Guys,

In my 30's, I am very dismayed by what children's television programs have become. There is so much political correctness, creativity has been lost, and producers are quick to go for a cheap easy laugh with muppets, monsters, and kids on the screen yelling and screaming at each other. I have often wondered if producers today are really concerned if kids are learning anything or just mindless entertainment.

I believe the original Seseme Street was one of the best children's programs ever produced. I recall writing a reasearch paper in college with regards to how Seseme Street used specific teaching/learning techniques to make learning fast-paced and enjoyable. This is long before Elmo came along and every kid was culturally diverse and you were supposed to feel sorry for them. In it's early to mid 70's heyday, Seseme Street didn't care what ethnicity a kid was. The producers used techniques to stimulate imaginations and creativity and simply let kids be kids. The originality of the show died when Jim Hensen died, and events such as Big Bird's imaginary friend, Mr. Snuffleuf***us, became visable to everyone.

Forget Elmo! Ernie and Bert were my favorite classic children's characters! They had so many funny skits! But one of the best was when Earnie and Bert are in bed and Ernie can't sleep. So he asks Bert what he can do to help make him sleep. Bert's tired and says, "I don't know...count sheep Ernie." So Ernie start to go to sleep and we see this little stick drawing of a fense and the little sheep are jumping over the fence with a "Baaaaaaa" sound. Ernie counts about three sheep and gets bored. Bert's asleep and Ernie tells us that he wants to count fire engines! So we now see the silouttee drawing of a fire engine with a loud siren blaring! Bert screams!!! "AARGGHHHHH WHAT ARE YOU DOING ERNIE?" and Ernie tells him that counting fire engines is so much more exciting than sheep! But Bert won't let him count fire engines cuz they are too loud and will wake up the whole neighborhood. He says, "Ernie, imagine something quiet!" Ernie says, "OK, than, I'll imagine and count balloons!" Bert agrees with this and Ernie closes his eyes and this little balloon image comes up and Ernie pretends to blow on it and it gets bigger and bigger and finally fills up the whole screen when it pops!! Bert wakes up screaming and Ernie just looks at him and goes...."one!"

That scene always cracked me up!!!! I know that the cable channel Noggin used to show the old classic skits like this one! How many of you remember this show the way it used to be? If you have kids, do you still watch it with them, and what do you think of the new Seseme Street? Do they even show the old classics like the one above anymore, or is it all Elmo now?

Jack

I would love to watch the classic show, just for the fun of it. I do remember the Burt and Ernie skit. They were very enjoyable characters. I always thought Ernei was cruel. I guess I was always a little serious so I could sympithise with Burt's annoyance.

I can't find it on Noggin. Is there another place they show it?

I LOVED Sesame Street growing up. I can remember crying when Mr. Hooper died. It was really great the way the show told of his death.

Snuffy was always my favorite character. I even still have some of my Sesame Street toys. Snuffy was my favorite, I think I had about 3 of him.

The beauty of the show was that it entertained while it educated the children watching it. You learned how to deal with every day situations and even picked up some spanish (thanks to Maria). You experienced life (when Maria had her baby) and you experienced death (when Mr. Hooper died) and it was always done on a level so that all children could understand.

That show taught you to acccept people as they are, and not to change them. Look at Oscar, he was mean to just about everyone...but just let his worm want something and he would move heaven and earth to get it done. It showed that everybody had a soft side.

The songs that they would sing were classics. All the old cartoon shows always used classics for their music. They were educating and people didn't even know it.

I wish they would bring children's shows back down to their level like that was way back when.

D

I hated Sesame Street when I was a kid. Actually I hated all of those programs on PBS. I was born in the mid 80s, and there were two kinds of kids. One set had cable and would watch Nickolodean or Disney. The other had PBS. I was in the first set, and didn't care about any of those shows on PBS.

I watched Sesame Street in the nineties and loved it. If it aired in the UK today, I'd still try to watch it...but they've taken it off air.

Ernie and Bert were my favourites too, but I loved all the characters really - Kermit, Oscar, The Count, Big Bird, Snuffy, Telly Monster...and does anyone remember the little skits with Grover, when he used to unintentionally annoy the fat little blue man?

does anyone remember the little skits with Grover, when he used to unintentionally annoy the fat little blue man?

Yea,

That's when Grover worked as a waiter and he would keep bringing his guy his food at this restrauent and the little man would always find something wrong with the food, or the customer would keep changing his mind and Grover would have to go back and add something to the plate or bring him different food.

I had long grown out of it when Mr. Hooper died. I remember having a big debate about this with a family member when they dealt with his death on the show. A person insisted that Big Bird and Susan were talking and Susan just said something like, "Mr. Hooper had to go away." But I distinctly remember reading that she, Bob, or somebody told Big Bird that he had indeed "died." and Big Bird's question was, "When people die, they don't come back....ever?" ( I don't remember how the show characters responded to his question.)

I do know that the guy who played Maria's boyfriend David spent time in a psychiatric ward and one time he escaped and authorites found him naked in some farm field. The actor, Northern Calloway, screamed at them, "I'm David from Seseme Street, and they're trying to kill me!!!" What are the children going to say?" (I actually thought this was kind of funny) He got sent back to his ward, and died there of a stomach virus in 1990. His death was never mentioned on the show.

Jack

Yea,

That's when Grover worked as a waiter and he would keep bringing his guy his food at this restrauent and the little man would always find something wrong with the food, or the customer would keep changing his mind and Grover would have to go back and add something to the plate or bring him different food.

I had long grown out of it when Mr. Hooper died. I remember having a big debate about this with a family member when they dealt with his death on the show. A person insisted that Big Bird and Susan were talking and Susan just said something like, "Mr. Hooper had to go away." But I distinctly remember reading that she, Bob, or somebody told Big Bird that he had indeed "died." and Big Bird's question was, "When people die, they don't come back....ever?" ( I don't remember how the show characters responded to his question.)

I do know that the guy who played Maria's boyfriend David spent time in a psychiatric ward and one time he escaped and authorites found him naked in some farm field. The actor, Northern Calloway, screamed at them, "I'm David from Seseme Street, and they're trying to kill me!!!" What are the children going to say?" (I actually thought this was kind of funny) He got sent back to his ward, and died there of a stomach virus in 1990. His death was never mentioned on the show.

Jack


The waiter bit was priceless. I loved that one.

When Mr. Hooper died, Maria did tell Big Bird that Mr. Hooper had died. However, later in the show all the adults are sitting around a table in front of Mr. Hooper's store and Big Bird comes in with pictures for everybody including Mr. Hooper. Maria tells him again that Mr. Hooper had died and was not coming back. That's when he asked, "When people die, they don't come back....ever?"

Maria responded that they would always be in our heart but that they wouldn't come back. It was a great episode.

D

I found this:

Mr. Hooper's Death
with Big Bird (Carroll Spinney), Maria (Sonia Manzano), Luis (Emilio Delgado), Susan (Loretta Long), Gordon (Roscoe Orman), Bob (Bob McGrath), Olivia (Alaina Reed Hall) and David (Northern Calloway) in memory of the marvelous Mr. Hooper (Will Lee)


(Big Bird gives everyone pictures that he drew of them.)

Big Bird: And last but not least, ta-da!

(Shows picture of Mr. Hooper.)

Big Bird: Well, I can't wait till he sees it!

(silence)

Big Bird: Say, where is he? I wanna give it to him. I know! He's in the store.

Bob: Uh, Big Bird. He's ... he's not in there.

Big Bird: Oh. Then where is he?

Maria: Big Bird, uh, don't you remember we told you? Mr. Hooper died. He ... he's dead.

Big Bird: Oh yeah. I remember. Well, I'll give it to him when he comes back.

Susan: Big Bird, Mr Hooper's not coming back.

Big Bird: Why not?

Susan: Big Bird, when ... when people die, they don't *come* back.

Big Bird: Ever?

Susan: No, never.

Big Bird: Well, why not?

Luis: Well, Bird Bird, they're dead. They ... they can't come back.

Big Bird: Well, he's *gonna* come back. Why, who's gonna take care of the store? And who's gonna make my birdseed milkshakes and ... and tell me stories?

David: Big Bird, I'm gonna take care of the store. Mr. Hooper, he left it to me. And I'll make you your milkshakes and ... and we'll all tell you stories, and we'll make sure you're okay.

Susan: We'll look after you.

Big Bird: Hmmm.

(silence)

Big Bird: Well, it won't be the same.

Bob: You're right, Bird Bird. It's ... it's ... it'll never be the same without him.

Big Bird: Mmm.

Bob (crying): But you know something? We can all be very happy that we had a chance to be with him and ... and to know him. And to love him a lot when he was here.

Big Bird: Yeah.

Olivia: And Bird Bird, we'll still have our *memories* of him.

Big Bird: Well, yeah ... yeah ... our memories. Right. Why, memories, that's how I drew this picture. From memory. And we can remember him and remember him and remember him, as much as we want to! But I don't like it. It makes me sad.

David: We all feel sad, Big Bird.

Big Bird: He's *never* coming back?

David: Never.

Olivia: No.

Big Bird: Well, I don't understand! You know, everything was just fine! I mean, why does it have to be this way? Give me one good reason!

Gordon: Big Bird, it has to be this way ... *because*.

Big Bird: Just because?

Gordon: Just because.

Big Bird: Oh.

(Looks at Mr. Hooper's picture.)

Big Bird: You know, I'm gonna miss you, Mr. Looper.

Maria (crying): That's *Hooper,* Big Bird, *Hooper.*

Big Bird: You're right.

(Everyone gathers around Big Bird for a hug.)