Sesame Street episodes on video and DVD

[mikealan]

Hello! If Sesame Street Unpaved is only playing at 4AM on Mondays on Noggin, how about the volumes of full-length episodes of Sesame Street on VHS or DVD? It's just like The Muppet Show, and the title should be "The Best of Sesame Street". Each tape or dvd contains three episodes. First comes the 60's-70's episode then to the 80's episode and then to the 90's-present episode.

Would it be an great idea? Would it be fun for kids who love Sesame Street? Can you make up any ideas?

 

[furryfella]

Yeah wish they would do that

That would be totaly cool!! For those who don't get noggin & to have some of your favorite Old Clips & songs from SS!!

 

[ScottMonster]

This is something that's been brought up here before, and though I'd love to see this done, I personally don't think it's going to happen. The first time it was brought up was, I think about a year or so ago when Noggin changed their format and it became clear that Sesame Street Unpaved was being gradually phased out of their programming schedule altogether. Two petitions were started as a result, one asking that it stay as is on their schedule, the other one requesting that these eposides be available on VHS or DVD. To my knowledge, they were both started by the same person and I don't know what's become of either of them. Last I heard, neither petition had more than a few hundred signatures (my own included) which unfortunately isn't enough in a case like this, especially when you consider that almost all of the signatures on it were from an audience that's not recognized by Sesame Workshop. (after all, why would a bunch of adults be watching a show that's intended for children, right ) Wether it's for this reason or others I'm not aware of, Sesame Workshop seems to have no intention of making these old episodes available commericially, at least not in the forseeable future. And they have yet to give any clear answer to the public as to why, so in the end all we can really do is speculate.

On a related note, I've often seen posts here around the question of why Noggin only shows the same 67 episodes over and over again on a rotating basis. For the longest time, I always thought it was because these were the only full length episodes that survived intact from the first twenty years of the show, which made sense, if you take into account the total number of episodes of SS produced from 1969 to the present day, which would be over 4,000 and that it's just not practical or cost efficient to store video footage of that volume. However, I recently was referred to this article by someone else and reading it shows just how wrong I might be. And I got pretty mad reading this when I realized what it meant:


http://www.digitaltelevision.com/tvb2000/0721/0721.6.htm

 

[Ol' Buddy Bert]

An interesting article. Thanks for the link!

Scott

 

[CookieFan]

I'm confused, why does it make you mad? I must be missing something. If they are archiving everything, then I would assume that would mean a lot of classic footage that will appear in the future provided it fits in with the "theme". Or am I missing something?

This bit I found interesting:
"The software also ties in with SW's rights management software, which gives the writer/producer instant information about where and for how long the video clips can be aired. "

Seems like some stuff CAN'T be re-broadcast due to contractual obligations? (I'm guessing stuff like celebrity guests and music, esp. covers of songs?)

 

[ScottMonster]

Originally posted by CookieFan
I'm confused, why does it make you mad? I must be missing something. If they are archiving everything, then I would assume that would mean a lot of classic footage that will appear in the future provided it fits in with the "theme". Or am I missing something?

But most of it's NOT going to appear in any future episodes of the show. That's my point. If I thought there was a good chance it were, I'd have no complaint and I'd be taping the show every day. But most of that footage hasn't been shown in years and probably never will be, for one reason or another -- either because they're too dated in terms of educational value for kids, or because they're just not "politically correct". Here are examples of two such skit's I would personally like to see again:

The first one is with Herry singing a song called "I Can't Help It" in the Fix-It shop that involves him wreaking havoc and destruction in the store and as he sings the damage escalates and the song ends with Luis and (Gordon?) scrambling for cover as the entire inside of the store comes crashing down around them. Another one involves Kermit dressed in his "Newsflash" outfit and is looking for weather forecaster for his "Frogwitness news" program. Simon the Soundman makes sound effects of the weather, which doesn't impress Kermit so he calls in another muppet who actually makes the weather happen on the spot. First the guy brings fog into the studio, then the whole place goes suddenly dark and a torrential rainstorm breaks out INSIDE the studio and the guy says "it's raining cats and dogs" and a whole bunch of stuffed cats and dogs start falling down on them, growling and hissing and Kermit freaking out and the skit ends. I haven't seen either of these in well over twenty years now and I remember how much they freaked me out seeing them as a kid and I would be VERY interested to see these again now through an adults eyes. I have a total of eight episodes of SSUnpaved obtained through trade, and neither of these skits are on any of them, nor does either one seem to be on any of the other 60 or so Unpaved episodes that Noggin has shown, since I've posted a few enquires, but got no answer so I'll assume the non response means I'm right in my belief that these haven't been seen on Noggin. (hint, hint...consider this overly long rambling post an opportunity for anyone who reads this to tell me I'm wrong, if in fact I am, and I'll move mountains to arrange a trade with that person)

But to get back to the matter at hand...

Seems like some stuff CAN'T be re-broadcast due to contractual obligations? (I'm guessing stuff like celebrity guests and music, esp. covers of songs?)

I would have thought re-broadcasting wouldn't be as problematic as releasing it commercially. That's why fans were so furious over what was done to Muppet Family Christmas which had to have huge cuts made to it before its release, and pretty noticeable ones at that. This was apparently due to the fact that when it originally aired on network TV in the late 80s, rights were secured to use certain musical pieces for broadcasting, but to have them in video/DVD editions would have been an infringement copyright. But anytime it's been aired on TV since then, the original intact version is shown. (actually I've never seen it on TV but everyone else says this is the case.) What you brought up is a salient point but again as I said it dosen't seem to be as much of an issue for broadcasting as it does for commercial release and besides it seems to me this should be a non issue for this archived material, since SW owns exclusive rights to most of it, like the two scenes I described above for example.

I guess "mad" is a poor choice of word and maybe "frustrated" would be a better one, since I know no that even if these and many other old skits can't be seen on Noggin, they do still exist somewhere, and it's maddening not so much that they can't be made available to us, but not knowing exactly why it is they can't

 

[sstVideo]

2 Points of information

The agreements between PBS and CTW (now Sesame Workshop) have always stipulated that the Sesame Street shows can not be released in any other media in the US so long as it is playing on PBS. This provides the only logical protection fo the PBS audience.

The problem with airing classic Sesame on Noggin was one of rights payments, not tape costs. The Workshop pays the street performers, both human and muppet, for PBS rights only. Repeating inserts, including all muppet inserts are "buyouts" for Sesame Street on PBS only. A special exception was granted in the PBS agreement for Noggin's launch--(read between the lines as "less money from PBS for Seseame)

In order to air on Noggin, which is commercial digital cable, the Nick/SW partnership had to pay every creative person involved their residuals and royalties (and that means EVERYONE...including those playing the "right hand", the composers, musicians, directors, writers, etc. etc.) Luckily, digital cable being a new medium, the residuals were based on number of subscribers.... as subscribers grow, costs expand, to the point where it is no longer either cost effective or educationally effective to air classic Sesame on Noggin any more.

Note: the same is true of the Electric Company....even more so given the stars of that show.

 

[CookieFan]

Thanks, that was fascinating info.

I always find the subject of contracts and royalties intriguing. I think a lot of folks forget about that side of it. We have to keep in mind that this is, after all, a business, and all the talents need to be compensated.

On the other hand, it seems such a shame that so many classic segments will never again see the light of day.