Season 23 (1991-1992)

Sesame Street Season 23 aired from November 11, 1991 to May 8, 1992.

Overview

Season 23 continues its four-year curriculum on race relations with the focus on the American Indian this season. Young viewers will get to see how American Indian children live and recognize general cultural similarities and differences among American Indian nations. Big Bird and cast members travel to Pryor, Montana to visit a Crow Indiana reservation and witness an authentic Crow Indian naming ceremony for 7-year-old Francis Bear Claw.^[1]

This season also introduces new Muppet characters such as Roxie Marie, a Latina monster named Rosita, Monty, Colambo, Baby Tooth and the Fuzzy Funk and a vegetarian lion named Chicago.^[1][2]

Episodes

Episodes 2876 - 3005 (130 episodes)

• Episode 2876 -- 23rd season premiere; Floyd the Fluter-tooter needs a new home
• Episode 2877 -- Big Bird teaches Barkley some tricks
• Episode 2878 -- Biff lectures with Brittney
• Episode 2879 -- The Happiest People in the World
• Episode 2880 -- Big Bird goes to Frances' house
• Episode 2881 -- Montana Day 1 – Preparing to leave
• Episode 2882 -- Montana Day 2 – Arriving in Montana
• Episode 2883 -- Montana Day 3 – Learning about horses
• Episode 2884 -- Montana Day 4 – Big Bird's letters/Arrow Creek picnic
• Episode 2885 -- Montana Day 5 – Frances' ceremony
• Episode 2886 -- Return from Montana
• Episode 2887 -- Telly and the dogs
• Episode 2888 -- Rosita debuts
• Episode 2889 -- Slimey flies a balloon
• Episode 2890 -- The Singing and Whispering Friends
• Episode 2891 -- A park for Slimey (repeat)
• Episode 2892 -- Monster detectives (repeat)
• Episode 2893 -- Athena's bird-day party (repeat)
• Episode 2894 -- Old MacDonald relocates to Sesame Street (repeat)
• Episode 2895 -- Oscar's brother Ernest visits (repeat)
• Episode 2896 -- Telly plays with an empty carton (repeat)
• Episode 2897 -- Sleepytime on Sesame Street (repeat)
• Episode 2898 -- Preston's "Illustration Activation" machine (repeat)
• Episode 2899 -- Bob accompanies Oscar to Grouchytown (repeat)
• Episode 2900 -- Ruby and Tatyana pretend they're adults (repeat)
• Episode 2901 -- Slimey is hurt skydiving (repeat)
• Episode 2902 -- Telly watches Wolfgang (repeat)
• Episode 2903 -- Elmo in Numberland (repeat)
• Episode 2904 -- Luis cleans the apartment (repeat)
• Episode 2905 -- Oscar writes to Grundgetta (repeat)
• Episode 2906 -- Bob's music lesson
• Episode 2907 -- Bongos at Hooper's Store
• Episode 2908 -- Snuffy's lecture series
• Episode 2909 -- Baby Bear tries to hide from Goldilocks
• Episode 2910 -- Roxie Marie and Elmo capture a Doozy bug
• Episode 2911 -- Chicago goes hunting
• Episode 2912 -- Slimey's at worm school
• Episode 2913 -- Young MacDonald's circus
• Episode 2914 -- Gus guesses music
• Episode 2915 -- Oscar gets a visit from his mother
• Episode 2916 -- Gina babysits Elmo (repeat)
• Episode 2917 -- A day with Hiroshi (repeat)
• Episode 2918 -- Linda gets a closed-captioning decoder (repeat)
• Episode 2919 -- The Important Report (repeat)
• Episode 2920 -- Ruby experiments with eyes (repeat)
• Episode 2921 -- Sally Field's impressions
• Episode 2922 -- Celebrating Around Day
• Episode 2923 -- Speedy van Gough paints a mural
• Episode 2924 -- Merry scares people/Chicago visits the library
• Episode 2925 -- Taking care of Natasha
• Episode 2926 -- Word play on Sesame Street
• Episode 2927 -- Oscar's GO sign
• Episode 2928 -- Biff disturbs Bob's morning
• Episode 2929 -- Mr. Big visits
• Episode 2930 -- Elmo's alphabet collection
• Episode 2931 -- Just another day on Sesame Street
• Episode 2932 -- Prairie Dawn hangs out with Snuffy
• Episode 2933 -- Another day on the street
• Episode 2934 -- A day with Debra
• Episode 2935 -- Oscar uses Disappear-o
• Episode 2936 -- Elmo stands on his head/Bob babysits Natasha
• Episode 2937 -- Visiting the Grouch grocery store
• Episode 2938 -- Big Bird's "Yellow Ambition Rock Concert Tour"!
• Episode 2939 -- A ridiculous day with Monty
• Episode 2940 -- Elmo's newspaper
• Episode 2941 -- Elmo pretends he's a flower
• Episode 2942 -- Mr. Handford and the pogo stick
• Episode 2943 -- Prince Charming chooses Gabi as his love
• Episode 2944
• Episode 2945 -- A chilly day on Sesame Street
• Episode 2946 -- Monty bothers Prairie Dawn
• Episode 2947 -- A day at Bob's
• Episode 2948 -- Writing with Flo Bear
• Episode 2949 -- Mumford's dancing spell
• Episode 2950 -- Elmo loves his head
• Episode 2951 -- Wanda the Word Fairy visits
• Episode 2952 -- Grundgetta gets nice-lessons
• Episode 2953 -- Telly breaks Luis' vase
• Episode 2954 -- Alice needs to take a nap
• Episode 2955 -- Telly doesn't want to give up his blanket
• Episode 2956 -- Telly sees a giant number 11
• Episode 2957 -- Telly waits for Radish Dude
• Episode 2958
• Episode 2959 -- Linda uses a sander
• Episode 2960 -- Luis, Gordon and Wolfgang go fishing
• Episode 2961 -- The Opposite Show
• Episode 2962 -- Luis is bothered at work
• Episode 2963 -- Elmo wants to be like the Count
• Episode 2964 -- Granny Molly Darton visits
• Episode 2965 -- Elmo finds out about people's careers
• Episode 2966 -- Telly is Grand High Triangle Lover for a day
• Episode 2967 -- Gina calls out sick
• Episode 2968 -- Linda signs foods/Gordon and Bob make music
• Episode 2969 -- Grouches protest the letter L
• Episode 2970 -- The Great Nineteeni
• Episode 2971 -- There's a flood in Oscar's can.
• Episode 2972 -- Singing "London Bridge"
• Episode 2973 -- Kalamazoo!
• Episode 2974 -- Ruby uses magnets
• Episode 2975 -- Singbad the Sailor
• Episode 2976 -- Irvine joins the Birdketeers
• Episode 2977 -- Big Bird moves his nest
• Episode 2978 -- Barkley tries to join Polly Darton's band
• Episode 2979 -- Just another day
• Episode 2980 -- Launching a lamb into space/The Toothpaste Fairy
• Episode 2981 -- Elmo pretends he is as big as Gordon
• Episode 2982 -- Oscar gears up/Elmo the toy
• Episode 2983 -- Barkley steals the sponsors
• Episode 2984 -- Big Bird's doorbell
• Episode 2985 -- Jelani works at Birdland (repeat)
• Episode 2986 -- Elmo asks questions
• Episode 2987 -- Herry celebrates a winning football game
• Episode 2988 -- Maribelle's broken cowbell
• Episode 2989
• Episode 2990 -- CinderTelly
• Episode 2991 -- Telly plays Señor Zero Jr.!
• Episode 2992 -- Chicago wants vegetables/"Not a Dog Show"
• Episode 2993 -- Telly learns about baseball
• Episode 2994 -- What You Hear is What You Get
• Episode 2995 -- "The Sad King Pierre," and other inserts
• Episode 2996 -- A tribute to the word "agua"
• Episode 2997 -- Elmo at daycare
• Episode 2998 -- Wolfgang's stuck ball/Monty's interruptions
• Episode 2999 -- Telly pretends to be a cowboy
• Episode 3000
• Episode 3001 -- The Elmo-mobile
• Episode 3002 -- Telly asks a question
• Episode 3003 -- Voting on whether to spend money on crayons or juice
• Episode 3004
• Episode 3005 -- 23rd season finale; Elmo practices

Notes

• This was the last season to use the original Sesame Street opening and closing themes.

• This was the final season to feature Uncle Wally.

• This was Richard Hunt's last season before his passing in January 1992. Many episodes featuring him recorded prior aired posthumously. Hunt would continue to be a credited performer on the show through season 31.

• This is the final season to include the funky instrumental refrain of the Sesame Street theme (used since 1972) during the funding credits.

• In this season, and after Season 25, the closing credit sequence, which typically appeared on Friday episodes, is also shown during the season premiere.

• For the first time since 1977, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting resumed funding Sesame Street, which would continue in succeeding seasons (except for season 30).

Cast

Cast

Alison Bartlett, Linda Bove, Emilio Delgado, Savion Glover, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bill McCutcheon, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, David L. Smyrl, Lillias White (uncredited: Lisa Boggs, Donald Faison, Miles Orman, Gabriela Rose Reagan)

Muppet Performers

Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, David Rudman, Camille Bonora, Pam Arciero, Jim Martin, Judy Sladky, Fred Garbo, Bryant Young, Rick Lyon, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr (Uncredited: Julianne Buescher, Louise Gold, Paul Hartis, Jim Kroupa, Peter Linz, Peter MacKennan, Noel MacNeal, Alison Mork, Kathryn Mullen)

Guest Stars

Blair Brown, Johnny Cash, En Vogue, Gloria Estefan, Sally Field, Gregory Hines, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Isaiah Thomas, Robert Townsend

Characters

Humans

Maria, Savion, Gordon, Gina, Luis, Bob, Susan, Linda, Gabi, Miles, Mr. Handford, Lillian, Uncle Wally, Lisa, Duane

Muppets

Alice Snuffleupagus, The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Barkley, Baby Tooth and the Fuzzy Funk, Benny Rabbit, Bert, Big Bird, Chicago the Lion, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Cyranose de Bergerac, Elmo, Ernie, Frazzle, Grover, Grundgetta, Honkers, Herry Monster, Hoots the Owl, Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats, Merry Monster, Monty, Nora Nicks, Oscar the Grouch, Polly Darton, Prairie Dawn, Preston Rabbit, Rosita, Roxie Marie, Ruby, Sherlock Hemlock, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sonny Friendly, Telly Monster, Two-Headed Monster, Vincent Twice, Watson

Credits

• Executive Producer: Dulcy Singer
• Producer: Lisa Simon
• Directors: Emily Squires, Jon Stone, Lisa Simon, Ted May
• Head Writer: Norman Stiles
• Writers: Nancy Sans, Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, Sonia Manzano, Cathi Rosenberg-Turow, Belinda Ward, Lou Berger, David Korr, Josh Selig, Jeff Moss, John Weidman, Sara Compton, Luis Santeiro, Molly Boylan, David Johnson, Joe Mazzarino, Ian James, Emily Perl Kingsley, Mark Saltzman, Jon Stone
• Coordinating Producer: Arlene Sherman
• Associate Producers: Karin Young, Carol D. Mayes
• Muppets, Costumes, Props: Ed Christie, with Mark Zeszotek, Paul Hartis, Laurent Linn, Peter MacKennan, Connie Peterson, Stephan Rotondaro, Caroly Wilcox
• Muppet Coordinator: Kevin Clash
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Associate Music Director: Dave Conner
• Special Songs: Chris Cerf, Jeff Moss, Tony Geiss, Stephen Lawrence, Cheryl Hardwick, Sarah Durkee, Paul Jacobs, Dave Conner
• Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
• Editing Supervisor: Robert J. Emerick
• Associate Directors: Robert J. Emerick, Arlene Sherman, Ted May, Eulogio Ortiz Jr., Cher Jung, Diane P. Mitchell, Craig Bigelow
• Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
• Costume Designer: Bill Kellard
• Assistant Costume Designer: Terry Roberson
• Graphic Designer: Mike Pantuso
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Art Director: Bob Phillips
• Production Stage Managers: Chet O'Brien, Ric E. Anderson
• Stage Managers: Mortimer J. O'Brien, Hank Smith, Rose Riggins
• Curriculum Coordinator: Diane P. Mitchell
• Assistant to the Producers: Danette DeSena
• Production Assistants: Cher Jung, Tim Carter, Gabrielle Howard, Leslie Brothers, Christine Ferraro, Ruth Luwisch, Carol-Lynn Parente
• Script Coordinator: Thelma Moses
• Children's Casting: Kim Wilson
• Unit Manager: Eleanor McIntosh
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Lighting Director: Bill Berner
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
• Audio: Blake Norton, Tim Lester
• Video: Dick Sens
• Cameras: Frank Biondo, Dave Driscoll
• Videotape Editor: Evamarie Keller
• Electronic Maintenance: Rolf Wahl
• Make-Up: Lee Halls
• Hair Stylist: Karen Specht
• Wardrobe: Colleen Noe
• Assistant Vice President, Production Research: Valeria Lovelace, Ph.D.
• Vice President, Production Research: Bettina Peel
• Vice President for Research: Keith Mielke, Ph.D.
• Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald Lesser, Ph.D.
• Vice President for Production: Franklin Getchell
• Facilities by Unitel Video, Inc.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Beaver Country Times: 'Sesame Street' family growing
2. ↑ St. Petersburg Times: "Sesame Street" begins 23rd season - November 11, 1991