Muppet Wiki

✅ Log in to Muppet Wiki to hide ads

Visit Special:Community to learn how you can contribute!

READ MORE

Muppet Wiki
Muppet Wiki
Muppet Wiki
51,653
pages
in: Sesame Street Seasons

Season 29 (1997-1998)

Sign in to edit
Sesame Street
Premiere November 17, 1997 (3656)
Finale May 15, 1998 (3785)
Episodes 130
[Season 29 segments]
Season 29 focuses on space and science, over half of which is dedicated to .

Season 29 focuses on space and science, over half of which is dedicated to Slimey going to the moon.

In the , Big Bird meets Jerome, a new friend who just moved to the street.

In the season premiere, Big Bird meets Jerome, a new friend who just moved to the street.

Ernie and Bert sing about the .

Ernie and Bert sing about the things that they remember.

Telly and Baby Bear form the "Best Friends Poconoko Club

Telly and Baby Bear form the "Best Friends Poconoko Club."

"?"

"Did you ever want to see what the birdies see?"

and the Muppets at the launch of the Wiggleprise in .

Lynne Thigpen and the Muppets at the launch of the Wiggleprise in Episode 3698.

Nedd observes the moon; Noodles observes his empty tummy.

Nedd observes the moon; Noodles observes his empty tummy.

Telly panics when the famous Sesame Street sign goes missing.

Telly panics when the famous Sesame Street sign goes missing.

The "" form a letter D in zero gravity.

The "Worms in Space" form a letter D in zero gravity.

Telly's cousin visits from the country.

Telly's cousin Tammy visits from the country.

"Great Moments at the Sink" observes daily routines with sports commentary.

"Great Moments at the Sink" observes daily routines with sports commentary.

Big Bird celebrates Monster Day with friends.

Big Bird celebrates Monster Day with friends.

leads a buggy opera.

Denyce Graves leads a buggy opera.

Baby Bear overcomes sibling rivalry when his baby cousin visits, foreshadowing similar issues when is born.

Baby Bear overcomes sibling rivalry when his baby cousin visits, foreshadowing similar issues when his little sister is born.

No park bench is safe for , even on Sesame Street!

No park bench is safe for Gladys Ormphby, even on Sesame Street!

Kermit the Frog (seen here with ) makes his first new appearance on the show since 1990, covering the events of the moon trip in and .

Kermit the Frog (seen here with Robert MacNeil) makes his first new appearance on the show since 1990, covering the events of the moon trip in Episode 3740 and Episode 3785.

The worm astronauts on the moon's surface.

The worm astronauts on the moon's surface.

Miles and Gabi visit Space Camp.

Miles and Gabi visit Space Camp.

"" with

"Slimey to the Moon" with Tony Bennett

Tarah's chair becomes the Grouch Float for a yearly parade.

Tarah's chair becomes the Grouch Float for a yearly parade.

' Monster Music Class

Wynton Marsalis' Monster Music Class

Snuffy's little sister goes to day care for the first time...

Snuffy's little sister goes to day care for the first time...

... as does grown-up .

... as does grown-up Benny Rabbit.

""

"Girl of the World"

Telly and Baby Bear go camping in the woods.

Telly and Baby Bear go camping in the woods.

""

"Count Me In"

Telly enters a tongue-twisting contest with help from Rosita.

Telly enters a tongue-twisting contest with help from Rosita.

dances with all 26 letters of the alphabet.

Ángel Corella dances with all 26 letters of the alphabet.

Slimey arrives home in the .

Slimey arrives home in the season finale.

This season was dedicated to producer, director, and writer .

This season was dedicated to producer, director, and writer Jon Stone.

Season_29_credit_crawl

Season 29 credit crawl

The season 29 credit crawl.

Sesame Street Season 29 aired from November 17, 1997, to May 15, 1998.

Overview[]

The season's main focus is "The Science of Discovery,"[1] featuring many story lines pertaining to the excitement of exploring science, the most prominent being the "Slimey to the Moon" story line told over the course of an 18-week arc. When Oscar the Grouch's pet worm Slimey becomes inspired to be an astronaut, he applies and is accepted into WASA - the Worm Air and Space Agency. He and four other very brave, very smart, very cute little worms venture into space on a voyage to the moon, all while Oscar anxiously (yet proudly) waits for the return of his best friend. "This is probably the most ambitious season we've ever tried," says supervising producer Arlene Sherman. "We're stretching into outer space, but we're also recreating the special sense of community that exists back on Sesame Street. This is the street where everyone really cares for everyone else. It's wonderful to see it take shape."[1]

Additional lessons on previously established curriculum goals are integrated into the season as well. Lessons on "What's Alive" and "Body Parts and Senses" are emphasized as part of the "Science of Discovery" initiative,[2] exploring these concepts in the daily lives of children. Examples include the song "They're Not Alive" (sung by Darlene Love) and Stinky the Stinkweed visiting Gina's Family Day Care to explain how plants grow. Other science lessons feature Bill Nye teaching Big Bird and Elmo how levers and balance work using the see-saw in the park, Tracy Chapman singing about asking "Questions," animations where a bunny and a cat play with their shadows, and Kermit the Frog demonstrating the difference between "light" and "dark."

The season features the return of special themed weeks (introduced the previous year) where each episode in the week pertains to a specific concept. Five of the weeks focus on music (shows 3721 through 3725), health and safety (3731 - 3735), literacy (3766 - 3770) and laughter (3776 - 3780).[1]

Characters and segments[]

Introduced at the end of the season premiere is Elizabeth, a Muppet child who hails from Brooklyn. Another young girl character is Alice Kadeezenberry, who shows off her problem solving skills in a series of animated segments, the last to be done for the show by longtime Sesame Street film collaborator Paul Fierlinger. Flash Gizmo, Space Cadet teaches relational concepts in space, and pantomime scenarios are portrayed by the duo Noodles & Nedd.

To further the "Science of Discovery" lessons, letters and numbers are taught by shorter segments where astronauts assemble them from satellite panels or they are formed by comets and stars. Slimey and the worm astronauts would have a recurring segment of their own: "Worms in Space."

This was the final season for the "Around the Corner" set introduced in season 25, and would be the final appearance for several newer characters such as Celina, Carlo, and Lexine who made their debut with it; this would also be the final year with Mr. Handford, who owned Hooper's Store since 1989.

Episodes[]

Episodes 3656 - 3785 (130 episodes)

Notes[]

  • Episodes aired during Slimey's moon mission story arc would always end with the progress of Slimey's moon mission, typically by a character (usually the one announcing the sponsors) reminding the viewer: "... and Slimey's spaceship is still on its way to the moon," then "... and Slimey's spaceship is still on its way back to Sesame Street" for the return trip. Episodes that recycled street scenes from the 27th season would include a generic bumper at the end of the episode, with Martin P. Robinson announcing the same lines (depending on the progress of the mission) accompanied by the Worms in Space theme music.
  • Children's Television Workshop introduces a new logo design based on the rounded top of the Sesame Street sign. A brief animation of the logo would follow the "Coming Soon" preview at each episode's conclusion.
  • This was the last season produced with 130 episodes.
  • This was the final season before the filming of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, though the film would be released five months after Season 30. This is evidenced by Alan Muraoka's absence in the movie, Hooper's Store retaining its original exterior design, and the inclusion of the Around the Corner sets.
  • Several episodes from this season were later rebroadcast in 1999 shortly before the premiere of Season 31, most of them being from the "Slimey to the Moon" storyline. Some inserts and songs produced that year would debut in some of the re-aired episodes.

Cast[]

Cast
Carlo Alban, Alison Bartlett-O'Reilly, Lexine Bondoc, Linda Bove, Ruth Buzzi, Desiree Casado, Annette Calud, Emilio Delgado, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Imani Patterson, Tarah Schaeffer, David L. Smyrl
Jim Henson's Muppets
Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, David Rudman, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr, Alice Dinnean, Pam Arciero, Judy Sladky, Jim Martin, Bryant Young, Bruce Connelly, Lisa Buckley, Peter Linz, Noel MacNeal, Rick Lyon, Steve Whitmire (Uncredited: Stephanie D'Abruzzo, John Kennedy, John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel)
Guest Stars
Erykah Badu, Tony Bennett, Tracy Chapman, Anthony Clark, Angel Corella, Dominique Dawes, Celine Dion, Doug E. Doug, Dennis Franz, Denyce Graves, Rebecca Lobo, Robert MacNeil, Wynton Marsalis, Mark McEwen, Bill Nye, Mario Runco, Lynne Thigpen, Alice Walker

Characters[]

Humans
Gordon, Susan, Maria, Luis, Gabi, Miles, Carlo, Lexine, Celina, Gina, Mr. Handford, Bob, Linda, Ruthie, Tarah, WASA Training Officer
Muppets
Alice Snuffleupagus, The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Baby Tooth and the Fuzzy Funk, Barkley, Benny Rabbit, Bert, Betty Lou, Biff, Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, The Count, Dingers, Dusty and Eartha, The Elephant, Elizabeth, Elmo, Ernie, The Fairy Godperson, Farley, Frazzle, Goldilocks, The Grand High Triangle Lover, Grover, Grundgetta, Herry Monster, Honkers, Humphrey, Ingrid, Irvine, Jerome, Joey and Davey Monkey, Mr. Johnson, Kermit the Frog, Kingston Livingston III, Loretta, Lurlene, Mama Bear, The Martians, Merry Monster, Mimsy, Mommy Snuffleupagus, Mrs. Grouch, Norman, The Oinker Sisters, Oliver, Oscar the Grouch, Papa Bear, Penguins, Poco Loco, Prairie Dawn, Professor Albert Einslime, Rosita, Selma Worm, Shelley the Turtle, Sherry Netherland, Simon Soundman, Slimey, Sloppy, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Stinky the Stinkweed, Telly, The Three Little Pigs, Two-Headed Monster, Wolfgang the Seal, Zoe

Credits[]

Sources[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Sesame Street: The TV Show (Season 29) at CTW.org (archived)
  2. ↑ Truglio and Fisch. G is for Growing. p. 67-69


Previous season: Next season:
Season 28 (1996-1997) Season 30 (1998-1999)
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.