Telly appreciation thread

[StreetScenes]

I watched SST the most when I was 8-12 actually, I think it is more of a person to person thingie. The more you try to box it into an ' that that age' idea the more you will be surprised ; ). I started playing Hungry Hungry Hippos at 12.

Anyway, I still say that shape thingie is more than a little forced, even next to a certain vampire and numbers. I dunno, the more I think about it that more I feel like the Telly I know and love is slowly moving toward being a one hobby Geometry teacher. It's not quite like numbers, or cookies, or paperclips to me, it's missing a bit of charm IMHO

oh, i think it's for all ages, too. just from what i've seen with most kids stuff, the age group that watches it/plays with it the least is the age right above where it's targeted. it's where many people have moved onto other interests and haven't begun to appreciate it on the next level yet. sort of like stuff that gets dated--it's in, it's out, then it's classic & in even more than when it was in originally.

as for starting hungry hungry hippos at age 12, i gotta say i probably did too, b/c it was my friend's re-discovery but my first time b/c my parents didn't buy it for me. (& i can hear why.) i just played it twice in the past few weeks, in fact--once with my cousin's 4 year old and once with my college buddies.

yes, the triangle thing is forced. i guess i just think there's potential for it to do cute things if it gets more naturalized--maybe he needs to add more shapes to increase the possibility of humor and educational opportunities. be some sort of visual spatial learner (i was just reading some ed. theory today...). and i do think having an obsession is good for that kind of character because it shows his uninhibited side, which kids like telly do have (i know from both experience and observation). and i totally love the Three Sides Now joni mitchell parody song...

 

[Redsonga]

I guess I didn't really have anyone my own age really influencing me about what was 'in' or not at all growing up (at least never outside of school). I was an only child and no one my age lived within miles of my house so SST and shows like it pretty much were my playmates ( I know, it sounds sort of sad but I was pretty happy alone )
I know they have an uninhibited side..I'm pretty much a grown up girl version of Telly *lol*
Other shapes would be cool..or if he got in the habit of like outlining shapes he found in signs and things with a marker it would be funny. I knew so many people who got in trouble for drawing on things they weren't suppose to (something they haven't talked about on SST for a long while, I wonder if it is because of Elmo's crayon -.-)

 

[StreetScenes]

I guess I didn't really have anyone my own age really influencing me about what was 'in' or not at all growing up (at least never outside of school).

i didn't either...remember i didn't know about the my little ponies tv show...i didn't watch much tv & didn't have too many friends outside school. & we did more imaginative play than used toys...for example, i looked at the latest weekly survey & realized i have many fond memories of pretending we were chip & dale on the playground too but i don't recall ever watching an episode...

I know they have an uninhibited side..I'm pretty much a grown up girl version of Telly *lol*

me too

Other shapes would be cool..or if he got in the habit of like outlining shapes he found in signs and things with a marker it would be funny. I knew so many people who got in trouble for drawing on things they weren't suppose to (something they haven't talked about on SST for a long while, I wonder if it is because of Elmo's crayon -.-)

interesting...that has the added benefit of bringing back something ss has done less and less of recently: storylines about normal life. enough shoe fairies and bad magicians and golden triangles of desiny (sounds like something i'd order off an appetizer menu...), the best stories were the ones about little things. radar getting ripped or what to do on a rainy day. drawing in the right & wrong places would be perfect--teaches a social skill & encourages creativity. and it reminds me of a joke...can you paint on an empty stomach? sure, but it's better if you do it on paper... which reminds me of jim painting the elephant in timepiece. they could do mad painter sketches and play Wet Paint by how now brown & the moo wave. it would be wonderful! sigh *goes off to create a fanfic in her imagination*

 

[Redsonga]

I think a realistic plotline really suits Telly, he is a very real character and would do well if SST went back to being a little more down to earth (and the more down to earth the main plot is the more chances it could get really zany ). Normal in the muppet world always = crazy :3!

 

[Drtooth]

I don't really care for his triangle hobby ..I don't know as hobbies go it's not like liking dinosaurs/ponies/pet rocks or something that a real little kid would like to that point to me. I guess I can even see loving to count as more realistic *lol*. And I know, I know, they live in a place where numbers talk but...I love pre-triangles Telly a bit more ...

The more I think about it, the more it really works... just look at Telly... he's a very triangular character Sure, it's rounded off... he has a pear shaped head, nose and body, but those are all rounded off triangle shapes. Plus, it's just so bizzarre and odd... I wonder how it would manifest as an older character in high school... lovingly measuring triangles, using the Pythagoras theorem...


I really think Telly evolved when he went from a generally worrisome character to a character that overly emphasizes his moods... Worry sends him into a tail spin... anger makes him furious (he even told off Oscar several times, and threatened to punch out his cousin).. when he's sad, he's utterly inconsolable... and when he's happy, he's ecstatic (check out his excitement in the Letter of the Month club).

And while I do agree, the best times Telly plays off another character are off of Oscar (heck, i bought Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies because of the Sneak Peek Previews linking material as much as Watermelons and Cheese) , I really think he has great chemestry with Baby Bear... in fact, I'd say that Telly actually made the character of Baby Bear more than just the Elmer Fudd of Sesame Street he was originally designed to be (to Goldilocks's Bugs, naturally). I'd say the Baby bear and Telly street stories are some of my favorites in recent years (especially that one where Curly Bear was about to destroy Baby's cake).

But I still say the Oscar times are the best... my absolute favorite story since the revamp has to be the Road Trip episode where Telly has to push the car, get everything Oscar has on his list... and only really breaks down near the end... such a classic 80's style episode...

 

[Ilikemuppets]

The more I think about it, the more it really works... just look at Telly... he's a very triangular character Sure, it's rounded off... he has a pear shaped head, nose and body, but those are all rounded off triangle shapes. Plus, it's just so bizzarre and odd...

Yeah, that's exactly the way I feel about it and have always thought it. I like that It's just kind of odd and different. I never thought about it as just playing it safe.

I really think he has great chemistry with Baby Bear...

Me too! It think their relationship really has a history to it and runs pretty deep. Plus, I find it one of the funnist parts of the show for any period of the show.

 

[Redsonga]

I really think Telly evolved when he went from a generally worrisome character to a character that overly emphasizes his moods... Worry sends him into a tail spin... anger makes him furious (he even told off Oscar several times, and threatened to punch out his cousin).. when he's sad, he's utterly inconsolable... and when he's happy, he's ecstatic (check out his excitement in the Letter of the Month club).

I like him better as just a worrywart, the being overly this or that idea just doesn't suit him to me, that is more of an Elmo thingie. Of course it could be because I liked him as overall more mellow of a character because for him to get mad really meant something (not that they really let anyone feel very negitive anymore, at least not for more than half an episode) ...
And well, I just dislike Baby Bear, it is a dislike that goes back pretty much to his appearance in 1990, so seven year old me will be nice and not go into details about that with a fan and just agree to disagree here

But I still say the Oscar times are the best... my absolute favorite story since the revamp has to be the Road Trip episode where Telly has to push the car, get everything Oscar has on his list... and only really breaks down near the end... such a classic 80's style episode...

I want to see that episode O.O

Yeah,. that's exactly the way I feel about it and have always thought it. I like that It's just kind of odd and different. I never thought about it as just playing it safe.

I don't think of it as playing it safe at all, I just think it feels a bit unnatural and hope someday maybe they could give it more depth and maybe make it all sorts of shapes .

 

[mr3urious]

Telly's neuroticism sure does make him a much more funny and enjoyable character.

 

[Kiki]

I love Telly. I grew up watching a lot of Telly. I think he's a great character, and it's great to see he's still on SSt. I love him in the video release of "Imagine That!" (I watched that video soooo much when I was little- and still do!)

 

[beaker]

Holy tamole, my 7 year old thread is still alive? Trippy!

Well as always, Telly still remains one of my absolute top favorites. Im happy to have been able to get rare figures, pvcs, plushes, etc of him over the years.

However, Telly certainly has his dark side; as evidenced from this rarely seen 1991 clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4gXgMQFaTM