And speaking of kids' television...

[Rachels]

What's with Sesame Street rerunning the same five episodes all the time? We don't actually watch that often, but I feel like every time I turn it on, Baby Bear's mother is having a baby or Big Bird is searching for Ernie in the jungle or the Big Bad Wolf is blowing down the letter of the day. What gives?

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[JulieL]

So I am not alone. Yes, I totally have noticed this as well! Hey Sesame Street has been on forever they could just run reruns from when I was a kid, who would care?

[alleyoop]

Funny you should mention that! I got very angry at this exact thing yesterday. I am so darn sick of the same 6 episodes. I found out that Noggin plays old Sesame Streets at the same time, so we are going to be watchin' Noggin from now on!

[egoldber]

I have wondered about this myself. Why do they limit themselves to just running this season's episodes? Can't they delve into the VAST library of older episodes?

It does make me feel a little better to know that as I suffer through yet another round of Baby Bear getting a new sibling, I'm not alone! :)

[brubeck]

Good news! Only a few more weeks until the new season! I believe it starts on April 5th.

There are actually around 30 episodes a season but I know what you mean, once you've seen them all 5 or 6 times it gets annoying! One of my favourites is when Elmo rocks out with the Goo Goo Dolls. Elmo reached the highest shelf, he did it by himself, he drank up all his milk and ate his peas.... :) It was on this morning (Zoe's tutu gets stuck in a tree episode).

Oh and some of the older episodes are now not totally PC. For example the original recording of People In Your Neighborhood talks about a 'postman' and a 'fireman'. If you notice they now call them 'letter carriers' and 'fire fighters' on the show. Last season they even had a letter carrier singing the neighborhood song with a new profession name.

This is not to express an opinion on my part, just pointing out how they have purposely made some changes over the years. Of course Ernie and Bert might get married this year, or would that be too controversial? :)

Oh and if you start missing the Baby Bear gets a new sister epsisodes once the new season starts you can buy them on DVD!

[egoldber]

I do like the Goo Goo Dolls episode. :) And I also like the one with REM (shiny, happy monsters...)

And can there really be 30?? Is there a list somewhere? Here's the ones I can think of off the top of my head:

1) Baby Bear prepares for new sib
2) Baby Bear gets new sib
3) Baby Bear is tired of new sib
4) Zoe's tutu in a tree
5) Zoe loses pet rock
6) Zoe and Elmo can't find each other for playdate
7) Cookie Monster falsely accused of stealing cookies
9) Rosita and the frog orince
10) Telly doesn't want to sing at karaoke night
11) Oscar wants to move

Anyone else?

(And am I pathetic or what?)

[brubeck]

The reason I know there are ABOUT 30 each season is by looking at the episode numbers. I believe this season started with 4031 and ended with 4056. So that's 26, but other seasons have had more. Hmmm, other episodes:

12) Big Bird writes story and they all come up with alternate endings
13) Elmo and Zoe make kites
14) Cookie Monster wins Cookie Poem contest and gets Cookie Flu
15) Super Grover needs new cape
16) Stinky the plant writes a story
17) Baby Bear gets hurt with ball and Telly doesn't want to play with him anymore
18) Elmo needs a fish sitter so he can go to the ball game
19) Telly finds a baby duck (egg)
20) Bert's birthday
21) Big Bird waits for Snuffy at the tree
22) The musical day (there's something in the air today)
23) Baby Bear skips breakfast and is tired all day
24) Elmo and Zoe pretend to be space aliens/Kazunkians (or is this the previous season?)

Edited to add:

25) I just remembered, my favorite of the entire season: Elmo falls in love with Gina! La la la la, la la la la Elmo & Gina's World......

[egoldber]

LOL! So we're missing one episode. Anyone?

I've seen some of those, but I don't think I've seen 14, 17, 20, 22, 23 and 24.

[Rachels]

There's also one where Cookiehood steals cookies all over Sesame Street. Seriously, though, I've only ever seen four or five of these. Okay, maybe six. :(

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[alleyoop]

Did you get the "circus detectives" one with Elmo and Zoe, and the rock?

Edited to say: Whoops! It was number 5. :)

[SeekerMage]

Other then the fact that there are only so many episodes per season...they actually run the same ones over and over for a reason. Thats how children learn....repetition. Ever notice how they want to watch the same show, video etc? They are basically memorizing it and learning from it. PBS knows this obviously. Its something I learned in a child psychology class in college. I know Nicelodeon does this as well with Dora and BLues Clues. Its annoying for parents but the kids love it!

[amp]

The only one I can seem to catch part of recently is when Ernie is in the bath w/ everyone singing "Do the rubber duck" the the letter is "J" and they show people jumping on the beach. Oh, and Elmo does Old MacDonald, and Grover gets a bath from the Elephant. Every dang time I turn on SS, that is THE episode that's on. Sheesh! What I wouldn't give to see one of those other episodes you listed!!!

[egoldber]

OMG! Yes, that was a REALLY good one!!! :)

[arcoe]

Here are two more (I'm not sure if these are actually redundant or not).....

- Telly gets invited to sing at the monster sing-a-long without Baby Bear (but his invite really just got delivered to the wrong person)
- Baby Bear spends the day with Papa Bear

We have seen the one where Baby Bear's mom goes into labor about 2,450,205 times :) Can't wait for the new season! And I totally agree about showing the old classics. That would be great!



Robin

[spu]

no kidding! I used to love sesame street as a kid, and it now that jim henson isn't responsible anymore, it stinks!

... and can I say how much I can't stand Baby Bear? I hate the fact that he doesn't speak properly. And that teaches our babies what? I also hate all the computerized backgrounds. I miss all the old sets. And wasn't it so much better when we had a special bond with big bird and snuffy?

... oh don't get me started! LOL!


susan

twin girls 7.20.02
charlotte + else

http://sunger2.home.comcast.net/bash/nonflash/year.html

[egoldber]

Apparently Snuffy was "outed" a few years ago when they decided that they didn't like sending a message to children that adults didn't believe them when they told them things. Not sure how I feel about it, but that was the reason.

[brubeck]

Okay this is sad. I went back 9 pages to find this thread and make it complete. :)

That missing Sesame Street episode (that I couldn't remember) was on here this morning! It's the one where the Big Bad Wolf comes and blows everything down and then his brother Leonard Wolf comes along and gets the bad rap.

Bwaaaah hah ha! Now my life is complete! I have a listing of all the current Sesame Street episodes! :7

(Only 2 more weeks until the new season!)

[Rachels]

LEONARD! That's right. That episode is hilarious. I love Leonard.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[Sarah1]

It's so funny, because the ONE Sesame Street I have ever Tivo'd is the one where Baby Bear gets his new sister...and that's the one (as everyone's saying) they play ALL the time :)

We also watch "Sesame Too" on Noggin...it comes on at 8 AM CST.

[lizajane]

ditto what kathryn said-

it is intentional. there is an interesting book called "the tipping point" that has a section on "blues clues" vs "sesame street." BC came out better in research and one of the reasons was the repetition. SS went too fast for toddlers and gave them too much information.

[cara1]

I just saw Blues Clues this past weekend for the first time and found it incredibly irritating. Am I the only one?

[Sarah1]

No Cara, you're not...DD seems to have no interest in BC either. I always wonder, what am I missing here???? And I find that guy really annoying and pasty-white. He needs some blush!!

[jojo2324]

Whoa Nelly! There are that many episodes? I have seen about 3 of those...Particularly the one when they all sing karaoke. I think the problem too is that I have two public television stations in my area. So at 7 am Monday, channel 13 will air episode x. Then at 10 am Tuesday, channel 21 will air episode x.

But lately they've been showing the Elmo's world about fish a LOT. "Dor-o-fee, this is how I pretend I'm a fish..."