Talk:Sesame Street

Articles and Subcats
Appologies for mixing them. But I was wondering, would it be possible to have a way of getting from this article over to Sesame Street catagories easily? I only did it because if you just type Sesame Street into the search one tends to be taken to this article - which is fair enough. But the Sesame Street catagory is such a useful place to go to get to anywhere else on the wiki dealing with Sesame Street. I understand if you'd rather not mix it up with this article, I was only trying to make it more useful. Sorry Emma 22:21, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
 * An understandable assumption. That's what the "See Also" is for, for links to categories and so on. Although lately we have been re-arranging how we organize things (as with Category:The Muppet Show, so it's not as consistent anymore. So this could go either way, I guess (I'll leave it to Danny or someone to decide), but for now, I just put a see also to the larger category. -- Andrew Leal (talk ) 22:28, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Well I think that is definitely an improvement. Very much what I was trying to achive. Emma 22:37, 23 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, I have been putting the lead article into its parent category, for the reason that Emma said. I think it's a good exception to make, because it's silly for people to be on The Muppet Show and not be able to get to the TMS category. I was planning to do that for all of the articles, but I guess I forgot to follow through. I'll see what else I've missed, and make it all consistent. -- Danny (talk ) 01:08, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

Child Actors
In "The Humans" section there is no mention of child actors. While not properly listed in the credits of each show they're an integral part with many speaking roles. I was one of the actors in the early 80's and would have liked to find a list of child actors here, if it can be collected. I haven't been able to find a list anywhere on the net. It would also be interesting to note their interaction with the muppets and how they help the children watching at home relate. Thanks! 30 Jan 2007


 * You may be interested in Category:Muppet & Kid Moments and The Kids. — Scott ( talk ) 23:14, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Names
Hi Everyone! I've got an idea, but maybe it already exists and I just haven't searched well enough. What about a list with the names of Sesame Street in all the different countries? Kemical 16:29, 4 January 2007 (UTC)


 * International Sesame Street -- Wendy  (talk ) 16:31, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

Ok, thanks. ;) Kemical 11:39, 5 January 2007 (UTC)

Marc Petrosino
Was he every a background puppeteer? --  Zanimum 16:46, 28 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Quite possibly yes. According to his Little Shop of Horrors biography, he was.Theatrefreak25 02:27, 7 September 2006 (UTC)

Accurate
Can anyone identify if this addition is accurate? I can't see why anyone would create fake employees for the page, but if anyone can confirm or deny at least on of these people, I'd be mighty grateful. -- Zanimum 14:49, 2 August 2006 (UTC)

Exec Producers and Head Writers
Does anyone have a list of Executive Producers and head writers for the show? I think that would be a useful thing -- for this page, and then for the various producer/writer pages. -- Danny (talk ) 13:33, 18 July 2006 (UTC)


 * It isn't complete, esp. with head writers, but it does seem to have all the exec producers... Crew of Sesame Street --  Zanimum 18:53, 20 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I've routed through all of the bios in Category:Producers, and all of the season pages, here's what I've found. I don't know who was exec producer from 2002 to 2004, though. --  Zanimum 14:45, 21 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Joan Ganz Cooney (1969-1970, executive producer)
 * Jon Stone (1969-1970, executive producer)
 * David D. Connell (1969-1970, producer)
 * Samuel Y. Gibbon, Jr. (1969-1970, producer)
 * Matt Robinson (1969-1970, producer)
 * David D. Connell (1969-1973, executive producer)
 * Jon Stone (1973-1982, executive producer)
 * Robert Cunniff (1973-1974, producer)
 * Dulcy Singer (1982-1993, executive producer)
 * Lisa Simon (1982-1992, producer)
 * Arlene Sherman (1982-1987, associate producer)
 * Arlene Sherman (1991-1992, coordinating producer)
 * Karin Young Shiel (1991-1992, associate producer)
 * Carol D. Mayes (1991-1992, associate producer)
 * Michael Loman (????-2002?, executive producer)
 * Arlene Sherman (2001-2002, co-executive)
 * Dr. Lewis Bernstein (-2006, executive producer)
 * Tim Carter (co-producer, 2005)
 * Carol-Lynn Parente (2006-, executive producer)
 * Melissa Dino (????-????, ??? producer)

umm... someone just edited the Wikipedia list to this new list. It might be more accurate, it might be less. -- Zanimum 16:40, 24 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Joan Ganz Cooney (1969-1970, executive producer)
 * Jon Stone (1969-1973, producer)
 * Samuel Y. Gibbon (1969-197?, producer)
 * Matt Robinson (1969-1970, producer)
 * David D. Connell (1969-1973, executive producer)
 * Jon Stone (1973-1982, executive producer)
 * Robert Cunniff (1973-1974, producer)
 * Dulcy Singer (1982-1993, executive producer)
 * Lisa Simon (1982-1992, producer)
 * Arlene Sherman (1982-1987, associate producer)
 * Arlene Sherman (1987-1995, coordinating producer)
 * Karin Young Shiel (1991-1992, associate producer)
 * Carol D. Mayes (1991-1992, associate producer)
 * Michael Loman (1993-2002, executive producer)
 * Arlene Sherman (2000-2002, co-executive)
 * Dr. Lewis Bernstein (2003-2005, executive producer)
 * Carol-Lynn Parente (2006-, executive producer)
 * Tim Carter (co-producer, 2004)
 * Melissa Dino (producer, 2001-)

More Questionable Inclusions
"The brownstone architecture of the Sesame Street set, as well as the concept of neighbors from different backgrounds living in the same area, sharing their life experiences, is purportedly based on a neighborhood in Brooklyn called Brooklyn Heights, where the creators lived when they first started the show." The statement came from the original Wikipedia version (though I added the qualifying purportedly), but nothing I've read in Lesser's book or the more recent Morrow tome on the series development mentions this (Morrow in fact specifically states that a different interior studio set, with child characters, was originally considered and some tests filmed). The fact that a vague "the creators" is included (Joan Ganz Cooney? Jim Henson? Joe Raposo? Matt Robinson, who came from Philadelphia?) also suggests that its a myth (though there is definitely a general consensus that the street was designed to resemble an inner-city area). I'm taking it out for now. Also, do we need the Wikipedia list of international versions? After all, we have a far more complete listing in our own International Sesame Street Shows category, which is already linked at the bottom. --Andrew, Aleal 04:09, 25 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Yeah, that looks like fiction to me. "Where the creators lived when they first started the show", as if they were all living together in a New York apartment when Joan Ganz Cooney said, hey, guys, how about we make a TV show?


 * I agree that the international list is questionable, and I feel the same way about the list of specials and videos. -- Danny Toughpigs 04:17, 25 March 2006 (UTC)


 * as if they were all living together in a New York apartment when Joan Ganz Cooney said, hey, guys, how about we make a TV show? Sort of a pedagogical Friends, yeah. Lesser, who was there, says nothing about it. Incidentally, Lesser has a surprisingly witty deadpan humor about aspects of the show's conception, such as Maurice Sendak participating in early advisory panels, creating doodles which "capture many themes (sex roles, penis envy, sibling vivalry) that entered the discussions but were not included in our goals or program content" (p. 55) I wish I could find a safe way to work that into the article! Lesser even includes the doodles as illustrations, along with some rich newspaper cartoons which would be a fun way to illustrate that Sesame Street Criticism page idea we tossed around awhile back. --Andrew, Aleal 04:29, 25 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Yes, please delete that brownstone bit. Some random person added it, I think I deleted it, he reverted it and asked me to comment, then got angry when I didn't immediately respond. Please delete. --  Zanimum 02:12, 28 March 2006 (UTC)


 * It's already gone. I've been slowly reworking through the "history" portion, using more reliable print sources. --Andrew, Aleal 02:19, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

Same Sex
Include? "Same-sex parenting may be an issue to feature in future series." Link to quote. --  Zanimum 16:48, 14 March 2006 (UTC)
 * No. That's pure speculation on the part of the reporter. -- Danny Toughpigs 16:57, 14 March 2006 (UTC)
 * You sure? Just because they didn't include a quote... they didn't say it wasn't in planning for season 42. --  Zanimum 02:13, 28 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Yeah, I'm sure. Do you remember the flack that PBS got over featuring a lesbian couple in Postcards From Buster a couple years ago? We can look forward to seeing same-sex parents on Sesame in season 442. -- Danny Toughpigs 02:18, 28 March 2006 (UTC)
 * It's clearly pure speculation. Note that the reporter uses "may" and it follows after talking about how ground-breaking the show is, suggesting that's the logical result in the future. An insane right-wing conservative made the same claim in 1974 after Women's Lib petitions led to Susan Robinson getting a job. That's the only source for the suggestion, and there's no indication that the writer did any actual interviewing or research to reach that conclusion. --Andrew, Aleal 02:22, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

Funding Removal
This page obviously needs a lot of cleanup and alteration from Wikipedia to Muppet Wiki standards (and we're obviously more exacting about accuracy re characters and content than educational impact, though even then, hard data could be incorporated. I removed the following, which I'm not even sure is from Wikipedia, an almost word for word transaction of the sponsorship closing:  Funding for season 35 of Sesame Street is provided by the Ready To Learn The No Child Left Behind Act and the U.S. Department of Education, The Public Broadcasting Service, Chuck E. Cheese's, and McDonald's. Major funding for Sesame Street is provided by The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by contributions to your PBS station from "Viewers Like You. --Andrew, Aleal 02:26, 4 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Also, is the I-Rom Hack bit at the end necessary? It might work better in its own page or slotted into Muppet Parodies. --Andrew, Aleal 03:07, 4 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Nah, that looks to me like it was probably added to the Wikipedia article by the guy who runs that website, trying to make himself sound important. Who cares about yet another internet Sesame slash thing?
 * Meanwhile, nice job on the overhaul! This is a big article, and you wrestled it to the ground. Nice! Now I gotta get to work on The Muppet Show -- I wrote a lot about the show for MuppetZine, and I want to adapt those articles into a for-real TMS article. At the moment, it's kind of lame that we don't have an article there! -- Danny Toughpigs 03:16, 4 March 2006 (UTC)
 * It still needs work. Eventually, it might be nice to include season overviews and such and other shifts and developments. Plus, in keeping with the spirit of Muppet Wiki, I'd like to double check some of the books by educators and such on the series and replace the rather bland and trite criticism section with some of the more interesting criticisms, such as the concern (mentioned in Sesame Street and the Reform of Children's Television) that Oscar represented complacent African Americans ("That cat should get out of the trash can and start protesting," I paraphrase), some choice comments on Buddy and Jim ("You feature bumbling adults.... your two grown men have trouble putting the letter W together"), the concern about Grover objectifying Maria when he says she's pretty, and my personal favroite, the extreme right-wing reviewer from 1971, left unnamed by Lesser but with dates and sources listed (possibly anonymous), who claims parents would be better off leaving their kids with Castro than Sesame Street, that the show is clearly pro-communist because Pete Seeger was a guest star, that it "indoctrinates them into an anti-Christian, anti-national, faceless, racless one-worldism," and ends by saying that Women's Lib pressure to make Susan Robinson a nurse could only mean that since "Sesame Street is already promoting bi-racial relationships, could it not under pressure from trhe gruff-voice gals gradually 'glorify' girl girl relationships?" --Andrew, ''Aleal 03:27, 4 March 2006 (UTC)""
 * Ooh, that's fantastic. I have some nice Sesame criticism too, not quite as crackpot but in the same area. I think around 1972 the BBC refused to show Sesame because it was too middle-class, something like that. We'll have to make a Sesame Criticism page with the best quotes. -- Danny Toughpigs 04:20, 4 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Oh, and about the article needing season overviews and everything -- hells yeah, it does, and we'll get to all of that eventually. The wiki grows and grows. We're coming up on our three month anniversary on Sunday -- three months! And we've got 6800 pages! And most of those pages have words on them! It's astonishing. -- Danny Toughpigs 04:23, 4 March 2006 (UTC)