We concluded our epic 12th season Thanksgiving week with a look at one of the most beloved programs of all time, Sesame Street. If you don't feel the belove on at least some level for the show, you might want to look back at your childhood because you may have been deprived. Muppets, humans, music, animation--All of it was on display in the Bert-and-Ernie-centric episode we picked. We did get into a lot of classic characters and segments outside of that particular installment as well.
Anonymous Batty insider says: Traditionally, segments talked about on the podcast but not in the actual episode being talked about are not eligible for Battys. Just something to consider for all you Batty mavens out there. Sesame Street inspires a lot of warm and fuzzies, but can it really compete against everything else? This may be the kind of program that makes you smile 30-40 years later but isn't in the same league as "grown-up" shows.
Forgive me for using the Sesame Street YouTube Spotlight post to share a video from the playlist that is not from Sesame Street. We did stuff the playlist with Sesame clips, and yesterday's Power Rankings featured 10 more. Instead, then, let's take another look at this "Children's Favorites" LP ad that Mike mentions on the pod:
83 tracks sounds like a great deal! You have to love the song selection, too.
I tell you, though, the animation is almost bizarre, and this ad really puzzled me when it aired (and it aired a LOT) back in the day. The most baffling moment is the clip at--Wait! There are TWO "Children's Favorites" LP ads! I included both of them, but THIS is the one I want to focus on today. In particular, go to the 26-second mark.
What IS this song? The only time I ever heard this tune is watching this ad.
"Boom, boom! Ain't it great to be crazy? Boom, boom! Ain't it great to be crazy?"
Is this an actual children's favorite or some kind of psy-op?
I just looked around, and after 40 years of wondering, I know know this IS a kiddie standard. The likes of Barney the Dinosaur and Mickey Mouse covered it. I must have been deprived. After hearing the cloying (even in context) version on "Children's Favorites," I felt more depraved.
As suggested on the podcast, this week's exclusive power rankings look at the long-forgotten, underutilized, or otherwise neglected characters on Sesame Street. Some may pop up from time to time, but they were all much bigger in the BOTNS era but have been, for the most part, sidelined for one reason or another.
Remember, this ranking is based on how each character would fare against another on a given day at a neutral playground at Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School.
1) Don Music: The epitome of the tortured genius, Music has undeniable talent but also undeniable issues. His inability to deal with creative struggles without bashing his head on his piano, says the great book Sesame Street Unpaved by David Borgenicht, is why the producers nixed him after reports that kids were imitating the behavior.
2) Roosevelt Franklin: As we noted on the podcast, he was thought to reinforce negative stereotypes. Unpaved also points out the classroom setting for many of his appearances was considered too rowdy and poor modeling for children. Of course, that contrast between that milieu and the normal series atmosphere is one of the main reasons his segments are so funny today.
3) Fat Blue/Mr. Johnson: He was a regular on the show for years, then went out of the rotation (though I think he still makes occasional appearances). He is an identifiable Everyman sharing many of the qualities we all do--hungry, a little cranky, and often annoyed by Grover.
4) Lefty: Is he the single seediest character to ever appear on the regular on the series?
5) The Amazing Mumford the Magician: Still a member in good standing, as far as I know, but more in the underseen category--apt status, perhaps, given his penchant for making things disappear.
6) Sherlock Hemlock: The master detective's skills have not diminished with time, though his screen time may have.
7) Harvey Kneeslapper: OK, he can be irritating in more than small doses, but for a minute or two at a time, his voice, his corny jokes, even his mustache all amuse me. Unpaved says he was retired for being a one-note character and for straining Frank Oz's voice with that (I will concede) shrill laugh.
8) Simon Soundman: I like the awe he inspires in Bert with his uncanny voicing abilities. He makes Michael Winslow look like an amateur.
9) Herry Monster: Again, he is still active, I think, but relegated to background status. He should be a major player again.
10) Herbert Birdsfoot: He brings a certain intellectual savoir faire to the program. I didn't remember him until we prepared for the podcast, and now I want to see more. He has a great look.
*We have reached the end of our "regular" season 12, and we thank you for joining us, but be on the lookout for the tradition unlike any other: The Battys, coming soon!
*Sesame Street is still running after premiering in 1969 and has amassed close to 5,000 episodes and many videos, toys, books, and just about everything else!
*Speaking of that, here is a shot of the various Sesame items we had with us as we recorded the episode:
*Snuffleupagus premiered 1971, and the producers let everyone else (not just Big Bird) see him in 1985, reportedly after concerns that kids would fear adults would not believe them in scary real-life situations.
*Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is available for streaming at multiple outlets, and it is based on the book Street Gang by Michael Davis.
*Jon Stone worked on Captain Kangaroo and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie before becoming a key figure in the creation and development of Sesame Street.
*The doc Mike mentions is Jim HensonIdea Man on Disney Plus. I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story (2014) is on Peacock as of this writing.
*Will Lee died in 1982, and the character he played, Mr. Hooper, left the show in 1983.
*Gordon was played by Hal Miller between stints by Matt Robinson and Roscoe Orman.
*Decades of Decision is a 1976 PBS miniseries produced with National Geographic.
*Carroscelendas was produced by PBS' Austin, TX, station and made original episodes from 1970 to 1978. It was a children's program aimed at kids who spoke Spanish and English.
*Season 7, episode 900 (total) of Sesame Street, "Sing-Along in Ernie and Bert's Bathroom," premiered April 23, 1976 according to our best info.
*We have one song in the playlist this week from the original album that inspired this episode, but you may have to get MAX to see the entire episode.
*The commercial of kids' favorites Mike mentions--an album called, not surprisingly, Children's Favorites, is in our video playlist this week!
*Joe Raposo's "Funky Chimes" (unofficial title) played under the end credits from 1979 to 1992. There's an unofficial version of this in the playlist this week, too--a recreation of sorts, but one we think you'll enjoy.
*And finally, please enjoy that aforementioned playlist for this episode, including classic Sesame segments, commercials, music, and much more! We could have compiled an hours-long list for this one but tried to keep it to a reasonable length:
*And remember, you can always check out our official YouTube page for all of our past podcasts and episode-specific playlists for each one!
