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[upbeat music]
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♪
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- ♪ Sunny day
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♪ Sweepin' the clouds away
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♪ On my way
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♪ To where the air is sweet
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♪ Can you tell me how to get
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♪ How to get to
Sesame Street ♪
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♪ Sesame Street
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[indistinct chatter]
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- Stand by. Here we go.
Very quiet.
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Five, four, three,
two, one, action.
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[guitar music playing]
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♪
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[footsteps pattering]
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- Buenas noches, señor,
17
00:01:03,605 --> 00:01:06,399
and welcome to
La Casa de Comidas.
18
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I'm Grover, you're favorite
singing and dancing waiter.
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We have four specials.
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Número uno,
número dos--
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Nu-num--
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[stammers]
[dishes clatter]
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- Yes, uh?
- Ah!
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[upbeat music]
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[indistinct chatter]
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- Okay. So let's do it.
Let's do the...
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- On an average day, according
to the Nielsen ratings,
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more than 12 million
American children
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under six watch
what goes on in this room.
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- Okay. All set, guys?
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- Jon Stone was instrumental
in developing "Sesame Street."
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He was its first producer,
still directs half the shows
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and have you ever stopped
smiling
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as you've worked on
all of the--
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- I wouldn't still be doing it
if it weren't fun.
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00:01:53,780 --> 00:01:55,615
I love it.
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- Please welcome the creator of
"The Muppets," Mr. Jim Henson.
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- I suppose when we first
did "Sesame Street"
39
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that was the time where
the audience got to know us.
40
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- A turning point
in everybody's life,
41
00:02:06,626 --> 00:02:07,794
you and "Sesame Street."
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- I was there too.
43
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- Kermit.
- Sure. Sure. I was there.
44
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- What the original idea?
45
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What were you trying
to accomplish in 1969?
46
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- The original idea
came from Joan Cooney,
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who is the woman
behind the whole project.
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- There is no question,
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the people who control
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the system read
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and the people who make it
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in the system read.
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- Here is Joan Cooney,
who is showing us
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what television
really could be.
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I mean, what she is doing
is what television would do
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if it loved people instead
of trying to sell to people,
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and there is all the difference
in the world.
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[upbeat funky music]
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♪
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- Oh, you're here.
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Well, since you're here,
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I might as well answer
a set of questions
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which have been submitted to me
here at the old trash can.
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What do you think makes
"Sesame Street"
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so appealing to kids?
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I didn't think they liked it.
I hate it myself.
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[indistinct chatter]
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- Stand by.
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- Okay.
And it's on camera,
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and action.
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00:03:52,941 --> 00:03:54,525
- It's hard to talk about
"Sesame Street"
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00:03:54,567 --> 00:03:57,904
without talking
about Jon Stone.
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I think Jon was probably,
in my view at least,
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00:04:01,241 --> 00:04:05,078
the most critical person
to the success of the show.
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- Come in and kind of look
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00:04:06,579 --> 00:04:07,914
at the phone
and wonder what it is.
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- He was a wonderful writer.
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00:04:09,958 --> 00:04:11,876
He was an amazing director.
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- And bring in the word
across the top.
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- Will do.
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- Oh.
- Tele...
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- Phone.
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[chatter]
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- Telephone.
- [chatter]
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[laughter]
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- And he was really
the soul of the show.
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- Jon was the guy
who really created
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the whole reality of it,
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you know, the style
and the vision of the show.
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- So the two of you together,
when you get about here
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I hear a bat going--
[squeaking]
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whatever bats do, right?
93
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- Hey, don't worry, Count,
we'll help you.
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00:04:49,163 --> 00:04:51,624
- Oh, we must look
everywhere, high, low--
95
00:04:51,624 --> 00:04:53,126
- You know, there were
a lot of shows
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that really talked down
to kids
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and he really didn't want that.
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Jon Stone thought that
you could have a kid's show
99
00:05:01,509 --> 00:05:04,470
where adults wouldn't run
for the door
100
00:05:04,470 --> 00:05:06,014
as soon as it was on.
101
00:05:08,975 --> 00:05:12,437
- Well, I've worked
for over 25 years now
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00:05:12,478 --> 00:05:14,105
in television in New York City,
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so I've seen a lot of studios
and a lot of shows.
104
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[balloon pops]
[children cheer]
105
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And I've sat through
so many children's shows,
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just terrible stuff.
107
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- Hot Ovaltine at breakfast
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gives you the right start
in the morning.
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- They'd be selling toys
and cereals,
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all that stuff.
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- You tell Mommy or Daddy
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that you want Tootsie Rolls.
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children: Tootsie Rolls!
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- And I hated it.
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- Our dad saw the world
in black and white,
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and so there were good guys.
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You were a good guy,
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or you were a bad guy,
and the good guys,
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he loved with all his heart,
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and the bad guys,
there was no gray.
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- You know, he took things
so much to heart
122
00:06:02,362 --> 00:06:05,656
and Dad came to activism
123
00:06:05,698 --> 00:06:07,200
and feeling strongly
about the world
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because of the era
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that he was kind of becoming
an adult in.
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[soft dramatic music]
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[helicopter whirring]
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00:06:15,416 --> 00:06:17,877
- The Vietnam War was going
full blast.
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00:06:17,919 --> 00:06:19,545
[bomb whistling]
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And the country
was very politicized.
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Everybody was screaming
at everybody else,
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and it was impossible
133
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not to feel strongly
one way or another.
134
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- Black power.
Black power.
135
00:06:32,392 --> 00:06:35,895
- I think Dad wore the pain
of the world
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00:06:35,895 --> 00:06:39,857
in a way that
other people can let it go.
137
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- I had really quit
the business.
138
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I thought I had done
about everything
139
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I was gonna do in television.
140
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- And then he got this call
141
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from a producer saying,
you know,
142
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she would like to talk to him
about this children's program
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00:06:55,081 --> 00:06:58,251
that she was
starting to create.
144
00:06:58,251 --> 00:07:01,421
- Joan Cooney called me
and said she was trying
145
00:07:01,462 --> 00:07:03,589
to put together a staff
to do a new children's show,
146
00:07:03,631 --> 00:07:05,550
and would I be interested?
147
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I said no, really, I didn't
want to do television anymore,
148
00:07:09,762 --> 00:07:14,225
and she is a very charming
and persuasive lady.
149
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- I think what drew Dad in
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really had to do
with her political vision,
151
00:07:18,604 --> 00:07:20,440
and I think
when she started talking
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about inner-city children
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and the amount of time
that kids
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are spending watching
bad television
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with nothing to do
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because their parents
are working,
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that's what pulled him in.
158
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- I had been working
at Channel 13 in New York
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producing documentaries,
and through that work
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I had become absolutely
involved intellectually
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00:07:45,006 --> 00:07:48,801
and spiritually with
the civil rights movement.
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00:07:52,138 --> 00:07:55,933
I was not focused
on young children though.
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That all goes back
to Lloyd Morrisett,
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who really was the father
of "Sesame Street."
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00:08:03,858 --> 00:08:08,112
- I was a psychologist
at the Carnegie Foundation,
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00:08:08,154 --> 00:08:12,950
and we were heavily influenced
by the national dialogue
167
00:08:12,992 --> 00:08:16,829
on the gap that was
being created in schools.
168
00:08:16,871 --> 00:08:20,791
- There is a singular lack of
equal educational opportunity
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00:08:20,833 --> 00:08:23,336
in the United States
for negroes.
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00:08:23,377 --> 00:08:24,837
- This is not
a racial difference
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but a socioeconomic difference.
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[children chattering]
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- We found that those children
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00:08:30,384 --> 00:08:33,012
who had entered school
three months behind,
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00:08:33,054 --> 00:08:36,015
and by the end of first grade
be a year behind
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and get further
and further behind.
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00:08:38,518 --> 00:08:41,646
And I wondered whether there
was a possibility
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that television could be used
to help children with school,
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00:08:45,733 --> 00:08:48,027
but television
was not very popular
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00:08:48,027 --> 00:08:49,487
with the Carnegie staff.
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Academics were not interested
in television.
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[theme music playing]
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They didn't have it
in their homes.
184
00:08:56,202 --> 00:08:58,371
- Danger, Will Robinson,
danger.
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00:08:58,371 --> 00:09:00,540
- It was the boob tube.
186
00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:03,042
[theme song playing]
- ♪ The minnow would be lost
187
00:09:03,042 --> 00:09:07,046
- And then one of my friends,
Joan, held a dinner party
188
00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:10,383
and I knew Joan was
a television producer.
189
00:09:10,424 --> 00:09:12,343
And so, we were just talking
190
00:09:12,385 --> 00:09:14,011
and I said "Joan,
do you think television
191
00:09:14,053 --> 00:09:17,515
could be used to teach
young children?"
192
00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:20,726
- I knew the answer.
I knew the answer right away.
193
00:09:20,726 --> 00:09:22,728
- ♪ When you say "Bud"
194
00:09:22,728 --> 00:09:26,899
♪ You've said a lot of things
nobody else can say ♪
195
00:09:26,941 --> 00:09:30,236
- Every child in America
was singing beer commercials.
196
00:09:30,278 --> 00:09:31,862
all: ♪ It means you want
the beer ♪
197
00:09:31,904 --> 00:09:34,240
♪ That's got a taste
that's number one ♪
198
00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,201
- Now where had they learned
beer commercials?
199
00:09:37,243 --> 00:09:38,744
all: ♪ You tell the world
you know ♪
200
00:09:38,786 --> 00:09:41,706
♪ What makes it all the way
201
00:09:41,747 --> 00:09:44,041
♪ When you say "Bud"
202
00:09:44,083 --> 00:09:45,918
♪ You say you care enough
203
00:09:45,918 --> 00:09:47,420
♪ To only want
the King of Beers ♪
204
00:09:47,461 --> 00:09:48,921
- A lot of children in America
205
00:09:48,963 --> 00:09:50,590
were walking into supermarkets
206
00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:52,758
and identifying product.
207
00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,552
- ♪ Even whiter than
it is before ♪
208
00:09:54,594 --> 00:09:56,929
- By having seen Cheer
on the screen
209
00:09:56,929 --> 00:09:58,931
or Wonder Bread, et cetera.
210
00:09:58,973 --> 00:10:01,434
children:
♪ An Oscar Mayer wiener
211
00:10:01,475 --> 00:10:07,106
- So to me it was where kids
just adored the medium,
212
00:10:07,106 --> 00:10:10,443
and so why not see
if it could educate them?
213
00:10:10,443 --> 00:10:13,237
all: ♪ Budweiser
214
00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:14,655
- ♪ You've said it all
215
00:10:16,282 --> 00:10:19,952
- So we hired Joan to do
a feasibility study.
216
00:10:19,994 --> 00:10:22,955
[pensive music]
217
00:10:22,997 --> 00:10:24,624
♪
218
00:10:24,624 --> 00:10:27,251
- Television is a reality
to young children,
219
00:10:27,293 --> 00:10:29,462
maybe the reality,
and certainly
220
00:10:29,462 --> 00:10:31,964
one of the most
interesting things to them
221
00:10:31,964 --> 00:10:34,467
in their lives.
222
00:10:34,467 --> 00:10:37,595
- A child between the ages
of three and five
223
00:10:37,637 --> 00:10:38,971
watches television
224
00:10:38,971 --> 00:10:42,475
one half of his waking time.
225
00:10:42,475 --> 00:10:45,811
The only thing that exceeds
television is sleep.
226
00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,150
- Joan had a brilliantly
simple notion.
227
00:10:51,150 --> 00:10:52,485
Children were watching
228
00:10:52,485 --> 00:10:53,986
a tremendous amount
of television.
229
00:10:54,028 --> 00:10:56,989
If they're going to watch
that much television, why not,
230
00:10:56,989 --> 00:11:00,493
one, find out what it is
they like to watch,
231
00:11:00,493 --> 00:11:03,954
two, find out what would be
good for them to watch,
232
00:11:03,996 --> 00:11:07,500
and then you put the two
together, and that's the show.
233
00:11:10,503 --> 00:11:12,838
- We were talking
about 130 hours
234
00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,840
of television a year,
235
00:11:14,882 --> 00:11:18,010
and so an initial budget
was put together.
236
00:11:20,346 --> 00:11:22,306
A budget of $8 million.
237
00:11:22,348 --> 00:11:23,849
[cash register dings]
238
00:11:23,849 --> 00:11:26,686
It was a lot of money.
239
00:11:30,189 --> 00:11:32,692
So the bulk
of the original budget
240
00:11:32,733 --> 00:11:35,695
was provided through
the Office of Education,
241
00:11:35,695 --> 00:11:37,863
the federal government.
242
00:11:37,905 --> 00:11:40,366
- Someone said it won't be
taken seriously
243
00:11:40,366 --> 00:11:42,368
if a woman heads it,
244
00:11:42,368 --> 00:11:47,206
but the problem is, they didn't
have a project without me.
245
00:11:47,248 --> 00:11:51,419
Much of it was in my head,
which I pointed out to them.
246
00:11:53,879 --> 00:11:57,383
And when "The New York Times"
reported on it,
247
00:11:57,383 --> 00:11:58,884
they said she'll be one
248
00:11:58,926 --> 00:12:01,554
of the most powerful women
in television.
249
00:12:08,227 --> 00:12:10,229
- I went to
Columbia University,
250
00:12:10,229 --> 00:12:14,859
and I got a master's degree
in educational psychology,
251
00:12:14,900 --> 00:12:18,028
and my professor told me that
there was a group of people
252
00:12:18,070 --> 00:12:20,239
who were developing
a television program
253
00:12:20,239 --> 00:12:21,866
for disadvantaged kids,
254
00:12:21,907 --> 00:12:24,034
so I went in and I met
with Joan Cooney,
255
00:12:24,076 --> 00:12:25,911
and she said, "You're hired."
256
00:12:25,953 --> 00:12:27,913
And what she wanted to do
257
00:12:27,913 --> 00:12:31,917
was get a group of television
writers and producers
258
00:12:31,959 --> 00:12:36,380
and put them together
with educators.
259
00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:39,550
This had never
been done before.
260
00:12:39,592 --> 00:12:43,554
It was called the Children's
Television Workshop originally.
261
00:12:43,596 --> 00:12:45,556
I think there were
about ten people
262
00:12:45,598 --> 00:12:47,725
in the workshop
when I was hired.
263
00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:50,394
Having educators
264
00:12:50,436 --> 00:12:52,897
and professional
television writers
265
00:12:52,938 --> 00:12:54,607
in the same room
266
00:12:54,607 --> 00:12:58,611
working on the same show
was a very unique idea.
267
00:13:00,946 --> 00:13:02,907
- They told us that we had
to incorporate
268
00:13:02,948 --> 00:13:06,911
all this education
into this new show.
269
00:13:06,952 --> 00:13:10,414
I was convinced that
it would be impossible to do.
270
00:13:10,456 --> 00:13:12,291
I had never written
anything like this before,
271
00:13:12,291 --> 00:13:14,794
but nobody had ever written
anything like this before.
272
00:13:14,835 --> 00:13:16,629
[phone ringing]
273
00:13:16,670 --> 00:13:18,464
And all we had was this money
274
00:13:18,506 --> 00:13:20,257
from the government
to do this thing,
275
00:13:20,299 --> 00:13:25,638
but we had no format,
no title, no set, no nothing.
276
00:13:25,638 --> 00:13:28,265
- I think it was Jon Stone
who suggested
277
00:13:28,307 --> 00:13:31,352
that we invite Jim Henson
to come to talk to us.
278
00:13:34,313 --> 00:13:37,107
- And here we are sitting
in a conference room,
279
00:13:37,149 --> 00:13:39,652
and someone comes in
and sits in back
280
00:13:39,693 --> 00:13:43,656
who is bearded with long hair,
you know, leather clothes.
281
00:13:43,697 --> 00:13:45,825
And I remember whispering
to Dave Connell,
282
00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:47,493
"How do we know
that man back there?
283
00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:49,286
He looks like a hippie."
284
00:13:49,328 --> 00:13:52,164
And he said "No, no,
that's Jim Henson."
285
00:13:52,206 --> 00:13:55,501
So that was my first
experience with Jim.
286
00:13:57,878 --> 00:14:04,176
And he was terrific.
287
00:14:04,176 --> 00:14:05,803
- Put out the fire.
288
00:14:05,845 --> 00:14:08,681
[energetic jazz music playing]
289
00:14:08,722 --> 00:14:12,476
♪
290
00:14:12,518 --> 00:14:15,479
- "The Muppets" started
as a late-night program
291
00:14:15,521 --> 00:14:18,315
on local television
that was, like,
292
00:14:18,357 --> 00:14:20,192
kind of what we would consider
today
293
00:14:20,234 --> 00:14:22,695
like, you know,
short-form comedy,
294
00:14:22,736 --> 00:14:25,364
and it would just come on
quickly after the news,
295
00:14:25,406 --> 00:14:28,158
primarily lip-synching
to records.
296
00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,328
- ♪ Old black magic
has me in its spell ♪
297
00:14:31,370 --> 00:14:34,331
- ♪ Old black magic
that you weave so well ♪
298
00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:35,833
- It was late-night comedy.
299
00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:37,501
- Yeah, that's right.
300
00:14:37,543 --> 00:14:39,169
- Punsmoke!
301
00:14:39,211 --> 00:14:41,171
- Are you ready? "The Muppets."
[applause]
302
00:14:41,213 --> 00:14:43,215
- They did "The Tonight Show."
303
00:14:43,215 --> 00:14:44,717
- The very talented "Muppets."
304
00:14:44,717 --> 00:14:46,343
- Look at that.
305
00:14:46,385 --> 00:14:49,179
- All these adult
variety shows.
306
00:14:49,221 --> 00:14:51,015
- I've seen you
on television before.
307
00:14:51,056 --> 00:14:54,018
- ♪ In a spin,
loving the spin I'm in ♪
308
00:14:54,059 --> 00:14:55,895
♪ Under the old black...
309
00:14:55,895 --> 00:14:57,521
- The creator of "The Muppets,"
Mr. Jim Henson.
310
00:14:57,563 --> 00:14:58,689
[applause]
311
00:14:58,731 --> 00:15:00,357
- ♪ Loving the spin I'm in
312
00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:02,401
♪ Under the old black magic
called love ♪
313
00:15:02,401 --> 00:15:04,194
- This is Jim Henson.
314
00:15:04,236 --> 00:15:05,571
- He's got a completely
different
315
00:15:05,571 --> 00:15:07,364
kind of personality--
316
00:15:07,406 --> 00:15:08,866
- When I was a little kid,
317
00:15:08,908 --> 00:15:11,702
if I told my friends
that my father was a puppeteer,
318
00:15:11,744 --> 00:15:13,537
they would assume
that that was somebody
319
00:15:13,579 --> 00:15:17,249
who did birthday parties
or church puppets.
320
00:15:18,125 --> 00:15:20,419
You know, they mostly
felt sorry for us
321
00:15:20,461 --> 00:15:22,922
when they heard
about the puppeteer parents.
322
00:15:22,963 --> 00:15:24,423
[end chords]
323
00:15:24,423 --> 00:15:27,426
[applause]
324
00:15:30,137 --> 00:15:34,600
- My father was
a pretty quiet, shy person,
325
00:15:34,642 --> 00:15:40,105
but he wanted to be hip,
he wanted to be cool,
326
00:15:40,105 --> 00:15:42,608
and he wanted his whole
company, Muppets Inc.,
327
00:15:42,650 --> 00:15:45,778
to have this
very cool reputation.
328
00:15:45,819 --> 00:15:47,780
- We're about to show you
the new specially designed
329
00:15:47,821 --> 00:15:50,282
Wilson's Meat Television
campaign.
330
00:15:50,282 --> 00:15:51,575
- You mean all those
crummy commercials
331
00:15:51,617 --> 00:15:53,285
we knocked together?
332
00:15:53,327 --> 00:15:55,621
- And he would produce
these commercial campaigns
333
00:15:55,621 --> 00:15:57,623
that were great.
334
00:15:57,623 --> 00:15:59,917
- You'll adore
Wilson's Certified Salami.
335
00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:01,460
- No, I don't fall
for that stuff.
336
00:16:01,502 --> 00:16:03,420
- You will.
337
00:16:03,462 --> 00:16:06,799
Drop down to the store for some
Wilson's Certified Cold Cuts.
338
00:16:06,799 --> 00:16:08,425
- You'll be up a tree
if you don't.
339
00:16:08,467 --> 00:16:10,761
- They were these weird
sophisticated commercials
340
00:16:10,803 --> 00:16:13,263
that were sort
of a little bit dark.
341
00:16:13,305 --> 00:16:15,140
- Are you getting on the
Wilkins Coffee bandwagon?
342
00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:17,309
- Never.
343
00:16:17,309 --> 00:16:19,603
- You either go with Wilkins,
or you just don't go.
344
00:16:19,645 --> 00:16:20,980
People who don't drink
Wilkins Coffee
345
00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:22,481
just blow up sometimes.
346
00:16:22,481 --> 00:16:24,775
- Oh, that's a lot of--
347
00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:26,485
Oof!
348
00:16:26,527 --> 00:16:27,820
I should have saw this coming.
349
00:16:29,154 --> 00:16:31,115
Ooh, that smart!
350
00:16:31,156 --> 00:16:32,658
- They were sort of
this beatnik-y,
351
00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:34,827
kind of hip company, you know?
352
00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:38,122
[laughter]
353
00:16:38,163 --> 00:16:40,290
- Are we rolling?
- [laughing] Yes.
354
00:16:40,332 --> 00:16:43,002
[laughter]
355
00:16:46,005 --> 00:16:48,132
- It was almost a little
too cool for school, you know,
356
00:16:48,173 --> 00:16:50,175
so that they really
didn't want to appear
357
00:16:50,175 --> 00:16:51,719
like just a puppet company.
358
00:16:54,346 --> 00:16:56,807
Because, frankly,
children's entertainment
359
00:16:56,849 --> 00:16:59,351
wasn't what he had in mind.
360
00:16:59,351 --> 00:17:01,812
[film strip rolls]
361
00:17:01,854 --> 00:17:03,522
- Sound roll 22.
362
00:17:03,564 --> 00:17:05,983
- Jim Henson interview.
363
00:17:06,025 --> 00:17:09,194
- Most of our work was sort
of sophisticated,
364
00:17:09,194 --> 00:17:12,698
and it had a slight black humor
kind of quality,
365
00:17:12,698 --> 00:17:15,325
and our audience
was really college-aged,
366
00:17:15,367 --> 00:17:16,493
- [gasps]
367
00:17:16,535 --> 00:17:18,328
[audience laughter]
368
00:17:18,370 --> 00:17:20,205
- And so this would be
the first time
369
00:17:20,205 --> 00:17:22,875
we'd ever worked
for children really.
370
00:17:24,084 --> 00:17:25,878
But when I first heard
about it from Jon,
371
00:17:25,919 --> 00:17:28,005
I loved the idea of it,
372
00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:31,884
the whole idea
of taking commercial techniques
373
00:17:31,925 --> 00:17:34,720
and applying them
to a show for kids.
374
00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,389
- We're planning to treat them
essentially the same way
375
00:17:37,389 --> 00:17:41,018
a commercial enterprise
would create a campaign.
376
00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:45,064
We're trying to sell the
alphabet to preschool children.
377
00:17:46,565 --> 00:17:50,861
- We talked to all sorts of
college professors, educators,
378
00:17:50,903 --> 00:17:54,698
parents,
authors like Maurice Sendak,
379
00:17:54,740 --> 00:17:58,077
and we tried very hard to
assimilate all this knowledge
380
00:17:58,077 --> 00:18:01,538
into children's programming
that could be entertaining
381
00:18:01,580 --> 00:18:05,209
and content-filled
at the same time.
382
00:18:05,250 --> 00:18:07,711
- [as Ernie] Here's one half
of my chicken-salad sandwich.
383
00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:10,214
Where's the other half?
It's gone.
384
00:18:10,255 --> 00:18:11,757
- [as Sherlock]
Egad, the hunt's afoot.
385
00:18:11,799 --> 00:18:13,217
Show me the clues.
386
00:18:13,258 --> 00:18:15,094
- It was very exciting.
- Who are you?
387
00:18:15,094 --> 00:18:17,763
- Sherlock Hemlock, the world's
greatest detective.
388
00:18:17,805 --> 00:18:21,100
- This was an experiment,
you know?
389
00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:23,602
We would try new things.
390
00:18:23,602 --> 00:18:24,895
- The letter J.
391
00:18:24,937 --> 00:18:26,605
Two boys are sitting
there talking,
392
00:18:26,605 --> 00:18:27,606
and kind of casually
one of the boy says,
393
00:18:27,648 --> 00:18:29,274
"What's happening, man?"
394
00:18:29,316 --> 00:18:31,735
The other boy says, "I don't
know, it looks like fishhook."
395
00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:34,905
And at that point we will
animate the J into a fishhook.
396
00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:38,909
- Let's create something
that's never been done before.
397
00:18:38,951 --> 00:18:40,911
- I don't know.
- What's that?
398
00:18:40,953 --> 00:18:42,287
- It looks like a fishhook.
399
00:18:42,329 --> 00:18:44,081
- It's not a fishhook.
400
00:18:44,123 --> 00:18:47,626
It's a J.
- We would show video to kids.
401
00:18:47,626 --> 00:18:49,962
- It looks delicious.
What is it you want to know?
402
00:18:50,003 --> 00:18:51,964
- What happened to the other
half of my sandwich?
403
00:18:51,964 --> 00:18:55,968
- And we developed something
called the distractor.
404
00:18:55,968 --> 00:18:58,929
It was basically
a slide projector
405
00:18:58,971 --> 00:19:02,141
that would show slides
and make a clicking sound.
406
00:19:02,141 --> 00:19:03,934
If what they were
watching on television
407
00:19:03,976 --> 00:19:06,270
wasn't really
holding their attention,
408
00:19:06,311 --> 00:19:07,771
they would look
at the slide projector
409
00:19:07,813 --> 00:19:10,649
for a longer period of time.
410
00:19:10,691 --> 00:19:14,319
- We studied their reactions,
and we quizzed them,
411
00:19:14,319 --> 00:19:16,488
talked to them,
412
00:19:16,530 --> 00:19:19,283
found out what they retained,
what they didn't retain.
413
00:19:19,324 --> 00:19:22,161
- Would you like to hear a
story about the letter J, boys?
414
00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:23,829
- I think it's
a very good idea,
415
00:19:23,871 --> 00:19:26,999
but the words here
are very difficult, you know?
416
00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:29,459
- We're not arguing for
a more didactic turnout?
417
00:19:29,501 --> 00:19:30,794
- No.
- So much as saying
418
00:19:30,836 --> 00:19:32,504
that this
is a difficult entertainment.
419
00:19:32,504 --> 00:19:33,797
- Yeah. Yeah. Right.
420
00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:36,967
- Egad. That's it. I remember.
421
00:19:37,009 --> 00:19:39,845
I ate the other half
of your sandwich.
422
00:19:39,887 --> 00:19:42,139
How clever of me
to figure it out.
423
00:19:42,181 --> 00:19:46,810
- Why, gosh, Mr. Hemlock.
Thanks a lot.
424
00:19:46,852 --> 00:19:48,145
If you hadn't found
all those clues,
425
00:19:48,187 --> 00:19:49,521
I never would have known
426
00:19:49,563 --> 00:19:52,482
what happened
to that half of my sandwich.
427
00:19:52,524 --> 00:19:55,194
- Very good.
[chatter, laughter]
428
00:19:55,235 --> 00:19:59,364
- Television is such
a huge influence on children.
429
00:19:59,364 --> 00:20:03,660
There's family or the church
or the school and television.
430
00:20:03,702 --> 00:20:06,997
And as an industry,
we don't generally face up
431
00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:08,707
to that responsibility,
432
00:20:08,707 --> 00:20:11,043
and I was delighted to be
doing that sort of thing.
433
00:20:13,378 --> 00:20:14,880
- Oh, excuse me.
434
00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,841
My name is Rowlf,
and this is my friend, Kermit.
435
00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:20,177
- Hiya.
- And I know a lot about this
436
00:20:20,219 --> 00:20:22,221
Children's Television
Workshop show
437
00:20:22,221 --> 00:20:25,390
because us Muppets are
gonna be on it every day.
438
00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:28,894
- Oh, yeah. Says who?
- What do you mean, "Says who?"
439
00:20:28,894 --> 00:20:30,354
Says everybody.
- Yeah!
440
00:20:30,395 --> 00:20:31,897
[overlapping chatter]
441
00:20:31,897 --> 00:20:33,232
- Well, if I'm going
to get involved,
442
00:20:33,273 --> 00:20:34,900
I want to know a little more
about it,
443
00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:37,402
like,
what are those guys doing?
444
00:20:37,444 --> 00:20:39,529
- Well, you see, we haven't
settled on a title
445
00:20:39,571 --> 00:20:42,241
for the show yet,
so the guys are working on it.
446
00:20:42,241 --> 00:20:44,534
- All right. All right, then.
All right.
447
00:20:44,576 --> 00:20:47,704
- How's about we call it
"The Little Kiddie Show"?
448
00:20:47,746 --> 00:20:50,040
- Maybe the "Nitty-Gritty
Little Kiddie Show."
449
00:20:50,082 --> 00:20:52,042
- [sighs]
- Hey,
450
00:20:52,084 --> 00:20:54,544
these kids can't read
or write,
451
00:20:54,586 --> 00:20:55,921
can they?
452
00:20:55,963 --> 00:20:57,214
- Mm-mm.
- No.
453
00:20:57,256 --> 00:21:00,926
- Then how's about
we call the show
454
00:21:00,968 --> 00:21:03,053
"Hey, Stupid"?
455
00:21:03,095 --> 00:21:04,721
- "Hey, Stupid"?
456
00:21:04,763 --> 00:21:07,557
Oh, what am I going to do,
Kermit?
457
00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:10,102
- You really think you're going
to get this show on the air?
458
00:21:10,143 --> 00:21:11,937
[contemplative music]
459
00:21:11,937 --> 00:21:14,773
- Our target audience
were inner-city children,
460
00:21:14,815 --> 00:21:17,234
and the bull's-eye
of the target audience
461
00:21:17,276 --> 00:21:19,111
were inner-city
Black children.
462
00:21:20,988 --> 00:21:23,240
But the traditional
children's show setting
463
00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:24,783
was always like
a cute little tree house
464
00:21:24,825 --> 00:21:26,576
or a club in the backyard
465
00:21:26,618 --> 00:21:29,579
or something fairyland
and fanciful,
466
00:21:29,621 --> 00:21:32,457
and so we had struggled
with the idea of the setting,
467
00:21:32,457 --> 00:21:34,418
the home base for this
for a long time,
468
00:21:34,459 --> 00:21:37,129
and it came into focus for me
469
00:21:37,129 --> 00:21:40,799
when I saw a commercial
for the Urban Coalition.
470
00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:44,428
- Send your kid to the ghetto
for the summer.
471
00:21:44,469 --> 00:21:46,138
We got all kind
of facilities here.
472
00:21:46,179 --> 00:21:47,931
Want to see the pool?
Come on.
473
00:21:47,973 --> 00:21:49,308
- And it was shot on location
in Harlem,
474
00:21:49,308 --> 00:21:50,642
out on the sidewalk.
475
00:21:50,642 --> 00:21:53,103
- Open up a hydrant,
jump right in.
476
00:21:53,145 --> 00:21:55,439
At least one pool
on every block.
477
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,941
I'm standing near
home plate right now.
478
00:21:57,983 --> 00:21:59,985
Two sewers down is a homer.
479
00:21:59,985 --> 00:22:03,322
It's not Shea Stadium,
but it's exciting.
480
00:22:03,322 --> 00:22:04,781
- And as soon as I saw it,
481
00:22:04,823 --> 00:22:07,159
I knew exactly
where we ought to be on this.
482
00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:15,000
I wanted to capture
that New York energy
483
00:22:15,042 --> 00:22:16,793
because to the three-year-olds
484
00:22:16,835 --> 00:22:19,171
cooped up in the room
upstairs,
485
00:22:19,212 --> 00:22:21,340
the action is on the street.
486
00:22:25,677 --> 00:22:28,972
- I remember John said
in an interview,
487
00:22:29,014 --> 00:22:31,683
Joan turned several
shades of pale.
488
00:22:31,725 --> 00:22:34,353
It did seem odd to me
to have an inner city street.
489
00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:41,151
I didn't know how it would
play with suburban parents,
490
00:22:41,193 --> 00:22:45,864
but I so trusted his judgment,
so I said, "Go ahead. Try it."
491
00:22:47,532 --> 00:22:50,577
- I wanted a realistic set.
492
00:22:55,248 --> 00:22:57,376
Something that would feel like
493
00:22:57,376 --> 00:23:00,045
it's a real street,
kind of a real neighborhood.
494
00:23:01,713 --> 00:23:04,508
- Where's this show
going to take place?
495
00:23:04,549 --> 00:23:07,886
- On a street,
on the front steps of a house.
496
00:23:07,928 --> 00:23:11,556
- On a street? Hey, Rowlf?
- Hmm?
497
00:23:11,598 --> 00:23:15,352
- Why don't you call your show
"Sesame Street"?
498
00:23:15,394 --> 00:23:18,230
- What--what was that?
- "Sesame Street,"
499
00:23:18,271 --> 00:23:20,857
you know, like "Open Sesame."
It kind of gives the idea
500
00:23:20,899 --> 00:23:24,236
of a street
where neat stuff happens.
501
00:23:24,236 --> 00:23:27,531
- Kermit, why you're a genius.
Mwah!
502
00:23:27,572 --> 00:23:28,740
- Yuck.
503
00:23:28,740 --> 00:23:30,409
- "Sesame Street."
504
00:23:50,429 --> 00:23:52,222
- I was working
here and there,
505
00:23:52,264 --> 00:23:56,059
and then one day,
my boss called me up and said,
506
00:23:56,101 --> 00:23:57,894
"Next week,
here's your schedule.
507
00:23:57,936 --> 00:23:59,604
You're going to 81st Street.
508
00:23:59,646 --> 00:24:02,899
You're going to shoot this show
we just got," and he says,
509
00:24:02,941 --> 00:24:07,070
"I'm sending a whole crew
down there. We start Monday."
510
00:24:07,112 --> 00:24:12,117
[indistinct chatter]
511
00:24:12,159 --> 00:24:17,122
- So I go down there
and my camera was camera one,
512
00:24:17,164 --> 00:24:20,500
front of the store,
Mr. Hooper's Store.
513
00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:23,962
And then we started shooting
"Sesame Street."
514
00:24:23,962 --> 00:24:27,299
[indistinct chatter]
515
00:24:32,179 --> 00:24:36,641
- Initially, when my dad had
the idea of "Sesame Street"
516
00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:39,644
and having it be like
a real neighborhood,
517
00:24:39,644 --> 00:24:42,814
it was going to be
just humans on the street.
518
00:24:42,856 --> 00:24:46,318
- And it's on camera, action.
519
00:24:46,318 --> 00:24:48,987
- And then the Muppets
would be separate pieces.
520
00:24:51,156 --> 00:24:52,324
- Ah!
- Ah!
521
00:24:52,365 --> 00:24:53,492
- Ah!
- Ah!
522
00:24:53,533 --> 00:24:54,826
- [laughs]
523
00:24:54,868 --> 00:24:57,787
- Ah!
[laughter]
524
00:24:57,829 --> 00:24:59,998
- So the Muppets
weren't actually going to
525
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,833
be connected with the street,
they were going to be separate.
526
00:25:01,875 --> 00:25:04,169
[tape rewinding]
527
00:25:04,211 --> 00:25:05,629
And then they started
to run the show
528
00:25:05,670 --> 00:25:07,964
with the test audiences
529
00:25:08,006 --> 00:25:09,799
and there was
absolutely no way
530
00:25:09,841 --> 00:25:12,010
the street could compete
with the Muppets.
531
00:25:12,052 --> 00:25:14,346
[chatter]
[children laughter]
532
00:25:14,346 --> 00:25:16,681
All the kids wanted
were the Muppets,
533
00:25:16,723 --> 00:25:19,351
the street was boring,
in comparison.
534
00:25:21,186 --> 00:25:23,480
And that's when they decided
to blend the two
535
00:25:23,522 --> 00:25:25,357
and "Sesame Street" became
536
00:25:25,357 --> 00:25:26,983
New York City neighborhood
that happens
537
00:25:27,025 --> 00:25:30,654
to have an 8-foot tall
yellow bird walking around.
538
00:25:30,695 --> 00:25:33,365
[indistinct chatter]
- [humming]
539
00:25:33,406 --> 00:25:35,325
- Hi, Big Bird.
- Hey, Big Bird.
540
00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:37,160
- Hi, Susan.
- You know what?
541
00:25:37,202 --> 00:25:42,207
- So we're shooting the show,
and you see this ugly bird.
542
00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:44,334
- Good morning, Mr. Sooper.
543
00:25:44,376 --> 00:25:47,003
- Uh, Big Bird, Hooper,
say Hooper.
544
00:25:47,045 --> 00:25:49,339
- And the first year...
- Hooper.
545
00:25:49,381 --> 00:25:53,343
- Big Bird wasn't that good
looking, you know?
546
00:25:53,385 --> 00:25:55,887
I remember thinking, "Who's
going to watch this shit?"
547
00:25:55,887 --> 00:25:58,265
[laughing]
548
00:26:00,267 --> 00:26:02,936
[dynamic tones]
549
00:26:05,897 --> 00:26:07,732
- Public television
in those days
550
00:26:07,774 --> 00:26:11,027
was largely on UHF channels.
551
00:26:11,069 --> 00:26:14,239
You really had to work
with the set and move
552
00:26:14,239 --> 00:26:17,576
the antenna around and so on
to get a clear picture.
553
00:26:17,617 --> 00:26:20,203
So, many people thought
that we would not register
554
00:26:20,245 --> 00:26:22,872
a Nielsen number,
555
00:26:22,914 --> 00:26:25,083
that we would have
too small an audience.
556
00:26:27,252 --> 00:26:31,423
Evelyn Davis led
the community outreach work.
557
00:26:31,464 --> 00:26:33,425
We weren't so worried
about reaching
558
00:26:33,466 --> 00:26:35,760
middle-class children,
559
00:26:35,802 --> 00:26:40,390
but we really, really wanted to
reach inner-city kids, badly.
560
00:26:40,432 --> 00:26:47,397
It was hardly worth doing
if we didn't reach them.
561
00:26:47,439 --> 00:26:49,899
- We hope that every child
in the country watches it,
562
00:26:49,941 --> 00:26:52,068
but we do make
a particular effort
563
00:26:52,110 --> 00:26:55,071
to be sure that children
from minority communities
564
00:26:55,113 --> 00:26:57,616
and low-income communities
watch the program.
565
00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:05,248
- So Evelyn worked to try
to reach every parent,
566
00:27:05,290 --> 00:27:09,628
caretaker,
YMCA, YWCA,
567
00:27:09,669 --> 00:27:14,257
churches,
schools, daycare centers,
568
00:27:14,299 --> 00:27:16,259
any place we could find
where we could say,
569
00:27:16,301 --> 00:27:18,762
"This show is coming."
570
00:27:18,803 --> 00:27:21,973
- We had done a lot of work
to get the information out.
571
00:27:24,476 --> 00:27:27,437
But obviously we were on pins
and needles
572
00:27:27,479 --> 00:27:29,147
before it went on the air.
573
00:27:33,318 --> 00:27:38,323
- There never has been before
a nationwide TV program
574
00:27:38,323 --> 00:27:41,993
designed especially to help
prepare young children
575
00:27:42,035 --> 00:27:44,329
for school.
576
00:27:44,371 --> 00:27:47,165
This week, there will be.
577
00:27:47,165 --> 00:27:50,126
[dynamic music playing]
578
00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:54,297
♪
579
00:27:54,339 --> 00:27:57,175
["Sesame Street" theme plays]
580
00:27:57,175 --> 00:28:01,179
♪
581
00:28:01,221 --> 00:28:03,306
- ♪ Sunny day
582
00:28:03,348 --> 00:28:08,311
♪ Sweepin' the clouds away
583
00:28:08,353 --> 00:28:13,525
♪ On my way to where
the air is sweet ♪
584
00:28:13,525 --> 00:28:16,152
♪ Can you tell me how to get
585
00:28:16,194 --> 00:28:18,988
♪ How to get
to Sesame Street? ♪
586
00:28:19,030 --> 00:28:20,490
- When it went on the air,
587
00:28:20,532 --> 00:28:24,327
the phone started
ringing off the wall.
588
00:28:24,369 --> 00:28:26,996
No one had ever seen
anything like it.
589
00:28:27,038 --> 00:28:29,666
[percussive music building]
590
00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:34,212
♪
591
00:28:34,254 --> 00:28:36,506
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,
592
00:28:36,548 --> 00:28:38,717
8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
593
00:28:38,717 --> 00:28:42,011
- And there was an immense
interest in the show.
594
00:28:42,053 --> 00:28:43,555
- A new children's program
595
00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:45,849
will make use
of the commercial technique
596
00:28:45,890 --> 00:28:48,184
to acquaint the youngsters
with the alphabet.
597
00:28:48,226 --> 00:28:50,687
The program is called
"Sesame Street,"
598
00:28:50,729 --> 00:28:55,233
and here is a message from one
of its sponsors, the letter X.
599
00:28:55,233 --> 00:28:58,027
- This is an X.
600
00:28:58,069 --> 00:29:00,697
Even upside down,
it's still an X.
601
00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:02,866
- This is near.
- "Sesame Street"
602
00:29:02,907 --> 00:29:06,745
will be seen on more
than 180 educational stations.
603
00:29:06,786 --> 00:29:09,080
- This is far!
604
00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,374
♪
605
00:29:11,416 --> 00:29:13,752
- The mysterious nose-snatcher.
606
00:29:13,752 --> 00:29:15,295
- No, I don't think so.
607
00:29:16,588 --> 00:29:17,756
- Two!
608
00:29:17,756 --> 00:29:19,424
[pop]
609
00:29:19,466 --> 00:29:22,761
- The mysterious nose-snatcher.
610
00:29:22,761 --> 00:29:27,557
- I remember when it came out.
I was in college,
611
00:29:27,599 --> 00:29:29,434
and I walked into
the student union
612
00:29:29,434 --> 00:29:32,103
and there on the screen
was a very young,
613
00:29:32,145 --> 00:29:35,440
very bold James Earl Jones
reciting the alphabet. "A!"
614
00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:40,612
- A, B, C.
615
00:29:40,653 --> 00:29:42,781
- You know, he's so deliberate
and the letters
616
00:29:42,822 --> 00:29:44,616
were flashing over his head,
and I thought,
617
00:29:44,657 --> 00:29:47,076
"What is this weird thing
on television?"
618
00:29:47,118 --> 00:29:48,745
- E.
619
00:29:48,787 --> 00:29:50,955
- I thought it was a show
that taught lip-reading
620
00:29:50,955 --> 00:29:52,415
because he was being
so deliberate.
621
00:29:52,457 --> 00:29:54,083
It was so odd.
622
00:29:54,125 --> 00:29:57,796
- Wanda had a pet weasel.
- I'm a weasel.
623
00:29:57,796 --> 00:29:59,923
- Then they cut
to an animation.
624
00:29:59,964 --> 00:30:02,300
It was something wild, I think
"Wanda the Witch" or--
625
00:30:02,342 --> 00:30:04,302
- Wanda the Witch lived
626
00:30:04,302 --> 00:30:07,138
somewhere west of Washington.
627
00:30:07,138 --> 00:30:10,141
- And then
very slick singing...
628
00:30:10,141 --> 00:30:11,976
- One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine...
629
00:30:12,018 --> 00:30:14,145
- About the number 10.
630
00:30:14,187 --> 00:30:16,147
- Seven, eight, nine, ten!
631
00:30:16,189 --> 00:30:18,274
- And college students
were watching it.
632
00:30:18,316 --> 00:30:23,112
It was such a weird
groundbreaking television show.
633
00:30:23,154 --> 00:30:26,491
- "Sesame Street," a unique
experimental series.
634
00:30:28,660 --> 00:30:30,829
It's the first educational
television show
635
00:30:30,870 --> 00:30:33,790
to compete with commercial
programs for its audience.
636
00:30:33,832 --> 00:30:35,959
- Excuse me, sir.
- What?
637
00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,670
- What is your job
in the neighborhood?
638
00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:41,506
- You're kidding me.
- No, really, what's your job?
639
00:30:41,506 --> 00:30:44,843
- An elephant trainer.
Look at me. I'm driving a bus.
640
00:30:44,884 --> 00:30:47,637
- Working on "Sesame Street,"
641
00:30:47,679 --> 00:30:52,350
it was just a dream come true
to fall into this job.
642
00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:55,144
♪ Because a bus driver is
a person in your neighborhood ♪
643
00:30:55,186 --> 00:30:58,982
- ♪ In your neighborhood
both: ♪ In your neighborhood
644
00:30:59,023 --> 00:31:02,819
- ♪ And the dentist is a person
in your neighborhood ♪
645
00:31:02,861 --> 00:31:04,529
- ♪ They're the people
that you meet ♪
646
00:31:04,571 --> 00:31:06,364
- ♪ When you're walking
down the street ♪
647
00:31:06,406 --> 00:31:09,534
- ♪ They're the people
that you meet ♪
648
00:31:09,576 --> 00:31:13,913
♪ Each day
649
00:31:14,372 --> 00:31:15,999
- Open wide, please.
650
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,335
- Don't talk to the driver.
Oh, there goes my bus!
651
00:31:19,377 --> 00:31:21,212
- "Tooth-thirty."
652
00:31:25,758 --> 00:31:27,719
- And the first year we toured
653
00:31:27,719 --> 00:31:30,054
some of the major cities
in the country.
654
00:31:30,096 --> 00:31:33,850
[cheers and applause]
655
00:31:33,892 --> 00:31:37,520
And I remember Matt Robinson,
who was the first Gordon.
656
00:31:37,562 --> 00:31:39,355
- Do all of you watch
"Sesame Street"?
657
00:31:39,397 --> 00:31:40,523
all: Yeah!
658
00:31:40,565 --> 00:31:42,400
- Do all of you?
659
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,695
- He went out and sort of
warmed the audience up.
660
00:31:45,737 --> 00:31:48,364
He came back and said
"Geez, this is like Woodstock."
661
00:31:48,406 --> 00:31:52,368
[singer vocalizes]
662
00:31:52,410 --> 00:31:54,245
- I said, "Hi."
663
00:31:54,287 --> 00:31:56,539
- One, two, three.
664
00:31:56,581 --> 00:31:58,416
- ♪ "Sesame Street"
665
00:31:58,458 --> 00:32:00,418
- The most talked-about series
of the '69 season
666
00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:02,712
has been out on the road
checking up on its audience
667
00:32:02,754 --> 00:32:04,589
and has found nothing
but love.
668
00:32:04,589 --> 00:32:09,260
- These kids know Susan,
Gordon, Bob,
669
00:32:09,260 --> 00:32:11,095
Mr. Hooper and Big Bird
670
00:32:11,137 --> 00:32:13,264
as well as their parents know
about Bob Dylan
671
00:32:13,306 --> 00:32:15,934
or Frank Sinatra.
672
00:32:15,934 --> 00:32:17,936
- It was a madhouse,
so we got a feeling
673
00:32:17,977 --> 00:32:19,604
that the show was working.
674
00:32:19,604 --> 00:32:22,315
That was our first real
connection with the audience.
675
00:32:23,775 --> 00:32:25,568
- Considering
the adulation that
676
00:32:25,610 --> 00:32:27,904
the "Sesame Street" players
received from the younger set,
677
00:32:27,946 --> 00:32:29,572
it was enough to make
a TV newsman
678
00:32:29,614 --> 00:32:30,782
want to change his image.
679
00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:32,575
- One, two, three.
680
00:32:32,617 --> 00:32:34,285
- ♪ "Sesame Street"
681
00:32:34,285 --> 00:32:37,246
- A, B, C and...
682
00:32:37,288 --> 00:32:40,124
- ♪ "Sesame Street"
683
00:32:40,124 --> 00:32:44,629
- And I was stunned at
the overwhelming support
684
00:32:44,629 --> 00:32:46,255
for what we were doing.
685
00:32:46,297 --> 00:32:50,134
It was like a swish
of a hurricane
686
00:32:50,134 --> 00:32:52,929
coming in through a window.
687
00:32:52,971 --> 00:32:55,974
It was as if the world
had been waiting for this.
688
00:32:56,015 --> 00:32:57,934
- I think "Sesame Street"
is the greatest thing
689
00:32:57,976 --> 00:32:59,477
that ever happened
in television.
690
00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:02,105
- Oh, yes, aren't they great?
- You know?
691
00:33:02,146 --> 00:33:04,315
- ♪ Sesame Street
692
00:33:04,357 --> 00:33:06,943
- I'd advise three years old
start watching "Sesame Street."
693
00:33:06,985 --> 00:33:08,820
I'd set up and watch it.
You really can learn.
694
00:33:08,861 --> 00:33:10,947
It's cute the way
they put them things together,
695
00:33:10,989 --> 00:33:12,824
and my little daughter
watches it,
696
00:33:12,824 --> 00:33:15,118
and she's getting so smart.
She knows everything about it.
697
00:33:15,159 --> 00:33:19,789
- ♪ Sesame--"Sesame Street"
- It was amazing.
698
00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:22,792
- What's your feeling about
what it does so well?
699
00:33:22,834 --> 00:33:24,961
- Well, I think the public
was really ready
700
00:33:25,003 --> 00:33:26,295
for change in television,
701
00:33:26,337 --> 00:33:29,173
and we hit that,
the crest of that wave,
702
00:33:29,173 --> 00:33:31,551
and children needed
what we're providing.
703
00:33:34,178 --> 00:33:36,806
- Now for the award
for children's programming.
704
00:33:36,848 --> 00:33:38,850
Let's see who the winner is:
705
00:33:38,891 --> 00:33:41,686
Jon Stone, Ray Sipherd,
Dan Wilcox, Bruce Hart...
706
00:33:41,728 --> 00:33:43,146
[applause]
707
00:33:43,187 --> 00:33:45,523
- It was just one miracle
after another.
708
00:33:46,858 --> 00:33:48,484
[cheers and applause]
709
00:33:48,526 --> 00:33:50,028
- Thank you.
710
00:33:50,028 --> 00:33:52,864
["Sesame Street" theme song
playing]
711
00:33:52,864 --> 00:33:55,533
♪
712
00:33:55,533 --> 00:33:58,661
- [whistling to
the theme song]
713
00:33:58,703 --> 00:34:01,039
[cars honking]
714
00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:07,879
- Hey. Come on over.
Glad you could make it.
715
00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,716
This is a swinging sunny day
on Sesame Street.
716
00:34:11,758 --> 00:34:15,845
- "Sesame Street" was just
so big, and it was so popular.
717
00:34:15,887 --> 00:34:17,722
You know, back then,
you say your dad is Gordon
718
00:34:17,764 --> 00:34:19,348
on "Sesame Street,"
719
00:34:19,390 --> 00:34:21,350
you know what I mean,
that's a big deal,
720
00:34:21,392 --> 00:34:23,895
right, really big deal
721
00:34:23,936 --> 00:34:27,732
because he was so well-known
in this world of children.
722
00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,236
- Hi.
- Hi.
723
00:34:32,278 --> 00:34:35,573
- We looked in the TV.
It still wasn't registering.
724
00:34:35,573 --> 00:34:37,575
Like, how'd he get in that box?
725
00:34:37,575 --> 00:34:39,077
- How did he get in the box?
726
00:34:39,118 --> 00:34:41,037
- You know,
what's he doing there,
727
00:34:41,079 --> 00:34:42,872
and how come he's not stopping
everything to say hi to us?
728
00:34:42,914 --> 00:34:44,916
- Sally, you've never seen
a street like Sesame Street.
729
00:34:44,957 --> 00:34:47,085
Everything happens here.
You're going to love it.
730
00:34:47,085 --> 00:34:49,712
- Yeah, and who's that little
girl whose hand he's holding?
731
00:34:49,754 --> 00:34:50,922
- That's another problem.
732
00:34:50,963 --> 00:34:52,423
- Who is that little girl?
733
00:34:52,465 --> 00:34:53,758
- Oh, boy.
- She's my age.
734
00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:55,051
- Oh, boy.
735
00:34:55,093 --> 00:34:56,552
- And why is
he holding her hand?
736
00:34:56,594 --> 00:34:58,930
- Breathe deeply.
You're going to get through it.
737
00:35:00,932 --> 00:35:03,893
- Gordon!
I want you to meet Gordon.
738
00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:06,062
- Oh, all right. All right.
- Gordon!
739
00:35:06,104 --> 00:35:07,438
- Somebody say,
"Mixed neighborhood"?
740
00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,232
- Oh, yeah. How you doing?
741
00:35:09,273 --> 00:35:10,566
It's nice to see you.
- Okay.
742
00:35:10,608 --> 00:35:12,443
- Before he was on
"Sesame Street,"
743
00:35:12,485 --> 00:35:16,447
Matt was basically
the Black Johnny Carson
744
00:35:16,447 --> 00:35:18,908
in Philadelphia.
745
00:35:18,950 --> 00:35:21,577
- This is "Black Book."
I'm Matt Robinson,
746
00:35:21,619 --> 00:35:24,247
and we're going to continue
right after this.
747
00:35:24,288 --> 00:35:26,249
- "Black Book."
748
00:35:26,290 --> 00:35:29,085
- That's how he began
his television career.
749
00:35:29,127 --> 00:35:31,629
- "Angelitos negros"...
- But that show...
750
00:35:31,629 --> 00:35:33,965
- Is Spanish for Black angels.
751
00:35:34,006 --> 00:35:37,426
- Was all about Black,
752
00:35:37,468 --> 00:35:41,764
and it made him
just a little more serious
753
00:35:41,806 --> 00:35:44,767
about what the struggle
was all about.
754
00:35:44,809 --> 00:35:47,645
Those were
revolutionary times.
755
00:35:49,814 --> 00:35:54,152
And then Matt
comes home one night
756
00:35:54,193 --> 00:35:59,824
and says he'd been contacted by
Children's Television Workshop,
757
00:35:59,824 --> 00:36:02,952
and they wanted him
as a writer.
758
00:36:02,994 --> 00:36:06,831
And then they wanted him
to be on camera.
759
00:36:06,873 --> 00:36:12,461
He was going to be interacting
with people and Muppets.
760
00:36:12,503 --> 00:36:18,342
But where does Mr. Black
fit into this kiddie show?
761
00:36:18,342 --> 00:36:24,307
They sold him on what
this show could become,
762
00:36:24,348 --> 00:36:27,143
something revolutionary.
763
00:36:27,185 --> 00:36:30,021
- Hey, Gordon! Come on over!
- Yeah. Got my whole gang here.
764
00:36:30,062 --> 00:36:31,856
- Groovy.
- Give me something, Odetta.
765
00:36:31,898 --> 00:36:35,026
- ♪ Hammer in the morning
- All right.
766
00:36:35,026 --> 00:36:37,195
- ♪ Hammer in the evening
- [clapping along]
767
00:36:37,236 --> 00:36:39,155
- ♪ All over this land
768
00:36:39,197 --> 00:36:40,865
- Mm-hmm.
769
00:36:40,865 --> 00:36:44,994
- We felt we could demonstrate
things very subtlety
770
00:36:45,036 --> 00:36:46,537
that were really important.
771
00:36:46,579 --> 00:36:49,040
- 13.
- 13.
772
00:36:49,081 --> 00:36:51,500
- 14!
- 14.
773
00:36:51,542 --> 00:36:54,212
- So, of course, there was
the cognitive stuff,
774
00:36:54,253 --> 00:36:57,882
numbers, letters,
all those things,
775
00:36:57,924 --> 00:37:01,010
but equally important,
maybe even more important,
776
00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:03,721
was the fact that Sesame
was a neighborhood
777
00:37:03,721 --> 00:37:09,518
where people of all races,
kids and adults and monsters...
778
00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:10,728
- Hi, Mr. Looper.
What you doing?
779
00:37:10,770 --> 00:37:12,897
- Hooper, Hooper.
- Hooper.
780
00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:14,523
- Live together.
781
00:37:14,565 --> 00:37:16,692
[overlapping chatter]
- I love that ice-cream store.
782
00:37:16,734 --> 00:37:19,237
- ♪ If I had a song
- If I had a song.
783
00:37:19,278 --> 00:37:21,405
- ♪ I'd sing it
in the morning ♪
784
00:37:21,447 --> 00:37:24,408
- ♪ Sing it in the morning
- ♪ Sing it in the evening
785
00:37:24,450 --> 00:37:26,702
- ♪ Sing it in the evening
- Jon Stone, now that
786
00:37:26,744 --> 00:37:28,579
"Sesame Street"
is into its second season,
787
00:37:28,579 --> 00:37:31,916
what has been the impact
of the special things
788
00:37:31,958 --> 00:37:34,418
that you've done,
the integrated cast,
789
00:37:34,418 --> 00:37:36,087
as you've seen it?
790
00:37:36,128 --> 00:37:39,090
- It really speaks for itself
on the air.
791
00:37:39,131 --> 00:37:42,426
We've never beaten that horse
to death by talking about it.
792
00:37:42,468 --> 00:37:44,553
We simply show it.
793
00:37:44,595 --> 00:37:47,598
- ♪ It's the hammer
of justice ♪
794
00:37:47,598 --> 00:37:49,892
♪ The bell of freedom
795
00:37:49,934 --> 00:37:52,561
♪ A song about love
796
00:37:52,603 --> 00:37:54,230
♪ For all of my brothers
797
00:37:54,272 --> 00:37:59,944
♪ All over the land
798
00:37:59,944 --> 00:38:02,905
[somber music]
799
00:38:02,947 --> 00:38:06,951
♪
800
00:38:06,951 --> 00:38:09,954
- This million-dollar
public television facility
801
00:38:09,996 --> 00:38:12,957
located in the affluent
white suburbs of Jackson
802
00:38:12,957 --> 00:38:16,294
is broadcasting
five hours a day,
803
00:38:16,294 --> 00:38:19,338
mostly film and tape programs
produced in the North.
804
00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,970
But "Sesame Street"
is not on the air.
805
00:38:25,970 --> 00:38:28,472
Some who saw it
apparently disliked the number
806
00:38:28,472 --> 00:38:30,433
of Black performers.
807
00:38:30,474 --> 00:38:32,768
- Mrs. Cooney,
what is your reaction?
808
00:38:32,810 --> 00:38:34,270
- There's no question
809
00:38:34,312 --> 00:38:35,646
that we're integrated,
810
00:38:35,688 --> 00:38:37,315
and we reflect to some degree
811
00:38:37,315 --> 00:38:38,983
inner city, I would say,
812
00:38:38,983 --> 00:38:40,985
Black inner city life,
813
00:38:41,027 --> 00:38:43,154
and we're very proud of that.
814
00:38:43,195 --> 00:38:44,447
I mean,
if that's our worst sin,
815
00:38:44,488 --> 00:38:47,450
I'm happy to be a sinner.
816
00:38:47,491 --> 00:38:48,993
- Is there anything about
"Sesame Street"
817
00:38:48,993 --> 00:38:50,453
which would make it not fit
818
00:38:50,494 --> 00:38:52,330
the needs of people
in Mississippi?
819
00:38:53,664 --> 00:38:55,666
- Uh,
820
00:38:55,666 --> 00:38:58,461
"Sesame Street" was considered
along with the other ones.
821
00:38:58,502 --> 00:39:00,296
For instance,
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"
822
00:39:00,338 --> 00:39:02,006
uses puppets
in a different way.
823
00:39:02,048 --> 00:39:03,841
It's a quiet program.
824
00:39:03,883 --> 00:39:06,302
- Give me some help here.
Tell me, "Sesame Street,"
825
00:39:06,344 --> 00:39:07,803
it is integrated
racially, isn't it?
826
00:39:07,845 --> 00:39:09,138
- Yes.
827
00:39:09,180 --> 00:39:10,473
- Do you think that had
anything to do
828
00:39:10,514 --> 00:39:12,641
with the tabling,
if that's what we can call it
829
00:39:12,683 --> 00:39:13,976
accurately,
of "Sesame Street"
830
00:39:14,018 --> 00:39:15,686
for the fact
that it heavily integrated
831
00:39:15,728 --> 00:39:20,649
that there is a Black father
figure in the program?
832
00:39:20,691 --> 00:39:25,154
- That's an extremely difficult
question for me to answer.
833
00:39:25,196 --> 00:39:27,156
If the people want it,
they'll let us know.
834
00:39:27,198 --> 00:39:30,159
If they don't,
they'll let us know.
835
00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:34,038
- Okay. Jimmy, do you like
"Sesame Street"?
836
00:39:34,038 --> 00:39:36,165
- I like it quite a bit.
837
00:39:36,207 --> 00:39:37,833
- Do you like it better
than other programs,
838
00:39:37,875 --> 00:39:40,002
or is there something else
you like better?
839
00:39:40,044 --> 00:39:42,880
- I like that the best.
840
00:39:42,922 --> 00:39:44,882
- What do you learn there?
841
00:39:44,882 --> 00:39:46,550
- ABCs.
842
00:39:48,094 --> 00:39:50,888
- Mississippi is one
of the poorest states.
843
00:39:50,888 --> 00:39:53,682
Many children, Black
and white, never see a book
844
00:39:53,724 --> 00:39:56,060
until they start first grade.
845
00:39:56,102 --> 00:39:58,020
- We're making an attempt
to persuade
846
00:39:58,062 --> 00:40:00,231
the Educational Television
Commission
847
00:40:00,231 --> 00:40:02,233
to consider
carrying this program--
848
00:40:02,233 --> 00:40:05,903
- A man that was running
a commercial station in Jackson
849
00:40:05,945 --> 00:40:07,363
put it on.
850
00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:09,240
- If it is not scheduled,
851
00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:10,908
then our station and others
in the state
852
00:40:10,950 --> 00:40:12,910
are making plans to do so.
853
00:40:14,412 --> 00:40:15,913
- Good?
854
00:40:18,916 --> 00:40:20,543
- Rolling.
855
00:40:20,584 --> 00:40:22,545
- So while the politicians
continue to squabble
856
00:40:22,586 --> 00:40:24,046
over "Sesame Street"...
857
00:40:24,088 --> 00:40:25,256
- Quiet!
858
00:40:27,425 --> 00:40:29,427
- Thousands of
Mississippi schoolchildren
859
00:40:29,468 --> 00:40:32,763
are watching the program
on commercial stations
860
00:40:32,763 --> 00:40:35,433
whether the officials
who control educational TV
861
00:40:35,474 --> 00:40:37,101
here like it or not.
862
00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:42,106
- Eventually Mississippi
Public TV
863
00:40:42,148 --> 00:40:43,774
put it back on the air.
864
00:40:43,816 --> 00:40:46,569
[indistinct chatter]
865
00:40:46,610 --> 00:40:50,114
which shows you that all this
maybe made a difference.
866
00:40:51,490 --> 00:40:53,284
[device beeps]
867
00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:56,120
- Okay. Anytime.
868
00:40:56,162 --> 00:41:00,082
- I just want you to repeat
after me each time, okay?
869
00:41:00,124 --> 00:41:01,417
- Okay.
- All right.
870
00:41:01,459 --> 00:41:03,252
Here we go.
I am.
871
00:41:03,294 --> 00:41:05,296
children: I am.
- Somebody.
872
00:41:05,337 --> 00:41:06,964
children: Somebody.
- I am.
873
00:41:07,006 --> 00:41:08,591
children: I am.
- Somebody.
874
00:41:08,632 --> 00:41:10,468
children: Somebody.
- I may be young.
875
00:41:10,509 --> 00:41:12,428
children: I may be young.
- But I am.
876
00:41:12,470 --> 00:41:13,971
- But I am.
children: Somebody.
877
00:41:14,013 --> 00:41:15,764
children: Somebody.
- I may be small.
878
00:41:15,806 --> 00:41:17,766
children: I may be small.
- But I am.
879
00:41:17,808 --> 00:41:19,602
children: But I am.
- Somebody.
880
00:41:19,643 --> 00:41:21,812
children: Somebody.
- I can change the world.
881
00:41:21,854 --> 00:41:23,481
children: I can change
the world.
882
00:41:23,481 --> 00:41:25,149
- I am.
children: I am.
883
00:41:25,191 --> 00:41:27,151
- I am!
children: I am.
884
00:41:27,193 --> 00:41:28,819
- I am.
children: I am.
885
00:41:28,819 --> 00:41:30,279
- Somebody.
children: Somebody.
886
00:41:30,321 --> 00:41:31,322
- We are beautiful.
887
00:41:31,363 --> 00:41:32,615
children: We are beautiful.
888
00:41:32,656 --> 00:41:34,492
- Beautiful children
will grow up.
889
00:41:34,492 --> 00:41:36,619
children: Beautiful children
will grow up.
890
00:41:36,660 --> 00:41:38,454
- And make
the whole world beautiful.
891
00:41:38,496 --> 00:41:40,956
children: And make
the whole world beautiful.
892
00:41:40,998 --> 00:41:42,833
- Right on.
children: Right on.
893
00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:44,001
- [laughs]
894
00:41:46,378 --> 00:41:50,508
- [indistinct]
And mark it.
895
00:41:50,549 --> 00:41:52,968
- What? What is it?
896
00:41:53,010 --> 00:41:56,514
Hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm.
897
00:41:56,514 --> 00:41:57,806
- What are those?
898
00:41:57,848 --> 00:41:59,308
- Well, these are questions,
Bert,
899
00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:00,976
questions that
we're supposed to answer.
900
00:42:01,018 --> 00:42:02,478
- Oh. Oh.
901
00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,980
- You ready, ready to answer
a question, Bert?
902
00:42:05,022 --> 00:42:06,357
- Yeah. Why do we have
to answer questions?
903
00:42:06,398 --> 00:42:07,816
- I don't know.
904
00:42:07,858 --> 00:42:09,527
I was given this paper
that has questions on it,
905
00:42:09,568 --> 00:42:11,320
and it says,
"Answer these questions."
906
00:42:11,362 --> 00:42:13,197
- Okay.
- So listen to this.
907
00:42:13,197 --> 00:42:15,741
- Okay.
- Are you two best friends?
908
00:42:18,369 --> 00:42:22,331
- Why, yes. We're good buddies
until he starts something.
909
00:42:22,373 --> 00:42:24,708
- That's true.
Me and my old buddy, Bert,
910
00:42:24,750 --> 00:42:26,710
we are close friends,
Bert and I.
911
00:42:26,752 --> 00:42:28,337
- We are.
We're the best of friends.
912
00:42:28,379 --> 00:42:29,880
- Yes.
- What was that?
913
00:42:29,922 --> 00:42:31,215
- What was what?
914
00:42:31,257 --> 00:42:33,509
- You just--
Your hand went like that.
915
00:42:33,551 --> 00:42:35,553
- Oh, I--
- See. That's what I mean.
916
00:42:35,594 --> 00:42:37,179
We're good friends
until he starts something.
917
00:42:37,221 --> 00:42:38,389
- I didn't start anything,
Bert.
918
00:42:38,430 --> 00:42:41,559
- Yeah.
- Didn't start anything.
919
00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:45,104
Okay. Next question,
do you all ever argue?
920
00:42:48,732 --> 00:42:53,237
- Jim Henson, Frank Oz
are super puppeteers,
921
00:42:53,237 --> 00:42:54,738
and the Muppets
are unquestionably
922
00:42:54,738 --> 00:42:56,532
the stars of the show,
923
00:42:56,574 --> 00:42:59,076
and Bert's
my all-time favorite.
924
00:42:59,118 --> 00:43:01,704
- What are some advantages
of having a roommate?
925
00:43:01,745 --> 00:43:04,081
- I suppose the main advantage
is if you wanted
926
00:43:04,081 --> 00:43:06,041
to mess up the place,
you wouldn't have to do it
927
00:43:06,083 --> 00:43:08,252
because your roommate
always does it.
928
00:43:08,252 --> 00:43:10,254
- Frank throws himself
into the characters
929
00:43:10,254 --> 00:43:12,214
so thoroughly that you just...
930
00:43:12,256 --> 00:43:15,968
You believe Bert as much as if
he were Sir Laurence Olivier.
931
00:43:17,261 --> 00:43:18,387
- [sighs]
932
00:43:18,429 --> 00:43:19,722
Are we finished?
933
00:43:19,763 --> 00:43:21,599
- Yeah, that's
the last question.
934
00:43:21,599 --> 00:43:22,933
- Okay.
- Matter of fact,
935
00:43:22,933 --> 00:43:25,060
there's nothing
written on this anyhow.
936
00:43:25,102 --> 00:43:27,271
I made those up, Bert.
937
00:43:29,940 --> 00:43:31,775
- You what?
- [laughs]
938
00:43:31,817 --> 00:43:34,570
- You're supposed to go--
[laughter]
939
00:43:34,612 --> 00:43:37,114
- Laurel and Hardy,
Abbott and Costello,
940
00:43:37,114 --> 00:43:41,785
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis,
these are just comedy teams,
941
00:43:41,827 --> 00:43:44,121
and Jim and Frank
were a comedy team.
942
00:43:44,163 --> 00:43:47,124
[upbeat music]
943
00:43:47,166 --> 00:43:50,127
- We've worked together as
a pair for 12, 13 years now.
944
00:43:50,127 --> 00:43:52,588
- Too long.
- Too long.
945
00:43:52,630 --> 00:43:54,131
- We dislike each other
tensely,
946
00:43:54,173 --> 00:43:56,634
which is why we can work
so well together.
947
00:43:56,675 --> 00:43:58,469
- There's kind of a little bit
of love/hate there.
948
00:43:58,469 --> 00:43:59,970
[laughter]
949
00:44:00,012 --> 00:44:01,138
- And you two really don't
950
00:44:01,180 --> 00:44:02,598
agree with each other
on anything.
951
00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:03,974
- Oh, on some things, yes.
- Oh.
952
00:44:03,974 --> 00:44:05,309
Not on all things.
- No.
953
00:44:05,309 --> 00:44:06,644
- Well, not on many things.
- Or was.
954
00:44:06,644 --> 00:44:09,647
- Two things.
[laughter]
955
00:44:09,647 --> 00:44:12,107
- They weren't even what
I would call best friends
956
00:44:12,149 --> 00:44:14,151
away from the set.
957
00:44:14,151 --> 00:44:15,986
You know,
Jim had five children,
958
00:44:16,028 --> 00:44:17,488
and Frank was single
959
00:44:17,529 --> 00:44:20,658
and, you know,
completely different lives.
960
00:44:20,699 --> 00:44:22,618
- Bert, why don't you
loan him your scarf?
961
00:44:22,660 --> 00:44:24,620
- Be nice of you if you
pulled the scarf.
962
00:44:24,662 --> 00:44:26,955
- But there was
incredible chemistry.
963
00:44:26,997 --> 00:44:28,707
- [silly whoosh noise]
964
00:44:29,667 --> 00:44:31,126
- Maybe you'd loan
him your scarf.
965
00:44:31,168 --> 00:44:32,503
- Ah!
966
00:44:32,503 --> 00:44:34,129
Ernie.
967
00:44:34,171 --> 00:44:37,800
- Honestly, to be on the set
watching this dynamic
968
00:44:37,841 --> 00:44:40,177
between this two guys,
it was magic.
969
00:44:42,721 --> 00:44:44,640
[squeaking]
- Ah! Ah! Ah!
970
00:44:44,682 --> 00:44:46,850
- [snickering]
Hi, Bert.
971
00:44:46,892 --> 00:44:49,520
- Ernie.
[laughter]
972
00:44:49,561 --> 00:44:51,146
- What a drive.
973
00:44:51,188 --> 00:44:55,025
- Before I became a puppeteer,
974
00:44:55,025 --> 00:44:57,695
I was an unemployed actress
in New York.
975
00:44:59,196 --> 00:45:02,032
There was an ad in Backstage
976
00:45:02,032 --> 00:45:05,536
saying that Jim Henson was
looking to train puppeteers.
977
00:45:07,246 --> 00:45:10,207
The guys had been
doing female characters,
978
00:45:10,249 --> 00:45:11,875
and it was hysterical
979
00:45:11,875 --> 00:45:13,711
because they were doing them
in falsetto.
980
00:45:13,752 --> 00:45:15,504
- Sky.
- It's not?
981
00:45:15,546 --> 00:45:18,173
- No, that's Wanda the Witch.
982
00:45:18,215 --> 00:45:22,886
- And I think they started
feeling a little pressure
983
00:45:22,928 --> 00:45:25,347
about how they should hire
a real female
984
00:45:25,389 --> 00:45:27,224
to do these characters.
985
00:45:27,224 --> 00:45:30,894
I mean, I'd never played
with a puppet in my life,
986
00:45:30,894 --> 00:45:33,897
but it was better than
modeling bras at Lady Marlene,
987
00:45:33,939 --> 00:45:35,858
which was one of my other jobs.
988
00:45:35,899 --> 00:45:38,026
- Stand by, rehearsal.
989
00:45:38,068 --> 00:45:43,073
- Okay and theme.
990
00:45:43,115 --> 00:45:49,079
- So the whole idea is to make
this piece of felt and fuzz
991
00:45:49,079 --> 00:45:51,915
react and move
992
00:45:51,957 --> 00:45:57,546
and look like a person,
like a real thing.
993
00:45:57,588 --> 00:45:59,423
- ♪ Exercise, we just gonna
work it out ♪
994
00:45:59,465 --> 00:46:02,593
- And it's so, so hard to do.
995
00:46:02,593 --> 00:46:05,929
Not only are you keeping
the character alive,
996
00:46:05,929 --> 00:46:10,058
but you are looking at
a monitor that's on the floor
997
00:46:10,100 --> 00:46:11,769
- All right, hold on.
998
00:46:11,810 --> 00:46:13,729
- Because that's how you see
what you're doing.
999
00:46:13,771 --> 00:46:16,565
You're not watching the camera.
You're looking down here,
1000
00:46:16,607 --> 00:46:21,612
so it's multitasking
like you wouldn't believe.
1001
00:46:21,612 --> 00:46:22,905
- Okay. Then we'll...
1002
00:46:22,946 --> 00:46:24,740
- Using
the television monitor,
1003
00:46:24,782 --> 00:46:26,950
you can perform
1004
00:46:26,992 --> 00:46:31,455
and see your performance
exactly as the audience does.
1005
00:46:31,497 --> 00:46:33,457
- Right, Bert? Bert?
1006
00:46:33,499 --> 00:46:35,959
- This is unique
in the performance field.
1007
00:46:36,001 --> 00:46:38,253
I mean, no other actor
can ever see their performance
1008
00:46:38,295 --> 00:46:39,755
at the same time
they're doing it.
1009
00:46:39,797 --> 00:46:42,132
- Bert? He's sleeping.
1010
00:46:42,174 --> 00:46:43,801
Well, I don't mind
if he's sleeping.
1011
00:46:43,801 --> 00:46:46,595
- As we're performing,
we're also framing the shots
1012
00:46:46,637 --> 00:46:48,639
in such a way that it feels
1013
00:46:48,639 --> 00:46:51,141
like these things
are totally dimensional.
1014
00:46:51,183 --> 00:46:53,310
- Now where is he this time?
1015
00:46:53,310 --> 00:46:56,146
He knew
he was supposed to be here.
1016
00:46:56,146 --> 00:46:59,983
Roosevelt Franklin.
Roosevelt Franklin.
1017
00:46:59,983 --> 00:47:02,653
- Roosevelt Franklin is whom--
is who--who is he?
1018
00:47:02,694 --> 00:47:05,823
- He is a Black Muppet created
1019
00:47:05,823 --> 00:47:09,326
by the man who plays
Gordon, Matt Robinson.
1020
00:47:09,368 --> 00:47:12,830
- ♪ Roosevelt Franklin,
what you say? ♪
1021
00:47:12,830 --> 00:47:17,125
- ♪ You know the very first
letter is the letter A ♪
1022
00:47:17,167 --> 00:47:20,128
- ♪ What more can you tell me
1023
00:47:20,170 --> 00:47:21,797
- ♪ I know the very
next letter is... ♪
1024
00:47:21,839 --> 00:47:23,465
- Roosevelt
was very specific.
1025
00:47:23,507 --> 00:47:24,967
- Roosevelt was a Black kid.
1026
00:47:25,008 --> 00:47:27,678
- He was a Black kid
in a classroom telling you
1027
00:47:27,678 --> 00:47:30,472
that learning was cool,
and if you weren't down
1028
00:47:30,514 --> 00:47:32,683
with that,
couldn't hang out with him.
1029
00:47:32,683 --> 00:47:34,184
- Yeah, 'cause you wanted--
1030
00:47:34,184 --> 00:47:35,477
everyone wanted to hang
with Roosevelt Franklin
1031
00:47:35,519 --> 00:47:37,688
because he had the flavor,
you know.
1032
00:47:39,565 --> 00:47:43,318
[overlapping chatter]
1033
00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,655
- I don't know what's wrong
with everybody,
1034
00:47:46,697 --> 00:47:50,158
but when I come in,
I want some action.
1035
00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:51,702
- Action?
1036
00:47:51,702 --> 00:47:55,163
- I think Matt created
Roosevelt Franklin
1037
00:47:55,205 --> 00:47:57,332
because he was tired
of pretending
1038
00:47:57,374 --> 00:48:00,711
that everybody
blended in together.
1039
00:48:00,711 --> 00:48:03,839
He loved the message
of "Sesame Street,"
1040
00:48:03,881 --> 00:48:07,509
but he wanted
children of color
1041
00:48:07,551 --> 00:48:10,053
to be recognized
as children of color
1042
00:48:10,053 --> 00:48:12,180
because in real life
1043
00:48:12,222 --> 00:48:15,893
those children knew
they were different.
1044
00:48:15,934 --> 00:48:19,229
They knew they were brown,
so why couldn't they be brown?
1045
00:48:19,271 --> 00:48:22,566
Why couldn't their difference
be recognized?
1046
00:48:22,566 --> 00:48:25,402
- You are free when you are
walking and talking,
1047
00:48:25,444 --> 00:48:29,364
and tell everybody I am great
when the sun comes up.
1048
00:48:29,406 --> 00:48:30,699
- Yeah!
1049
00:48:30,741 --> 00:48:33,035
- I am great when
the sun go down.
1050
00:48:33,076 --> 00:48:34,411
- All right, Roosevelt!
- Sun up.
1051
00:48:34,453 --> 00:48:35,704
- Yeah!
- Sun down.
1052
00:48:35,746 --> 00:48:37,039
- Yeah!
1053
00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:38,749
- Nobody's ever going to
put me down.
1054
00:48:38,749 --> 00:48:41,084
- All right, Roosevelt!
1055
00:48:42,753 --> 00:48:46,089
- But there were a lot
of Black parents
1056
00:48:46,089 --> 00:48:48,383
that really complained
to "Sesame Street"
1057
00:48:48,425 --> 00:48:49,760
that they didn't like
Roosevelt.
1058
00:48:49,801 --> 00:48:51,887
- Letter-writing campaign,
they went after him.
1059
00:48:51,929 --> 00:48:53,805
- Yeah, yeah, they did
go after Roosevelt.
1060
00:48:56,099 --> 00:49:00,896
- They did not want to be
reminded of this character
1061
00:49:00,938 --> 00:49:05,901
who sang in dialect
and talked Black.
1062
00:49:05,943 --> 00:49:08,111
- Uh-oh. Check out, Roosevelt.
1063
00:49:08,153 --> 00:49:10,614
- Something must be up.
- Yeah.
1064
00:49:12,824 --> 00:49:15,953
- And then Roosevelt
disappeared.
1065
00:49:15,953 --> 00:49:18,288
He just disappeared.
1066
00:49:18,330 --> 00:49:23,001
For Matt, Roosevelt Franklin
represented truth.
1067
00:49:24,628 --> 00:49:26,296
He knew they meant well,
1068
00:49:26,296 --> 00:49:28,799
but it was the beginning
of the end for him.
1069
00:49:30,842 --> 00:49:34,471
And then he left
"Sesame Street."
1070
00:49:42,187 --> 00:49:45,107
["Sesame Street" theme song
playing]
1071
00:49:45,148 --> 00:49:48,485
♪
1072
00:49:48,485 --> 00:49:49,653
- Morning.
- [yawns]
1073
00:49:49,695 --> 00:49:51,154
Hi, morning, Zoe.
How are you?
1074
00:49:52,489 --> 00:49:53,657
- Oh, hey, Gordon.
- Hey, Bob.
1075
00:49:53,699 --> 00:49:55,158
- Hey. How you doing?
- How you doing?
1076
00:49:55,158 --> 00:49:56,326
- Hey, that was a great time
at your place last night.
1077
00:49:56,326 --> 00:49:57,661
- Yeah, wasn't it?
1078
00:49:57,703 --> 00:49:59,329
- I took over
the role of Gordon,
1079
00:49:59,329 --> 00:50:01,957
and working on the show
was wonderful.
1080
00:50:01,999 --> 00:50:06,003
It had that sense of, you know,
1081
00:50:06,003 --> 00:50:10,507
both serious intent and joy.
1082
00:50:10,549 --> 00:50:13,301
- Yes.
- Hi, Forgetful.
1083
00:50:13,343 --> 00:50:16,346
- Oh, hi, Bertram.
- Gordon.
1084
00:50:16,388 --> 00:50:17,848
- Gordon?
- Gordon.
1085
00:50:17,848 --> 00:50:21,018
- Oh, yeah, Bertram is
your wife's name.
1086
00:50:21,059 --> 00:50:22,853
- No, no, no.
Her name is Susan.
1087
00:50:22,853 --> 00:50:25,647
- Spontaneity and fun
and zany.
1088
00:50:25,689 --> 00:50:27,315
- No. No. Yeah,
Susan, of course.
1089
00:50:27,357 --> 00:50:31,194
- And it always respected
the children.
1090
00:50:31,194 --> 00:50:35,699
Children were never talked
down to on "Sesame Street."
1091
00:50:35,699 --> 00:50:37,701
- Hey. You know something?
I'm tired now.
1092
00:50:37,701 --> 00:50:40,203
I think I'm going to go
on a coffee break.
1093
00:50:40,203 --> 00:50:41,705
Will you do me a favor?
1094
00:50:41,747 --> 00:50:43,665
Answer the teléfono for me?
1095
00:50:43,707 --> 00:50:45,042
And if they don't speak
English,
1096
00:50:45,083 --> 00:50:46,710
you know,
[speaks Spanish].
1097
00:50:46,710 --> 00:50:48,712
- It was very difficult
at that time
1098
00:50:48,754 --> 00:50:50,547
to find meaningful work
1099
00:50:50,589 --> 00:50:53,383
as Latino actors, you know?
1100
00:50:53,425 --> 00:50:55,886
I don't remember ever reading
for any kind
1101
00:50:55,886 --> 00:50:58,055
of a positive character.
1102
00:50:58,055 --> 00:50:59,723
The only roles that
I could find
1103
00:50:59,723 --> 00:51:03,518
were gang members
or drug addicts.
1104
00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:06,688
I realized I had gotten
a role on television
1105
00:51:06,730 --> 00:51:10,734
that was a role
of a Latino, Mexican-American,
1106
00:51:10,734 --> 00:51:13,403
who was like a regular person.
1107
00:51:13,445 --> 00:51:14,738
- Hey, Mack.
- Luis.
1108
00:51:14,738 --> 00:51:16,364
- You got a mango?
- Have I got a mango?
1109
00:51:16,406 --> 00:51:18,241
- He was part
of the neighborhood.
1110
00:51:18,241 --> 00:51:21,078
He had his own business.
1111
00:51:21,119 --> 00:51:23,038
- Maria.
- What is it?
1112
00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:24,581
- I got to go out
for a few minutes.
1113
00:51:24,623 --> 00:51:27,417
- It was a role that
hadn't been shown before.
1114
00:51:27,417 --> 00:51:28,919
[phone ringing]
1115
00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:32,923
- It was Jon Stone
who cast me as Maria.
1116
00:51:32,923 --> 00:51:34,382
Hello, Fix-it Shop.
1117
00:51:34,424 --> 00:51:36,259
And I think he was looking
for someone
1118
00:51:36,301 --> 00:51:38,220
who was unpolished and raw,
1119
00:51:38,261 --> 00:51:42,099
and, boy,
was I unpolished and raw.
1120
00:51:42,099 --> 00:51:44,392
- You can't take a pretty
picture with a shiny nose.
1121
00:51:44,434 --> 00:51:47,062
- I remember one day
I was all made up,
1122
00:51:47,104 --> 00:51:49,064
and Jon grabbed me off the set
1123
00:51:49,106 --> 00:51:51,566
and dragged me
into the makeup room,
1124
00:51:51,608 --> 00:51:53,110
and he says
to the makeup artist,
1125
00:51:53,151 --> 00:51:56,905
"I go through all the trouble
of hiring a real person,
1126
00:51:56,947 --> 00:52:00,951
and you make her up
to look like a Kewpie doll?"
1127
00:52:03,787 --> 00:52:06,289
And I saw it
as a political show
1128
00:52:06,289 --> 00:52:10,085
because of the diversity of
the cast that was unheard of
1129
00:52:10,127 --> 00:52:13,255
and because we would have
seminars with activists,
1130
00:52:13,296 --> 00:52:15,924
and they would say,
"You people are doing this,
1131
00:52:15,966 --> 00:52:18,760
and you're not showing us
like we really are,"
1132
00:52:18,802 --> 00:52:20,637
and La Leche League, you know,
1133
00:52:20,679 --> 00:52:24,099
"Why aren't you showing
nursing on 'Sesame Street'?"
1134
00:52:24,141 --> 00:52:27,144
- What you doing, Buffy?
- I'm feeding the baby.
1135
00:52:27,144 --> 00:52:29,146
See, he's drinking milk
from my breast.
1136
00:52:29,146 --> 00:52:30,772
- It was fantastic,
1137
00:52:30,814 --> 00:52:33,650
and we would,
you know, cultivate that.
1138
00:52:33,650 --> 00:52:35,277
- When you're growing up
and you don't see yourself
1139
00:52:35,318 --> 00:52:36,945
in the media,
1140
00:52:36,987 --> 00:52:39,156
then you get the feeling
that you don't exist, see,
1141
00:52:39,197 --> 00:52:41,491
and that's when you start
feeling that you're not part
1142
00:52:41,533 --> 00:52:44,161
of this society,
of this culture.
1143
00:52:44,161 --> 00:52:47,831
Television has so much power
of doing that.
1144
00:52:47,831 --> 00:52:50,125
- I had a great deal
of influence
1145
00:52:50,167 --> 00:52:52,335
in the creation of Maria.
1146
00:52:52,377 --> 00:52:55,463
[both speaking Spanish]
1147
00:52:55,505 --> 00:53:00,468
- And Jon let me know that
by rehearsing a script with me
1148
00:53:00,510 --> 00:53:03,138
and then saying, "Would you
really talk like that?"
1149
00:53:03,180 --> 00:53:06,183
And I'd say, "Well, no,
actually I'd say it like this."
1150
00:53:06,183 --> 00:53:09,019
Of course, the writer
is pulling his hair out but--
1151
00:53:09,019 --> 00:53:11,313
- Do I carry the letter?
- You don't have to.
1152
00:53:11,354 --> 00:53:12,355
No, she will carry it.
1153
00:53:14,691 --> 00:53:17,527
- Say, Big Bird, somebody wants
to take your picture.
1154
00:53:17,569 --> 00:53:19,196
- Oh, boy.
1155
00:53:19,237 --> 00:53:24,492
Well, which side, my left side
or my right side?
1156
00:53:24,534 --> 00:53:26,870
You're it. Tag.
1157
00:53:26,912 --> 00:53:28,705
- Big Bird could walk on
1158
00:53:28,705 --> 00:53:31,374
without a puppeteer
being seen,
1159
00:53:31,416 --> 00:53:34,211
and that's because I'm inside.
1160
00:53:34,211 --> 00:53:35,837
And the puppet would be lowered
down over me
1161
00:53:35,879 --> 00:53:37,839
and I'd go in
through the bottom
1162
00:53:37,881 --> 00:53:42,010
and put my hand up in the head
and operate the head like that.
1163
00:53:42,052 --> 00:53:43,386
- Oh, well, then where
will I live?
1164
00:53:43,428 --> 00:53:44,888
- Oh, don't worry about that.
1165
00:53:44,888 --> 00:53:46,681
You'll have a house
all your own.
1166
00:53:46,723 --> 00:53:48,058
Here's a lovely...
1167
00:53:48,099 --> 00:53:50,060
- His head was very elaborate.
1168
00:53:52,062 --> 00:53:54,397
The thumb was in the bottom
part of the beak.
1169
00:53:54,439 --> 00:53:58,026
When they say, "Action,"
I come alive.
1170
00:53:58,068 --> 00:54:01,363
And there were all kinds
of little gears inside his eyes
1171
00:54:01,404 --> 00:54:03,531
that I could move
with my little finger.
1172
00:54:03,573 --> 00:54:05,909
That's the only finger
I could spare.
1173
00:54:05,909 --> 00:54:07,535
- Ooh, ah, ooh, oh,
1174
00:54:07,577 --> 00:54:11,373
you silly door,
right in my way. Hmm.
1175
00:54:11,414 --> 00:54:13,750
- Originally, Big Bird
was supposed to be kind of
1176
00:54:13,792 --> 00:54:16,419
a big dumb, goofy guy.
1177
00:54:16,419 --> 00:54:17,754
- Whoa.
1178
00:54:17,754 --> 00:54:20,924
Big Bird, Bird.
1179
00:54:20,966 --> 00:54:23,718
- So I think it was about
a month or two in,
1180
00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:25,428
I said, "You know,
1181
00:54:25,470 --> 00:54:28,890
"I don't think I should be
playing him as a goofy guy.
1182
00:54:28,932 --> 00:54:32,143
"He has so much more depth.
He's a very complex character.
1183
00:54:34,271 --> 00:54:37,399
"I think I should play him
as a child who's just learning,
1184
00:54:37,440 --> 00:54:40,277
and he doesn't know
a lot of things yet."
1185
00:54:40,277 --> 00:54:42,570
- Oh, I didn't do my share,
and that wasn't fair.
1186
00:54:42,612 --> 00:54:44,447
- We needed a peer
for the audience.
1187
00:54:44,489 --> 00:54:46,908
- I've got a great idea.
I could take all the toys out
1188
00:54:46,950 --> 00:54:49,244
and then put them
back in again, and that way--
1189
00:54:49,286 --> 00:54:51,413
- No, no, Big Bird.
1190
00:54:51,454 --> 00:54:53,123
- A character
that was young enough
1191
00:54:53,123 --> 00:54:55,125
to make the same mistakes
1192
00:54:55,125 --> 00:54:56,918
and have the same problems
1193
00:54:56,960 --> 00:54:58,628
that a four-year-old
would have.
1194
00:54:58,628 --> 00:54:59,754
- I think you're right.
- Yeah.
1195
00:54:59,796 --> 00:55:01,464
- Yay!
1196
00:55:01,464 --> 00:55:03,425
- And no one else could play
Big Bird, I don't think,
1197
00:55:03,466 --> 00:55:04,968
certainly not the way Caroll
plays it.
1198
00:55:05,010 --> 00:55:06,845
He is Big Bird.
1199
00:55:08,805 --> 00:55:11,141
- This is Mr. Caroll Spinney.
1200
00:55:11,141 --> 00:55:12,600
Do you have any trouble
1201
00:55:12,642 --> 00:55:15,312
separating your personality
from Big Bird?
1202
00:55:16,479 --> 00:55:18,106
- I--
One of the things
1203
00:55:18,148 --> 00:55:19,774
we've played up
or I've played up with the bird
1204
00:55:19,816 --> 00:55:22,277
is that he's very insecure
because I think actually
1205
00:55:22,319 --> 00:55:23,945
a lot of children
will have this problem.
1206
00:55:23,987 --> 00:55:27,324
I know I never will lose it,
I'm afraid,
1207
00:55:27,324 --> 00:55:31,661
and so I use my insecurities
to understand the bird,
1208
00:55:31,703 --> 00:55:33,621
but Oscar has
no such insecurities at all.
1209
00:55:33,663 --> 00:55:35,332
[laughter]
1210
00:55:35,373 --> 00:55:39,627
- The further you stay away
from my can, the better.
1211
00:55:39,669 --> 00:55:41,296
Keep moving there.
1212
00:55:41,338 --> 00:55:44,299
- Over here, Oscar?
- Yeah. Just keep walking,
1213
00:55:44,341 --> 00:55:45,675
Bright Eyes.
1214
00:55:45,675 --> 00:55:48,636
- I also play Oscar the Grouch.
1215
00:55:48,678 --> 00:55:50,347
- Do I get paid?
1216
00:55:50,388 --> 00:55:54,684
- Well, no. I get the money.
- You bastard.
1217
00:55:54,726 --> 00:55:58,855
[laughter]
1218
00:55:58,855 --> 00:56:04,861
- With Big Bird
and Oscar the Grouch,
1219
00:56:04,903 --> 00:56:08,365
I think Carroll Spinney saved
a lot of money in therapy
1220
00:56:08,406 --> 00:56:12,827
by being able to play those
two disparate characters.
1221
00:56:12,869 --> 00:56:15,163
- You know I hate you?
- I do.
1222
00:56:15,205 --> 00:56:16,664
You've told me that before.
1223
00:56:16,706 --> 00:56:18,833
- Well, I have to tell
somebody.
1224
00:56:18,875 --> 00:56:20,710
- He says things
as Oscar
1225
00:56:20,710 --> 00:56:23,213
that he would never
say as himself.
1226
00:56:23,213 --> 00:56:27,884
- Oh, yes. Any changes I'd like
to see on the show?
1227
00:56:27,926 --> 00:56:30,053
Yeah, well, we don't really
have very much sex.
1228
00:56:30,053 --> 00:56:33,056
[laughter]
1229
00:56:33,056 --> 00:56:35,016
- Stand by. Okay.
1230
00:56:35,058 --> 00:56:37,018
- Caroll, give him
a little dialogue.
1231
00:56:37,060 --> 00:56:39,729
- Yes, here's
a little dialogue.
1232
00:56:39,771 --> 00:56:42,023
Your mother wears
Army boots.
1233
00:56:42,065 --> 00:56:43,733
[laughter]
1234
00:56:43,775 --> 00:56:46,069
[indistinct chatter]
1235
00:56:46,111 --> 00:56:48,905
- Dad felt very strongly
that kids need to see
1236
00:56:48,905 --> 00:56:50,407
that not everybody is nice,
1237
00:56:50,448 --> 00:56:52,242
and not everybody is easy,
and this is how you deal
1238
00:56:52,283 --> 00:56:54,577
with the grouch
who's in your neighborhood.
1239
00:56:54,577 --> 00:56:56,079
- Hey, Bob. What is this?
1240
00:56:56,121 --> 00:56:57,914
- I think Oscar is really
going to do it this time.
1241
00:56:57,956 --> 00:56:59,416
- Oscar is really going to do--
1242
00:56:59,416 --> 00:57:01,251
- Yep, you guys have guessed
right.
1243
00:57:01,251 --> 00:57:02,585
I'm moving away forever.
1244
00:57:02,627 --> 00:57:05,922
- Oscar is the dark side
of everybody.
1245
00:57:05,922 --> 00:57:08,049
- No ifs, ands or buts, fellas.
1246
00:57:08,091 --> 00:57:10,427
Nothing you can say
will change my mind.
1247
00:57:10,427 --> 00:57:12,429
- He's what children
are constantly told
1248
00:57:12,470 --> 00:57:14,431
they must not do. Don't say
that.
1249
00:57:14,472 --> 00:57:16,558
It's bad. Don't do that.
Don't talk back.
1250
00:57:16,599 --> 00:57:19,060
- Too much noise and playing
and kids
1251
00:57:19,102 --> 00:57:20,395
and too much laughing...
- Come on, man.
1252
00:57:20,437 --> 00:57:21,563
- Come on now.
- And too much everything
1253
00:57:21,604 --> 00:57:22,730
that bothers me.
1254
00:57:22,772 --> 00:57:25,442
- Oscar the Grouch was created
1255
00:57:25,442 --> 00:57:27,277
very much to show that
1256
00:57:27,318 --> 00:57:30,113
even somebody with a completely
different point of view
1257
00:57:30,113 --> 00:57:33,616
than yours
could be your friend.
1258
00:57:33,616 --> 00:57:37,245
- Why do you like rain, Oscar?
- Oh, the rain is beautiful.
1259
00:57:37,287 --> 00:57:39,080
I'll tell you.
1260
00:57:39,122 --> 00:57:44,127
The rain is so nice.
It's all wet and soggy.
1261
00:57:44,169 --> 00:57:47,589
[upbeat music playing]
1262
00:57:47,630 --> 00:57:52,093
♪ Rain falls,
puddles on the street ♪
1263
00:57:52,135 --> 00:57:54,971
♪ No one can go out
and play ♪
1264
00:57:54,971 --> 00:57:56,598
[laughs]
1265
00:57:56,639 --> 00:58:00,435
♪ Rain falls,
people soak from head to feet ♪
1266
00:58:00,477 --> 00:58:03,313
♪ Gee, I like a rainy day
1267
00:58:03,313 --> 00:58:05,148
[laughs]
1268
00:58:05,148 --> 00:58:07,317
♪ Trucks roll by splashing mud
on everyone ♪
1269
00:58:07,358 --> 00:58:11,279
- Joe Raposo was hired
to do the music for "Sesame."
1270
00:58:11,321 --> 00:58:13,615
He did all the arranging,
1271
00:58:13,656 --> 00:58:16,701
and he had so much heart
and so much knowledge.
1272
00:58:18,495 --> 00:58:20,663
- ♪ Sing
1273
00:58:20,663 --> 00:58:23,333
- ♪ Sing
- ♪ Sing a song
1274
00:58:23,333 --> 00:58:26,961
- ♪ Sing a song
- ♪ Sing out loud
1275
00:58:27,003 --> 00:58:29,339
- ♪ Sing out loud
- That's good.
1276
00:58:29,339 --> 00:58:30,632
♪ Sing out strong
1277
00:58:30,673 --> 00:58:32,509
- Joe Raposo I call
the music man.
1278
00:58:32,550 --> 00:58:36,137
He was the music man,
you know, in every respect.
1279
00:58:36,179 --> 00:58:39,516
[singing in Spanish]
1280
00:58:39,516 --> 00:58:43,144
This guy was like a Muppet
himself, you know?
1281
00:58:43,186 --> 00:58:45,313
His personality
was just so big that
1282
00:58:45,355 --> 00:58:46,648
when he walked into a room,
1283
00:58:46,689 --> 00:58:49,859
you couldn't not notice
Joe Raposo.
1284
00:58:49,859 --> 00:58:52,195
♪
1285
00:58:52,237 --> 00:58:53,988
- Don't ask me what makes me
write these things.
1286
00:58:54,030 --> 00:58:55,365
I don't--
1287
00:58:55,406 --> 00:58:57,700
♪ Around, around
1288
00:58:57,700 --> 00:59:03,498
♪ Around, around
over, under, through ♪
1289
00:59:03,540 --> 00:59:07,043
- [breathing heavily]
♪ Around, around, around
1290
00:59:07,085 --> 00:59:10,713
♪ Over and under and through
1291
00:59:10,713 --> 00:59:12,173
Oh, boy.
1292
00:59:12,215 --> 00:59:14,717
♪ Over, see, and under
1293
00:59:14,717 --> 00:59:16,886
♪ And through
and through and through ♪
1294
00:59:16,928 --> 00:59:18,346
And through!
1295
00:59:18,388 --> 00:59:21,057
I did it. [sighs]
1296
00:59:21,057 --> 00:59:25,562
- And of course, you know,
his talent was just so amazing
1297
00:59:25,562 --> 00:59:29,899
that he could come up
with all of these songs.
1298
00:59:29,941 --> 00:59:33,528
- ♪ I'm an aardvark,
and I'm proud ♪
1299
00:59:33,570 --> 00:59:36,698
♪ I'm an aardvark,
and I'm happy ♪
1300
00:59:36,739 --> 00:59:40,034
♪ Two is
my favorite number ♪
1301
00:59:40,076 --> 00:59:43,204
♪ Two is neat
1302
00:59:43,246 --> 00:59:46,708
♪ Two is being together
1303
00:59:46,749 --> 00:59:49,544
♪ Two is sweet
1304
00:59:49,586 --> 00:59:52,046
♪ If I could only paddle
like a doggy on a paddle ♪
1305
00:59:52,088 --> 00:59:54,716
♪ I would paddle my way
to you ♪
1306
00:59:54,757 --> 00:59:56,092
♪ No river too wide
1307
00:59:56,134 --> 00:59:58,595
- It was like somebody
was working on the show,
1308
00:59:58,595 --> 01:00:00,888
and they had an idea
for something, say,
1309
01:00:00,930 --> 01:00:02,932
"We need a song
about something here,"
1310
01:00:02,932 --> 01:00:05,560
and he'd go off and, like,
five minutes later come back
1311
01:00:05,602 --> 01:00:07,937
and show them the music
for a new song.
1312
01:00:09,439 --> 01:00:11,274
- Hmm.
1313
01:00:11,316 --> 01:00:14,944
- It was 1970 in the middle
of the first taping season
1314
01:00:14,986 --> 01:00:16,738
that Jon Stone came to me,
1315
01:00:16,779 --> 01:00:18,281
and he said, "You know,
we got this character,
1316
01:00:18,323 --> 01:00:21,743
this Kermit the Frog,"
and Jon said to me,
1317
01:00:21,784 --> 01:00:25,413
"What does Kermit think about
when he's alone?
1318
01:00:25,455 --> 01:00:28,625
Does he ever have
a quiet moment?
1319
01:00:28,625 --> 01:00:30,418
What would you think
about doing a song
1320
01:00:30,460 --> 01:00:32,420
that's quiet for him?"
1321
01:00:32,462 --> 01:00:35,423
[soft piano music]
1322
01:00:35,465 --> 01:00:37,759
♪
1323
01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:40,428
I was at my desk,
1324
01:00:40,470 --> 01:00:42,263
and I was thinking
about the frog
1325
01:00:42,305 --> 01:00:44,307
and about the swamp
and the log.
1326
01:00:47,310 --> 01:00:49,437
And what his life
was like alone,
1327
01:00:49,479 --> 01:00:51,606
and what did he actually
think of himself?
1328
01:00:51,648 --> 01:00:56,653
And, I mean, like a shot,
I mean, without thinking twice,
1329
01:00:56,653 --> 01:00:59,947
I put my hands down
on a B-flat chord.
1330
01:00:59,989 --> 01:01:02,617
This whole song
just unfolded by itself.
1331
01:01:02,659 --> 01:01:07,789
♪
1332
01:01:07,830 --> 01:01:11,334
- ♪ It's not that easy
being green ♪
1333
01:01:12,502 --> 01:01:16,839
♪ Having to spend each day
the color of the leaves ♪
1334
01:01:19,008 --> 01:01:21,511
♪ When I think
it could be nicer ♪
1335
01:01:21,552 --> 01:01:24,138
♪ Being red or yellow
or gold ♪
1336
01:01:24,180 --> 01:01:27,350
♪ Or something
much more colorful like that ♪
1337
01:01:30,853 --> 01:01:34,023
- ♪ It's not easy being green
1338
01:01:34,065 --> 01:01:37,860
♪ It seems you blend in with
so many other ordinary things ♪
1339
01:01:38,861 --> 01:01:41,030
♪ And people tend
to pass you over ♪
1340
01:01:41,072 --> 01:01:42,699
- ♪ Because you're not
1341
01:01:42,699 --> 01:01:45,702
♪ Standing out like
flashy sparkles in the water ♪
1342
01:01:45,702 --> 01:01:48,705
♪ Or stars in the sky
1343
01:01:48,705 --> 01:01:51,332
- "It's Not Easy Being Green"
with Kermit the Frog.
1344
01:01:51,374 --> 01:01:54,711
- ♪ But green is
the color of spring ♪
1345
01:01:54,711 --> 01:01:58,005
- So many things
in this one song.
1346
01:01:58,047 --> 01:02:01,884
I mean,
this was a profound song.
1347
01:02:01,884 --> 01:02:06,556
- ♪ And green could be big
like an ocean ♪
1348
01:02:06,556 --> 01:02:09,559
♪ Or important like
a mountain ♪
1349
01:02:09,600 --> 01:02:11,686
♪ Or tall like a tree
1350
01:02:11,728 --> 01:02:13,563
- And I remember thinking,
1351
01:02:13,563 --> 01:02:16,023
"Are they singing about what
I think they're singing about?"
1352
01:02:16,065 --> 01:02:18,401
Of course, they were
singing about race,
1353
01:02:18,401 --> 01:02:21,195
but they were also singing
about being down in the dumps
1354
01:02:21,237 --> 01:02:23,573
because you're
a little green frog.
1355
01:02:23,614 --> 01:02:27,076
Some kids just thought it was
about a little green puppet
1356
01:02:27,076 --> 01:02:31,247
and other kids thought about,
"Maybe it was something else."
1357
01:02:32,749 --> 01:02:34,250
- My father's belief
1358
01:02:34,292 --> 01:02:36,711
that children
should never be spoken down
1359
01:02:36,753 --> 01:02:39,422
to specifically
in the world of music
1360
01:02:39,464 --> 01:02:41,924
made the music as sophisticated
as he could.
1361
01:02:41,966 --> 01:02:44,886
[upbeat music]
1362
01:02:44,927 --> 01:02:47,889
- P.
1363
01:02:47,930 --> 01:02:49,390
Q.
1364
01:02:49,432 --> 01:02:51,934
- The American musical scene
1365
01:02:51,976 --> 01:02:55,563
is a fantastic smorgasbord
of fabulous styles.
1366
01:02:55,605 --> 01:02:58,399
- ♪ You can count on me
1367
01:02:58,441 --> 01:03:00,443
♪ Count on me
1368
01:03:00,443 --> 01:03:03,070
- If you're familiar with them,
1369
01:03:03,112 --> 01:03:05,948
you take, "Hey, kids.
Here's an olive."
1370
01:03:05,948 --> 01:03:09,410
- ♪ Oh, whenever I see
your grouchy face ♪
1371
01:03:09,452 --> 01:03:14,290
♪ It makes me want to smile
because I like you ♪
1372
01:03:14,332 --> 01:03:15,625
♪ Just a little bit
1373
01:03:15,625 --> 01:03:17,460
- "Hey, kids. Here's
a piece of pastrami.
1374
01:03:17,460 --> 01:03:18,753
"Hey, kids.
Here's some black-eyed peas.
1375
01:03:18,795 --> 01:03:20,588
Hey, kids."
1376
01:03:20,630 --> 01:03:24,926
- ♪ Now, Nasty Dan was a nasty
man the whole day long ♪
1377
01:03:24,967 --> 01:03:26,969
- Good for him.
- ♪ He'd go where he could
1378
01:03:27,011 --> 01:03:29,639
♪ And he would try real good
to make things go wrong ♪
1379
01:03:29,680 --> 01:03:31,140
- Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
1380
01:03:31,140 --> 01:03:33,476
- ♪ He'd jump for joy
when a little boy ♪
1381
01:03:33,518 --> 01:03:34,769
♪ Would trip and fall
1382
01:03:34,811 --> 01:03:36,145
- Really mean, huh?
1383
01:03:36,187 --> 01:03:38,940
- ♪ And the only words
that he ever said ♪
1384
01:03:38,981 --> 01:03:40,608
♪ Were, "I don't like you
at all" ♪
1385
01:03:40,650 --> 01:03:43,444
- Yeah! Right on.
1386
01:03:43,486 --> 01:03:44,987
- And every once in a while,
1387
01:03:45,029 --> 01:03:46,489
"How about a
little filet mignon?"
1388
01:03:46,531 --> 01:03:52,286
♪
1389
01:03:52,328 --> 01:03:54,831
Are you kidding? Wow!
1390
01:03:54,872 --> 01:04:01,838
♪
1391
01:04:08,511 --> 01:04:10,972
- So my father and a few
other people were tasked
1392
01:04:11,013 --> 01:04:12,849
with creating
all of the music for the show,
1393
01:04:12,890 --> 01:04:18,187
so you're talking about 100
or more episodes each season.
1394
01:04:18,229 --> 01:04:20,231
That's a lot of music
to produce.
1395
01:04:23,192 --> 01:04:25,319
They would make it
every week for the show.
1396
01:04:25,361 --> 01:04:26,654
- Stand by.
1397
01:04:26,696 --> 01:04:29,156
This is a direct cue.
Quiet, please!
1398
01:04:29,198 --> 01:04:31,492
- The production sessions,
they would go into 3:00
1399
01:04:31,534 --> 01:04:34,370
in the morning,
4:00 in the morning.
1400
01:04:34,370 --> 01:04:37,164
And I would sleep there.
1401
01:04:37,206 --> 01:04:38,708
My father would be stuck
in the session.
1402
01:04:38,749 --> 01:04:41,043
My mother would
have gone home,
1403
01:04:41,043 --> 01:04:42,336
and he would say,
"Oh, I'll bring the kids home
1404
01:04:42,378 --> 01:04:44,005
when we're done."
1405
01:04:44,046 --> 01:04:45,882
He never went home.
1406
01:04:45,882 --> 01:04:49,218
[solemn music]
1407
01:04:49,260 --> 01:04:51,220
- My father didn't even have
an apartment
1408
01:04:51,262 --> 01:04:53,723
in New York City or anything.
1409
01:04:53,723 --> 01:04:55,850
And he would go to work
and come back four days later,
1410
01:04:55,892 --> 01:04:57,518
that sort of thing,
1411
01:04:57,560 --> 01:05:01,063
and I just thought,
"Well, that's what fathers do."
1412
01:05:01,063 --> 01:05:02,732
[bright music]
1413
01:05:02,773 --> 01:05:09,405
- ♪ Oh, me know it true
that me so blue ♪
1414
01:05:09,405 --> 01:05:15,578
♪ When you far away
and you not stay in view ♪
1415
01:05:15,620 --> 01:05:20,374
- There were no hours
to the day.
1416
01:05:20,416 --> 01:05:23,252
We worked from morning
deep into the night.
1417
01:05:23,294 --> 01:05:26,213
No one ever kept track of when
we were going to have lunch,
1418
01:05:26,255 --> 01:05:27,423
when we were going
to have dinner.
1419
01:05:27,423 --> 01:05:29,592
It was getting the show up.
1420
01:05:29,592 --> 01:05:34,096
- ♪ Me got to be blue,
me got to be blue ♪
1421
01:05:34,138 --> 01:05:35,890
- How do you manage a life
like that?
1422
01:05:35,932 --> 01:05:38,392
- ♪ What else can me do?
1423
01:05:38,434 --> 01:05:43,105
- It seems unreasonable to me,
but that was what they did.
1424
01:05:43,147 --> 01:05:47,443
And Jon Stone rode herd
over that group better
1425
01:05:47,443 --> 01:05:49,737
than anybody
could have possibly.
1426
01:05:49,779 --> 01:05:53,074
♪
1427
01:05:53,115 --> 01:05:55,618
- ♪ Now you know it not you
1428
01:05:55,618 --> 01:05:58,079
- Now he would say that
he had three children.
1429
01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:00,957
He had Polly. He had Kate,
and he had "Sesame Street,"
1430
01:06:00,957 --> 01:06:06,963
and that he felt really
passionate about all of us,
1431
01:06:07,004 --> 01:06:08,965
but as his daughters,
1432
01:06:09,006 --> 01:06:10,800
you know, we could grow up
and be anything,
1433
01:06:10,841 --> 01:06:13,970
and he would support us
and celebrate us,
1434
01:06:13,970 --> 01:06:17,473
but "Sesame Street"
had to maintain an integrity,
1435
01:06:17,515 --> 01:06:20,309
and I think he felt the weight
of holding onto that
1436
01:06:20,351 --> 01:06:22,812
and being responsible for it.
1437
01:06:22,812 --> 01:06:26,482
- ♪ Just got to be blue
1438
01:06:28,317 --> 01:06:30,486
♪ Once more, with feeling!
1439
01:06:32,488 --> 01:06:34,490
- All right. Okay.
1440
01:06:34,490 --> 01:06:37,660
Three and two,
you want to come to the front.
1441
01:06:37,660 --> 01:06:40,788
- What we mostly saw was
the funny side of our dad,
1442
01:06:40,830 --> 01:06:42,832
the entertainer.
1443
01:06:42,873 --> 01:06:48,170
But Dad had a dark side,
dealt with depression,
1444
01:06:48,212 --> 01:06:51,841
and he felt hurt
when things didn't go his way.
1445
01:06:51,841 --> 01:06:53,467
- Stand by!
- Take two.
1446
01:06:53,509 --> 01:06:54,969
- Say, "Big Bird!"
1447
01:06:55,011 --> 01:06:57,471
Somebody wants to take your--
1448
01:06:57,513 --> 01:07:00,808
- Not that camera.
- Where do you want cameras?
1449
01:07:00,850 --> 01:07:02,518
- Frankie, you're not
on a five.
1450
01:07:05,062 --> 01:07:08,315
Okay, I need to do it?
Chopped.
1451
01:07:08,357 --> 01:07:11,861
- I don't know
if he wanted love,
1452
01:07:11,861 --> 01:07:18,159
but he was a very sensitive,
difficult man.
1453
01:07:18,200 --> 01:07:21,328
- You know, I never had
deep conversations with Jon
1454
01:07:21,370 --> 01:07:24,165
about his feelings
about things.
1455
01:07:24,206 --> 01:07:28,878
He held his feelings
close to his chest,
1456
01:07:28,878 --> 01:07:31,505
but for some reason,
1457
01:07:31,547 --> 01:07:35,384
publicly he was never given
the credit that he deserved.
1458
01:07:37,094 --> 01:07:40,389
- He certainly wanted credit
for the things
1459
01:07:40,389 --> 01:07:43,017
he had accomplished
on the show,
1460
01:07:43,059 --> 01:07:45,853
but it was very hard to get
the press
1461
01:07:45,895 --> 01:07:48,189
trained on anyone but me,
1462
01:07:48,230 --> 01:07:52,860
so it was awkward at times.
1463
01:07:52,902 --> 01:07:55,029
♪
1464
01:07:55,071 --> 01:07:56,864
- ♪ When someone socks me
in the eye ♪
1465
01:07:56,906 --> 01:07:57,907
♪ And they don't even
tell me why ♪
1466
01:07:57,948 --> 01:07:59,408
♪ That makes me mad
1467
01:07:59,408 --> 01:08:01,744
- ♪ Yeah, we're angry,
very, very angry ♪
1468
01:08:01,786 --> 01:08:04,413
- Jon did not have much taste
for bureaucracy.
1469
01:08:04,455 --> 01:08:06,040
He was an iconoclast in a way.
1470
01:08:06,082 --> 01:08:09,543
I mean, if there was anything
nonsensical about the way
1471
01:08:09,585 --> 01:08:12,379
the workshop was being run,
1472
01:08:12,421 --> 01:08:16,217
he would try to express it
on the show or off.
1473
01:08:16,258 --> 01:08:19,595
A funny little story that
tells you a lot about him,
1474
01:08:19,637 --> 01:08:21,097
when "Sesame" started,
1475
01:08:21,097 --> 01:08:22,598
we had one of
those little signs
1476
01:08:22,640 --> 01:08:26,393
where you put little
white letters into grooves,
1477
01:08:26,435 --> 01:08:29,939
and it said
Children's Television Workshop.
1478
01:08:29,939 --> 01:08:31,607
Every morning
when Jon came in,
1479
01:08:31,607 --> 01:08:33,734
he would change that
1480
01:08:33,776 --> 01:08:35,736
to Children's
Television Porkshow.
1481
01:08:35,778 --> 01:08:37,279
[laughs]
1482
01:08:37,279 --> 01:08:40,449
Just by changing
the P and the W.
1483
01:08:40,449 --> 01:08:42,785
He was just irreverent.
1484
01:08:42,827 --> 01:08:46,122
- Technical term. We like
to call it "waiting around."
1485
01:08:50,000 --> 01:08:55,131
- My dad was very close
with Jon Stone and Joe Raposo.
1486
01:08:55,172 --> 01:08:59,426
I think he loved the energy
of them and the boldness
1487
01:08:59,468 --> 01:09:02,471
of what they were trying to do,
and he got caught up in that,
1488
01:09:02,513 --> 01:09:06,142
and it was very inspiring
for him.
1489
01:09:06,142 --> 01:09:09,478
- Take one, rolling.
- One, two, three, four!
1490
01:09:09,478 --> 01:09:11,647
[upbeat music]
1491
01:09:11,647 --> 01:09:14,483
- Fat.
- Fat.
1492
01:09:14,483 --> 01:09:15,776
- Fat.
1493
01:09:15,818 --> 01:09:16,986
- Fat.
- Cat.
1494
01:09:16,986 --> 01:09:18,612
- Cat.
- Cat.
1495
01:09:18,654 --> 01:09:21,157
- I remember Jim Henson,
Frank Oz
1496
01:09:21,198 --> 01:09:23,659
doing a puppet bit,
everybody hysterical.
1497
01:09:23,701 --> 01:09:26,120
Jim Henson saying,
"What are we teaching?"
1498
01:09:26,162 --> 01:09:29,456
Jon Stone saying, "Happiness."
1499
01:09:29,498 --> 01:09:33,294
"That's the ticket.
That's the joy."
1500
01:09:33,335 --> 01:09:35,462
- ♪ A fat cat sat on a hat
1501
01:09:35,504 --> 01:09:37,173
♪ So I ran on a mat,
pat-a-pat ♪
1502
01:09:37,173 --> 01:09:38,632
♪ Had a chat with a gnat
1503
01:09:38,674 --> 01:09:40,134
♪ That he pat in a vat
that was flat ♪
1504
01:09:40,176 --> 01:09:42,136
Oh, yeah!
1505
01:09:42,178 --> 01:09:45,973
Oh, fat, cat, sat, hat,
and that's that!
1506
01:09:46,015 --> 01:09:47,558
- Scat!
1507
01:09:48,851 --> 01:09:51,145
- One thing that I will credit
Joan Ganz Cooney with
1508
01:09:51,187 --> 01:09:54,690
was that she let these guys
do what they could do.
1509
01:09:54,690 --> 01:09:57,151
They had ideas and concepts
and behaviors
1510
01:09:57,193 --> 01:10:00,863
that were just off-the-wall,
1511
01:10:00,863 --> 01:10:02,156
and they were allowed
to do it,
1512
01:10:02,198 --> 01:10:04,366
and that's what people loved.
1513
01:10:04,408 --> 01:10:08,871
They felt the lunacy on the
screen, the contained madness.
1514
01:10:08,871 --> 01:10:13,542
- Train rhyme with rain!
Me win cookie.
1515
01:10:14,877 --> 01:10:17,171
- So these wildly
creative people
1516
01:10:17,213 --> 01:10:19,548
were allowed to just try stuff.
1517
01:10:19,590 --> 01:10:22,009
♪
1518
01:10:22,051 --> 01:10:25,846
- It was chaos,
but it was the chaos of people
1519
01:10:25,888 --> 01:10:29,350
dedicated to a real ideal.
1520
01:10:29,391 --> 01:10:31,018
Believing something
could be done
1521
01:10:31,060 --> 01:10:33,854
and having the will to do it,
1522
01:10:33,896 --> 01:10:37,858
and it was the most exciting
period of our lives.
1523
01:10:37,900 --> 01:10:44,740
♪
1524
01:10:48,452 --> 01:10:51,080
- Those first years
of "Sesame Street,"
1525
01:10:51,080 --> 01:10:55,251
it was just shocking
how much they did.
1526
01:10:56,752 --> 01:10:58,254
- ♪ I'm the King of Eight
1527
01:10:58,254 --> 01:10:59,755
♪ And I'm here to state
1528
01:10:59,755 --> 01:11:01,257
♪ That everything here
has to total eight ♪
1529
01:11:01,257 --> 01:11:03,092
♪
1530
01:11:03,133 --> 01:11:07,596
- ♪ One wedding cake! Oop
1531
01:11:13,769 --> 01:11:15,437
- I think it's overstimulating.
1532
01:11:15,479 --> 01:11:17,731
I think it's kind of staggering
to a young child's brain
1533
01:11:17,773 --> 01:11:20,734
to have that much excitement
and noise,
1534
01:11:20,776 --> 01:11:24,613
sound and all kinds of figures
bombarded at them really.
1535
01:11:24,613 --> 01:11:28,117
- I want cookie. I want cookie!
Give me cookie.
1536
01:11:28,117 --> 01:11:30,828
Oh, oh, the cookie!
Oh, thank you. Oh!
1537
01:11:34,456 --> 01:11:40,963
- Noony, noony, noo, noo,
noony, noony, noo. Mm-mmm.
1538
01:11:40,963 --> 01:11:43,590
- P. P!
1539
01:11:43,632 --> 01:11:46,093
Huh? Oh...
1540
01:11:46,135 --> 01:11:48,804
Argh. Ah.
1541
01:11:49,638 --> 01:11:51,307
- Pencil!
1542
01:11:51,348 --> 01:11:54,101
- I had very little experience
as a writer,
1543
01:11:54,143 --> 01:11:56,812
and I had no job.
1544
01:11:56,812 --> 01:11:58,314
- Aw.
1545
01:11:58,355 --> 01:12:02,151
- I was basically
just writing jokes,
1546
01:12:02,151 --> 01:12:06,488
and I was watching TV,
and I saw "Sesame Street."
1547
01:12:06,488 --> 01:12:08,157
- And, matter of fact,
there it is!
1548
01:12:08,198 --> 01:12:10,492
They've got Mr. Humpty Dumpty
back together again.
1549
01:12:10,492 --> 01:12:12,286
For all the egg lovers
of the country, I want you
1550
01:12:12,328 --> 01:12:16,498
to know it's very nice
to have you back.
1551
01:12:16,540 --> 01:12:19,335
Uh. Uh, horses?
[sirens wail]
1552
01:12:19,335 --> 01:12:21,462
- I was--wow, that's great.
1553
01:12:21,503 --> 01:12:23,005
- [snickering]
1554
01:12:23,005 --> 01:12:24,340
- It was funny.
1555
01:12:24,381 --> 01:12:26,633
- Ooh. Yeah.
1556
01:12:26,675 --> 01:12:28,677
- And it was
the only other show
1557
01:12:28,719 --> 01:12:31,680
besides "The Tonight Show"
in New York
1558
01:12:31,680 --> 01:12:35,976
that really had comedy writers
working for them,
1559
01:12:36,018 --> 01:12:37,686
and I didn't think
I had a chance in hell
1560
01:12:37,686 --> 01:12:39,688
at getting a job
at "The Johnny Carson Show."
1561
01:12:39,730 --> 01:12:42,024
- You can forget
that immediately.
1562
01:12:42,024 --> 01:12:45,194
- And I needed a job.
1563
01:12:45,194 --> 01:12:48,530
But "Sesame Street"
has a curriculum,
1564
01:12:48,572 --> 01:12:53,369
so everything that was written
taught something.
1565
01:12:54,536 --> 01:12:57,706
And the idea that it was more
than just telling jokes
1566
01:12:57,748 --> 01:13:01,043
appealed to me.
It had to be entertaining,
1567
01:13:01,043 --> 01:13:02,836
and it was going to teach
at the same time,
1568
01:13:02,878 --> 01:13:05,506
and that's hard to do.
1569
01:13:05,547 --> 01:13:06,882
- And I think, you know,
1570
01:13:06,882 --> 01:13:08,884
she may have
a personal sensitivity to it
1571
01:13:08,884 --> 01:13:11,345
because that's the first time
I've heard that particular one.
1572
01:13:11,387 --> 01:13:16,225
- The writers didn't always
understand educational terms.
1573
01:13:17,893 --> 01:13:22,856
So we came up with this big
tome, the Writers' Notebook.
1574
01:13:22,898 --> 01:13:28,028
It has all the rules
of the show tabbed
1575
01:13:28,070 --> 01:13:30,239
that the writers could
thumb through
1576
01:13:30,280 --> 01:13:32,074
to help them understand
1577
01:13:32,074 --> 01:13:37,871
how to translate educational
terms into production terms.
1578
01:13:37,913 --> 01:13:40,249
And it was helpful
to the educators
1579
01:13:40,249 --> 01:13:43,419
because they could communicate
with the writers
1580
01:13:43,460 --> 01:13:46,755
in a nonthreatening way.
1581
01:13:46,755 --> 01:13:49,216
So instead of saying,
you know,
1582
01:13:49,258 --> 01:13:52,886
"cognitive development
learning letters,"
1583
01:13:52,928 --> 01:13:56,056
what you said is,
"After watching the segment,
1584
01:13:56,098 --> 01:13:59,059
the child should be able
to identify..."
1585
01:13:59,101 --> 01:14:00,769
- Frog.
- "The letter Y,"
1586
01:14:00,769 --> 01:14:02,729
for example.
1587
01:14:02,771 --> 01:14:06,733
- What's the first letter
in the word "yellow"?
1588
01:14:06,775 --> 01:14:08,235
- Y.
1589
01:14:08,277 --> 01:14:10,070
- Because I can't remember.
1590
01:14:10,112 --> 01:14:13,240
- When the curriculum and the
entertainment worked together,
1591
01:14:13,282 --> 01:14:16,452
you know, it was like magic!
1592
01:14:16,493 --> 01:14:18,579
- Action!
- Come, my lovelies!
1593
01:14:18,620 --> 01:14:20,122
Breathe deeply.
1594
01:14:20,164 --> 01:14:23,459
Enjoy the fresh air,
ah, ah, ah.
1595
01:14:23,459 --> 01:14:25,627
- When I came up
with the Count,
1596
01:14:25,627 --> 01:14:27,796
I was talking with Sharon.
1597
01:14:27,796 --> 01:14:30,924
I said, "I have this idea
for Count von Count,"
1598
01:14:30,966 --> 01:14:33,135
and she said,
"Well, enumeration,
1599
01:14:33,177 --> 01:14:35,471
that's what you're teaching."
1600
01:14:35,512 --> 01:14:36,763
Well, what is enumeration?
1601
01:14:36,805 --> 01:14:38,640
- Did you say seven?
- Yes.
1602
01:14:38,682 --> 01:14:40,976
- I think there's
only six, Count.
1603
01:14:40,976 --> 01:14:44,480
- That's funny. I had seven
when I left the castle.
1604
01:14:44,521 --> 01:14:46,607
I will count them.
1605
01:14:46,648 --> 01:14:50,444
One, one beautiful bat.
Two terrific bats. Three ...
1606
01:14:50,486 --> 01:14:52,946
- When you count, one, two,
three, four, five,
1607
01:14:52,988 --> 01:14:56,992
you're just counting,
but if you count fingers,
1608
01:14:57,034 --> 01:14:58,785
it's one,
two, three, four, five.
1609
01:14:58,827 --> 01:15:01,121
When you get to the fifth,
you know you have five fingers.
1610
01:15:01,163 --> 01:15:03,624
- Five fingers.
1611
01:15:03,665 --> 01:15:06,668
- That's enumeration,
all right?
1612
01:15:06,710 --> 01:15:10,297
[phone ringing]
1613
01:15:10,339 --> 01:15:16,470
One ring! Two, two rings.
Three, three rings!
1614
01:15:16,512 --> 01:15:18,472
[laughs]
1615
01:15:18,514 --> 01:15:21,850
Is that mine?
Oh, it must be mine.
1616
01:15:21,892 --> 01:15:26,313
- I think what amazes me
most looking back at "Sesame"
1617
01:15:26,355 --> 01:15:30,692
is that there was an
underlying humor in everything.
1618
01:15:30,692 --> 01:15:33,320
- Ah, listen, Jack. If you want
to work in a world-famous
1619
01:15:33,362 --> 01:15:35,197
nursery rhyme,
you got to do it right.
1620
01:15:35,239 --> 01:15:37,533
- I mean,
we were all comedy freaks,
1621
01:15:37,533 --> 01:15:39,826
and all of us
loved parody, satire.
1622
01:15:39,868 --> 01:15:42,496
- Now jump over means
you jump up into the air,
1623
01:15:42,538 --> 01:15:44,164
and you leap,
and you sail gracefully
1624
01:15:44,206 --> 01:15:45,874
over the candlestick,
1625
01:15:45,874 --> 01:15:48,210
and you land on the other side.
1626
01:15:49,586 --> 01:15:53,549
- And we would try to appeal
to adults as well as to kids.
1627
01:15:53,549 --> 01:15:54,841
- He did it! He did it, folks.
1628
01:15:54,883 --> 01:15:57,219
Jack jumped
over the candlestick.
1629
01:15:57,261 --> 01:16:00,681
- Ooh, yeah. Jack also broke
every bone in his body, frog.
1630
01:16:00,722 --> 01:16:02,182
- Oh, I'm sorry about that.
1631
01:16:02,224 --> 01:16:03,559
- Yeah, I'm going to sue
Mother Goose for that.
1632
01:16:03,600 --> 01:16:05,561
That's some heavy action.
1633
01:16:05,602 --> 01:16:07,854
- Boy, these nursery rhymes
get weirder all the time.
1634
01:16:07,896 --> 01:16:09,064
Weird.
1635
01:16:09,106 --> 01:16:11,024
- We found out that if adults
1636
01:16:11,066 --> 01:16:13,735
watched the show with kids,
1637
01:16:13,777 --> 01:16:15,571
that the kids
really learned more.
1638
01:16:15,571 --> 01:16:18,574
- Now three plus
one equals four!
1639
01:16:18,615 --> 01:16:21,868
- Three plus one equals four?
1640
01:16:21,910 --> 01:16:23,579
- Yes, always.
1641
01:16:23,579 --> 01:16:25,872
- The conversation that
the adult had with the child
1642
01:16:25,914 --> 01:16:28,417
while the show was on the air
and after the show
1643
01:16:28,417 --> 01:16:31,545
was on the air
really enhanced the learning,
1644
01:16:31,587 --> 01:16:35,424
so there was a real conscious
effort to attract adults.
1645
01:16:35,465 --> 01:16:37,217
- I am the Count!
1646
01:16:37,259 --> 01:16:40,262
They call me the Count
because I love to count things!
1647
01:16:40,262 --> 01:16:42,264
- Wonderful!
Well, I am Guy Smiley.
1648
01:16:42,306 --> 01:16:43,765
They call me Guy Smiley
1649
01:16:43,807 --> 01:16:46,602
because I changed my name
from Bernie Liederkranz.
1650
01:16:46,602 --> 01:16:48,895
[cheers and applause]
- Yes, thank you.
1651
01:16:48,937 --> 01:16:51,398
Yes, I did.
I did.
1652
01:16:51,440 --> 01:16:54,067
- So things like
"Monsterpiece Theater,"
1653
01:16:54,109 --> 01:16:57,738
the parody element
wasn't for the kids.
1654
01:16:57,779 --> 01:17:00,741
They didn't have to know
"Masterpiece Theater."
1655
01:17:00,782 --> 01:17:02,784
"Monsterpiece Theater"
is a funny thing anyway.
1656
01:17:02,826 --> 01:17:07,289
- Good evening, and welcome
to "Monsterpiece Theater."
1657
01:17:07,289 --> 01:17:12,753
Me Alistair Cookie.
Tonight, me proud to present
1658
01:17:12,794 --> 01:17:16,131
"One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
1659
01:17:16,173 --> 01:17:22,095
- Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.
1660
01:17:22,137 --> 01:17:23,639
Cuckoo?
1661
01:17:23,680 --> 01:17:25,807
- We wrote something that
we knew we would like.
1662
01:17:25,807 --> 01:17:28,769
I think that was the key,
and the show
1663
01:17:28,810 --> 01:17:31,605
would not have worked
if that weren't the case.
1664
01:17:31,647 --> 01:17:35,150
- One of Chris' incredible
talents is his ability
1665
01:17:35,150 --> 01:17:36,943
to write a song
1666
01:17:36,985 --> 01:17:40,989
that sounds like the original
but isn't the original.
1667
01:17:41,031 --> 01:17:42,616
- I think I remember
how to do it.
1668
01:17:42,658 --> 01:17:44,951
I might start
in the wrong key, but.
1669
01:17:44,993 --> 01:17:51,625
♪
1670
01:17:51,667 --> 01:17:54,836
♪ When I find
I can't remember ♪
1671
01:17:54,836 --> 01:17:59,132
♪ What comes after A
and before C ♪
1672
01:17:59,174 --> 01:18:02,844
♪ My mother always whispers
"Letter B" ♪
1673
01:18:05,222 --> 01:18:08,642
♪ She told me B starts "big"
and "bird" ♪
1674
01:18:08,684 --> 01:18:11,812
♪ And "ball" and "bat"
and "battery" ♪
1675
01:18:11,853 --> 01:18:16,024
♪ Yes, buh-buh-buh-buh-buh
means letter B ♪
1676
01:18:18,026 --> 01:18:21,530
- ♪ Letter B, letter B
1677
01:18:21,530 --> 01:18:26,368
♪ Letter B, letter B
1678
01:18:26,410 --> 01:18:33,208
♪ My mother whispers B words,
letter B ♪
1679
01:18:33,250 --> 01:18:36,211
[cheers and applause]
1680
01:18:36,211 --> 01:18:43,218
♪
1681
01:18:51,893 --> 01:18:53,687
- That was a $5 million
lawsuit.
1682
01:18:53,729 --> 01:18:56,898
- [laughs]
1683
01:18:56,898 --> 01:19:01,069
- ♪ My mother whispers B words,
letter B ♪
1684
01:19:01,111 --> 01:19:04,573
- It was all of us having
the time of our lives
1685
01:19:04,573 --> 01:19:08,034
writing silly things
but always with this message
1686
01:19:08,076 --> 01:19:10,871
that television
could be socially valuable.
1687
01:19:10,912 --> 01:19:12,748
- Yeah.
1688
01:19:12,748 --> 01:19:16,209
[soft music]
1689
01:19:16,251 --> 01:19:19,045
♪
1690
01:19:19,087 --> 01:19:22,924
- Big Bird, that's me.
[chuckles]
1691
01:19:22,924 --> 01:19:29,931
♪
1692
01:19:35,270 --> 01:19:39,566
- Well, I just drew pictures
of all of my grown-up friends
1693
01:19:39,608 --> 01:19:40,901
on "Sesame Street."
1694
01:19:40,942 --> 01:19:43,403
- Look at me!
- That's you, Luis.
1695
01:19:43,445 --> 01:19:44,946
[chatter]
- Yeah.
1696
01:19:44,946 --> 01:19:46,782
- I know that's got to be me.
- There's Susan.
1697
01:19:46,782 --> 01:19:48,617
- Yeah, that's ...
You're always smiling, Susan.
1698
01:19:48,617 --> 01:19:50,118
- How's that?
- That looks great.
1699
01:19:50,118 --> 01:19:52,454
- Does that look like you?
- That's good.
1700
01:19:52,496 --> 01:19:58,084
- And this is Mr. Hooper,
who was played by Will Lee.
1701
01:19:58,126 --> 01:20:01,129
He was our grandfather figure,
such a kindly man.
1702
01:20:01,171 --> 01:20:03,256
He was always so sweet.
1703
01:20:03,298 --> 01:20:05,258
♪
1704
01:20:05,300 --> 01:20:07,636
And he died in 1982.
1705
01:20:07,636 --> 01:20:10,764
♪
1706
01:20:10,806 --> 01:20:14,309
- Take two!
- We had lost a friend.
1707
01:20:14,351 --> 01:20:17,145
He was part of our family.
1708
01:20:17,145 --> 01:20:22,317
- It was a huge, huge loss.
- Can I see Mr. Hooper?
1709
01:20:22,317 --> 01:20:24,986
- You want to see the store?
Okay, come on in.
1710
01:20:27,197 --> 01:20:31,159
- Yeah. I still miss him. Yeah.
1711
01:20:32,661 --> 01:20:34,955
- So we had a decision to make.
1712
01:20:34,996 --> 01:20:37,791
- We had to describe
his absence
1713
01:20:37,833 --> 01:20:40,335
from the show
or explain it,
1714
01:20:40,377 --> 01:20:42,671
and believe me, everybody said,
1715
01:20:42,671 --> 01:20:46,132
"Let's just say he retired
and went to Florida."
1716
01:20:46,174 --> 01:20:47,843
- But people said,
"Well, maybe it's...
1717
01:20:47,843 --> 01:20:50,470
That would be
a missed opportunity."
1718
01:20:50,512 --> 01:20:53,640
- If we've been trying to be
truthful all along,
1719
01:20:53,682 --> 01:20:56,852
why should we
shortchange kids now?
1720
01:20:58,895 --> 01:21:01,982
- Jon, you know, when they
speak our language...
1721
01:21:02,023 --> 01:21:05,694
- We talked for a while about
how to deal with his death,
1722
01:21:05,735 --> 01:21:08,655
and we decided, "Well, we'd
really like to have his death
1723
01:21:08,697 --> 01:21:11,825
"used in a educational way
1724
01:21:11,867 --> 01:21:14,703
that might help children
deal with that."
1725
01:21:14,703 --> 01:21:16,204
- And so the question
was asked
1726
01:21:16,246 --> 01:21:18,540
of our research department,
1727
01:21:18,540 --> 01:21:20,709
"What do three- to
five-year-olds need to know
1728
01:21:20,709 --> 01:21:22,210
about death?"
1729
01:21:22,252 --> 01:21:25,547
So it came down to some very,
very simple things.
1730
01:21:25,589 --> 01:21:28,216
They need to know that
when somebody dies,
1731
01:21:28,216 --> 01:21:29,926
they don't come back.
1732
01:21:31,887 --> 01:21:35,682
And that whatever
you're feeling is okay.
1733
01:21:35,724 --> 01:21:37,225
You can be angry.
You can be sad.
1734
01:21:37,267 --> 01:21:39,060
You know,
it can be all of them.
1735
01:21:39,102 --> 01:21:42,230
Whatever you feel is fine.
1736
01:21:42,230 --> 01:21:46,067
- TV is make-believe,
but life is real.
1737
01:21:46,109 --> 01:21:50,071
In real life, Will Lee died,
1738
01:21:50,071 --> 01:21:52,574
and tomorrow
on "Sesame Street,"
1739
01:21:52,574 --> 01:21:54,743
Mr. Hooper will die too.
1740
01:21:56,620 --> 01:21:58,246
- When I wrote the scene,
1741
01:21:58,246 --> 01:22:01,750
I didn't want it
to be that it just happened.
1742
01:22:03,919 --> 01:22:06,963
It seemed that
that would be too jarring.
1743
01:22:08,590 --> 01:22:11,718
I thought it was better
if Big Bird
1744
01:22:11,760 --> 01:22:14,095
just hasn't processed it.
1745
01:22:14,095 --> 01:22:16,056
You know, they might have
told him that he died,
1746
01:22:16,097 --> 01:22:18,558
but he didn't know
what "died" meant,
1747
01:22:18,600 --> 01:22:20,602
and now he's just going
to first find out.
1748
01:22:20,602 --> 01:22:23,563
- And last but not least
1749
01:22:23,605 --> 01:22:26,274
ta-da!
- Oh, look at that one.
1750
01:22:26,274 --> 01:22:27,442
- Big Bird, that's
so beautiful.
1751
01:22:27,442 --> 01:22:28,944
- That's nice.
1752
01:22:28,985 --> 01:22:30,612
- It really looks like him.
- Yeah, you captured him.
1753
01:22:30,654 --> 01:22:32,572
- Wow, that's beautiful,
Big Bird.
1754
01:22:32,614 --> 01:22:34,074
- Oh, thank you.
1755
01:22:34,115 --> 01:22:36,242
Well, I can't wait
until he sees it!
1756
01:22:36,284 --> 01:22:38,244
Hmm.
1757
01:22:38,286 --> 01:22:43,291
Say, where is he?
I want to give it to him.
1758
01:22:43,333 --> 01:22:45,293
I know. He's in the store.
1759
01:22:45,335 --> 01:22:49,631
- Big Bird, he's--he's not
in there.
1760
01:22:49,631 --> 01:22:52,634
- Oh, then where is he?
1761
01:22:52,676 --> 01:22:55,595
- We carefully
and thoroughly researched
1762
01:22:55,637 --> 01:22:58,807
what children's normal
reactions to a death are,
1763
01:22:58,848 --> 01:23:01,101
and we tried to deal
with those in the form
1764
01:23:01,142 --> 01:23:03,311
of Big Bird's reaction
to Mr. Hooper's death.
1765
01:23:03,311 --> 01:23:07,816
- Big Bird, don't you remember
we told you?
1766
01:23:07,857 --> 01:23:11,820
Mr. Hooper died. He's dead.
1767
01:23:11,820 --> 01:23:14,155
- Oh, yeah. I remember.
1768
01:23:14,155 --> 01:23:17,450
Well, I'll give it to him
when he comes back.
1769
01:23:17,492 --> 01:23:21,496
- Big Bird, Mr. Hooper
is not coming back.
1770
01:23:21,496 --> 01:23:26,001
- It's hard to watch.
It was a difficult show to do.
1771
01:23:26,042 --> 01:23:29,170
♪
1772
01:23:29,212 --> 01:23:34,843
- Big Bird, when people die,
they don't come back.
1773
01:23:34,843 --> 01:23:38,346
- Ever?
- No, never.
1774
01:23:40,682 --> 01:23:42,684
- Hmm.
1775
01:23:43,518 --> 01:23:46,187
- It was about
the fictional person
1776
01:23:46,187 --> 01:23:48,023
and the real person.
1777
01:23:48,023 --> 01:23:49,649
They were going to be talking
about Mr. Hooper,
1778
01:23:49,691 --> 01:23:51,317
but as human beings,
1779
01:23:51,359 --> 01:23:54,988
they were going to be talking
about their friend Will.
1780
01:23:55,030 --> 01:23:58,992
- But I don't like it.
It makes me sad.
1781
01:23:59,034 --> 01:24:00,869
- We all feel sad, Big Bird.
1782
01:24:02,537 --> 01:24:07,042
- He's never coming back?
- Never.
1783
01:24:07,083 --> 01:24:09,335
- No.
- Well, I don't understand!
1784
01:24:09,377 --> 01:24:11,838
Why does it have
to be this way?
1785
01:24:11,880 --> 01:24:13,923
Give me one good reason.
1786
01:24:15,383 --> 01:24:18,386
- Big Bird,
1787
01:24:18,428 --> 01:24:22,557
it has to be
this way because.
1788
01:24:23,892 --> 01:24:25,393
- Just because?
1789
01:24:25,393 --> 01:24:27,771
- Just because.
1790
01:24:29,397 --> 01:24:31,107
- Oh.
1791
01:24:34,903 --> 01:24:39,574
You know, I'm going
to miss you, Mr. Looper.
1792
01:24:39,616 --> 01:24:43,536
- That's Hooper,
Big Bird, Hooper.
1793
01:24:43,578 --> 01:24:46,539
- Those are real tears,
you know.
1794
01:24:46,581 --> 01:24:49,042
There was no acting.
1795
01:24:49,084 --> 01:24:50,710
- Right.
1796
01:24:50,752 --> 01:24:57,592
♪
1797
01:25:02,597 --> 01:25:05,433
- In five,
four, three, two, one!
1798
01:25:05,433 --> 01:25:07,977
- I wonder if I got
any mail yet today.
1799
01:25:09,437 --> 01:25:11,314
Oh, there's something.
1800
01:25:14,609 --> 01:25:16,903
Where the hell did it go?
1801
01:25:16,945 --> 01:25:19,280
- One of the great things
about being part of "Sesame"
1802
01:25:19,322 --> 01:25:22,283
was seeing what happened
when a take went wrong.
1803
01:25:22,283 --> 01:25:26,246
- I have paint on my nose?
- Yes, right! [laughing]
1804
01:25:26,287 --> 01:25:27,747
- There, is that better?
- No!
1805
01:25:27,789 --> 01:25:30,917
[laughter]
1806
01:25:30,959 --> 01:25:33,253
You're permanently
scarred for life.
1807
01:25:33,294 --> 01:25:35,421
- The puppeteers would
just keep going,
1808
01:25:35,463 --> 01:25:36,923
and they would do
all the things
1809
01:25:36,965 --> 01:25:39,801
that we could never
possibly do on television.
1810
01:25:39,843 --> 01:25:41,803
- Oh, say, frog.
- What?
1811
01:25:41,845 --> 01:25:44,305
- Have you ever wondered
what it would be like to be...
1812
01:25:44,305 --> 01:25:47,267
[choking noises]
1813
01:25:47,308 --> 01:25:48,643
- Gladys?
1814
01:25:48,685 --> 01:25:50,603
Oh, thank goodness
she died.
1815
01:25:50,645 --> 01:25:52,814
[laughter]
1816
01:25:52,814 --> 01:25:55,483
[indistinct chatter]
1817
01:25:55,525 --> 01:25:57,944
- Jim Henson, Frank Oz,
1818
01:25:57,986 --> 01:25:59,279
they were really professional.
1819
01:25:59,320 --> 01:26:00,613
You know,
if they were serious,
1820
01:26:00,655 --> 01:26:03,783
and Jim maybe had to go
somewhere to get out,
1821
01:26:03,825 --> 01:26:05,785
then it was serious, you know?
1822
01:26:05,827 --> 01:26:07,495
[doorbell rings]
1823
01:26:09,372 --> 01:26:11,291
- But if they were
on kidding around...
1824
01:26:11,332 --> 01:26:14,335
- Oh, hello there!
Greetings, froggy, baby ...
1825
01:26:14,377 --> 01:26:16,504
- You had a good day.
They were hysterical.
1826
01:26:16,504 --> 01:26:17,964
- Go away, Grover.
1827
01:26:18,006 --> 01:26:19,632
Whatever it is,
we do not want any.
1828
01:26:19,674 --> 01:26:22,677
- Whoa!
[indistinct speech]
1829
01:26:22,719 --> 01:26:24,637
Open, please.
- What?
1830
01:26:24,679 --> 01:26:27,682
- Please, did you open?
Open the damn door!
1831
01:26:27,682 --> 01:26:30,518
[laughter]
1832
01:26:31,561 --> 01:26:33,688
- You... I
1833
01:26:33,730 --> 01:26:35,648
- You know, it's too bad
you couldn't come to the park
1834
01:26:35,690 --> 01:26:38,318
and play with me today, Bert.
1835
01:26:38,359 --> 01:26:41,029
- Mmm. Yeah, me too, Ernie,
1836
01:26:41,070 --> 01:26:44,157
but I had a lot of stuff
to do around here, you know.
1837
01:26:44,199 --> 01:26:45,700
- Hey, Bert.
- Mmm?
1838
01:26:45,742 --> 01:26:47,160
- You said, "Me too."
1839
01:26:47,202 --> 01:26:49,829
That didn't follow
what I said, Bert.
1840
01:26:49,871 --> 01:26:51,664
[laughter]
- I'm sorry.
1841
01:26:51,706 --> 01:26:53,374
- I thought maybe
somebody could...
1842
01:26:53,374 --> 01:26:55,668
a friend could save it.
1843
01:26:55,710 --> 01:26:59,172
- Jim and I, we are
unrelenting in our cruelty
1844
01:26:59,214 --> 01:27:02,008
towards each other because
you can't see our faces,
1845
01:27:02,050 --> 01:27:06,846
but if one of us screws up,
instead of pinching in to help,
1846
01:27:06,888 --> 01:27:09,224
the other just
kind of smiles at him.
1847
01:27:09,224 --> 01:27:10,600
[laughter]
1848
01:27:12,560 --> 01:27:15,563
- Night, Ernie.
- Me too, Bert.
1849
01:27:15,605 --> 01:27:19,359
- Oh, that's cute.
Oh, that's funny.
1850
01:27:19,400 --> 01:27:22,070
Lost 17 seconds
of our life just then.
1851
01:27:22,070 --> 01:27:25,531
- We were all so silly
together.
1852
01:27:25,573 --> 01:27:28,243
- We added tats.
That's Tuesday.
1853
01:27:28,284 --> 01:27:33,081
- And the most wonderful thing
was to hear Jim Henson laugh,
1854
01:27:33,122 --> 01:27:37,710
let alone make him laugh.
That was, like, fantastic.
1855
01:27:37,752 --> 01:27:39,212
- Wait a minute,
that's last Tuesday.
1856
01:27:39,254 --> 01:27:40,713
- No, tats. I said we had tats.
I said tats.
1857
01:27:40,755 --> 01:27:42,048
- I thought that was weird.
1858
01:27:42,090 --> 01:27:44,425
- We added tats last ...
Oh, Your Majesty.
1859
01:27:44,467 --> 01:27:46,052
It's been so hard.
1860
01:27:46,094 --> 01:27:48,554
- How many lines do you have?
1861
01:27:48,596 --> 01:27:49,931
- Let me see.
Um...
1862
01:27:49,931 --> 01:27:51,557
Well, the first one ...
1863
01:27:51,599 --> 01:27:53,601
- Let me see. Well...
- Three.
1864
01:27:53,643 --> 01:27:56,896
- Three. Well, try to get
the first one better!
1865
01:27:56,938 --> 01:28:01,234
- Yes, Your Majesty.
[laughter]
1866
01:28:01,276 --> 01:28:03,403
- Jim was such a genius
in terms of, you know,
1867
01:28:03,444 --> 01:28:07,907
how to create the imagery
with the puppets
1868
01:28:07,949 --> 01:28:11,119
and make it all kind of work,
you know, in a magical way.
1869
01:28:11,160 --> 01:28:15,081
I mean, it was like
these were real people.
1870
01:28:15,123 --> 01:28:16,958
- Hey, listen, we thought
we would talk to you
1871
01:28:16,958 --> 01:28:22,130
a little bit about the concept
of being next to. You see?
1872
01:28:22,130 --> 01:28:25,925
Now then, right there you see
Charla is next to Frannie.
1873
01:28:25,967 --> 01:28:27,927
- The kids accepted them
as being real.
1874
01:28:27,969 --> 01:28:29,804
- What is that over here?
1875
01:28:29,846 --> 01:28:31,597
- Arrow.
- A what?
1876
01:28:31,639 --> 01:28:33,099
- Arrow.
1877
01:28:33,141 --> 01:28:34,600
- An arrow?
1878
01:28:34,642 --> 01:28:36,436
- Those one-on-one bits
with the Muppets.
1879
01:28:36,477 --> 01:28:37,770
- Let's hear you
sing the alphabet.
1880
01:28:37,812 --> 01:28:41,482
- A, B, C, D, E, F,
Cookie Monster.
1881
01:28:41,524 --> 01:28:45,320
- It wasn't rehearsed, and it
wasn't professional children
1882
01:28:45,320 --> 01:28:50,450
with professional smiles.
It was a pretty low-key,
1883
01:28:50,491 --> 01:28:51,826
fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants--
1884
01:28:51,826 --> 01:28:53,119
I mean, that was part
of the charm of it
1885
01:28:53,161 --> 01:28:54,829
was that everybody was real.
1886
01:28:54,829 --> 01:28:56,789
- You're not singing
the alphabet.
1887
01:28:56,831 --> 01:29:03,629
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H,
I, J, K, L, M, N,
1888
01:29:03,671 --> 01:29:08,843
O, P, Q, R, S...
- Cookie Monster!
1889
01:29:08,843 --> 01:29:10,678
- I go this way.
1890
01:29:12,180 --> 01:29:14,307
- That way!
- That way?
1891
01:29:14,349 --> 01:29:15,683
- Yes.
1892
01:29:15,683 --> 01:29:17,477
- But the arrow was pointing
the other way!
1893
01:29:17,518 --> 01:29:19,979
- No, that way.
- Okay, it's pointing that way.
1894
01:29:20,021 --> 01:29:22,648
I'll go that way.
1895
01:29:22,690 --> 01:29:25,485
- This way.
- That way.
1896
01:29:25,526 --> 01:29:27,820
- Frank Oz is sitting there
with Grover,
1897
01:29:27,862 --> 01:29:30,198
and you have a little child,
1898
01:29:30,198 --> 01:29:32,867
and the child is interacting
with Grover.
1899
01:29:34,369 --> 01:29:36,662
- Oh, hello, Polly.
1900
01:29:36,704 --> 01:29:38,831
- Frank Oz doesn't exist
for that child.
1901
01:29:38,873 --> 01:29:41,042
- It's nice to see you.
- It's Grover.
1902
01:29:42,251 --> 01:29:43,544
- Polly?
- What?
1903
01:29:43,544 --> 01:29:45,671
- Can you count up to five?
- Yes.
1904
01:29:45,713 --> 01:29:47,715
- Can you tell me how?
1905
01:29:49,717 --> 01:29:51,719
One hand, just hold up
one hand.
1906
01:29:51,761 --> 01:29:54,555
Now count how many fingers
there are on that hand.
1907
01:29:54,597 --> 01:29:59,352
- One, two, three, four, five.
- Boy, are you lucky!
1908
01:29:59,394 --> 01:30:01,020
Five fingers.
1909
01:30:01,062 --> 01:30:03,356
- My famous moment
with Grover.
1910
01:30:03,398 --> 01:30:06,192
You know, this superstar
on television.
1911
01:30:06,234 --> 01:30:10,029
It was a wonderful way
to grow up where, you know,
1912
01:30:10,071 --> 01:30:14,742
I had all these friends
that were blue and fuzzy.
1913
01:30:14,742 --> 01:30:18,413
- Polly, I am so proud of you.
1914
01:30:21,249 --> 01:30:22,917
Aw!
1915
01:30:24,252 --> 01:30:25,753
- They were close together,
you see?
1916
01:30:25,795 --> 01:30:27,755
So they are next to each other.
1917
01:30:27,797 --> 01:30:31,592
Now, Kermit the Frog
is next to Charla.
1918
01:30:33,136 --> 01:30:35,930
- I know that.
- Oh. Thank you.
1919
01:30:35,972 --> 01:30:37,557
That's lovely.
- [giggling]
1920
01:30:37,598 --> 01:30:41,102
- It's that way.
- [panting]
1921
01:30:41,144 --> 01:30:44,772
[sighs]
- [laughing]
1922
01:30:46,941 --> 01:30:49,444
What happened, arrow?
1923
01:30:49,444 --> 01:30:52,447
- ♪ W, X, Y and Z
1924
01:30:52,488 --> 01:30:54,449
- ♪ Now I know
- ♪ Now I've sung
1925
01:30:54,490 --> 01:30:56,075
- ♪ My ABCs, won't you
1926
01:30:56,117 --> 01:30:58,119
- Next time,
Cookie Monster is--
1927
01:30:58,161 --> 01:31:00,455
- Next time Cookie Monster
can do it with you.
1928
01:31:00,455 --> 01:31:02,623
I'm leaving.
1929
01:31:02,665 --> 01:31:06,085
- I love you.
- I love you too.
1930
01:31:06,127 --> 01:31:07,462
- Thanks.
1931
01:31:11,132 --> 01:31:14,594
- I remember once where
a lawyer said to me,
1932
01:31:14,635 --> 01:31:16,637
"I often negotiate
with Henson,"
1933
01:31:16,637 --> 01:31:18,598
and I said, "Give him
anything he wants."
1934
01:31:18,639 --> 01:31:20,808
[laughs]
1935
01:31:20,808 --> 01:31:22,602
And the lawyer said,
1936
01:31:22,643 --> 01:31:27,356
"Oh, that's the worst attitude
I ever saw from any client."
1937
01:31:28,983 --> 01:31:32,111
I said, "He is precious to me."
1938
01:31:32,153 --> 01:31:33,654
- Tell me, Joan,
did you ever think
1939
01:31:33,654 --> 01:31:36,324
when you started this show
20 years ago
1940
01:31:36,365 --> 01:31:38,451
that we would be sitting here
now talking about it?
1941
01:31:38,493 --> 01:31:40,161
- Jim, I didn't think
you'd be here.
1942
01:31:40,161 --> 01:31:41,829
- Oh, really?
1943
01:31:41,829 --> 01:31:43,289
- I would have thought you
would have flown the coop.
1944
01:31:43,331 --> 01:31:44,999
- Oh, I see.
1945
01:31:44,999 --> 01:31:47,293
- What's interesting about it
from the viewpoint--
1946
01:31:47,335 --> 01:31:48,794
Well, from both
of our viewpoints
1947
01:31:48,836 --> 01:31:51,464
is it's sort a form
of immortality
1948
01:31:51,506 --> 01:31:54,634
because if you think about it,
Ernie will live forever.
1949
01:31:54,675 --> 01:31:56,844
We've now built
this huge library
1950
01:31:56,844 --> 01:32:00,139
of fabulous "Muppet" pieces
1951
01:32:00,181 --> 01:32:02,850
as well as other kinds
of things so that--
1952
01:32:02,850 --> 01:32:04,810
- Does this mean I can
really stop doing Ernie?
1953
01:32:04,852 --> 01:32:09,315
- No, it doesn't, but it means
that 200 years from now,
1954
01:32:09,357 --> 01:32:10,858
people will look--
1955
01:32:10,900 --> 01:32:12,693
be looking at Bert and Ernie
and Kermit the Frog.
1956
01:32:12,693 --> 01:32:14,153
It's interesting.
1957
01:32:14,195 --> 01:32:15,988
- Yeah. Frank--
I was talking with Frank Oz.
1958
01:32:16,030 --> 01:32:18,991
You know, he and I imagined
when we're in our 80s
1959
01:32:19,033 --> 01:32:20,535
doing Ernie and Bert,
1960
01:32:20,535 --> 01:32:23,037
you know, in rocking chairs
and still doing it.
1961
01:32:23,037 --> 01:32:25,498
- Oh, I hope so.
- I can imagine that.
1962
01:32:25,540 --> 01:32:27,542
- I may not there with you.
1963
01:32:27,583 --> 01:32:29,877
[both laughing]
1964
01:32:33,089 --> 01:32:36,384
- For millions of people,
a little of the magic is gone.
1965
01:32:36,384 --> 01:32:38,553
Jim Henson, the man
who created The Muppets,
1966
01:32:38,553 --> 01:32:41,556
the man who made complex
characters out of cloth,
1967
01:32:41,556 --> 01:32:44,392
has died at the age of only 53.
1968
01:32:46,894 --> 01:32:50,064
- My name is Jon Stone.
I'm a writer and director.
1969
01:32:51,732 --> 01:32:55,695
I don't remember exactly
how Jim and I met.
1970
01:32:55,736 --> 01:33:01,701
I know it was 1963 or '64,
but from the moment we met,
1971
01:33:01,742 --> 01:33:04,704
we were never very far apart.
1972
01:33:04,745 --> 01:33:07,373
That happened
to a lot of people.
1973
01:33:07,415 --> 01:33:08,874
More and more of us
1974
01:33:08,916 --> 01:33:12,712
joined Jim's
extended family over the years.
1975
01:33:12,753 --> 01:33:17,091
All the designers and builders
and writers and puppeteers,
1976
01:33:17,133 --> 01:33:21,262
one by one,
all of us heard the unhearable,
1977
01:33:21,304 --> 01:33:24,223
and my phone rang all that day
and that night
1978
01:33:24,265 --> 01:33:29,103
and all the next day.
The calls were from you.
1979
01:33:29,103 --> 01:33:32,898
Each of you hurting so much
and knowing
1980
01:33:32,940 --> 01:33:36,110
that I must be hurting
that much too.
1981
01:33:36,152 --> 01:33:39,780
So you called just to see
if I was all right.
1982
01:33:39,780 --> 01:33:45,620
It is no accident
that you loving, talented,
1983
01:33:45,620 --> 01:33:51,083
caring people wound up
in Jim Henson's family.
1984
01:33:51,125 --> 01:33:56,756
I loved Jim very much,
and I love you very much too.
1985
01:33:56,797 --> 01:33:59,759
[piano music]
1986
01:33:59,800 --> 01:34:06,641
♪
1987
01:34:08,142 --> 01:34:14,273
- ♪ It's not that easy
being green ♪
1988
01:34:14,315 --> 01:34:20,112
♪ Having to spend the day
the color of the leaves ♪
1989
01:34:20,154 --> 01:34:23,282
♪ When I think
it could be nicer ♪
1990
01:34:23,324 --> 01:34:25,660
♪ Being red or yellow
or gold ♪
1991
01:34:25,660 --> 01:34:29,497
♪ Or something much
more colorful like that ♪
1992
01:34:30,539 --> 01:34:33,000
- That song was a point
of departure for the series
1993
01:34:33,000 --> 01:34:35,628
and for me.
1994
01:34:35,670 --> 01:34:37,338
- ♪ Being green
1995
01:34:37,338 --> 01:34:39,507
- The song addresses
that one thing that's
1996
01:34:39,507 --> 01:34:42,009
at the kernel of our being.
1997
01:34:42,009 --> 01:34:44,303
We're not sure what we are
or what we can be.
1998
01:34:44,345 --> 01:34:45,680
We know there's potential,
1999
01:34:45,680 --> 01:34:48,015
and the realization
to accept ourselves.
2000
01:34:48,057 --> 01:34:49,517
- ♪ I am green
2001
01:34:49,558 --> 01:34:51,477
♪ And it'll do fine
2002
01:34:51,519 --> 01:34:53,354
♪ It's beautiful
2003
01:34:53,396 --> 01:34:57,358
♪ And I think it's
what I want to be ♪
2004
01:34:59,694 --> 01:35:01,320
- To know that we can become
something
2005
01:35:01,362 --> 01:35:04,240
that we perhaps never dreamed
we could be...
2006
01:35:08,035 --> 01:35:10,204
That's what
"Sesame Street" is about.
2007
01:35:16,544 --> 01:35:20,339
[indistinct chatter]
2008
01:35:20,381 --> 01:35:21,716
- Stand by.
- Okay.
2009
01:35:21,716 --> 01:35:23,342
- Switching over.
2010
01:35:23,384 --> 01:35:25,386
- P.
2011
01:35:25,428 --> 01:35:27,722
[gibberish]
2012
01:35:31,058 --> 01:35:34,395
- R.
- No, no, no, no, no.
2013
01:35:38,566 --> 01:35:41,736
- P.
- No! [growls]
2014
01:35:51,620 --> 01:35:55,374
But if you say the name first
and then the sound shot.
2015
01:35:55,416 --> 01:35:56,876
- Wait, we're teaching
something here?
2016
01:35:56,917 --> 01:35:57,960
- Yeah!
2017
01:36:00,588 --> 01:36:03,716
- The happiest time
of his life
2018
01:36:03,758 --> 01:36:06,719
were those early years
in "Sesame Street"
2019
01:36:06,761 --> 01:36:11,599
when Dad suddenly had
this family around him.
2020
01:36:22,318 --> 01:36:24,820
That was all he could
ever have wished for.
2021
01:36:28,115 --> 01:36:29,950
You know, he battled
depression
2022
01:36:29,992 --> 01:36:32,244
for a good part of his life,
2023
01:36:32,286 --> 01:36:36,582
but on set with the Muppets
he was so happy.
2024
01:36:36,624 --> 01:36:38,167
- All right. Quiet please.
Here we go.
2025
01:36:44,840 --> 01:36:46,967
[laughter]
2026
01:36:50,971 --> 01:36:52,431
- Cookie Monster?
2027
01:36:52,473 --> 01:36:54,016
- Hmm, what?
- That's just so disgusting.
2028
01:36:55,851 --> 01:36:57,144
- Sorry, Jon.
2029
01:36:57,186 --> 01:36:58,813
- Don't worry, Jon,
keep rolling.
2030
01:36:58,854 --> 01:37:00,773
- So sorry, Jon.
- Sorry, Jon.
2031
01:37:00,815 --> 01:37:04,777
- I bet Jon would like to do
those shots one more time!
2032
01:37:04,819 --> 01:37:06,821
- Of course--
- Please don't hurt me.
2033
01:37:06,862 --> 01:37:10,825
Don't yell at me, Jonny.
Please! Fade to black!
2034
01:37:12,868 --> 01:37:16,163
[indistinct chatter, laughter]
2035
01:37:17,832 --> 01:37:20,960
- "Sesame Street" truly
was the love of his life,
2036
01:37:21,001 --> 01:37:26,340
and that's the thing that he
stuck with longer than anybody,
2037
01:37:26,340 --> 01:37:28,342
right up until the end.
2038
01:37:28,384 --> 01:37:30,344
- There must be something
to life besides big balloons
2039
01:37:30,386 --> 01:37:32,638
and little balloons.
I like little sized balloons.
2040
01:37:32,680 --> 01:37:35,683
- Years ago I tried
to persuade Joan Cooney
2041
01:37:35,683 --> 01:37:39,478
to do a special entitled
"Backstage at Sesame Street"
2042
01:37:39,520 --> 01:37:44,149
because I wanted to capture
the family aura
2043
01:37:44,191 --> 01:37:47,486
that we had in the studio
and still have,
2044
01:37:47,528 --> 01:37:52,157
but we never did the show.
Maybe we're doing it now.
2045
01:37:52,199 --> 01:37:53,576
[chuckles]
2046
01:38:02,543 --> 01:38:06,714
- It was a family, is a family,
2047
01:38:06,755 --> 01:38:10,509
and really all of us
loved each other,
2048
01:38:10,551 --> 01:38:12,428
and it shows in the work.
2049
01:38:14,221 --> 01:38:16,557
- The most amazing part of
"Sesame Street"
2050
01:38:16,557 --> 01:38:19,226
was how everybody was
in the right place
2051
01:38:19,268 --> 01:38:21,353
at the right time,
2052
01:38:21,395 --> 01:38:23,564
and that's the thing
that made the show.
2053
01:38:27,276 --> 01:38:31,071
- Thinking about in the very
beginning of the show
2054
01:38:31,113 --> 01:38:34,575
and all of the people
that worked on it.
2055
01:38:34,617 --> 01:38:37,077
It's hard for me
to talk about it.
2056
01:38:37,077 --> 01:38:38,913
It's very emotional.
2057
01:38:42,458 --> 01:38:44,919
It can't be reproduced.
2058
01:38:46,795 --> 01:38:50,382
- It's still to this day is
very difficult for me
2059
01:38:50,424 --> 01:38:52,384
to wrap my mind around
2060
01:38:52,426 --> 01:38:55,930
how big this thing is,
how big it became.
2061
01:38:55,971 --> 01:38:59,725
- I don't know that there is
a show
2062
01:38:59,767 --> 01:39:02,895
that is as universally loved
from childhood
2063
01:39:02,937 --> 01:39:06,273
through adulthood
as "Sesame Street" is.
2064
01:39:06,273 --> 01:39:09,568
- "Sesame Street" wanted to
give kids tools
2065
01:39:09,610 --> 01:39:13,572
to create the world
they wanted to live in.
2066
01:39:13,614 --> 01:39:15,908
- You know, in the beginning,
2067
01:39:15,950 --> 01:39:19,578
we thought
we were helping education,
2068
01:39:19,620 --> 01:39:22,790
maybe changing
children's television,
2069
01:39:22,790 --> 01:39:27,127
but I don't think any of us
sat there thinking,
2070
01:39:27,127 --> 01:39:30,464
"Oh, my God.
We're changing the world."
2071
01:39:30,506 --> 01:39:32,591
- There was just
a magic moment in time
2072
01:39:32,633 --> 01:39:34,802
where we all worked
on an idea
2073
01:39:34,843 --> 01:39:36,845
that we understood
was bigger than ourselves.
2074
01:39:38,305 --> 01:39:42,434
- It was an amazing experience.
2075
01:39:42,476 --> 01:39:44,144
- This is why
it's still loved.
2076
01:39:44,186 --> 01:39:46,146
The people who do it love it.
2077
01:39:47,815 --> 01:39:49,650
They're genuine,
and they believed in
2078
01:39:49,692 --> 01:39:51,318
what they're doing,
2079
01:39:51,360 --> 01:39:53,320
and from the very beginning,
2080
01:39:53,320 --> 01:39:55,823
the joy that those guys
put into the show,
2081
01:39:55,864 --> 01:39:57,992
the joy that they all felt...
2082
01:39:59,994 --> 01:40:02,663
It shows on every frame
of the show
2083
01:40:02,663 --> 01:40:04,790
throughout its history.
2084
01:40:04,832 --> 01:40:06,667
- Wind.
2085
01:40:06,709 --> 01:40:12,464
♪
2086
01:40:12,506 --> 01:40:15,300
- Ah!
2087
01:40:15,342 --> 01:40:19,013
- "Sesame Street" is immortal.
2088
01:40:19,054 --> 01:40:21,140
- Shake your head.
Shake your head.
2089
01:40:21,181 --> 01:40:22,641
Shake your head.
2090
01:40:22,683 --> 01:40:24,476
- Oh, boy, is this fun!
- Shake your head.
2091
01:40:24,518 --> 01:40:26,854
Shake your head.
Shake your head.
2092
01:40:28,689 --> 01:40:31,483
- Is it--aren't you glad
you're playing, everybody?
2093
01:40:31,525 --> 01:40:34,319
["Sesame Street" theme song
ends]
2094
01:40:34,361 --> 01:40:41,201
♪
2095
01:40:56,383 --> 01:40:58,844
- ♪ Dance, dance,
dance, dance, dance ♪
2096
01:40:58,886 --> 01:41:00,387
All right!
2097
01:41:00,429 --> 01:41:02,222
♪ Dance, dance, dance
2098
01:41:02,222 --> 01:41:04,349
♪ Everybody dance
2099
01:41:04,391 --> 01:41:06,351
♪ Everybody
dance ♪
2100
01:41:06,393 --> 01:41:08,395
♪ You can dance with me
2101
01:41:08,437 --> 01:41:10,689
♪ You can dance
with me ♪
2102
01:41:10,731 --> 01:41:12,357
♪ Dance, dance, dance
2103
01:41:12,399 --> 01:41:13,734
♪ Dance, dance,
dance ♪
2104
01:41:13,776 --> 01:41:15,027
All right!
2105
01:41:15,069 --> 01:41:16,236
♪ Dance, dance, dance
2106
01:41:16,236 --> 01:41:17,863
All right!
♪ Everybody dance
2107
01:41:17,905 --> 01:41:19,531
♪ You can dance
2108
01:41:19,573 --> 01:41:21,366
- ♪ The mama pajama
rolled out of bed ♪
2109
01:41:21,408 --> 01:41:23,869
♪ She ran to
the police station ♪
2110
01:41:23,911 --> 01:41:25,871
♪ When the papa found out
he began to shout ♪
2111
01:41:25,913 --> 01:41:28,415
♪ And he started
the investigation ♪
2112
01:41:28,457 --> 01:41:30,209
♪ It's against the law
2113
01:41:30,250 --> 01:41:32,711
♪ It was against the law
2114
01:41:32,753 --> 01:41:34,713
♪ What the mama saw
2115
01:41:34,755 --> 01:41:36,381
♪ It was against the law
2116
01:41:36,423 --> 01:41:38,092
- ♪ It's against the law
2117
01:41:38,092 --> 01:41:39,551
- ♪ The mama looked down
and spit on the ground ♪
2118
01:41:39,593 --> 01:41:42,387
♪ Every time my name
gets mentioned ♪
2119
01:41:42,429 --> 01:41:45,099
♪ The papa said,
"Oy, if I get that boy ♪
2120
01:41:45,099 --> 01:41:47,267
♪ I'm gonna stick him
in the house of detention" ♪
2121
01:41:47,267 --> 01:41:49,603
♪ Well I'm on my way
2122
01:41:49,603 --> 01:41:51,438
♪ I don't know where
I'm going ♪
2123
01:41:51,480 --> 01:41:53,107
♪ But I'm on my way
2124
01:41:53,148 --> 01:41:54,608
♪ I'm taking my time
2125
01:41:54,650 --> 01:41:56,068
♪ But I don't know where
2126
01:41:56,110 --> 01:42:00,114
♪ Goodbye to Rosie,
the queen of Corona ♪
2127
01:42:00,155 --> 01:42:01,740
♪ Seeing me and Julio
2128
01:42:01,782 --> 01:42:04,284
♪ Down by the schoolyard
2129
01:42:04,284 --> 01:42:05,577
♪ Seeing me and Julio
2130
01:42:05,619 --> 01:42:07,121
♪ Down by the schoolyard
2131
01:42:07,162 --> 01:42:08,789
- ♪ Dance, dance, dance
2132
01:42:08,831 --> 01:42:10,582
♪ Everybody dance
2133
01:42:10,624 --> 01:42:15,462
♪ Everybody
2134
01:42:15,462 --> 01:42:16,964
- Whoo!
2135
01:42:17,005 --> 01:42:20,425
[cheers and applause]
2136
01:42:20,467 --> 01:42:25,097
[upbeat jazz music]
2137
01:42:25,139 --> 01:42:27,641
- ♪ Excuse me, Mr. Hoots
I hate to bug a busy bird ♪
2138
01:42:27,683 --> 01:42:29,101
♪ But I want to learn the sax
2139
01:42:29,143 --> 01:42:30,602
♪ And I need a helpful word
2140
01:42:30,644 --> 01:42:32,479
♪ I always get a silly squeak
2141
01:42:32,479 --> 01:42:34,314
♪ When I play the blues
2142
01:42:36,024 --> 01:42:37,317
- ♪ Ernie, keep your cool
2143
01:42:37,317 --> 01:42:38,944
♪ I'll teach you
how to blow the sax ♪
2144
01:42:38,986 --> 01:42:40,279
♪ I think I dig your problem
2145
01:42:40,320 --> 01:42:41,655
♪ It's rubber, and it quacks
2146
01:42:41,655 --> 01:42:43,323
♪ You'll never find
the skill you seek ♪
2147
01:42:43,365 --> 01:42:45,325
♪ Till you pay your dues
2148
01:42:46,827 --> 01:42:49,955
♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2149
01:42:49,997 --> 01:42:52,624
♪ Put down the duckie
2150
01:42:52,666 --> 01:42:54,126
♪ Put down the duckie yeah
2151
01:42:54,168 --> 01:42:56,170
♪ You've got to leave
the duck alone ♪
2152
01:42:58,046 --> 01:43:01,008
all: ♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2153
01:43:01,008 --> 01:43:03,802
♪ Put down the duckie
2154
01:43:03,844 --> 01:43:07,848
♪ Put down the duckie if you
wanna play the saxophone ♪
2155
01:43:07,848 --> 01:43:10,184
- Whoo!
2156
01:43:10,225 --> 01:43:13,020
- You didn't hear
a word I said.
2157
01:43:13,061 --> 01:43:16,023
♪ You got to get it
through your head ♪
2158
01:43:16,064 --> 01:43:18,650
♪ Don't be a stubborn cluck
2159
01:43:18,692 --> 01:43:20,194
♪ Ernie, lay aside the duck
2160
01:43:20,235 --> 01:43:21,486
♪ I've learned a thing or two
2161
01:43:21,528 --> 01:43:23,197
♪ From years of playing
in a band ♪
2162
01:43:23,238 --> 01:43:25,699
♪ It's hard to play a saxophone
with something in your hand ♪
2163
01:43:25,741 --> 01:43:27,201
♪ To be a fine musician
2164
01:43:27,201 --> 01:43:31,038
♪ You're going to have to face
the facts ♪
2165
01:43:31,038 --> 01:43:34,208
all: ♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2166
01:43:34,208 --> 01:43:37,169
♪ Put down the duckie
2167
01:43:37,211 --> 01:43:38,378
♪ Put down
the duckie ♪
2168
01:43:38,378 --> 01:43:41,882
♪ You've got to leave
the duck alone ♪
2169
01:43:41,882 --> 01:43:45,344
♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2170
01:43:45,385 --> 01:43:48,013
♪ Put down the duckie
2171
01:43:48,055 --> 01:43:51,225
♪ Put the duckie if you want
to play the saxophone ♪
2172
01:43:51,225 --> 01:43:52,851
- Yeah!
2173
01:43:52,893 --> 01:43:54,228
- ♪ Though you're blessed
with flying fingers ♪
2174
01:43:54,269 --> 01:43:56,021
♪ When you want to wail,
you're stuck ♪
2175
01:43:56,063 --> 01:43:57,356
♪ What good are flying
fingers ♪
2176
01:43:57,397 --> 01:43:59,024
♪ If they're wrapped around
a duck ♪
2177
01:43:59,066 --> 01:44:02,527
♪ Change the toy's position
if you wanna ace the sax ♪
2178
01:44:02,569 --> 01:44:04,071
♪ Yeah!
2179
01:44:04,071 --> 01:44:06,573
all: ♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2180
01:44:06,615 --> 01:44:09,368
♪ Put down the duckie
2181
01:44:09,409 --> 01:44:10,702
♪ Put down
the duckie ♪
2182
01:44:10,744 --> 01:44:12,871
♪ You've got to leave
the duck alone ♪
2183
01:44:12,913 --> 01:44:14,206
♪ Don't mess with me
2184
01:44:14,248 --> 01:44:17,376
♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2185
01:44:17,417 --> 01:44:18,710
♪ Put down the duckie
2186
01:44:18,752 --> 01:44:21,255
♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2187
01:44:21,255 --> 01:44:23,465
♪If you want to play
the saxophone ♪
2188
01:44:26,760 --> 01:44:29,429
- ♪ Don't have to put it
on a train ♪
2189
01:44:29,471 --> 01:44:32,391
♪ Don't have to wash it
down the drain ♪
2190
01:44:32,432 --> 01:44:35,060
♪ Don't have to lock it
in a drawer ♪
2191
01:44:35,102 --> 01:44:37,896
♪ Don't have to shove it
out the door ♪
2192
01:44:37,938 --> 01:44:40,607
♪ Don't have to stuff it
in your pocket ♪
2193
01:44:40,607 --> 01:44:43,235
♪ Or send it flying
in a rocket ♪
2194
01:44:43,277 --> 01:44:46,071
♪ Don't have to get it
out of town ♪
2195
01:44:46,113 --> 01:44:48,115
♪ Ernie put the quacker down
2196
01:44:48,156 --> 01:44:49,783
- Oh, gee, Hoots, you know
2197
01:44:49,825 --> 01:44:51,743
I really love my duckie.
I can't bear to part with him.
2198
01:44:51,785 --> 01:44:54,288
- Oh, you don't have
to lose your duck.
2199
01:44:54,329 --> 01:44:57,082
all: ♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2200
01:44:57,124 --> 01:44:59,918
♪ Put down the duckie
2201
01:44:59,960 --> 01:45:01,253
♪ Put down
the duckie ♪
2202
01:45:01,295 --> 01:45:02,963
♪ You've got leave
the duck alone ♪
2203
01:45:04,965 --> 01:45:07,968
♪ You've got to put down
the duckie ♪
2204
01:45:08,010 --> 01:45:10,804
♪ Put down the duckie
2205
01:45:10,846 --> 01:45:12,139
♪ Put down
the duckie ♪
2206
01:45:12,139 --> 01:45:14,641
♪ If you want to play
the saxophone ♪
2207
01:45:15,809 --> 01:45:17,936
- Gee, Hoots, you know
I really love my duckie.
2208
01:45:17,978 --> 01:45:19,604
I can't part with him.
2209
01:45:19,646 --> 01:45:21,315
- Well, you don't have
to lose your duck.
2210
01:45:21,315 --> 01:45:22,983
You can pick it up
when you're finished.
2211
01:45:23,025 --> 01:45:24,276
- I can?
- Yeah!
2212
01:45:24,318 --> 01:45:25,986
- Oh, wow!
2213
01:45:26,028 --> 01:45:32,993
♪
2214
01:45:36,663 --> 01:45:38,957
♪ You've got put down
the duckie ♪
2215
01:45:38,999 --> 01:45:41,126
- ♪ Put down the duckie
- ♪ Put down the duckie
2216
01:45:41,168 --> 01:45:43,628
- ♪ Put that down
- ♪ Put down the duckie
2217
01:45:43,670 --> 01:45:45,839
♪ Yeah, you've got to leave
the duck alone ♪
2218
01:45:47,883 --> 01:45:49,343
♪ Put down the duckie
2219
01:45:49,343 --> 01:45:50,635
- ♪ Put down
the duckie ♪
2220
01:45:50,677 --> 01:45:52,012
- ♪ Put down that duckie
2221
01:45:52,012 --> 01:45:53,347
- ♪ Put down
2222
01:45:53,388 --> 01:45:54,681
- ♪ Put down the duckie
2223
01:45:54,723 --> 01:45:56,641
♪ If you want to play
the saxophone ♪
2224
01:45:56,683 --> 01:45:58,643
♪ One more time
2225
01:45:58,685 --> 01:46:01,646
all: ♪ You've got put down
the duckie ♪
2226
01:46:01,688 --> 01:46:04,483
♪ Put down the duckie
2227
01:46:04,524 --> 01:46:05,817
♪ Put down
the duckie ♪
2228
01:46:05,859 --> 01:46:09,696
♪ You've got to leave
the duck alone ♪
2229
01:46:09,696 --> 01:46:12,699
♪ You've got put down
the duckie ♪
2230
01:46:12,699 --> 01:46:15,369
♪ Put down the duckie
2231
01:46:15,410 --> 01:46:16,703
♪ Put down the duckie
2232
01:46:16,745 --> 01:46:20,832
♪ If you want to play
the saxophone ♪
2233
01:46:20,874 --> 01:46:23,502
- Whoo.
Can I pick up my duckie?
2234
01:46:23,543 --> 01:46:26,213
- By all means!
- Oh, thank you.
2235
01:46:26,254 --> 01:46:28,673
Oh, duckie,
I missed you so much.
2236
01:46:28,715 --> 01:46:30,217
Yes, me too.
2237
01:46:30,258 --> 01:46:32,219
- Take care, Ernie, my man!
2238
01:46:34,596 --> 01:46:36,681
- Well, I want you to know
how truly unpleasant
2239
01:46:36,723 --> 01:46:38,517
it has been having
to talk to you.
2240
01:46:38,558 --> 01:46:41,395
So I'm going to leave now
so ta-ta.
2241
01:46:41,436 --> 01:46:43,730
Oh, that sounded as though
I might have cared too.
2242
01:46:43,772 --> 01:46:46,191
How about scram,
get out of here,
2243
01:46:46,233 --> 01:46:48,527
and I can't stand you?
[laughs]
2244
01:46:48,568 --> 01:46:50,570
Ow, why don't you watch that?
169027
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