Count It Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street

Count It Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street is a 30-minute direct-to-video compilation originally released on VHS in 1988, as part of the My Sesame Street Home Video series. The title was reissued in the 1990s under the same title, and on DVD in 2005 simply as Count It Higher.

In the video, Count von Count hosts a music video countdown show on the fictional SMV (Sesame Music Video) television network. He counts down the top Sesame Street music videos. Each song is presented with fake music video-style credits added (though "Wet Paint" originally had music video credits outside of the video).

Segments

Picture	Segment	Description
	FRAME 1	The announcer introduces The Count's countdown show, which kicks off with the #7 video of the week. The Count's favorite part is counting backwards to a film leader countdown that precedes the video.
	Muppets	Song #7: "The Ten Commandments of Health" Dr. Thad and the Medications from the album Advice You Can Count On Medical Records (First: Episode 1139)
	FRAME 2	The Count introduces the next video, featuring "the world's hottest frog, Kermit, proudly hopping to the surging rhythms of..."
	Muppets	Song #6: "Doo Wop Hop" Kermit the Frog from the album I'm Green and I'm Proud Polywog Records (First: Episode 2071)
	FRAME 3‎	After the song, the Count mentions the number of jumps Kermit and the animals made.
	FRAME 3 cont'd	Big Bird makes a celebrity guest appearance and requests a rock and roll song for the next video. The Count then introduces...
	Muppets	Song #5: "ZZ Blues" Over the Top from the album On A Clear Day I Can Z Forever US Snooze Records (Ending edited) (First: Episode 2317)
	FRAME 4	The Count introduces a bonus video...‎
	Muppets	"Honk Around the Clock" The Honkers from the album Play Through The Nose Oogah Records (First: Episode 1631)
	FRAME 5	After the video, the Count is seen counting the bricks, but leaves off on his 453rd brick to resume his hosting duties. He introduces another celebrity promo...
	FRAME 5 cont'd	...with Oscar the Grouch, who wishes viewers a rotten day and requests that the Count play a moldy oldie.
	Muppets	Song #4: "Letter B" The Beetles from the album Sesame Road Lemon Records (Beginning cut) (First: Episode 1495)
	FRAME 6	The Count introduces the next video, starring a group who "milked" their talent for all it's worth: How Now Brown and the Moo Wave.
	Muppets	Song #3: "Wet Paint" How Now Brown Cow from the album Signs of the Times Mootown Records (Beginning and ending edited) (First: Episode 2033)
	FRAME 7	The Count introduces the next song, which splashed it's way up to the #2 spot.
	Muppets	Song #2: "Do De Rubber Duck" Ernie and Friends from the motion picture The Harder They Scrub. (First: Episode 2304)
	FRAME 8	After the video, the Count points out his own appearance in the song, and how many bubbles he counted in it. Finally, the Count introduces the #1 video. He informs regular viewers of the program that they can always count on the same song being #1 every week, because it's his favorite.
	Muppets	Song #1: "Count It Higher" Chris and the Alphabeats from the album Letters of Love Broken Records (First: Episode 0553)
	FRAME 9	The Count wraps up another edition of his countdown show, and tells viewers to tune in next week, when "Count it Higher" will be #1 once again.

Releases

Booklet

Notes

The picture on top of the Count's television is of Joe Raposo.
The name "Sesame Music Video" was previously used for an MTV VJ parody intro seen in initial airings of "Wet Paint."
The original 1988 VHS release came with a songbook of lyrics for all the songs in the video.
David Rudman assisted in the puppeteering of the Count in the framing scenes.^[1]
Grover is seen in the original activity book to the video, but is not present in the video itself.

Cast

Muppet Performers

Jerry Nelson as Count von Count, Over the Top lead singer, Biff, and Hot Pink Alphabeat
Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Richard Hunt as Beetles lead singer, Gladys the Cow, and Green Alphabeat
Martin P. Robinson as SMV Announcer and Telly Monster
Kevin Clash as Hoots the Owl
Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog, Ernie, and Guy Smiley
Frank Oz
Pam Arciero as Black and White Moo Wave Cow (puppeteer)^[2]
Cheryl Blaylock

Camille Bonora
Fran Brill
Ed Christie
Michael Huston
Jim Kroupa
Noel MacNeal as Oscar in "Do De Rubber Duck" (puppeteer), Dog in "Doo Wop Hop"^[3]
Brian Muehl
David Rudman as Count von Count (right-hand), Kermit in "Do De Rubber Duck" (puppeteer), Over the Top drummer^[1]

Uncredited Vocals

Thad Mumford as Dr. Thad
Christopher Cerf as How Now Brown, Little Chrissy, "Honk Around the Clock" lead vocals, Medications Singer, and one of the Alphabeats
Jeff Moss as Lavender Alphabeat
Ivy Austin and Tish Sommers Rabe as Moo Wave Cow vocals

Credits

Executive Producer: Jon Stone
Producer: Sonia Rosario
Director: Jon Stone
Writer: Christopher Cerf
Segment Writers: Thad Mumford, Norman Stiles, Tony Geiss, Jon Stone
Songs by: Christopher Cerf, Thad Mumford, Norman Stiles, Sarah Durkee, Tony Geiss, Jon Stone

Sources

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Email communication from David Rudman to G. Kieran. July 16, 2013
↑ Facebook communication between Pam Arciero and G. Kieran. March 7, 2011
↑ Facebook communication from Noel MacNeal to G. Kieran. February 3, 2012

[rudman-0] 1.0 ^1.1 Email communication from David Rudman to G. Kieran. July 16, 2013

[1] Facebook communication between Pam Arciero and G. Kieran. March 7, 2011

[2] Facebook communication from Noel MacNeal to G. Kieran. February 3, 2012

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