- published: 05 Jan 2016
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Sesame Street is a long-running American children's television series created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The program is known for its educational content, and images communicated through the use of Jim Henson's Muppets, animation, short films, humor, and cultural references. The series premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership; it has aired on the U.S.'s national public television provider (PBS) since its debut, with its first run moving to premium channel HBO on January 16, 2016.
The show has undergone significant changes throughout its history. The format of Sesame Street consists of a combination of commercial television production elements and techniques which have evolved to reflect the changes in American culture and the audience's viewing habits. With the creation of Sesame Street, producers and writers of a children's television show used, for the first time, educational goals and a curriculum to shape its content. It was also the first time a show's educational effects were studied.
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster with a falsetto voice, who hosts the last full fifteen-minute segment on Sesame Street, "Elmo's World", which is aimed at toddlers. He was most often puppeteered by Kevin Clash. Following Clash's resignation in late 2012, he has been puppeteered by Ryan Dillon.
Elmo is self-described as three-and-a-half years old and his birthday is on February 3. Elmo characteristically avoids pronouns, referring to himself in the third person (e.g. "Elmo wants this" instead of, "I want this"). Sesame Street staff writer Nancy Sans once described Elmo's origins: "There was this extra red puppet lying around and the cast would pick him up sometimes and try to create a personality, but nothing seemed to materialize."
The puppet, originally known as "Baby Monster", was performed by Caroll Spinney and Jerry Nelson in the background of episodes from the early 1970s, Brian Muehl from 1979 to 1981, and Richard Hunt from 1981 to 1984. Sans continues that "...one day [in 1984], Kevin Clash, a talented puppeteer, raised him up and brought energy and life into Elmo and from that day forward we would all write for Elmo. Kevin's performance inspired the writers to develop Elmo's character".John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, and Jim Martin have all been secondary performers for the character, providing movement for Elmo's arms and legs, particularly in green-screen shots.
"Elmo's World" is a fifteen-minute-long segment that was shown at the end of the children's television program Sesame Street. It premiered in late 1998 as part of the show's structural changes, designed to appeal to younger viewers and to increase ratings, which had fallen in the past decade. The segment was developed out of a series of workshops that studied the changes in the viewing habits of their audience, and the reasons for the show's lower ratings. "Elmo's World" used traditional elements of production, but had a more sustained narrative. It was presented from the perspective of a three-year-old child as represented by its host, the Muppet Elmo, who was performed by Kevin Clash. In 2002, Sesame Street's producers changed the rest of the show to reflect its younger demographic and the increase in their viewers' sophistication.
Long-time writer Judy Freudberg came up with the concept of "Elmo's World", and writer Tony Geiss and executive producer Arlene Sherman helped develop it. Instead of the realism of the rest of the show, the segment presented Elmo moving between and combining two worlds of live action and computer-generated animation, which looked like "a child's squiggly crayon drawing come to life" created by the host, and with "a stream-of-consciousness feel to it". Elmo's pet goldfish Dorothy and the members of the Noodle family were silent in order to allow Elmo to do all the talking, and to give children the opportunity to respond to what they saw on the screen.
A street is a public thoroughfare (usually paved) in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable surface such as concrete, cobblestone or brick. Portions may also be smoothed with asphalt, embedded with rails, or otherwise prepared to accommodate non-pedestrian traffic.
Originally the word "street" simply meant a paved road (Latin: "via strata"). The word "street" is still sometimes used colloquially as a synonym for "road", for example in connection with the ancient Watling Street, but city residents and urban planners draw a crucial modern distinction: a road's main function is transportation, while streets facilitate public interaction. Examples of streets include pedestrian streets, alleys, and city-centre streets too crowded for road vehicles to pass. Conversely, highways and motorways are types of roads, but few would refer to them as streets.
The Electric Company is an American educational children's television series that was directed by Bob Schwartz, Henry Behar (1972–75) and John Tracy (1975–76), written by Christopher Cerf (1971–73), Jeremy Steven (1972–74) and John Boni/Amy Ephron (1972–73) and produced by the Children's Television Workshop (now called Sesame Workshop) for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971, to April 15, 1977. (In many areas, a preview special, Here Comes The Electric Company (pilot episode), was seen in syndication through sponsor Johnson Wax on many local commercial stations during the week before its 1971 debut.) After it ceased production in 1977, the program continued in reruns until 1985, as the result of a decision made in 1975 to produce two final seasons for perpetual use. The Workshop produced the show at Second Stage, located within the Reeves Teletape Studios (Teletape), in Manhattan, the first home of Sesame Street.
Actors: Ritchie Montgomery (actor), Geraldine Glenn (actress), Billy Slaughter (actor), Charlie French (miscellaneous crew), Jeff Galpin (miscellaneous crew), Sam Trammell (actor), Tim McCann (director), Lawrence Turner (actor), Joseph Uzzell (actor), Ryan Lee (actor), Britt Robertson (actress), Gary Huckabay (producer), Jesse Yarborough (actor), Dodie Brown (actress), Liz Barker (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Drama,Actors: Lisa McNeil (miscellaneous crew), Carol A. Compton (miscellaneous crew), Hart Bochner (producer), Sewell Whitney (actor), John Swihart (composer), Hart Bochner (director), Justin Long (actor), Michael Hitchcock (actor), Danny DeVito (actor), Tracey Walter (actor), Jonah Hill (actor), Lee Garlington (actress), Hart Bochner (writer), Melissa McCarthy (actress), Cerina Vincent (actress),
Plot: Close to the entrance to Death Valley is the God-forsaken town of Trona. It's nearly empty: dry, with polluted water and poisoned soil. Dilapidated houses hold slackers and stoners. The town is virtually owned by Dirk, a heartless young meth dealer. In the midst of this lives Ray Tuckby, a naïf, unhappily married with a slothful son. The highlight of Ray's day is chatting with Nora, a clerk at the market. When Ray comes home early from work and finds his wife in bed with his brother, a few things start to change. Then he meets Merl, who's putting in a Chevron station, and Merl encourages Ray to dream. Can he? A recipe for meringue may hold one of the keys.
Keywords: bad-landlord, california, cheating-wife, drugs, middle-age-romance, pet-turtle, rural, tollbooth-guard, vigilante-justiceActors: Chris Budziszewski (editor), Chris Budziszewski (producer), Chris Budziszewski (writer), Chris Budziszewski (composer), Chris Budziszewski (director), Spencer Smith (actor), Spencer Smith (writer), Nick Carney (actor), Bart Grudzien (writer), Paul Garvey (actor), Ariel Samonte (actor), Michael Zloczewski (actor), Branko Tomasovic (actor), Rashma Manjra (actress),
Plot: As a high-school student, Jack always had trouble fitting in. His parents, teachers and "friends" ignore him and the one girl he's interested in looks right through him. Many will question his actions soon after, so Jack decides to leave a video diary explaining why.
Keywords: independent-film, independent-short, one-word-title, question-in-title, school-shooting, teen-suicideActors: Kevin Clash (miscellaneous crew), Henny Vrienten (composer), Wim T. Schippers (actor), Martin van Waardenberg (actor), Paula Sleyp (actress), Aart Staartjes (actor), Hero Muller (actor), Hein Boele (actor), Frank Groothof (actor), Harrie Geelen (miscellaneous crew), Paul Haenen (actor), Rik Hoogendoorn (actor), Hakim Traidia (actor), Bert Plagman (actor), Elvan Akyildiz (actress),
Plot: To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary of Sesamstraat, a live TV special was broadcast. The studio audience was introduced to a brand new set (there was a competition to see who could come up with the most original idea). For the first time in the history of the Dutch Sesame street, the Dutch cast and Muppet's were integrated with some of their American counterparts: Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster and Elmo (performed, as always, by Kevin Clash).
Genres: Family,Actors: Jeff Lunzaga (composer), Jason R. Houston (actor), Roger Leatherwood (actor), Roger Leatherwood (director), Roger Leatherwood (writer), Gary Yap (producer), Dan Seneres (actor), Quin Gordon (actor), Jack Johnson (editor), Pam Buchignani (producer), Kirk Imamura (producer), Jack Johnson (producer), Diane Rachel (actress), Pavlos Psoinos (actor), Thomas Alexander (actor),
Plot: Ash is a young hit man who falls on hard times and gets a job in a movie theatre. He can't handle it. Ash finds himself faced with the everyday frustrations of the workplace, and embroiled in the petty romances and power struggles of the high-school-aged employees. Unable to comprehend the unique social and moral rules of this environment, he begins to break down and lose touch with reality. When a cocky kid from the hot dog store next door starts putting the moves on Ash's favorite candy girl, Ash decides it's up to him to protect her. Eventually his presumed training as a killer resurfaces as his last defense. On the surface, USHER is a "genre-based" drama (the story of a "hit man in hiding"), but placed in a controlled, determined, work-based setting (a movie theatre), to explore the quieter reaches of the genre. It's by turns romantic, a thriller, and a meditation on art, its consumption and presumptions.
Keywords: art, assassin, candy-girl, french, hitman, one-word-title, theater, usherActors: Malou N. Santos (producer), Jesse Lucas (composer), Pinky Amador (actress), Elma S. Medua (producer), Jose Javier Reyes (writer), Raquel Villavicencio (actress), Tiya Pusit (actress), Manny Castañeda (actor), Madeleine Nicolas (actress), Vangie Labalan (actress), Charo Santos-Concio (producer), Berting Labra (actor), Ai-Ai de las Alas (actress), Jose Javier Reyes (director), Vhong Navarro (actor),
Genres: Comedy,Actors: Shannon Elizabeth (actress), Roger Mende (producer), Myke Michaels (actor), Darryl Stephens (actor), Kathleen Lohr (miscellaneous crew), David C. Romano (actor), Junichi Mimura (producer), Charley Cabrera (producer), Alison Young (miscellaneous crew), Lee Benton (actress), Stanley A. Smith (composer), Michael Calder (actor), Hye Young Choi (producer), Debrah LeMattre (director), Ross Strauss (actor),
Plot: In this youth culture drama, J.B. is something of a Gen-X renaissance man. He's a club DJ, promotes raves, runs a pirate radio station, and manages a small but successful cutting-edge fashion boutique. Zink, J.B.'s partner in the boutique, claims to be his best friend, but deep inside he resents J.B. for his easy success in so many fields and the way others look up to him. Looking to gain a greater name for himself within the raver subculture, Zink begins selling what he claims is a naturally occurring psychotropic substance. When his friends learn the truth about Zink's product, it leads to an angry splintering among their circle. Meanwhile, J.B. becomes romantically involved with Nicole, which comes as quite a blow to Gigi, a mutual friend who had become infatuated with J.B.
Genres: Drama,Actors: Joey Mazzarino (writer), Joey Mazzarino (actor), Sonia Manzano (actress), Kevin Clash (actor), Fran Brill (actress), Eric Jacobson (actor), Kevin Clash (actor), Jerry Nelson (actor), Frank Oz (actor), Martin P. Robinson (actor), David Rudman (actor), Jim Henson (actor), Caroll Spinney (actor), Steve Whitmire (actor), Marvin Hamlisch (composer),
Genres: Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Music, Short,Actors: Henny Vrienten (composer), Lex Goudsmit (actor), Paula Sleyp (actress), Martin van Waardenberg (actor), Aart Staartjes (actor), Aart Staartjes (miscellaneous crew), Aart Staartjes (miscellaneous crew), Hero Muller (actor), Hein Boele (actor), Hein Boele (actor), Hero Muller (actor), Hein Boele (actor), Hero Muller (actor), Frank Groothof (actor), Bill van Dijk (actor),
Genres: Family,Actors: Robert F. McGowan (director), Mickey Daniels (actor), Jack Davis (actor), Allen 'Farina' Hoskins (actor), Ernest Morrison (actor), Lincoln Stedman (actor), Charles Stevenson (actor), Fanny Kelly (actress), Mary Kornman (actress), Hal Roach (producer), Hal Roach (writer), H.M. Walker (writer), Joe Cobb (actor), Jackie Condon (actor), Roy Brooks (actor),
Genres: Comedy, Family, Short,Yeah, when ya walk on by,
You might see me, this little red guy
I skip to the beat, walking down the street
Can't see my feet, yeah
This is how I roll
Red fluffy furs gettin outta control
It's Elmo with the big orange nose,
I'm so sweet I don't wear clothes.
Kids look at these crayons ahh (x3)
Uh huh I make art
Kids look at these crayons ahh(x3)
Uh huh I make art
When I walk in Elmo's room ( hiho)
This is what I see (yo)
Drawer and Mr Noodle are staring at me
I got Dorthy in my tank and I ain't afraid to show it
Show it show it show it
I'm Elmo and I know it
I'm Elmo and I know it
Yo when I'm at the vet,
Gina needs my help
With cleaning pets
My hair is curled.
I talk to babies in Elmo's world, what
This is how I roll
Come on Zoey it's time to go
We head to the store so we don't get nervous
No shoes no shirt and I still get service
What
Kids look at these crayons ahh (x3)
Uh huh I make art
Kids look at these crayons ahh(x3)
Uh huh I make art
When I walk in Elmo's room (hiho)
This is what I see (yo)
Drawer and Mr Noodle are staring at me
I got Dorthy in my tank and I ain't afraid to show it
Show it show it show it
I'm Elmo and I know it
I'm Elmo and I know it
Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle, yeah
Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle, yeah
Tickle tickle tickle tickle tickle, yeah
Tickle tickle tickle tickle, yeah yeah
I do the tickle yeah
I do the tickle yeah
Cookie
I'm Elmo and I know it
Kids look at these crayons ahh (x3)
Uh huh I make art
Kids look at these crayons ahh(x3)