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Recently, I managed to get hold of a copy of TV Guide dated July 10-16, 1971. This is the issue with the often-reproduced cover illustration of Cookie Monster (then called "The Cookie Monster" and drawn by Mad magazine artist Jack Davis) behind the familiar Muppet brick wall, taking a bite out of the TV Guide logo on the cover.
I was interested to read the article about "Sesame Street" in this issue, and while it was an interesting article (although only one photo was included, of folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger with a bunch of kids, and featuring no "Sesame Street" regulars and no Muppets, which was slightly disappointing to me) I did find something really cool and also sort of unexpected in this issue: TV Guide carried episode summary descriptions for "Sesame Street" back then. This particular copy of the issue is the "Northern New England Edition" and the listings include six different PBS stations. In reading these listings, I found that "Sesame Street" aired weekdays at 4:00 PM on WGBH-TV (Channel 2, Boston), WCBB (Channel 10, Augusta), WMEB-TV (Channel 12, Orono), WVTB (Channel 20, St. Johnsbury, Vt.), WVTA (Channel 41, Windsor) and at 5:30 PM on WENH-TV, Durham (coincidentally, the same number as Chicago's PBS station, Channel 11). Boston's Channel 2 also carried "Sesame Street" on Saturdays, also at 4:00 PM.
One very interesting thing about the descriptive listings is that they include the episode numbers for each show. The episodes shown that week were shows #161-#165 (as it happened, one of the "Sesame Street Unpaved" episodes, #162, aired that week). The Saturday broadcast on WGBH was show #160, so I am guessing that this was a regular thing in that area, and that a weekend airing would just be a repeat of the previous Friday's episode. I also found it interesting that "Sesame Street" was only airing once each weekday (albeit on six different channels) and only one of those stations carried it on weekends, only one time. This contradicts my own personal memories of watching the show in Chicago at the time, when I remember WTTW-TV (Channel 11) airing it at least two or three times a day, and maybe more on weekends.
Season 2 of "Sesame Street" began Monday, November 9, 1970. Season 2 was an anomaly among the early seasons of "Sesame Street," since that season ran three extra weeks, with 145 episodes (#131-#275) rather than the usual 130. I have no theories as to why this was. But a comparison of the airdates of these shows matches up; if all 145 episodes were shown in order, Mondays through Fridays, beginning November 9, 1970, then the second runs of these specific episodes would have fallen exactly where this TV Guide issue says they did. These shows would originally have aired Friday, December 18, through Friday, December 25, 1970.
This is inspiring me to want to check out TV Guide listings on microfilm to see if some sort of episode guide (albeit a very cursory one) might be assembled from them. Maybe some day, if I'm on vacation and have absolutely nothing else to do...
Anyway...without further ado, here are the transcripted descriptions from that week's "TV Guide," verbatim:
Saturday, July 10, 1971
No. 160. 1. The difference between some, more and most. 2. Number: ten. 3. Letters: A, G. (60 min.)
Monday, July 12, 1971
No. 161. 1. "Bonanza" stars Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon teach the difference between near and far. 2. New York Mets Art Shamsky and Ed Kranepool give a counting lesson. 3. Song: "If You're Grouchy." (Repeat; 60 min.) [What's behind "Sesame Street's" success? See page 20.]
Tuesday, July 13, 1971
No. 162. 1. New York Knicks Dick Barnett, Walt Frazier and Mike Riordan give a counting lesson. 2. Song: "Goin' For A Ride." 3. Films: African animals, baker. 4. Body parts: hands. 5. Letter: H. 6. Number: twelve. (Repeat; 60 min.)
Wednesday, July 14, 1971
No. 163. 1. Burt Lancaster visits the block. 2. Bill Cosby shows the emotion of sadness. 3. Song: "Consider Yourself." 4. Film: traffic light. 5. Sorting by shape. 6. Letters: E, H. (Repeat; 60 min.)
Thursday, July 15, 1971
No. 164. 1. James Earl Jones gives a counting lesson. 2. Bill Cosby shows the emotion of anger. 3. Song: "People In Your Neighborhood." 4. Films: rocks, garbage. (Repeat; 60 min.)
Friday, July 16, 1971
No. 165. 1. Pat Paulsen gives a counting lesson. 2. Songs: "If I Knew You Were Coming," "Three of These Things." 3. Films: Skin, tomato, tire. 4. The difference between here and there. 5. Number: four. (Repeat; 60 min.)
I was interested to read the article about "Sesame Street" in this issue, and while it was an interesting article (although only one photo was included, of folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger with a bunch of kids, and featuring no "Sesame Street" regulars and no Muppets, which was slightly disappointing to me) I did find something really cool and also sort of unexpected in this issue: TV Guide carried episode summary descriptions for "Sesame Street" back then. This particular copy of the issue is the "Northern New England Edition" and the listings include six different PBS stations. In reading these listings, I found that "Sesame Street" aired weekdays at 4:00 PM on WGBH-TV (Channel 2, Boston), WCBB (Channel 10, Augusta), WMEB-TV (Channel 12, Orono), WVTB (Channel 20, St. Johnsbury, Vt.), WVTA (Channel 41, Windsor) and at 5:30 PM on WENH-TV, Durham (coincidentally, the same number as Chicago's PBS station, Channel 11). Boston's Channel 2 also carried "Sesame Street" on Saturdays, also at 4:00 PM.
One very interesting thing about the descriptive listings is that they include the episode numbers for each show. The episodes shown that week were shows #161-#165 (as it happened, one of the "Sesame Street Unpaved" episodes, #162, aired that week). The Saturday broadcast on WGBH was show #160, so I am guessing that this was a regular thing in that area, and that a weekend airing would just be a repeat of the previous Friday's episode. I also found it interesting that "Sesame Street" was only airing once each weekday (albeit on six different channels) and only one of those stations carried it on weekends, only one time. This contradicts my own personal memories of watching the show in Chicago at the time, when I remember WTTW-TV (Channel 11) airing it at least two or three times a day, and maybe more on weekends.
Season 2 of "Sesame Street" began Monday, November 9, 1970. Season 2 was an anomaly among the early seasons of "Sesame Street," since that season ran three extra weeks, with 145 episodes (#131-#275) rather than the usual 130. I have no theories as to why this was. But a comparison of the airdates of these shows matches up; if all 145 episodes were shown in order, Mondays through Fridays, beginning November 9, 1970, then the second runs of these specific episodes would have fallen exactly where this TV Guide issue says they did. These shows would originally have aired Friday, December 18, through Friday, December 25, 1970.
This is inspiring me to want to check out TV Guide listings on microfilm to see if some sort of episode guide (albeit a very cursory one) might be assembled from them. Maybe some day, if I'm on vacation and have absolutely nothing else to do...
Anyway...without further ado, here are the transcripted descriptions from that week's "TV Guide," verbatim:
Saturday, July 10, 1971
No. 160. 1. The difference between some, more and most. 2. Number: ten. 3. Letters: A, G. (60 min.)
Monday, July 12, 1971
No. 161. 1. "Bonanza" stars Lorne Greene, Dan Blocker and Michael Landon teach the difference between near and far. 2. New York Mets Art Shamsky and Ed Kranepool give a counting lesson. 3. Song: "If You're Grouchy." (Repeat; 60 min.) [What's behind "Sesame Street's" success? See page 20.]
Tuesday, July 13, 1971
No. 162. 1. New York Knicks Dick Barnett, Walt Frazier and Mike Riordan give a counting lesson. 2. Song: "Goin' For A Ride." 3. Films: African animals, baker. 4. Body parts: hands. 5. Letter: H. 6. Number: twelve. (Repeat; 60 min.)
Wednesday, July 14, 1971
No. 163. 1. Burt Lancaster visits the block. 2. Bill Cosby shows the emotion of sadness. 3. Song: "Consider Yourself." 4. Film: traffic light. 5. Sorting by shape. 6. Letters: E, H. (Repeat; 60 min.)
Thursday, July 15, 1971
No. 164. 1. James Earl Jones gives a counting lesson. 2. Bill Cosby shows the emotion of anger. 3. Song: "People In Your Neighborhood." 4. Films: rocks, garbage. (Repeat; 60 min.)
Friday, July 16, 1971
No. 165. 1. Pat Paulsen gives a counting lesson. 2. Songs: "If I Knew You Were Coming," "Three of These Things." 3. Films: Skin, tomato, tire. 4. The difference between here and there. 5. Number: four. (Repeat; 60 min.)