Does anybody who watch know why the people of Sesame Street barely appear anymore? I caught several episodes recently and it was almost entirely Muppets, even the scenes on Sesame Street. Where did Bob, Maria, et. al. go?
There are still humans on Sesame Street alongside the Muppets. The episode descriptions for the current season on Muppet Wiki are based on Sesame Workshop press materials and are not as in-depth as they will eventually be based on other episode listings, but I see a good number of the humans listed. The official Season 40 credits list nine human characters- Maria, Alan, Gordon, Gina, Luis, Bob, Susan, Gabi, and newer characters Chris (Gordon’s nephew) and Leela (an Indian woman who runs the laundromat).
bear in mind Gordon, Bob, Maria, Luis and Susan are considerably older then when they started on the show and most of them are starting to look it. Especially Bob. The more Bob resembles the Crypt Keeper the harder it is for kids to relate to him.
Also, they have skew the shows target demographic from early school age children to preschoolers who respond better to the muppets (especially Elmo) then to the people.
They are also no longer focusing on the social aspects of life the way they did before, so the people are less important as being a part of Sesame Street, and are now more of a teacher/mentor role.
That makes sense, both as to why we don’t see the classic characters that often, and why we don’t see more new ones. It’s a shame though. Sesame Street was practically unchanged for decades, and now that I expect to be watching with my kids in a few years they’ll be watching a show that barely resembles what I grew up with.
No Tara? (The girl in the wheelchair)?
I loved when Savion Glover was on. I had such a huge crush on him.
All of the human residents of Sesame Street disappeared in the Great Purge, when Kevin Clash overthrew the CTW Board of Directors and turned Sesame Street into Elmoland.
Yes, but his Evil Army of Three Year Olds were just too darn cute to resist.
It’s not bad, though. One thing we parents have to remember is that we are not the target audience. Our kids are.
Elmo give me a head ache, but little kids love him. He keeps their interest, which, in turn keeps them from watching brain-numbing saccharine shit like Barney.
I heard an interview with Frank Oz a couple of months ago, and he called Kevin Clash Jim Henson’s spiritual Successor. If he’s good enough for Frank Oz, he’s good enough for me.
My 2.5 year old has discovered TV and DVDs. Like most kids her age, she loves Elmo with a crazy passion. The rest of the show, though, she doesn’t really care for. Interestingly, though, she’s found my Sesame Street: Old School DVDs that have the old episodes from the early 70s, and she loves them. Even though the kids are riding bikes without helmets or kneepads, even though new-to-the-neighborhood little girl Sally goes with Gordon back to his house for milk and cookies, even though the grownups never see Mr. Snuffleupagus, even though Don Music bangs his head on the piano, she still just loves 'em.
So, there’s hope for the next generation. And soon she’ll be old enough for my Muppet Show DVDs. It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights…
Several seasons ago, CTW made a conscious decision to only have one ‘street’ scene story per episode, all in one go. Previously street scenes for an episode added up to one (well, episodic) story, but because the demographics changed (average viewer age went from 4 to about 2), they did that to make it easier to follow. They also dumbed down the story they were telling in the street scene, again for the stupid two year olds, so that it’s not even a particularly long scene.
So it feels like the humans that live on the street are barely in the show anymore.
I have thought the same thing. I miss the people. I looked up to Maria and kind of thought of her as a cool aunt or something. I think that kids need more than to just be entertained, but also see some nice adults and children playing to kind of see how things should be. The muppets are great and all, but yeah, they are totally over doing it.
I think that they were always a teacher mentor role it’s just that now, like you said, the cast is getting older and it may be harder for them to do. Still think there should be more people, though. They could bring in a younger cast. Would hate to see the old one go and don’t want to, but they could add on people and get the audience familiar and I am sure that the public would get to love them like they did the original cast.
I just wish PBS would still play the Sesame Street Christmas special. I always loved that one. I’ve got an old copy on VHS but it’s not in great shape.
Christmas just isn’t the same without Ernie and Bert selling their precious items to buy something for the other’s precious item. Or everyone suddenly growing to enormous sizes when they go ice skating.
Sounds like they took a page from O. Henry!