Your Thoughts: Sesame Street Season 36

[mikebennidict]

I know there's a lot of questions about the current season. I'll try to answer as best I can. (And sorry for the delay.)

The unaired Season 36 episodes will screen in the fall. This is when the other preschool shows star their new seasons and more kids are watching. The whole season isn't 'healthy eating' themed, just the 10 eps that have aired so far. They were grouped together for the premiere as a 'mini-season'. That's why there's repeats on now, but the full season airs in fall.

Journey to Ernie and Number of the Day are still part of the show, but not in every ep. They'll air in the second block, along with the 'Desperate Housewives' and '24' parodies. And the 2-parter where Mumford shrinks Big Bird.

To correct a few false rumors: Joey Mazzarino is NOT playing Herry Monster. I think talk of this came from a misunderstanding.

Jerry Nelson has NOT retired from Sesame Street. He's still doing all his characters (except 2-Headed-Monster) and plenty of AMs and voiceovers.

John Tartaglia is NOT playing Oscar. Mr Spinney is still playing Big Bird and Oscar. When he's busy, Matt Vogel subs for both characters.

John didn't work on season 36. He was busy with Avenue Q except for the last day of taping. He was part of the 'Stay Happy, Stay Healthy on Sesame Street' fruit & vegetable chorus. (The bit that leads into the healthy promo before the show.)

If there are other questions, maybe someone can start a thread. It's easier to keep track of them there.

secret squirrel

wonder what ever gave PBS the idea to air the new show in the spring? probably the reason why in all the years TV has been in existance Fall has normally been the time networks have premiered new shows and episodes is because most people are out in the spring and Summertime. sure there are some exeptions but mosts Fall have been the time for new stuff.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Daffyfan. Matt plays Oscar whenever Big Bird is in the same shot, and whenever Caroll isn't around. You won't often hear him. Caroll either pre-records the voice or loops over Matt's scratch track.

 

[MuppetDude]

Glad to see you back here, S.S.

Thanks for the update. Interesting how the episodes were set up this season; first the "healthy-themed" episodes aired, and then mixed with older episodes. I'm a bit bummed about the rest of the series not airing until later (since by season 34 I decided to tape every episode, hoping to trade more), but it frees up my summer a bit.

And thanks for the date, SSetta.

If Secret Squirrel is still around, there's one question I'd love to get answered; for the past two years, there has been a new puppeteer who does some pretty good work; last year he was Prof. Gary Gill, and more recently he played Duck Clark. I've got two questions:

1) Who is he?

2) He has been heard in two of the new Letter of the Day "Game Show" segments as a voiceover, and he sounds remarkably like Guy Smiley. If this performer gets the chance to work with the Muppets more, is there even a slight chance that Guy may "see the light of day" again?

 

[Secret Squirrel]

MuppetDude. Off the top of my head, I don't remember the two AMs you mention. But the crazy game show announcer voice in those Letter of the Day segments is Matt Vogel.

Matt's an amazing voice talent, but no, there are no plans to recast Guy Smiley.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

correction/addition

I did some checking and MuppetDude, you were right. Matt Vogel played both Gary Gill and Duck Clark. Good voice chasing!

And while I can't confirm any plans to use Guy Smiley on the Street in the near future, auditions were held for someone to play Guy for the museum touring piece "Sesame Street Presents: The Body." Eric Jacobson got the part and did a great job.

If you're interested in seeing it, the exhibit is at Phoenix’s Arizona Science Center through November. After that it will travel to cities around the country through 2010.

 

[salemfan]

Matt's an amazing voice talent, but no, there are no plans to recast Guy Smiley.

They actually did recast Guy Smiley in the main street scene of a Season 30 episode(renumbered and re-aired in Season 32)in which Maria has many emergency toaster repairs. Dantecat says Guy Smiley was performed in that episode by Steve Whitmire.

 

[salemfan]

From what I've been reading, it sounds like they're re-running episodes from previous seasons of Sesame Street.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Daffyfan. Matt plays Oscar whenever Big Bird is in the same shot, and whenever Caroll isn't around. You won't often hear him. Caroll either pre-records the voice or loops over Matt's scratch track.

I see. If that's the case, I wonder why Carroll doesn't record over Matt's Big Bird in Journey to Ernie. Anyway, thanks for the info.

 

[SCOOTER_101]

Well Carroll needs to get his practice in doing Big Bird when he can because when Carroll leaves Sesame Street permantley in a few years Matt will be doing the Bird full time. BTW I saw an episode of Sesame Street this morning. I like the fact that it focused on Some Classic Charachters for a change. Like Cookie Monster, and The Count, and Big Bird.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Daffyfan. "I wonder why Carroll doesn't record over Matt's Big Bird in Journey to Ernie."

If you think that's confusing, figure this out. In the ep where Mumford accidentally shrinks Big Bird to tiny proportions, Caroll plays the big Big Bird (voice and puppetry), Matt plays the tiny Big Bird (voice and puppetry) and Noel MacNeal wore the suit in a music number, performing tiny Big Bird to Matt's pre-recorded vocals.