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Sesame Street
Premiere November 12, 1990 (2746)
Finale May 10, 1991 (2875)
Episodes 130
2746j

Oscar is honored in a "Grouch Appreciation Day" banquet in the season premiere.

Song

"We Are All Earthlings"

2791j

In a week-long plot, Hooper's Store gets destroyed and remodeled.

Whoopi and hoots

Whoopi Goldberg appears with her friends Hoots and Elmo in segments dealing with pride.

2840f

In another week-long plot, Gordon leads the gang in turning a dirty, vacant lot into a community garden. NYC Mayor David Dinkins makes a special appearance to award Gordon for his efforts.

Cecille

"Cecille, you're off the wall!"

Big bird's birthday 1

The Sesame Street gang joins Big Bird in a roller-skating party to celebrate his birthday.

RWilliams.Elmo

Robin Williams shows Elmo what his imagination can do.

2776 05 Grouchelot

Oscar tells the story of Grouchelot and the Knights of the Broken Table.

Skin

"Skin"

3023 scene2b

Gordon meets Oscar's "charming" mother.

Elmo

Elmo attempts to scare Julia Roberts.

2805m

A Sesame Street rainbow of friends.

KidsFromFar&Wide

Kids far and wide show how they live around the world.

2815a

Maria and Gabi meet Benny (not bunny) Rabbit.

Song

"Moonshine"

Rheaperlman

Rhea Perlman guests as the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe when her home is uplifted by a hurricane.

3031d

Telly and the kids perform "One Small Voice" during a music lesson with Bob.

CongaCountingSong

"Conga Counting Song"

2854h

Merry Monster joins her new friends in playing football.

TwinBeaks

In an episode of Monsterpiece Theater, Cookie Monster finds himself in the story of Twin Beaks.

2855i

Tim Robbins finds himself the star of Prairie Dawn's pageant about the four seasons.

Song

"Lambaba"

2866c

Luis meets Baby Bear and Goldilocks.

Mirror10

"Hey, wubba, man!" The Simpsons make a cameo.

2874h

Bobby McFerrin performs at Birdland with an all-avian chorus.

2875 06c

Placido Flamingo presents "La Grouchiata" featuring opera star Wilhelmenia Fernandez.

Season_22_credit_crawl

Season 22 credit crawl

Credit crawl for season 22.

Sesame Street Season 22 aired from November 12, 1990, to May 10, 1991.

Overview[]

The show begins a four-year treatment about race relations, getting along with others, and appreciating everyone's similarities and differences.[1][2] Dulcy Singer, the show's executive producer, said about this season's theme, "We're recognizing and celebrating cultural differences - talking about color of skin, hair texture, situations where a child might be left out from a group because of his color."[3] Examples include one episode where Elmo is excluded from a game because of the color of his fur until one blue monster decides to give him a chance. In another episode, Big Bird and his friends are inspired to draw a rainbow made up of people and Muppets with varying skin, fur, and feather tones. The songs "Skin" and "No Matter What" also emphasize the similarities and differences in people, and the Kids Far and Wide series uses animations to explore other cultures around the world.

A particular emphasis is placed on race relations with the African-American community. Film segments include a Caucasian boy watching his dark-skinned friend partake in a capoeira dance class, a light-skinned girl visiting her friend Ieshia and observing how their hair and what they eat is different, and a boy from the city visiting his friend in the country. For the season premiere, Whoopi Goldberg teaches Elmo how his fur and her hair are different, but makes each of them special and proud of who they are.

Two week-long story arcs are featured during season 22 which emphasize the importance of community outreach and cooperation. When Hooper's Store falls apart due to a careless accident by Biff, the Sesame Street gang works together to help Mr. Handford (now played by David L. Smyrl) and Gina renovate the long-standing landmark. Later in the season, Gordon shows how one person can make a difference by getting everyone to help in cleaning a trash-loaded vacant lot into a community garden.

Characters and segments[]

This is the final year with teenage characters Mike, Alex, and Jelani, but also the beginning of the tap-dancing virtuoso Savion in a recurring role; after making some guest appearances he will become a cast member next season. Season 22 also introduces Telly Monster's passion for triangles, so much so that he is a member of the Triangle Lovers Club, led by the Grand High Triangle Lover who is always assisted by his noisy flunky Norman. A couple of characters introduced the previous year are tried out with bigger starring roles, namely the small but boisterous Merry Monster and the cantankerous Benny Rabbit, who despises the cute persona that most bunnies are associated with. Oscar the Grouch gets a visit from his nagging and criticizing mother (showing the rotten apple doesn't fall far from the tree), and Natasha's father leaves Maria in charge of his child, who has just started to crawl and can outrun any of her babysitters. Country singer Polly Darton introduces her back-up group the Git Along Little Doggies, and near the end of the season, Luis meets fairy tale characters Baby Bear and Goldilocks when the former brings his wee little chair to the Fix-It Shop for repairs.

Cecille the Ball makes her debut in four segments animated by Will Vinton's studios, while the Pixar animation studios provided inserts featuring Luxo Jr.. Colonel Travel spins the globe and takes viewers around the exotic lands of England, New Zealand, and Canada. The "Kid Portrait" segments featured children drawing pictures of their friends, helping to further the lessons on race relations. Sesame Street's original goals of teaching letters and numbers haven't been forgotten, as shorter subject pieces feature counting sequences by Sally Cruikshank and capital and small letters being displayed on the surfaces of planets in outer space.

Episodes[]

Episodes 2746 - 2875 (130 episodes)

Notes[]

  • Starting this season, cold open scenes are used to set up the story lines of several episodes. This method would continue through Season 29.

Cast[]

Cast
Alison Bartlett, Lisa Boggs, Linda Bove, Eugene Byrd, Alexis Cruz, Emilio Delgado, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bill McCutcheon, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Ward Saxton, David L. Smyrl, Lillias White (Uncredited: Donald Faison, Savion Glover, Miles Orman, Gabriela Rose Reagan)
Puppet Performers[note 1]
Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Camille Bonora, Fran Brill, David Rudman, Pam Arciero, Jim Martin, Judy Sladky, Fred Garbo, Bryant Young, Rick Lyon, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr (uncredited: Kevin Carlson, Ed Christie, Barry Link, Peter MacKennan, Kathryn Mullen, Mark Zeszotek)
Guest Stars
Marv Albert, María Conchita Alonso, Candice Bergen, Lee Chamberlin, Ray Charles, Chubby Checker, Glenn Close, Bill Cobbs, Tyne Daly, Geena Davis, Bo Diddley, David Dinkins, Roger Ebert, Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Frances Foster, Ernesto Gasco, Whoopi Goldberg, Jeff Goldblum, Kadeem Hardison, Phil Hartman, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Bo Jackson, Victoria Jackson, Waylon Jennings, Kid 'n Play, Robert MacNeil, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin, Rhea Perlman, Lou Diamond Phillips, Tim Robbins, Julia Roberts, Steven Schub, The Simpsons, Gene Siskel, Jeff Smith, Randy Travis, Tracey Ullman, Blair Underwood, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Robin Williams

Characters[]

Humans
Gordon, Susan, Maria, Luis, Linda, Bob, Uncle Wally, Gina, Miles, Mr. Macintosh, Gabi, Mr. Handford, Mike, Savion, Jelani, Alex, Lisa, Lillian, Duane
Muppets
Alice Snuffleupagus, Anything Muppets, the Amazing Mumford, Athena, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Barkley, Benny Rabbit, Bert, Betty Lou, Biff, Big Bird, Big Jeffie, Bruno the Trashman, Buster the Horse, Chicago the Lion, Chip and Dip, Clementine, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Dingers, Don Music, Elmo, Ernie, Flo Bear, Fluffy, Forgetful Jones, Gladys the Cow, Goldilocks, The Grand High Triangle Lover, Mrs. Grouch, Grover, Grundgetta, Guy Smiley, Herry Monster, Humphrey, Honkers, Hoots the Owl, Mr. Johnson, Juliet, Irvine, Little Bird, Little Chrissy, The Martians, Merry Monster, Norman, The Oinker Sisters, Oscar the Grouch, Placido Flamingo, Polly Darton, Prairie Dawn, Preston Rabbit, Ruby, Rudder Rabbit, Shelley the Turtle, Sherlock Hemlock, Simon Soundman, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sonny Friendly, Stella, Sully, Telly Monster, Two-Headed Monster, Vincent Twice, Watson, Wolfgang the Seal

Credits[]

Sources[]

  1. Truglio and Fisch. G is for Growing. p. 33
  2. The New York Times: Reviews/Television; 'Sesame Street' Talking About Race, From A to Z
  3. The Milwaukee Journal: 'Sesame Street' celebrates our differences
  4. writer for "Pavlov's Waiter" sketch (First: Episode 2848); per Season 22 spreadsheet
  5. writer for Episode 2852; per script
  6. writer for "Space Lab-1" sketch (First: Episode 2862); per Season 22 spreadsheet
  7. writer for Episode 2778; per script
  8. writer for "The Legend of Big Mouth"; per Season 22 spreadsheet

Footnote

  1. For only this season, as well as for concurrent productions during 1990-91, the Sesame Street Muppets are referred to in credits as "Sesame Street Puppet Characters." The Muppet Performers themselves are credited as "Puppet Performers."



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Season 21 (1989-1990) Season 23 (1991-1992)
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