How Much of Classic Sesame Street was Unscripted?

[D'Snowth]

I remember reading in Caroll Spinney's book that it was his idea to tape those little inserts where kids brought to the set would have unscripted chats with the Muppets (like the old days when Bert, Grover, or Herry would chat with John-John, or like today where Papa Bear or "FilFil" chat with Antonio), and after watching Sesame Street Old School, it seems to me that there's a lot more to the show that's unscripted, particularly when real children on involved. In the very first episode, everything with Sally seems liked it was improvised, especially when she was having milk and cookies with Gordon and Susan. There also seem to be very few scenes with the grown ups that seem unscripted as well... like the game of Follow the Leader Big Bird played with David and David was the leader; meanwhile, everything else like the Muppet inserts and other scenes with the grown ups and Muppets seem to be scripted obviously.

So I'm just wondering, exactly how much of Sesame Street was unscripted in the old days? Compared to today, the show SEEMED like an improv showcase, whereas these days, you can just tell maybe 95% of the whole show is scripted.

 

[Mickey Moose]

That's a good question. I suppose only the actors and puppeteers know the real answer to that question. But I've always suspected that a lot of the stuff we saw back then had some improvising involved, even the muppet sketches. You'll notice back then they usually got them in one continuous take(unless a cut was required to move props or something). You often saw them make mistakes but they kept going and improvised around it. Like when Ernie & Bert play the rhyming game and Ernie starts to respond before Bert finishes;

Bert: I don't want to play (Ernie starts before Bert finishes) anymore.
Ernie: What what hmmmm??
Bert: What what hmmm? I don't want to play anymore.
Ernie: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4.

Another one that comes to mind is one of the Grover waiter sketches where Fat Blue keeps asking for the letters for his alphabet soup and at the end he says the Y is missing when he meant to say the Z. He corrects himself on camera and Grover improvises some line about "we all make mistakes" or something along those lines.

 

[minor muppetz]

I thought I've read some article (or quote from an article) about the show from around the first or second season that said that since the show was broadcast daily that a large amount of film was required, and one way of saving on film was by having the human cast improvise a lot of scenes. I wonder if it's possible that in the old days the cast could have just been given outlines on what to do, with maybe given a few important lines put into the script (I feel like Gordons opening line from the first episode was this important), and then improvise around what was needed. I wonder how many sceens with actual children were scripted (Miles, Gabbi, Petey, Carlos, and Tarah would obviously be exceptions).

I have seen a website that reprinted an entire Time Magazine article from 1970, which mentioned that in the secodn season the producers would keep the camera rolling, and if the cast made mistakes they would have to cover up their mistakes on-screen.

 

[JLG]

You're right that compared to today, the old show seems like one big improv session--especially during the first 10 years.

I'm assuming they watered that element down because they figured kids would learn better if people spoke clearly and more simply, instead of alot of cross-talk and mumbling going on.

The difference in tone between then and now is very striking, and I think the loose, unscripted feeling of the dialogue back then is a major factor.