Now that we are grown up adults, unless you're one of the early ones with a child, few would again brush shoulders with the remnants of our kiddy days.
Had been watching a few episodes of Sesame Street on a work-related assignment. Like a magical wand, the show unsuspectingly sprinkled magic dust into my core. It was simply delightful! It was enlivening, ticklish yet enchanting, bringing a smile to my face amidst distress and dullness in the office. Yes, Sesame Street is undoubtedly cute, but it is also naughty, witty, bold, silly, and most of all, astonishingly brilliant.
The evolution of television programming has seen all sorts of TV programs emerge and submerge from the small screen. For Gen-Ys stuck with the onslaught of trashy reality TV programs that seem to dominate most air time these days, watching Sesame Street again was like a breath of fresh air. Its delightful simplicity and genuineness in its content stark contrasts to the choking ironic fakeness, manipulated reality and gaudy visuals that haunt the genre. Therefore, I'd even suggest watching a few episodes of Sesame Street when you run out of good TV content!
Created in 1966 by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett , Sesame Street continues to endear the hearts of generations of young kids even after 50 years. Originally a US program produced by Children's Television Network, it has gone through significant changes in its course of 50 years. Now renamed Sesame Workshop, Sesame Street sat on the band wagon of globalisation at the start of the 21st century. The program has crossed its American borders and has entered third world countries, spurred by a new operational structure and a vision to educate children in developing countries. http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aroundtheworld]. We now see reincarnations of our favourite childhood muppets' in various countries and cultures: Elmo speaking different languages and donning various traditional costumes, Sesame Street in various versions of names with different races of children singing and dancing.
'Galli Galli sim sim' opens with a carefully researched cuddly lion 
'Boombah' who loves eating vegetables and dancing to Bhangrah music ; 'Jalan Sesama' has local characters wearing sarongs and wielding the keris; and the Chinese speaking 艾摩 and 大鸟 in 'Big Bird Sees the World' has a new muppet Lily that practices kung fu with whatever objects she sees. It tickles when I hear the theme song sung in a different language with additional syllables fit into the familiar Sesame Street soundtrack (eg. Danish 
version 'Elmo's Verden'). Watching the many versions of Sesame Street, I am awed with the brilliance behind the creativity and production of the producers. It merges original content with local flavours, while adroitly retaining the essence of the much-loved program. The 
production consistently evolve, from simple animated sketches in the 60s to smooth, sophisticated claymations, while retaining its classic muppet and human skits, songs and dances.
My favourite Adventures of Bert and Ernie episode. Bert in a Penguin predicament. It sure takes patience to be a papa penguin! :)
The show is strongly character-driven with an effective blend of characters. Apart from being merely adorable, each character is infused with distinct characterisation that sets one apart from the other. We love and loathe their flaws and mischievousness - the greedy cookie obsessed Cookie Monster, the cantankerous Oscar the Grouch, the impulsive and clumsy Grover, the irresponsibly playful Ernie and his rather rigid sidekick Bert.... providing the right ingredients for interesting plots and skits. It is precisely their flaws that make them so lovable, more so with their quirks, such as Ernie's attachment to his favourite rubber duckie, Bert's fascination with pidgeons, and Oscar's doted little pet worm. The show teaches without being too overt, unlike most children's shows that scream to children: 'you are watching this show to learn!'. It allows children to be mischievous and make mistakes, as exemplified by Ernie and his constant mishaps.
They complain, they get disappointed, they shy away, they get impatient, they feel insecure. Through the furry monsters, the show portrays human emotions that every little child would experience. Characters make mistakes and learn from them. It teaches children about being human, dealing with emotions, dilemmas, situations, including taboo subjects such as death (exemplified by the watershed moment when Big Bird finds out about Mr. Hooper's death in Episode 1839). It does not downplay children's intellect, not falling into the usual trap of shoving ABCs and 123s down their throats in artificially high-pitched childlike voices, or saturated with saccharine content and patronizing adult hosts like many shows of this genre. 
Caroll Spinney - the evergreen voice behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
Kevin Clash, the voice behind the much-loved Elmo
A shot of the filming
The show employs just the right amount of humour to entertain. It is occasionally outrageous, silly and ridiculous in a children's show kind of way, giving appropriate, harmless fun for children, at the same time playful and amusing for adults. In the show they treat children like little adults, introducing scenarios that depict the adult world while adapting it to children's context. For adults watching, you'd be tickled by the parodies of adult TV shows such as - "Law and Order - Special Letter Investigations Unit", “Desperate Houseplants”, “A's Anatomy”, or “Are you Smarter than an Egg Layer?”. (Links embedded below to share!)
To cater to the short attention span of children, the show jumps from one topic to another. The
show is filled with vibrant colours, lively song and dance
numbers, and creatively executed animated segments. Certain segments or skits don't really impart anything but is there, I suppose, for the sake of being ridiculous or silly - just like how we watch nonsensical comedies / sitcoms as adults to take the mind off things. The show takes liberty in borrowing everyday culture that children are familiar with into amusing effects, cue the jazzy saxophone Hoots the
Owl that sings songs like 'Bird Call Boogie' reminiscent of Louis Armstrong. Ah, the magic of anamorphism.
The entire Sesame Street team, ranging from the writers, producers, down to the puppeteers and casts share the simple vision and passion to produce the best educational TV content for children. As such, it is simply this shared genuine desire, I suppose, that is the vital ingredient for a timeless TV show that continues to enchant and delight its viewers for generations.
'Desperate Houseplants' - could be interpreted in adult connotations if you wish...hahaha!
Creativity knows no bounds. It certainly forms the backbone of this endearing show.
Educational and naughty at the same time...I bow down before the writers!
Are you smarter than an egg layer? Hmm...I don't know if I am!
...And finally, a parody of the iPhone ad campaing - 'There's an App for That'. :)
0 Yorumlar