Sesame Street 20 and Still Counting DVD

[minor muppetz]

One thing that's interestign about the end: In one of the front rows of characters in that final shot, we see, clockwise, Ruby, Prairie Dawn, Ernie, Kermit, Bert, and Grover. I would think Frank Oz performed both Bert and Grover in that shot, and Jim Henson performed Ernie and Kermit. But there's a big gap between Ernie and Kermit... I wonder hopw far Henson could have stretched his arms to perform. And it would have made more sense for Jim to have his characters on opposite arms so that Ernie and Bert would be standing next to each other (either that, or have Frank Oz be on the opposite side of Jim). Of course I also noticed a character between Forgetful Jones and Placido Flamingo, and I think it's obvious Richard Hunt wasn't performing the two.

Before the Big Bird montage we get a scene with Bill Cosby visiting Big Bird, then the montage, then a fade to black and commercials, then a few more scenes, and then back to Bill's visit with Big Bird. I wonder if that second scene with the two might have been intended to follow the montage, especially sicne we get a few Bill Cosby scenes between those scenes.

It's a shame that no first season clips were included. I know that Sesame Workshop seems to think that version of Rubber Duckie is from the first season (I wonder if they thought that way back then). But the three clips with Muppets interacting with kids have on-screen dates listed, and the John-John clip has "1974" listed, even though all later sources list that clip as being from 1972.

And I've always noticed that this special seems to avoid using clips with past cast members. The "Goodbye, Mr. Hooper" clip is convieniently edited to remove scenes with Olivia (with the exception of the group hug at the end, though she can hardly be seen there). And I think Petey appears in a clip during the Big Bird montage, but I think that's it. And with the exception of the Big Bird montage, all of the clips with the adults or taking place on the street are from the 1980s.

 

[minor muppetz]

I just noticed that Zoe appears on the back of the box, even though she wasn't around yet. The back also includes an image of Super Grover, even thoguh Super Grover does not appear at all in this.

 

[ploobis]

I just finished watching the DVD.

This is the first time I've seen "20 Years and still Counting" and I loved it!

I'm glad they kept the introduction with Jim and Kermit!

It was also nice seeing Kermit see the kids he talked about Next To with in 1973 as grown ups.

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder how many people purchasing this will be confused by the bit of music that starts just after "What a Bird!" ends. In the original broadcast after the montage it fades to black and the title is shown right before the commercial, with the music playing. I sort of wish they'd left that in... It's really just a shot of the title from the beginning, but the fact that the music started just before fading to black should have justified it being kept in.

 

[Stulz]

Is anyone else's DVD missing the end credits?

 

[minor muppetz]

Is anyone else's DVD missing the end credits?

That has been mentioned a few times. It was mentioned in the review.

 

[minor muppetz]

I noticed that in the "keeping it current" montage that the first few clips have scene transitions between them, but by the end of the montage the clips just cut to each other. Almost as if they chose halfway through to stop with the transitions (though the final clip does transition to the next scene).

And speaking of that clip montage, tough pigs has an article about this DVD, "20 Things I Learned from Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting", and one of those on the list is that "Sesame Street doesn't keep up with the times", stating that most of the parodies shown weren't "current". It points out that Masterpeice Theater began in 1971 and Squeal of Fortune also began int he 1970s.... But those shows were on the air when those parodies were made, and they were still on the air when the special was made (I'm not sure if Miami Vice still was).

 

[Phillip]

Is anyone else's DVD missing the end credits?

We all are. They weren't included. The issue is discussed in this review...

http://www.muppetcentral.com/articles/reviews/dvd/sesame_20_years.shtml

 

[Sesame Skates]

I have the original version of this special taped on VHS, but it is in poor quality so I was happy to see a fresh copy on DVD! I didn't hear any of the ads from the commercial breaks mentioned in previous posts, and the missing end credits really didn't bother me at all.

It really tugged at my heartstrings to the wonderfully high-quality programming that Sesame Street was in its first 20 years on the air--until our favorite friends died and Elmo pretty much took over.

 

[minor muppetz]

The generic music that plays in the main menu sounds familiar to me. I feel like I've heard it on Sesame Street, but I'm not too sure.

I noticed on the packaging that it says "certain characters and elements are copyright and trademark of The Jim Henson Company". But who does Henson own that appears in this special? I doubt they'd own the people who grew up on the show. I guess it could be referring to those characters who appear in The Jim Henson Company logo that appears before the main menu starts (I think The Jim Henson Foundation owns Jim Henson's likeness).