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
51,504
pages
in: Sesame Street Seasons

Season 31 (2000)

Sign in to edit
Sesame Street
Premiere January 3, 2000 (3851)
Finale May 12, 2000 (3915)
Episodes 65
One of several magazine ads for the season, created by Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners

One of several magazine ads for the season, created by Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners.[1]

Another magazine ad for the season.

Another magazine ad for the season.

Elmo struts his stuff at a dance party.

Elmo struts his stuff at a dance party.

""

"What is Friend?"

Baby Bear and Telly befriend a kitten, not realizing he belongs to Elizabeth.

Baby Bear and Telly befriend a kitten, not realizing he belongs to Elizabeth.

perform "

Hootie & the Blowfish perform "Hold My Hand."

Lulu learns how to meet someone new while on a field trip.

Lulu learns how to meet someone new while on a field trip.

appears on "" with Prairie.

Margaret Cho appears on "Girl Talk" with Prairie.

Telly waits in anticipation as is about to give birth.

Telly waits in anticipation as his hamster is about to give birth.

and Elmo sing "

The Goo Goo Dolls and Elmo sing "Pride."

Via magic, Zoe has a playdate with her .

Via magic, Zoe has a playdate with her jacket.

on Sesame Street with and Zoe.

Christopher Reeve on Sesame Street with Fran Brill and Zoe.

Telly and Baby Bear report on "

Telly and Baby Bear report on "the X Games."

Big Bird and Snuffy, live on stage introducing educational concepts.

Big Bird and Snuffy, live on stage introducing educational concepts.

""

"Where are the computers in your neighborhood?"

Big Bird and Snuffy explore the Fix-It Shop's new computer.

Big Bird and Snuffy explore the Fix-It Shop's new computer.

The gang celebrates "Counting Monsters Day

The gang celebrates "Counting Monsters Day."

"" with the

"Put a Lid on It" with the Squirrel Nut Zippers

Can two very different Grouches share a trash can without driving each other crazy?

Can two very different Grouches share a trash can without driving each other crazy?

""

"Natasha's Lullabye"

"Big Snuffy and the Alphatones" perform "

"Big Snuffy and the Alphatones" perform "The Alphabet Song."

Big Bird performs "" with the .

Big Bird performs "I Just Adore Four" with the Oinker Sisters.

substitutes for .

The Big Bad Wolf substitutes for Goldilocks.

""

"Pigeons and Cookies and Trash"

Baby Bear with Hero Guy, an animated superhero.

Baby Bear with Hero Guy, an animated superhero.

Sesame Street Season 31 aired from January 3, 2000, to May 12, 2000.

Overview[]

The main focus of the season's curriculum is "children getting along in their world," dealing with themes of conflict resolution, entering social groups, and understanding feelings.[2] Examples include one episode where Telly Monster is inspired to become a king, but assumes all the job entails is telling others what to do no matter what. In another, Big Bird learns how to express his feelings when Ernie ends up turning his Birdketeer meeting into the "Duckketeers." The childlike characters aren't the only ones who deal with complex emotions, as exemplified in a show where Luis gets his feelings hurt when Big Bird, Telly, and Zoe brag about how much they're impressed with Maria's expertise in repairing things. And in a nod to The Odd Couple, Oscar the Grouch learns if he can really share his home with a Grouch named Felix who can't stand being messy and filthy.

The arts (such as dance, music, and drawing) are also emphasized in several episodes, given a heavier focus the following year. In the season opener, Elmo tries to find the right dance for him for a Sesame Street Dance Party. He tries out several different kinds, from ballet to stretching to leaping, until he finds the right one for him. Elmo also stretches his creative talents in helping his friends write stories, pretending to be a pirate with Snuffy, and bringing the zoo to Maria when she's too busy to take Elmo. Other episodes feature Snuffy rehearsing for a Snufflegarden play about the sky (struggling to keep his cloud costume in perfect shape), and Big Bird getting everyone to participate in what he declares "Opera Day," where they sing about what they do.

In addition, season 31 promotes the uses and abilities of personal computers, notably in Episode 3880 as Big Bird learns about them when one arrives to be installed at the Fix-It Shop. Several insert segments feature Muppets interacting with children, showing how they use the computer to type letters and numbers, make words, and produce artwork.

Characters and segments[]

The curriculum lessons play their part in introducing new characters. Lulu, a young monster performed by Stephanie D'Abruzzo, copes with learning new things when her monster day care group takes a tour of Sesame Street. Young budding artist Baby Bear creates an alter-ego in the season finale: an animated superhero named Hero Guy, who may be extra brave and daring, but always depends on his creator to write his adventures. Other new characters include Little Murray Sparkles, the pet kitten of Elizabeth (who begins to appear more frequently), and Glo Worm, a close acquaintance of Slimey (and volunteer firefighter).

"Elmo's World" returns for a second year and ten new episodes, this time being joined by Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle (portrayed by Michael Jeter). Though a tad more vocal than his sibling, he also struggles to learn how to do basic things like using a telephone or brushing his hair. Adding on to a format change established the previous season, brief introductions to segments given by Sesame Street characters are continued. Season 31 includes Big Bird and Snuffy presenting inserts via a vaudeville stage show, Grover (both in and out of his superhero costume) attempting to introduce shapes and other concepts in a misguided manner, Elmo and his goldfish Dorothy, Bert and his not-so-impressively trained pigeon Bernice, and antics involving Suzie Kabloozie and her cat Feff.

Shorter form segments that teach letters and numbers include the animated "Computer Matching" series and the "Wall of Numbers" song animated by Karen Aqua.

Episodes[]

Episodes 3851 - 3915 (65 episodes)

Notes[]

  • In June 2000, following the season finale, Children's Television Workshop changes its name to Sesame Workshop. In-show references to CTW (namely the sendoff "Sesame Street is a production of the Children's Television Workshop") are dropped after this season. This change affects the closing credit sequence as well, which would be edited in later seasons and for reruns of season 31 episodes. The Sesame Street sign logo would also eventually be redesigned, changing the "CTW" at the top to "123."
  • Following this season, Richard Hunt is no longer credited as a recurring performer.
  • All episodes in this season were shown in one of Noggin's 123 Sesame Street rotations from 2003 to 2005.

Cast[]

Cast
Alison Bartlett O'Reilly, Linda Bove, Ruth Buzzi, Desiree Casado, Emilio Delgado, Bill Irwin, Michael Jeter, 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, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Matt Vogel, Pam Arciero, John Tartaglia, Alice Dinnean Vernon, John Kennedy, Eric Jacobson, Jim Martin, Judy Sladky, Bryant Young, R. Bruce Connelly (Uncredited: Lisa Buckley, Noel MacNeal, Michael Paul)
Guest Stars
Margaret Cho, Joan Cusack, The Goo Goo Dolls, Faith Hill, Hootie and the Blowfish, Chaka Khan, Spike Lee, Tim McGraw, *NSYNC, Christopher Reeve, New York City Ballet, Squirrel Nut Zippers

Characters[]

Humans
Gordon, Susan, Bob, Gina, Alan, Linda, Maria, Luis, Gabi, Miles, Tarah, Mr. Noodle, Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle, Ruthie
Muppets
Alice Snuffleupagus, AM Monsters, The Amazing Mumford, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Barkley, Bert, The Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, Colambo, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Dingers, Elizabeth, Elmo, Ernie, The Fairy Godperson, Farley, Felix the Grouch, Fluffy, Grandmama Bear, Grover, Grundgetta, Herry Monster, Honkers, Hoots the Owl, Humphrey, Ingrid, Mr. Johnson, Kermit the Frog, Little Jerry and the Monotones, Little Murray Sparkles, Lulu, Mama Bear, Mommy Snuffleupagus, Oscar the Grouch, Papa Bear, Prairie Dawn, Rosita, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sonny Friendly, Stinky the Stinkweed, Telly Monster, Two-Headed Monster, Wolfgang the Seal, Zoe

Credits[]

Sources[]

  1. ↑ Hello, My Name Is Frank: My Sesame Street Ad (2010-10-19) (behind-the-scenes article on creating the ad by Frank Fusco)
  2. ↑ Sesame Street Beat: "The Street Rocks...Again!" by Melissa Washington-Harris (archive link)


Previous season: Next season:
Season 30 (1998-1999) Season 32 (2001)
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.