Day Forty: 40 Years of Sesame Street

40 YEARS OF SESAME STREET

When I saw this collection at the store, I knew I had to own it. No, not because I like to sit around Saturday morning eating cereal and watching musical puppet shows, but because I want my future offspring to be able to watch some of the same fine public television I experienced when I was a squirt.

This collection has much of what you’d expect, starting off with the first two decades of the show on Disc 1, with the more current sketches on Disc 2. I have to be honest here; Disc 1 is really the only reason to concern yourself with this set. That’s where all the good stuff is. Remember the King of Eight? How about SuperGrover? Or what about James Taylor singing “Jelly Man Kelly” with a pack of screaming ankle biters?

You’ll see cameos from all sorts of people like Madeleine Kahn, Jeremy Irons, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, and Alicia Keys, not to mention all the Sesame Street standards, like Maria and Luis’ wedding or the “Hey kids, Mr. Hooper died!” episode.

My personal favorites are Bert and Ernie going fishing (Heeeeeeeeeeeere, FISHY FISHY FISHY FISHY FISHY FISHY!), and Kermit singing the African Alphabet song. These are happy childhood memories we’re talking about here. The only thing better than a walk down memory lane with the citizens of Sesame Street is an evening with Miss Piggy and her Muppet Show comrades.

Hmm, now I’m really in the mood for some bacon.

Off in search of The Pig and Her Frog,

M.