Season 30 (1998-1999)

Sesame Street
Premiere	November 16, 1998 (3786)
Finale	May 7, 1999 (3850)
Episodes	65

Cast of Season 30. (Note that Ruthie, though her Finders Keepers shop is no longer on the set, is still a cast member.)

Title card for Episode 3786, the first show of the season.

Alan's first appearance on Sesame Street.

Elmo's World debuted this season.

The format of the show is revised. Like the earliest episodes, characters would often introduce segments, or characters associated with inserts would appear on the street before or after their clip was shown. At times, they even appeared in the videos. Here, Big Bird appears in the "Ookyook" song.

Zoe gets her very own Zoemobile in Episode 3789. She would eventually stop being seen with it by Season 34.

Herry Monster stars in the recurring Monsters in Day Care segments.

Patti LaBelle and the Muppets perform "Gospel Alphabet."

A collectible sculpt of this cast photo was available to purchase.

Sesame Street Season 30 aired from November 16, 1998 to May 7, 1999.

Overview

Starting this season, the focus would be geared toward the main cast of characters. Also, the season emphasizes the use of classic Sesame Street songs, such as "Sing" and "The People in Your Neighborhood", for the idea of getting kids to sing along and familiarize with the songs and also to attract parents who were fans when they were young.

Episodes

Episodes 3786 - 3850 (65 episodes)

• Episode 3786 -- Welcoming Alan
• Episode 3787 -- Gina studies to be a vet
• Episode 3788 -- The world's longest hide & seek game
• Episode 3789 -- Zoe's new Zoemobile
• Episode 3790 -- Miles' video project
• Episode 3791 -- Maria watches pets at the Fix-It Shop
• Episode 3792 -- Old MacDonald's duck gets the moos
• Episode 3793 -- Herry spends the night at Gabi's
• Episode 3794 -- Luis teaches Rosita to play the guitar
• Episode 3795 -- Zoe uses Telly's pogo stick
• Episode 3796 -- Telly And Baby Bear Take Turns Wearing Papa Bear's Hat
• Episode 3797 -- The Countketeers
• Episode 3798 -- Telly pretends to be a dog
• Episode 3799 -- Zoe and Elmo take turns
• Episode 3800 -- V-Day
• Episode 3801 -- Rosita's and Telly's Fix-It Shop
• Episode 3802 -- Big Bird and Zoe have colds
• Episode 3803 -- Gordon wants to practice his flute
• Episode 3804 -- Big Bird can't get "C is for Cookie" out of his head
• Episode 3805 -- Telly receives a Z by mistake
• Episode 3806 -- Linda's birthday
• Episode 3807 -- Baby Bear takes a hibernation nap
• Episode 3808 -- Big Bird and Baby Bear end up playing together
• Episode 3809 -- Zoe's Pet Rock Rocco
• Episode 3810 -- Prairie Dawn's Friendship Pageant
• Episode 3811 -- Gordon gives Irvine a bath
• Episode 3812 -- The Count counts mistakes
• Episode 3813 -- Telly wants to do a friendly thing for Baby Bear
• Episode 3814 -- Elmo and Miles play basketball
• Episode 3815 -- Oscar's trash sale
• Episode 3816 -- Baby Bear's Little Cousin Visits
• Episode 3817 -- Exploring the Land of Lulu-Puddy
• Episode 3818 -- Oscar's bad mood
• Episode 3819 -- Big Bird follows an ant
• Episode 3820 -- Everyone is too busy to tell Elmo a story
• Episode 3821 -- Big Bird and Snuffy draws a huge picture for Gina
• Episode 3822 -- Big Bird sits on the steps all day
• Episode 3823 -- Snuffy, Big Bird and Zoe play the Really Big Thing Game
• Episode 3824 -- The Ding-a-Long
• Episode 3825 -- Big Bird wants his birdseed bread toasted
• Episode 3826 -- The grown-ups put on a show
• Episode 3827 -- Prairie gets in touch with her inner Monster
• Episode 3828 -- Maria babysits Natasha
• Episode 3829 -- Stinky wants to grow bigger
• Episode 3830 -- Mumford magically transports Telly
• Episode 3831 -- Big Bird receives a model boat
• Episode 3832 -- Rosita takes pictures with her camera
• Episode 3833 -- Telly sees a mysterious X
• Episode 3834 -- Baby Bear is afraid of getting his haircut
• Episode 3835 -- Zoe's Zoemobile delivery service
• Episode 3836 -- Luis makes Maria huevos rancheros
• Episode 3837 -- The Three "3"-keteers
• Episode 3838 -- Oscar on talk radio
• Episode 3839 -- Bolo learns the alphabet
• Episode 3840 -- Big Bird wants someone to run around the block with him
• Episode 3841 -- The Porridge Lovers' Club
• Episode 3842 -- Telly and Rosita go on a scavenger hunt
• Episode 3843 -- Telly wants everything in Hooper's Store
• Episode 3844 -- Baby Bear and Telly have a hard time saying goodbye
• Episode 3845 -- Maria reads "They Built a Garden" on Sesame Street
• Episode 3846 -- Rosita tries to use her wings, but can't fly
• Episode 3847 -- Big Bird and Snuffy pretend to be a train
• Episode 3848 -- Appreciation party for Barkley
• Episode 3849 -- Gabi babysits Natasha
• Episode 3850 -- Zoe won't share the Zoemobile

Notes

• Starting this season, each episode of Sesame Street ends with a new segment, "Elmo's World." This season's segments are about Balls, Shoes, Hats, Dancing, Jackets, Food, Books, Music, Water and Transportation.

• This season also introduces new recurring segments: Ernie's Show and Tell, Monsters in Day Care, and Sesame Street Goes to Day Care.

• Except for the Subway, everything from Around the Corner has been removed.

• The opening theme sequence has once again changed to a more traditional version of the tune, resembling the original opening theme. The "dancing city" closing credits from 1992 remain in use.

• The Sesame Street sign has a new look beginning with this season, with a thinner yellow border and a rounder half-circle containing the "CTW" in it. It replaced the original Sesame Street sign that had been used since the very first episode.

• Hooper's Store is taken over by Alan.

• The episodes are no longer followed by a "Coming soon on Sesame Street" bumper. Instead, there is a copyright disclaimer that is shown. However, the ending from these bumpers, with Big Bird saying "Toodle-oo!" to the camera, remains in place. Likewise, this was also the last season to use the blue curtain to show the fundings after Big Bird closed the show.

• This was Jeff Moss's final season as a writer on the show, having passed away nearly two months prior to the season premiere. Moss receives a posthumous writing credit for this and the following season.

• This was also Robby Merkin's final season as music director.

• All episodes in this season were shown in one of Noggin's 123 Sesame Street rotations from 2003 to 2005.

• This was the first season to have only 65 episodes.

Cast

Cast

Alison Bartlett O'Reilly, Linda Bove, Ruth Buzzi, Desiree Casado, Emilio Delgado, Bill Irwin, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Alan Muraoka, Roscoe Orman, Imani Patterson, Tarah Schaeffer

Jim Henson's Muppets

Caroll Spinney, Kevin Clash, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Martin P. Robinson, Fran Brill, David Rudman, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr, Steve Whitmire, Alice Dinnean, Pam Arciero, John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, Bryant Young, Judy Sladky, R. Bruce Connelly, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jim Martin, Lisa Buckley, (Uncredited: Tyler Bunch, Eric Jacobson, Jim Kroupa, Noel MacNeal)

Guest Stars

Maya Angelou, Garth Brooks, Rosemary Clooney, Terrell Davis, Doug E. Doug, Fran Drescher, Béla Fleck, Denyce Graves, Patti LaBelle, Nathan Lane, Liam Neeson, Conan O'Brien, R.E.M., Ben Stiller, Trisha Yearwood

Characters

Humans

Gordon, Susan, Bob, Gina, Alan, Linda, Maria, Luis, Ruthie, Gabi, Miles, Tarah, Mr. Noodle

Muppets

Alice Snuffleupagus, The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Barkley, Bert, Biff, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Dingers, Elizabeth, Elmo, Ernie, Grover, Guy Smiley, Herry Monster, Honkers, Humphrey, Ingrid, Irvine, Mr. Johnson, Kermit the Frog, Little Chrissy, Mama Bear, Oscar the Grouch, Papa Bear, Prairie Dawn, Rosita, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Stinky the Stinkweed, Sully, Telly Monster, Zoe

Credits

• Executive Producer: Michael Loman
• Supervising Producer: Arlene Sherman
• Coordinating Producer: Carlos Dorta
• Directors: Emily Squires, Ted May, Regge Life, Steven Feldman, Victor DiNapoli, Ken Diego
• Head Writer: Lou Berger
• Writers: Sara Compton, Christine Ferraro, Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, David Korr, Joey Mazzarino, Jeff Moss, Luis Santeiro, Josh Selig, Cathi R. Turow, Molly Boylan, Annie Evans, Ian Ellis James, Emily Kingsley, Sonia Manzano, Adam Rudman, Nancy Sans, Belinda Ward, John Weidman, Mo Willems
• Script Consultant (Elmo's World): Judy Freudberg
• Co-Producer: Teri Weiss
• Line Producer: Karen Ialacci
• Talent Supervisor: Danette DeSena
• Associate Producers: Melissa Dino, Tim Carter, Carol-Lynn Parente
• Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
• Lighting Designers: Dan Kelley, Bill Berner
• Costume Designers: Bill Kellard, Terry Roberson
• Muppets, Costumes, Props: Ed Christie, Mark Zeszotek, with Carol Binion, Naomi Eisenstadt, Rollie Krewson, Fred Buchholz, Michelle Hickey, Lara MacLean, Connie Peterson, Stephen Rotondaro, Jason Weber, Karena Wienands, Carlo Yannuzzi
• Muppet Coordinator: Kevin Clash
• Music Director: Robby Merkin
• Associate Music Director: Dave Conner
• Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
• Original Songs and Arrangements: Chris Cerf, Dave Conner, Sarah Durkee, Tony Geiss, Paul Jacobs, Stephen Lawrence, Robby Merkin, Jeff Moss, Mike Renzi, Joe Raposo, Dan Sovak
• Art Director: Bob Phillips
• Senior Graphic Designer: Mike Pantuso
• Graphic Designer: Pete Ortiz
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Editing Supervisor: Robert J. Emerick
• Associate Directors: Ted May, Ken Diego, Tim Carter, Carol-Lynn Parente, Teri Weiss, Cher Jung
• Production Stage Manager: Frieda Lipp
• Stage Managers: Chris Kelly, Anne Wallace
• Unit Manager: Chari Topol-Allison
• Curriculum Coordinator: Cher Jung
• Senior Production Associates: Heather L. Dick, Kim J. Kennedy
• Children's Casting: Theresa Anderson
• Post-Production Coordinator: Pamela P. Liu
• Production Assistants: Tracey Black, Kristen Woods, Victoria Gross, Conrad Ford, Vicki Newman
• Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
• Audio: Blake Norton
• Second Audio: Carla Bandini
• Video: Dick Sens
• Cameras: Frank Biondo, Jimmy O'Donnell, Mark Whitman
• Videotape Editors: John Tierney, Tony D'Alauro, Roy Schneider
• Make Up: Joe Cuervo
• Hairstylist: Karen Specht
• Wardrobe: Marilyn Bishop
• Scenic Artist: Jill Sternberg
• Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Craig Evans, Steve Ruggerio
• Utility: Chuck Tutino, Gordon Price
• Boom: Mike Cunningham
• Tape: Ernie Albritton
• Accountant: Kalombo Tshimanga
• Production Secretaries: Rodeena S. Kirton, Lien Fu
• Script Supervisor: Jill Zoeller
• Script Coordinator: Lynda Holder
• Script Production Assistant: Tom Harris
• Group President - Television, Film & Video: Alice Cahn
• Vice President of Research: Joel Schneider, Ph.D.
• Director of Research: Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.
• Researchers: Ivelisse Segui-Baez, Ph.D., Lisa Chen, Ph.D., Sarah Valmai Gruber
• NEP Facilities: Sal Morreale, Greg Zaremba
• Post Production by Unitel Post 38, iXL Video, New York
• Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York

Sources

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