Mega Muppet Review! (MAJOR SPOILERS)
I was waiting for Brad to come back to post these. A dissection review of Sesame Street Old School Volume Two, and Reviews for Fraggle Rock Season Three, The Sesame Street video Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game and the new Jim Henson CGI DTV 3 Pigs and a Baby.
Sesame Street Old School: 1974-1979: Volume 2
Another set of Sesame's early season premieres and best bits. It can definitely be argued that the best skits and songs are found on the first set but 1974-1979 was basically when the show was in it's prime and came into it's own. So while there aren't any new songs to rival I Love Trash or C is For Cookie it's great to see the cast gelled together as effortlessly as it eventually became. This is the era that we were introduced to Linda and Olivia and when Roscoe Orman made his debut as Gordon. The set also features the skit where Barkley the dog is finally given his name. The set also has some great Classic Cuts in Me and My Llama, The Pinball Number Count, the ridiculously catchy What's the Name of That Song and the legendary sketch of Bert teaching Bernice the Pigeon how to play Checkers. My only beef with the set is that the booklet said that this was the era in which Ernie's Classic I Don't Want to Live on the Moon was introduced. It's inexcusable that it wasn't on the set. Other than that the set was great. ****1/2.
Season 6, Show 666: The Sesame Street of the Beast! FINALLY! Roscoe Orman as Gordon! All is right with the world. A good episode. I especially loved seeing the bit with the Crow and the Fox and the Cheese again. Lots of psychadelic animated bits in this episode too. As for the live-action films that tree frog crawling to "A Long Hard Climb" is kind of creepy. Roosevelt Franklin has aged BADLY. Simply awful. It's Transformers all over again. The Pie on the Wall bit was pretty good. Another classic Bert and Ernie nose gag (from Season 1 by the looks of it). I liked this but it wasn't perfect. ***.
Counting Lights: Good Count segment. I already see they've "defanged" him already from when he put the whammy on Bert and Ernie. I'm fine with that. ***1/2.
Enter and Exit: This was on the first set too but I thought it was a cute cartoon then too. ***.
Africa: Embarrassingly bad. God, this was practically a Muppet Minstrel Show. I had heard that they dropped Roosevelt Franklin because people complained that he was a stereotype but I always thought it was just another case of "Concerned Parents" ruining everything. Not so. Aside from the dubius notion of teaching kids that Africa is a land RIPE for exploiting resources I really couldn't see any educational value here either. 1/2.
What's the Name of That Song: This bit is a classic and almost makes up for Roosevelt Franklin. Almost. One of the very best songs of the show and the first version is a REALLY good one. *****.
Bert and Ernie: Scary Movie: Best of the Bert and Ernie at the movies bit that I've seen so far. Hilarious. ****1/2.
Beetle Baily: I was never a fan of Beetle Baily but this cartoon is kind of cute. ***.
Grover and Kermit Horse Cart: FUNNY sketch. But, honestly I don't know what Kermit's problem with Grover is. There are a TON of Muppets more incompetent than him and Kermit doesn't treat any of them this badly. ***1/2.
First and Last Pencils: Stupid cartoon. *1/2.
Frog Struggle: I never realized how creepy looking Frogs are close up. The song "A Long Hard Climb" however is a classic. ***1/2.
Season 6 Classic Cuts:
Telephone Rock: Classic song. I love the old lady operator. SERIOUSLY catchy. *****.
Richard Pryor: Alphabet: This was funny but I really would have liked to have seen Pryor interact with the Muppets. ***1/2.
Here is Your Life, Loaf of Bread: I LOVE Guy Smiley but I've always thought Here Is Your Life is his weakest sketch. **/2.
Arthur Ashe: Over/ Under: Neat seeing Ashe in action but kind of boring too. **1/2.
Magic Pig Calypso Song: Cool morphing cartoon. ***.
Don Music: Mary Had a Little Lamb: I LOVE how Don Music used to smash his head on the piano. Mmm, that's imitatable! Kermit is really funny here too. *****.
Pointer Sisters: Swingin' Alphabet: God, this song is great. Serious, toe-tappin' fun. Awesome. ****1/2.
Super Grover: Stopping the Fight: The little kids fighting was funny but Grover? Not so much. ***.
Henson Ball High Wire #3: This is something out of the science museum. I loved this film as a kid. SO cool. ****.
Richie Havens: Wonder Child: Nice, I suppose but kind of boring at the same time. **1/2.
Twiddlebugs: Postage Stamp: A classic. I always scream in delight watching the Twiddlebugs licking the postage stamp together. ****1/2.
Subway Song: Cute I guess but I'm not sure why it made the Classic Cut. ***.
Jose Feliciano: Arroz con Leche: The coughing kid at the beginning bugs me. They couldn't do a second take? Who directed this, Ed Wood? **.
Chicken Hatching: Ummm, boring? *.
Kermit News: Jack Jumps Over Candle Stick: Another classic. I love that Jack is a stoner hippie who threatens to sue Mother Goose at the end. VERY funny. *****.
Helen Reddy: Grow: This song with kids surrounding Reddy reminded me of Romper Room for some reason, I'm a Do Bee. **1/2.
Broom Adventures: Cool cartoon. I love it. ****.
City/ Country Song: Another case of me not knowing why this made the Classic Cut. On the other hand Jim Henson gives a funny performance as the street hood. **1/2.
Credit Crawl For Season 6: I love the peaceful drive down a country road. Also nice to be able to read the names without having to freeze frame them thanks to the slow credit speed. Hooray for Roscoe Orman! ****.
Pilot Episode: VERY uneven. The only Muppets are Ernie and Bert and they only appear together and outside of the human cast. ANOTHER different Gordon too. Ernie sounds weird in the early segments. The Good: Good Superman short, I love Bob singing the complete Sesame Street theme and The Man From Alphabet with Gary Owens was inspired silliness. I just wish we HAD seen that episode of Batman that Ernie wanted to watch. The Bad: Too much repetition and Mister Hooper is uncharacteristically mean. Decent but not great. ***.
Disc 1 Easter Egg: I can't believe there are actually Easter Eggs on a Sesame Street DVD! Sweet! I really like Artie Bumble and the Nine Swine and his mother Adeline. This was incredibly sweet. *****.
Season 7: Show 796: Still not a fan of everybody calling Big Bird a liar regarding Snuffy but I REALLY liked David trying to hint to Maria that it was his birthday. They have great chemistry. Maria being a head for Grover to demonstrate was cute too. I wish the set had a different Number Sketch. We've seen the number 2 segment at least four times. I want to see the chef tripping down the stairs to some different numbers! Solid Episode: ****.
Highlights:
Snuffy Counts: Boy are the people on Sesame Street really unobservant. Snuffy is REALLY hard to miss. Just makes everybody's accussations of Big Bird making him up even more unfair. ***1/2.
Cow Dog Song: ????. That's basically my reaction to this weird song and let's face it somewhat pointless film. **1/2.
Harvey Kneeslapper: Good Harvey gag with the pogo stick and the number 2. I loved it. ****.
Kermit News: Humpty Dumpty: A classic. I love how absolutely creepy the Humpty Muppet is. Great. *****.
There's a Zoo in Me: Cute cartoon about a kid who imagines animals with every different emotion he experiences. ***.
Judy Collins: Fisherman's Song: Judy Collins has a GREAT voice and this song is ridiculously catchy. I loved it. ****1/2.
Herry & John John: Soft & Loud: SO cute! I love John John. He's one of the best kids who works with the Muppets. ****1/2.
Hand & Pencil Draw Telephone: Cool animation and concept (learning about dimensions) build up to a passable end gag. Pretty good. ***1/2.
P- Picnic: Decent but not super good. Who brings a Pumpkin to a picnic? **1/2.
Season 7 Classic Cuts:
Pinball Number Count #4: I love the Pinball cartoons. #4 is one of the most memorable. ****.
Kermit and the Weather Saleman: Funny. Grover is both cute and annoying. Him and Kermit work well together. ****1/2.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Wynkin, Blynkin, and Nod: This folk singer song is kind of boring to tell you the truth. **.
Don Music: Yankee Doodle: Hilarious. Don REALLY smacks his head on the piano in this one. I love the singers at the end too. ****1/2.
Alone Song: Or "All By Myself". Short but catchy. ***1/2.
Marshall Grover: Away From: Heh. Poor Grover. I loved his horse. ***1/2.
Grover Invents the Wheel: I couldn't stop laughing at this. First appearance of Biff on the set too. ****.
Follow the Leader: Bob really has a sweet way with kids. It's really fun to watch. ***.
Pinball Number Count Remix #1-12: I loved seeing most of the cartoons in one place in a REALLY wild format. This was never actually aired on the show and for good reason: it's confusing as sin. I loved it. *****.
Credit Crawl For Season 7: I like takin' a drive. ***1/2.
Season 8: Show 926: I liked this one. Some of my favorite bits included David and Maria on the mountain (excellent gag at the end) David gathering people at Mr. Hooper's store for his 25th anniversary, the cartoon of Frogs hopping on the rock, Gladys the Cow's music lesson with Bob and Grover playing and getting surprised at the beginning and end. The show has basically gelled and this point and is very much in it's stride. It definitely doesn't have the rough edges of the earlier seasons. I miss that a little but it's cool to see a completely "normal" episode. *****
Chaplin Exit Door: Something about Maria's Chaplin is both creepy and funny at the same time and I can't figure out what it is. ***.
Touch Song: Nice little song with a sweet melody. ***.
I in the Sky: Very Beatles-type song is ridiculously catchy. I love it but it will be stuck in my head for a week. Totally worth it. *****.
Biff & Sully: Piano Scales: Classic. I miss Buff and Sully so much and wish they were still on this show. Sully is SO cute. ****1/2.
Lily Tomlin: Count 1-5: VERY short Edith Ann sketch that didn't actually have any counting. And that's the truth. Pbbbbt! ***1/2.
Bert & Ernie's Rhyming Song: I love this one. I love how just when Bert gets into Ernie's annoying games Ernie loses interest. Ernie's a pretty lousy friend and that's what is so funny about him. *****.
Doll House: I have a feeling if I were a little girl I'd have loved this segment. VERY cute. ***1/2.
Cookie Monster in the Library: Hilarious sketch that builds to a hysterical closing gag. They don't make them like this anymore. *****.
Fur: Cute song but not one of my favorites to be honest, probably because it doesn't feature any monsters we actually know, ***.
Season 8 Classic Cuts:
Cookie Monster Disco Song: Seeing Cookie Monster with a black beard, shiny glasses, chains and a feather hat had me laughing out loud. I loved him channeling his inner Isaac Hayes. ****1/2.
Paul Simon: Me and Julio: It was really funny to hear that little girl improvising with Paul. ***1/2.
All Out of Food: Another great sketch that builds to a killer closing gag. The show is SO great at old-style jokes. ****.
Lobster Fisherman: Booooorrrriiiiiiinnnnggggg! **.
Dog Flea Camp: I remember this one. It's still funny. ***1/2.
Bert's Physical: Bert and Ernie play doctor (get your mind out of the gutter shippers and speculators!) and I really liked Ernie describing to Bert how long it would take for his results (23 years). *****.
Two Doors With Bob: Bob as the clown has always creeped me out. Maybe because Clowns are just plain freaky. **1/2.
Swamp Mushy Muddy: Good Oscar Song. Nice to see the Witches again too. ***1/2.
Credit Crawl For Season 8: This is Linda's first appearance on the set correct? I like how they jazzed up the end music. ****.
Disc 2 Easter Egg: Cute cartoon. ***.
Season 9, Show 1056: Olivia! Gladys the Cow! I loved the Grouch Chef and Charles' Chicken Soup. David REALLY gets into the audience participation aspect of skits like this. I also loved Bert's marching band (along with the human cast OBVIOUSLY not playing their own instruments). I like Maria and Linda's Chaplin bit too and Grover "driving" Gordon's car. Herry and the Apples was funny too. And Cookie Monster's Coming Round the Moutain was classic. And can I just mention how funny the new Typewriter footage for the episode introduction was? The "Macho" construction worker looked like one of the guys from The Simpsons' gay steel mill. ****1/2.
Pinball Animation #2: Cool. ****.
Song From Kermit: Not that memorable to be honest especially considering the fact that Kermit is the Muppet with perhaps the biggest hit ratio of songs in his name. **1/2.
Ah! For the Joys of the Country: Subversive as sin. They'd NEVER get away with this smackdown of big business and pollution today. ****.
One of Us: This made me laugh a lot. Gladys is SO cute and funny. ****1/2.
Typewriter H: Hand: I've seen funnier Typewriter gags. **1/2.
Singing Alphabet: Cool way to teach kids both sign language and the alphabet. ***.
Making Noodles: This would have bored me out of a skull as a kid. It did here too. *1/2.
Grover & John John Count to One: Short but sweet. ***1/2.
Water Fountain: This was another fave as a kid. VERY cool and funny cartoon about problem solving. I love that kid. ****1/2.
Season 9 Classic Cuts:
It Feels Good When You Sing a Song: I love Olivia. Alaina Reed Hall is a great singer. ****.
Bert & Ernie: Slice of Life: Funny. That pie looked good too. ***1/2.
Ray Charles: I Got a Song: I love how enthused Bert got here. This was hilarious. ****.
Fonzie and Cunningham: Brushing Teeth: I NEVER thought I'd see the day where I'd see ANYTHING related to Happy Days being funny but this sure was. ****1/2.
Taxi Sounds: Cute cartoon. I like the sounds at the end. ***1/2.
School Pageant: Seasons: This was fun. I love Prairie Dawn and her plays. ****.
Madeline Kahn: Sing After Me: This was SO adorable. I love Grover and Madeline singing the Echo song. *****.
Fireworks Alphabet: This was another favorite when I was a kid. ****.
Ten Commandments of Health: Catchy song, funny Muppets, so-so sketch. ***.
Credit Crawl For Season 9: Everything is better in pink. ***1/2.
Season 10, Show 1186: I liked this one a lot. My absolute favorite part was seeing Barkley getting named. It was hilarious. I also loved the put-upon Grover trying to get the other Muppets to extoll the virtues of the number 2 to no avail especially since it was Kermit who was being a mischievous stinker. The part where David ALMOST caught Snuffelupagus was hilarious too. ****1/2.
Highlights:
Disco D: This was cute, but kind of boring. VERY dated and not in a good way. **1/2.
Victor Borge: Up/ Down, High/ Low: I LOVE Victor Borge. He was one of my inspirations for learning to play the piano (take THAT Don Music!). *****.
Bert & Ernie: What Time is It?: It's not enough that Ernie has to annoy Bert he has to get the entire neighborhood mad at him. ****.
Burp Sounds: I was never too crazy about the cartoons with the dumpy looking spelling guy. **1/2.
Magnet With Kids: This short was where I first saw kids playing jacks. Cool! ***1/2.
Girl & Witch: This cartoon was cute too. I especially liked all of the different things the girl changed into. ***1/2.
Nose Blower: I always hated this cartoon as a kid. The little girl's voice got on my nerves. *.
Cry Song: When the Baby bursts into song I started laughing hard (SERIOUS Muppet Babies vibes) but the longer the song went on the less funny it was. ***1/2.
Billy Jo Jive: Missing Wig: I LOVED Billy Jo Jive as a kid. He was the precurser to 321 Contact's Bloodhound Gang and Square One Television's Mathnet for eighties kids. Awesome. *****.
Season Ten Classic Cuts:
Grover Disco: Alphabet Song: Like most Sesame Street Disco bits this is kind of dated. But it's still kind of funny. ***.
Kermit Casting Director: I liked this one with the 3 Little Pigs and the different size wolves. It's not easy bein' green. ***1/2.
Imagination: Dogs: I love the circus numbers cartoons. ****.
Llama at Dentist Song: This was one of my absolute faves as a kid and it is just as cool now as it was then. *****.
Bert Teaches Pigeon Checkers: This classic skit is essential Bert because it highlights what makes him such a great character and foil for Ernie: he has NO appreciation for the absurd. I love how the writers often have to make ERNIE the grown-up when it comes to common sense. Oh, and the skit is also the funniest thing EVER! *****.
Lost Dog Flyer: All I kept thinking while watching this is that nowadays people can simply print up flyer in five minutes thanks to computers and printers. An excellent time capsule that succeeds at what I can only assume it set out to do: make me feel old. ***.
My Favorite Number is 6: Another Bert goodie but coming right off of Pigeon Checkers it PALES in comparison. ***1/2.
Old West: Letter Y Box of Crayons: Jim Henson has a LOT of fun with the Old West Baddie. I can see why this made the Classic Cut. ****.
Credit Crawl for Season 10: This actually gave me kind of a headache. **1/2.
Disc 3 Easter Egg: This is one of the wonkiest cartoons from the seventies. VERY cool. ****.
Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game:
Before Tickle-Me Elmo and Elmo's World there was Old School Elmo. Before he was the break-out character in practically EVERY video and special Elmo was a scene-stealing member of the Sesame Street ensemble. It's easy to see how he got so popular but I DO miss the days when he wasn't the star of the show.
This DVD which stars Elmo is one of the very best examples of Old School Elmo who is very excitable and not nessecarily the most polite guy on the planet. He interrupts and breaks the rules here and it's hilarious. I've ALWAYS loved Elmo but his earlier appearances are his best.
The video also has a GREAT selection of choice Sesame Street clips. From One Fine Face to Elmo's Song to Alligator King to I Love Trash this special is a treasure trove of classic goodies. Maybe not on the level of the Old School DVD sets, but for good bits from the eighties this video can't be beat. Seriously great set-up and catchy songs as Elmo hosts his own game show and gets a little bit too excited and keeps blurting out the answers. It's cute and hilarious.
I've always loved this video and seeing it on DVD for the first time was excellent. Good stuff. *****.
Fraggle Rock: Complete Third Season
Fraggle Rock is one of those rare eighties kids shows that holds up well today and is perhaps more relevent now than ever. The idea of different creatures learning to get along and showing kids about the symbiosis of different people and cultures is a lesson that needs to be taught now more than ever. Jim Henson created the show to end war and I wish that it was still on the air today where its lessons of tolerance and true friendship could be used to show the next generation how important getting along with people is.
Fraggle Rock season three took concepts hinted at in the first two seasons even further. We finally got to see how the Fraggles celebrate the holidays and Sprocket in Fraggle Rock. We also learned that Junior Gorg truly cares about the Fraggles in his own way and the origins of Uncle Matt being the one to discover the Gorgs and radishes. This season also contain my favorite episode "Wembley and the Mean Genie".
This is easily the show's best season yet (I've yet to see seasons four and five). The show (like Futurama) started off strong and kept improving as it went on anyways. I love this season and this show. ****1/2.
Red-Handed and Invisible Thief: Cool episode. I love the morals this show teaches and I love how Red turned out to be the person who stole her own radish bars. I saw it coming but it was still a nice twist. ****1/2.
Boober and the Glob: Classic Jim Henson directed episode. Sprocket getting into the tussle with Shimmlefinny's cat was hilarious especially since the cat was so cheap looking. It looked like he was fighting a dead ferret. I also love it when Cotterpin interacts with the Fraggles. I was worried about Boober doing the right thing but he saved all of the Doozers from the Glob. Only beef: it might have been the point but none of the actual Joke Day jokes were funny. *****.
The Grapes of Generosity: I didn't care for this one so much. The ending where Gobo reveals what happened to his friends and promptly stops being weightless was funny but even though I'm not the world's biggest Gobo fan he was pretty unlikable throughout the episode. **1/2.
Blanket of Snow, Blanket of Woe: The best part of this episode was Gobo and Mokey trying to put the rotten berries in the Gorg's soup and posing as salt and pepper shakers. ***.
Pebble Pox Blues: Wembley has some hilarious scenes here and I thought his scenes with Boober were unbearably sweet. Boober is the Muppet version of Adrian Monk. ****.
Home Is Where the Trash Is: I used to think of Philo and Gunge as kind of gross but they were adorable here. Very cute episode. Just one question: where DID they come from originally? ***1/2.
Believe It Or Not: Cute episode. I liked the role reversal of Wembley being brave and Red being scared of the "monster". I was also very pleased that Skenfrith became the Gorg's pet at the end. ***1/2.
Wembley and the Mean Genie: Best. Episode. EVER. Awesome and a total classic. Richard Hunt was doing "crick in the neck" jokes before Robin Williams! I loved the story and the climax with all of the hypnotized Fraggles was psychedelic and freaky. The resolution was simple and brilliant. My favorite episode. *****.
The Secret Society of Poohbahs: A LOT of great gags in this one. My favorite bit was the fact that everyone in the Poohbahs was named Fritz. ***1/2.
The Beanbarrow, the Burden and the Bright Bouquet: Classic episode. Lanford is adorable and the race was really cool. I loved Red singing Lanford a lullaby and Lanford blooming. *****.
Gobo's School For Explorers: Not the biggest Gobo fan and episodes like these are the reason why. I love Wembley's shifting google eyes though. Hilarious. ***.
Scared Silly: The Land of Blowing Up, huh? Funny episode. I also like the fact that it's hinted that Boober has a sly sense of humor. Somehow I don't believe his scaring Wembley was completely for his benefit. ****.
The Great Radish Caper: Almost unbearably sweet episode. I love Junior Gorg and I love the lengths Mokey went to for him when she realized how much his radish Geraldine meant to him. This is the kind of episode that reminds me why I love this show. ****1/2.
Born to Wander: Absolutely great prequel. We learned a LOT of things like that it was Traveling Matt who discovered radishes and that it's probable Gorgs live much longer than Fraggles. Young Matt was very sweet and it's a testament to him that he turned out to be such a great uncle to Gobo considering how rotten HIS Uncle Gobo was to him. Great callback to the song "Ev'ry Morning" from the pilot too. ****1/2.
The Battle of Leaking Roof: Good Gorg centered episode but I've always been a much bigger fan of Junior than Pa Gorg. I loved Junior battling the souflee. Mokey (although her appearance was brief) got the line of the ep: "I'd better go before they start singing again!" ***1/2.
Playing Till It Hurts: One of Red's cuter spotlights. Her determination to play despite her injuries was funny. ***.
Bored Stiff: Fun episode. I LOVE Junior Gorg and how much he both loves the Fraggles and wants to thump them. The very best kind of episode that shows the symbiosis between the Fraggles and Gorgs and how important they actually are to each other. ****1/2.
The Cavern of Lost Dreams: Good Cotterpin spotlight. Funniest bit is Sprocket's Swedish Chef impression. When he was inventing the cereal I got serious Croonchy Stars vibes. ***1/2.
The Incredible Shrinking Mokey: This episode had a nice moral about not being taken advantage of. Mokey is kind of a ditz though. I had thought the creature was using some kind of magic to get Mokey to do what he wanted but it turns out she is just a pushover. ***1/2.
A Dark and Stormy Night: I love it when Junior and the Fraggles work together. I thought this episode was a lot of fun with everybody being scared in the Gorg's castle for different reasons. ****.
Gunge, the Great and Glorious: I also love the ambiguously gay duo of Philo and Gunge. They are SO like an old married couple. I also have to say the animatronic effects they used to make the Doozers do their stunts were absolutely amazing. Cool episode. ****.
The Bells of Fraggle Rock: Cute holiday special about what Holidays truly mean to the people celebrating them. I usually find Gobo annoying but he certainly isn't the first person to ever question the meaning of the season. ****.
Sprocket's Big Adventure: I had been waiting for an episode where Sprocket visits Fraggle Rock. With the exception of Uncle Matt this episode was cool because it had appearances from all of the regulars. Sprocket's frustration at Doc and the fact that Gobo's friendship bracelet was actually a washer was priceless. ****1/2.
Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water: Good Wembley spotlight. I AM a little bit sick of the fact that none of the Fraggles ever listen to Wembley whenever he gives them a dire warning. But Wembley is such a relatable character that I can forgive the series for putting him through so much. And the musical number in the beginning of this episode was top-notch. ***1/2.
Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby
As a Jim Henson completist I sometimes find myself buying DVDs of some of his company's lesser features (the myriad of recent Elmo DVDs come to mind) so even though I bought this CGI movie soon after it came out I feared the worst. But it's actually not that bad. Parts of it are kind of cute and the ending is funny. The middle part of the movie drags BIG TIME though as we get to the Baby Wolf's (whom the Three Pigs adopted) teen years and he turns into an annoying emo. The movie has some sly gags (both FEMA and "Mission Accomplished" are poked fun at) and there are pop-culture homages to the video game Halo and the TV show CSI: Miami. Brad Garrett and Jon Cryer do good jobs voicing two of the Pigs. Honestly, for a direct to DVD animated feature it could have been a LOT worse. I actually kind of liked parts of it. ***.
Sesame Street Old School: 1974-1979: Volume 2
Another set of Sesame's early season premieres and best bits. It can definitely be argued that the best skits and songs are found on the first set but 1974-1979 was basically when the show was in it's prime and came into it's own. So while there aren't any new songs to rival I Love Trash or C is For Cookie it's great to see the cast gelled together as effortlessly as it eventually became. This is the era that we were introduced to Linda and Olivia and when Roscoe Orman made his debut as Gordon. The set also features the skit where Barkley the dog is finally given his name. The set also has some great Classic Cuts in Me and My Llama, The Pinball Number Count, the ridiculously catchy What's the Name of That Song and the legendary sketch of Bert teaching Bernice the Pigeon how to play Checkers. My only beef with the set is that the booklet said that this was the era in which Ernie's Classic I Don't Want to Live on the Moon was introduced. It's inexcusable that it wasn't on the set. Other than that the set was great. ****1/2.
Season 6, Show 666: The Sesame Street of the Beast! FINALLY! Roscoe Orman as Gordon! All is right with the world. A good episode. I especially loved seeing the bit with the Crow and the Fox and the Cheese again. Lots of psychadelic animated bits in this episode too. As for the live-action films that tree frog crawling to "A Long Hard Climb" is kind of creepy. Roosevelt Franklin has aged BADLY. Simply awful. It's Transformers all over again. The Pie on the Wall bit was pretty good. Another classic Bert and Ernie nose gag (from Season 1 by the looks of it). I liked this but it wasn't perfect. ***.
Counting Lights: Good Count segment. I already see they've "defanged" him already from when he put the whammy on Bert and Ernie. I'm fine with that. ***1/2.
Enter and Exit: This was on the first set too but I thought it was a cute cartoon then too. ***.
Africa: Embarrassingly bad. God, this was practically a Muppet Minstrel Show. I had heard that they dropped Roosevelt Franklin because people complained that he was a stereotype but I always thought it was just another case of "Concerned Parents" ruining everything. Not so. Aside from the dubius notion of teaching kids that Africa is a land RIPE for exploiting resources I really couldn't see any educational value here either. 1/2.
What's the Name of That Song: This bit is a classic and almost makes up for Roosevelt Franklin. Almost. One of the very best songs of the show and the first version is a REALLY good one. *****.
Bert and Ernie: Scary Movie: Best of the Bert and Ernie at the movies bit that I've seen so far. Hilarious. ****1/2.
Beetle Baily: I was never a fan of Beetle Baily but this cartoon is kind of cute. ***.
Grover and Kermit Horse Cart: FUNNY sketch. But, honestly I don't know what Kermit's problem with Grover is. There are a TON of Muppets more incompetent than him and Kermit doesn't treat any of them this badly. ***1/2.
First and Last Pencils: Stupid cartoon. *1/2.
Frog Struggle: I never realized how creepy looking Frogs are close up. The song "A Long Hard Climb" however is a classic. ***1/2.
Season 6 Classic Cuts:
Telephone Rock: Classic song. I love the old lady operator. SERIOUSLY catchy. *****.
Richard Pryor: Alphabet: This was funny but I really would have liked to have seen Pryor interact with the Muppets. ***1/2.
Here is Your Life, Loaf of Bread: I LOVE Guy Smiley but I've always thought Here Is Your Life is his weakest sketch. **/2.
Arthur Ashe: Over/ Under: Neat seeing Ashe in action but kind of boring too. **1/2.
Magic Pig Calypso Song: Cool morphing cartoon. ***.
Don Music: Mary Had a Little Lamb: I LOVE how Don Music used to smash his head on the piano. Mmm, that's imitatable! Kermit is really funny here too. *****.
Pointer Sisters: Swingin' Alphabet: God, this song is great. Serious, toe-tappin' fun. Awesome. ****1/2.
Super Grover: Stopping the Fight: The little kids fighting was funny but Grover? Not so much. ***.
Henson Ball High Wire #3: This is something out of the science museum. I loved this film as a kid. SO cool. ****.
Richie Havens: Wonder Child: Nice, I suppose but kind of boring at the same time. **1/2.
Twiddlebugs: Postage Stamp: A classic. I always scream in delight watching the Twiddlebugs licking the postage stamp together. ****1/2.
Subway Song: Cute I guess but I'm not sure why it made the Classic Cut. ***.
Jose Feliciano: Arroz con Leche: The coughing kid at the beginning bugs me. They couldn't do a second take? Who directed this, Ed Wood? **.
Chicken Hatching: Ummm, boring? *.
Kermit News: Jack Jumps Over Candle Stick: Another classic. I love that Jack is a stoner hippie who threatens to sue Mother Goose at the end. VERY funny. *****.
Helen Reddy: Grow: This song with kids surrounding Reddy reminded me of Romper Room for some reason, I'm a Do Bee. **1/2.
Broom Adventures: Cool cartoon. I love it. ****.
City/ Country Song: Another case of me not knowing why this made the Classic Cut. On the other hand Jim Henson gives a funny performance as the street hood. **1/2.
Credit Crawl For Season 6: I love the peaceful drive down a country road. Also nice to be able to read the names without having to freeze frame them thanks to the slow credit speed. Hooray for Roscoe Orman! ****.
Pilot Episode: VERY uneven. The only Muppets are Ernie and Bert and they only appear together and outside of the human cast. ANOTHER different Gordon too. Ernie sounds weird in the early segments. The Good: Good Superman short, I love Bob singing the complete Sesame Street theme and The Man From Alphabet with Gary Owens was inspired silliness. I just wish we HAD seen that episode of Batman that Ernie wanted to watch. The Bad: Too much repetition and Mister Hooper is uncharacteristically mean. Decent but not great. ***.
Disc 1 Easter Egg: I can't believe there are actually Easter Eggs on a Sesame Street DVD! Sweet! I really like Artie Bumble and the Nine Swine and his mother Adeline. This was incredibly sweet. *****.
Season 7: Show 796: Still not a fan of everybody calling Big Bird a liar regarding Snuffy but I REALLY liked David trying to hint to Maria that it was his birthday. They have great chemistry. Maria being a head for Grover to demonstrate was cute too. I wish the set had a different Number Sketch. We've seen the number 2 segment at least four times. I want to see the chef tripping down the stairs to some different numbers! Solid Episode: ****.
Highlights:
Snuffy Counts: Boy are the people on Sesame Street really unobservant. Snuffy is REALLY hard to miss. Just makes everybody's accussations of Big Bird making him up even more unfair. ***1/2.
Cow Dog Song: ????. That's basically my reaction to this weird song and let's face it somewhat pointless film. **1/2.
Harvey Kneeslapper: Good Harvey gag with the pogo stick and the number 2. I loved it. ****.
Kermit News: Humpty Dumpty: A classic. I love how absolutely creepy the Humpty Muppet is. Great. *****.
There's a Zoo in Me: Cute cartoon about a kid who imagines animals with every different emotion he experiences. ***.
Judy Collins: Fisherman's Song: Judy Collins has a GREAT voice and this song is ridiculously catchy. I loved it. ****1/2.
Herry & John John: Soft & Loud: SO cute! I love John John. He's one of the best kids who works with the Muppets. ****1/2.
Hand & Pencil Draw Telephone: Cool animation and concept (learning about dimensions) build up to a passable end gag. Pretty good. ***1/2.
P- Picnic: Decent but not super good. Who brings a Pumpkin to a picnic? **1/2.
Season 7 Classic Cuts:
Pinball Number Count #4: I love the Pinball cartoons. #4 is one of the most memorable. ****.
Kermit and the Weather Saleman: Funny. Grover is both cute and annoying. Him and Kermit work well together. ****1/2.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Wynkin, Blynkin, and Nod: This folk singer song is kind of boring to tell you the truth. **.
Don Music: Yankee Doodle: Hilarious. Don REALLY smacks his head on the piano in this one. I love the singers at the end too. ****1/2.
Alone Song: Or "All By Myself". Short but catchy. ***1/2.
Marshall Grover: Away From: Heh. Poor Grover. I loved his horse. ***1/2.
Grover Invents the Wheel: I couldn't stop laughing at this. First appearance of Biff on the set too. ****.
Follow the Leader: Bob really has a sweet way with kids. It's really fun to watch. ***.
Pinball Number Count Remix #1-12: I loved seeing most of the cartoons in one place in a REALLY wild format. This was never actually aired on the show and for good reason: it's confusing as sin. I loved it. *****.
Credit Crawl For Season 7: I like takin' a drive. ***1/2.
Season 8: Show 926: I liked this one. Some of my favorite bits included David and Maria on the mountain (excellent gag at the end) David gathering people at Mr. Hooper's store for his 25th anniversary, the cartoon of Frogs hopping on the rock, Gladys the Cow's music lesson with Bob and Grover playing and getting surprised at the beginning and end. The show has basically gelled and this point and is very much in it's stride. It definitely doesn't have the rough edges of the earlier seasons. I miss that a little but it's cool to see a completely "normal" episode. *****
Chaplin Exit Door: Something about Maria's Chaplin is both creepy and funny at the same time and I can't figure out what it is. ***.
Touch Song: Nice little song with a sweet melody. ***.
I in the Sky: Very Beatles-type song is ridiculously catchy. I love it but it will be stuck in my head for a week. Totally worth it. *****.
Biff & Sully: Piano Scales: Classic. I miss Buff and Sully so much and wish they were still on this show. Sully is SO cute. ****1/2.
Lily Tomlin: Count 1-5: VERY short Edith Ann sketch that didn't actually have any counting. And that's the truth. Pbbbbt! ***1/2.
Bert & Ernie's Rhyming Song: I love this one. I love how just when Bert gets into Ernie's annoying games Ernie loses interest. Ernie's a pretty lousy friend and that's what is so funny about him. *****.
Doll House: I have a feeling if I were a little girl I'd have loved this segment. VERY cute. ***1/2.
Cookie Monster in the Library: Hilarious sketch that builds to a hysterical closing gag. They don't make them like this anymore. *****.
Fur: Cute song but not one of my favorites to be honest, probably because it doesn't feature any monsters we actually know, ***.
Season 8 Classic Cuts:
Cookie Monster Disco Song: Seeing Cookie Monster with a black beard, shiny glasses, chains and a feather hat had me laughing out loud. I loved him channeling his inner Isaac Hayes. ****1/2.
Paul Simon: Me and Julio: It was really funny to hear that little girl improvising with Paul. ***1/2.
All Out of Food: Another great sketch that builds to a killer closing gag. The show is SO great at old-style jokes. ****.
Lobster Fisherman: Booooorrrriiiiiiinnnnggggg! **.
Dog Flea Camp: I remember this one. It's still funny. ***1/2.
Bert's Physical: Bert and Ernie play doctor (get your mind out of the gutter shippers and speculators!) and I really liked Ernie describing to Bert how long it would take for his results (23 years). *****.
Two Doors With Bob: Bob as the clown has always creeped me out. Maybe because Clowns are just plain freaky. **1/2.
Swamp Mushy Muddy: Good Oscar Song. Nice to see the Witches again too. ***1/2.
Credit Crawl For Season 8: This is Linda's first appearance on the set correct? I like how they jazzed up the end music. ****.
Disc 2 Easter Egg: Cute cartoon. ***.
Season 9, Show 1056: Olivia! Gladys the Cow! I loved the Grouch Chef and Charles' Chicken Soup. David REALLY gets into the audience participation aspect of skits like this. I also loved Bert's marching band (along with the human cast OBVIOUSLY not playing their own instruments). I like Maria and Linda's Chaplin bit too and Grover "driving" Gordon's car. Herry and the Apples was funny too. And Cookie Monster's Coming Round the Moutain was classic. And can I just mention how funny the new Typewriter footage for the episode introduction was? The "Macho" construction worker looked like one of the guys from The Simpsons' gay steel mill. ****1/2.
Pinball Animation #2: Cool. ****.
Song From Kermit: Not that memorable to be honest especially considering the fact that Kermit is the Muppet with perhaps the biggest hit ratio of songs in his name. **1/2.
Ah! For the Joys of the Country: Subversive as sin. They'd NEVER get away with this smackdown of big business and pollution today. ****.
One of Us: This made me laugh a lot. Gladys is SO cute and funny. ****1/2.
Typewriter H: Hand: I've seen funnier Typewriter gags. **1/2.
Singing Alphabet: Cool way to teach kids both sign language and the alphabet. ***.
Making Noodles: This would have bored me out of a skull as a kid. It did here too. *1/2.
Grover & John John Count to One: Short but sweet. ***1/2.
Water Fountain: This was another fave as a kid. VERY cool and funny cartoon about problem solving. I love that kid. ****1/2.
Season 9 Classic Cuts:
It Feels Good When You Sing a Song: I love Olivia. Alaina Reed Hall is a great singer. ****.
Bert & Ernie: Slice of Life: Funny. That pie looked good too. ***1/2.
Ray Charles: I Got a Song: I love how enthused Bert got here. This was hilarious. ****.
Fonzie and Cunningham: Brushing Teeth: I NEVER thought I'd see the day where I'd see ANYTHING related to Happy Days being funny but this sure was. ****1/2.
Taxi Sounds: Cute cartoon. I like the sounds at the end. ***1/2.
School Pageant: Seasons: This was fun. I love Prairie Dawn and her plays. ****.
Madeline Kahn: Sing After Me: This was SO adorable. I love Grover and Madeline singing the Echo song. *****.
Fireworks Alphabet: This was another favorite when I was a kid. ****.
Ten Commandments of Health: Catchy song, funny Muppets, so-so sketch. ***.
Credit Crawl For Season 9: Everything is better in pink. ***1/2.
Season 10, Show 1186: I liked this one a lot. My absolute favorite part was seeing Barkley getting named. It was hilarious. I also loved the put-upon Grover trying to get the other Muppets to extoll the virtues of the number 2 to no avail especially since it was Kermit who was being a mischievous stinker. The part where David ALMOST caught Snuffelupagus was hilarious too. ****1/2.
Highlights:
Disco D: This was cute, but kind of boring. VERY dated and not in a good way. **1/2.
Victor Borge: Up/ Down, High/ Low: I LOVE Victor Borge. He was one of my inspirations for learning to play the piano (take THAT Don Music!). *****.
Bert & Ernie: What Time is It?: It's not enough that Ernie has to annoy Bert he has to get the entire neighborhood mad at him. ****.
Burp Sounds: I was never too crazy about the cartoons with the dumpy looking spelling guy. **1/2.
Magnet With Kids: This short was where I first saw kids playing jacks. Cool! ***1/2.
Girl & Witch: This cartoon was cute too. I especially liked all of the different things the girl changed into. ***1/2.
Nose Blower: I always hated this cartoon as a kid. The little girl's voice got on my nerves. *.
Cry Song: When the Baby bursts into song I started laughing hard (SERIOUS Muppet Babies vibes) but the longer the song went on the less funny it was. ***1/2.
Billy Jo Jive: Missing Wig: I LOVED Billy Jo Jive as a kid. He was the precurser to 321 Contact's Bloodhound Gang and Square One Television's Mathnet for eighties kids. Awesome. *****.
Season Ten Classic Cuts:
Grover Disco: Alphabet Song: Like most Sesame Street Disco bits this is kind of dated. But it's still kind of funny. ***.
Kermit Casting Director: I liked this one with the 3 Little Pigs and the different size wolves. It's not easy bein' green. ***1/2.
Imagination: Dogs: I love the circus numbers cartoons. ****.
Llama at Dentist Song: This was one of my absolute faves as a kid and it is just as cool now as it was then. *****.
Bert Teaches Pigeon Checkers: This classic skit is essential Bert because it highlights what makes him such a great character and foil for Ernie: he has NO appreciation for the absurd. I love how the writers often have to make ERNIE the grown-up when it comes to common sense. Oh, and the skit is also the funniest thing EVER! *****.
Lost Dog Flyer: All I kept thinking while watching this is that nowadays people can simply print up flyer in five minutes thanks to computers and printers. An excellent time capsule that succeeds at what I can only assume it set out to do: make me feel old. ***.
My Favorite Number is 6: Another Bert goodie but coming right off of Pigeon Checkers it PALES in comparison. ***1/2.
Old West: Letter Y Box of Crayons: Jim Henson has a LOT of fun with the Old West Baddie. I can see why this made the Classic Cut. ****.
Credit Crawl for Season 10: This actually gave me kind of a headache. **1/2.
Disc 3 Easter Egg: This is one of the wonkiest cartoons from the seventies. VERY cool. ****.
Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game:
Before Tickle-Me Elmo and Elmo's World there was Old School Elmo. Before he was the break-out character in practically EVERY video and special Elmo was a scene-stealing member of the Sesame Street ensemble. It's easy to see how he got so popular but I DO miss the days when he wasn't the star of the show.
This DVD which stars Elmo is one of the very best examples of Old School Elmo who is very excitable and not nessecarily the most polite guy on the planet. He interrupts and breaks the rules here and it's hilarious. I've ALWAYS loved Elmo but his earlier appearances are his best.
The video also has a GREAT selection of choice Sesame Street clips. From One Fine Face to Elmo's Song to Alligator King to I Love Trash this special is a treasure trove of classic goodies. Maybe not on the level of the Old School DVD sets, but for good bits from the eighties this video can't be beat. Seriously great set-up and catchy songs as Elmo hosts his own game show and gets a little bit too excited and keeps blurting out the answers. It's cute and hilarious.
I've always loved this video and seeing it on DVD for the first time was excellent. Good stuff. *****.
Fraggle Rock: Complete Third Season
Fraggle Rock is one of those rare eighties kids shows that holds up well today and is perhaps more relevent now than ever. The idea of different creatures learning to get along and showing kids about the symbiosis of different people and cultures is a lesson that needs to be taught now more than ever. Jim Henson created the show to end war and I wish that it was still on the air today where its lessons of tolerance and true friendship could be used to show the next generation how important getting along with people is.
Fraggle Rock season three took concepts hinted at in the first two seasons even further. We finally got to see how the Fraggles celebrate the holidays and Sprocket in Fraggle Rock. We also learned that Junior Gorg truly cares about the Fraggles in his own way and the origins of Uncle Matt being the one to discover the Gorgs and radishes. This season also contain my favorite episode "Wembley and the Mean Genie".
This is easily the show's best season yet (I've yet to see seasons four and five). The show (like Futurama) started off strong and kept improving as it went on anyways. I love this season and this show. ****1/2.
Red-Handed and Invisible Thief: Cool episode. I love the morals this show teaches and I love how Red turned out to be the person who stole her own radish bars. I saw it coming but it was still a nice twist. ****1/2.
Boober and the Glob: Classic Jim Henson directed episode. Sprocket getting into the tussle with Shimmlefinny's cat was hilarious especially since the cat was so cheap looking. It looked like he was fighting a dead ferret. I also love it when Cotterpin interacts with the Fraggles. I was worried about Boober doing the right thing but he saved all of the Doozers from the Glob. Only beef: it might have been the point but none of the actual Joke Day jokes were funny. *****.
The Grapes of Generosity: I didn't care for this one so much. The ending where Gobo reveals what happened to his friends and promptly stops being weightless was funny but even though I'm not the world's biggest Gobo fan he was pretty unlikable throughout the episode. **1/2.
Blanket of Snow, Blanket of Woe: The best part of this episode was Gobo and Mokey trying to put the rotten berries in the Gorg's soup and posing as salt and pepper shakers. ***.
Pebble Pox Blues: Wembley has some hilarious scenes here and I thought his scenes with Boober were unbearably sweet. Boober is the Muppet version of Adrian Monk. ****.
Home Is Where the Trash Is: I used to think of Philo and Gunge as kind of gross but they were adorable here. Very cute episode. Just one question: where DID they come from originally? ***1/2.
Believe It Or Not: Cute episode. I liked the role reversal of Wembley being brave and Red being scared of the "monster". I was also very pleased that Skenfrith became the Gorg's pet at the end. ***1/2.
Wembley and the Mean Genie: Best. Episode. EVER. Awesome and a total classic. Richard Hunt was doing "crick in the neck" jokes before Robin Williams! I loved the story and the climax with all of the hypnotized Fraggles was psychedelic and freaky. The resolution was simple and brilliant. My favorite episode. *****.
The Secret Society of Poohbahs: A LOT of great gags in this one. My favorite bit was the fact that everyone in the Poohbahs was named Fritz. ***1/2.
The Beanbarrow, the Burden and the Bright Bouquet: Classic episode. Lanford is adorable and the race was really cool. I loved Red singing Lanford a lullaby and Lanford blooming. *****.
Gobo's School For Explorers: Not the biggest Gobo fan and episodes like these are the reason why. I love Wembley's shifting google eyes though. Hilarious. ***.
Scared Silly: The Land of Blowing Up, huh? Funny episode. I also like the fact that it's hinted that Boober has a sly sense of humor. Somehow I don't believe his scaring Wembley was completely for his benefit. ****.
The Great Radish Caper: Almost unbearably sweet episode. I love Junior Gorg and I love the lengths Mokey went to for him when she realized how much his radish Geraldine meant to him. This is the kind of episode that reminds me why I love this show. ****1/2.
Born to Wander: Absolutely great prequel. We learned a LOT of things like that it was Traveling Matt who discovered radishes and that it's probable Gorgs live much longer than Fraggles. Young Matt was very sweet and it's a testament to him that he turned out to be such a great uncle to Gobo considering how rotten HIS Uncle Gobo was to him. Great callback to the song "Ev'ry Morning" from the pilot too. ****1/2.
The Battle of Leaking Roof: Good Gorg centered episode but I've always been a much bigger fan of Junior than Pa Gorg. I loved Junior battling the souflee. Mokey (although her appearance was brief) got the line of the ep: "I'd better go before they start singing again!" ***1/2.
Playing Till It Hurts: One of Red's cuter spotlights. Her determination to play despite her injuries was funny. ***.
Bored Stiff: Fun episode. I LOVE Junior Gorg and how much he both loves the Fraggles and wants to thump them. The very best kind of episode that shows the symbiosis between the Fraggles and Gorgs and how important they actually are to each other. ****1/2.
The Cavern of Lost Dreams: Good Cotterpin spotlight. Funniest bit is Sprocket's Swedish Chef impression. When he was inventing the cereal I got serious Croonchy Stars vibes. ***1/2.
The Incredible Shrinking Mokey: This episode had a nice moral about not being taken advantage of. Mokey is kind of a ditz though. I had thought the creature was using some kind of magic to get Mokey to do what he wanted but it turns out she is just a pushover. ***1/2.
A Dark and Stormy Night: I love it when Junior and the Fraggles work together. I thought this episode was a lot of fun with everybody being scared in the Gorg's castle for different reasons. ****.
Gunge, the Great and Glorious: I also love the ambiguously gay duo of Philo and Gunge. They are SO like an old married couple. I also have to say the animatronic effects they used to make the Doozers do their stunts were absolutely amazing. Cool episode. ****.
The Bells of Fraggle Rock: Cute holiday special about what Holidays truly mean to the people celebrating them. I usually find Gobo annoying but he certainly isn't the first person to ever question the meaning of the season. ****.
Sprocket's Big Adventure: I had been waiting for an episode where Sprocket visits Fraggle Rock. With the exception of Uncle Matt this episode was cool because it had appearances from all of the regulars. Sprocket's frustration at Doc and the fact that Gobo's friendship bracelet was actually a washer was priceless. ****1/2.
Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water: Good Wembley spotlight. I AM a little bit sick of the fact that none of the Fraggles ever listen to Wembley whenever he gives them a dire warning. But Wembley is such a relatable character that I can forgive the series for putting him through so much. And the musical number in the beginning of this episode was top-notch. ***1/2.
Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby
As a Jim Henson completist I sometimes find myself buying DVDs of some of his company's lesser features (the myriad of recent Elmo DVDs come to mind) so even though I bought this CGI movie soon after it came out I feared the worst. But it's actually not that bad. Parts of it are kind of cute and the ending is funny. The middle part of the movie drags BIG TIME though as we get to the Baby Wolf's (whom the Three Pigs adopted) teen years and he turns into an annoying emo. The movie has some sly gags (both FEMA and "Mission Accomplished" are poked fun at) and there are pop-culture homages to the video game Halo and the TV show CSI: Miami. Brad Garrett and Jon Cryer do good jobs voicing two of the Pigs. Honestly, for a direct to DVD animated feature it could have been a LOT worse. I actually kind of liked parts of it. ***.