Sesame Street (partially lost children's educational TV series; 1969-present): Difference between revisions

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(Now adding in lost unaired segments, literally segments that were never aired on the show or its foreign dubs at all cost. Also, taking out "Horses pulling heavy loads" and "Circles on film" because those two are already found.)
 
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{{InfoboxLost
{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>Sesame Street (1969-present)</center>
|title=<center>Sesame Street</center>
|image=SS1969Cast.jpg
|image=SS1969Cast.jpg
|imagecaption=Cast photo from Sesame Street’s first season.
|imagecaption=Cast photo from ''Sesame Street's'' first season.
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
'''''Sesame Street''''' is a children’s television series that started on November 10th, 1969, on National Educational Television (NET) before moving to PBS in 1970. The series is one of the most well-known and longest-running children’s television series of all time. Since its inception in 1969, the show has earned 159 Emmy Awards and 8 Grammy Awards, and an estimated 77 million Americans watched the series as children as of 2008.


Sesame Street is a children’s television series that started in 1969. This series is one of the most well-known and longest running children’s television series of all time. Since its inception in 1969, the show has earned 159 Emmy Awards and 8 Grammy Awards, and an estimated 77 million Americans watched the series as children as of 2008.<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street Wikipedia article.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
Despite its massive multi-decade running time, it’s become an interest of avid fans of the series to document the series in its entirety, including descriptions for shorts in episodes ranging from the first season to the present.


Despite its massive multi-decade running time, it’s become an interest of avid fans of the series to document the series in its entirety, including descriptions for shorts in episodes ranging from the first season to the present.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_Wiki MuppetWiki, with its massive size of over 30,000 pages, is one of the best places to research Sesame Street episodes, skits, and related content.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
While episode listings adapted from Children’s Television Workshop archives are complete in writing (especially on Muppet Wiki, whose majority of ''Sesame Street'' episode guides are complete), many of the segments in the listings or guides are not available for audiences on any home video releases or (authorized) digital releases. A complete listing of these is not available, largely due to the vast number of episodes of the series produced, but while many of the popular segments have been found since the genesis of the Internet, some segments still remain lost (or elusive) as listed below.


While episode listings adapted from Children’s Television Workshop archives are complete in writing, many of the segments included in the listings are not available for audiences on any home video releases or digital releases. A complete listing of these is not available, largely due to the vast number of episodes of the series produced, but many of the popular segments that have been lost and found since the genesis of the Internet have been listed below. (The following list of segments has been adapted from the “Article Requests” section of the Lost Media Wiki website. I’ve also included sections and links to the pages of shorts that have received separate articles to maintain completeness in covering Sesame Street’s massive scope and without disrupting existing coverage.)
As of 2022, the majority of the show's seasons have been donated to the AAPB (American Archive of Public Broadcasting) and the Library of Congress (however, episodes are available for viewing at the latter but on-location only), rendering the majority of episodes (along with many segments that were unavailable to the general populace) no longer lost or elusive, with the exception of at least fifty-three episodes that are missing from Sesame Workshop's archive. Additionally, the latter four test pilot shows from 1969, the notorious "Snuffy's Parents Divorce" episode, and several ''Sesame Street'' specials were not donated to the AAPB and still remain lost or elusive (more on that below in the Noteworthy Episodes list).


==Lefty the Salesman Skits - Partially Found==
==Missing Episodes==
Lefty the Salesman is an early Muppet salesman performed by Frank Oz from the first six seasons. He was usually seen trying to sell things to Ernie such as a letter O, a snowman, or an invisible ice cream cone. He had his own "sneaky" music theme at the beginning of most of his sketches and when he approaches Ernie, he signals him by whispering "Hey, bud! C'mere." Ernie exclaims, "Who, me?" and the Salesman quickly tries to shush him. Ernie whispers, "Who, me?" Lefty then answers with an elongated "Riiiiiight," and then begins to pitch his sale to Ernie: "How would ya like to buy...". Lefty was not always successful in pitching his sales, but was best known to be a criminal on the street, as seen in some Gangster sketches where he had to carry out assignments given by his boss.
When Sesame Workshop was preparing to donate the past 4,000 episodes of ''Sesame Street'' to the AAPB in 2019, they discovered that [[wikia:w:c:muppet:Lost episodes of Sesame Street|a select number of older ''Sesame Street'' episodes have gone missing from their archives over the years]]. The reasons these episodes have gone missing are due to either the source materials being misplaced, an accident that caused irreparable damage (i.e. fires, floods), or the BBC practices that reportedly interfered with CTW during [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street_in_the_United_Kingdom ''Sesame Street'''s conflict with BBC in the 1970s.]


Most of Lefty's known sketches, including the Gangsters sketches, have surfaced on YouTube in English, though some of surfaced in a different language only. The ME Sign sketch is the only sketch missing. These clips can be viewed below.
The episodes that have gone missing from Sesame Workshop's archives mostly include those from Seasons 1 (2 episodes), 2 (23 episodes), 3 (25 episodes), 5 (2 episodes) and 8 (1 episode). (One Season 11 episode and one Season 14 episode were previously lost until now.) Initially, 60 episodes of ''Sesame Street'' were missing from the archives. This figure later dropped to 53 as of now, as some episodes have been recovered from outlets and donated to the AAPB. Episodes 0108, 0237, 0291, 0294, 0297, 0298, 0385, 0389, 0397, 0401, 1444 and 1814 have been recovered so far; all said previously-lost episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 survive only in black-and-white, while the other three episodes from Season 1, 11 and 14 respectively have been recovered in their original color format. (A few episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 which are not lost, including 0199, 0305 and 0380 also survive only in black-and-white.) However, the Season 3 episodes 0277, 0279, 0283 and 0285 and another Season 5 episode 0563 were initially assumed to have been archived but later it was discovered that those 5 episodes have gone missing from Sesame Workshop's archives as well, bringing the toll of missing episodes to have been originally 65 before the above 12 episodes were eventually recovered.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
Some international versions of ''Sesame Street'' in the 1970s, such as ''[[wikia:w:c:muppet:Sesamo Apriti|Sesamo Apriti]]'' and ''[[wikia:w:c:muppet:Sesamstrasse|Sesamstrasse]]'', often repurposed material from the American episodes with a foreign language dub track. This mostly includes the street scenes from the domestic show's second season, which notably aired (dubbed) for German co-production ''Sesamstrasse's'' first 247 episodes from 1973 through 1975. In the case of lost episodes, Episodes 0202, 0214, 0239, 0246, 0259, 0261 and 0270 survive dubbed in German from ''Sesamstrasse'', but due to ''Sesamstrasse'' often cutting or swapping some street scenes in random episodes, a couple of street scenes per episode (as Muppet Wiki indicates) are still entirely missing with no trace of surviving footage.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfelvI_ikf4|320x240|center|8}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDQor3rse8M&t=5s|320x240|center|Empty Box}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GNfRBn4-5c&t=2s|320x240|center|Air}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yj1IGkH6AY&t=12s|320x240|center|U/V}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRWGEgc84FU|320x240|center|P and R}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHVjN3GicYs|320x240|center|STOP sign}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrvjcMwxUUA|320x240|center|Picture of Four Elephants}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JbJfBruim0|320x240|center|Scale}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6Yqu-spnM|320x240|center|"Would You Like to Buy an O?"}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erD3WgILokA|320x240|center|Invisible Ice Cream Cone}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu30G_rwiEU|320x240|center|Snowman (German)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3R8-1T3RwI&t=80s|320x240|center|Paper Bag (Hebrew)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml6Yqu-spnM|320x240|center|Book (Arabic)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSGv3ZasvgI|320x240|center|Alphabet (clip only, no audio)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn9slI1XqTk|320x240|center|Lefty recites the Alphabet}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8tnd0bsvNI|320x240|center|Carrot Delivery}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbwCbrSkyyw|320x240|center|The Golden AN (Take 1)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZbDL3zvygI|320x240|center|The Golden AN (Take 2)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GGylIHobgY&t=6s|320x240|center|U/V (Alternate take, German)}}
|}


==Professor Hastings Skits - Partially Found==
The missing episodes covered here are (usually) final ready-for-broadcast edits including Street Scenes with segments. In the case of Episode 0402 (which is lost), the song "I Am Somebody" from that episode was released on the ''Old School: Volume 1'' DVD set. That Street Scene was sourced from raw footage, suggesting that raw footage for the Street Scenes of other lost episodes may still exist in the archives somewhere, waiting to be discovered.
Professor Hastings is an early Muppet professor performed by Frank Oz from the first three seasons. His character was best known for boring himself to sleep with his own lectures.


Of the eleven known skits to include him, only one (What’s My Part?) has resurfaced in complete English, Emotions has resurfaced in a partial-English dub (with only a few actual English audio pieces taken from another source, while a user who posted the clip has dubbed over the German voices in English himself), Spinning Wheel has surfaced in English but as incomplete (with the video starting halfway through the song), five dubbed segments (including only two that have one piece of English audio included) and one album track have resurfaced. The three segments that have not resurfaced in any form yet include Letter Y, Number 2, and the TV version of U Lecture (with Kermit the Frog instead of Ernie).
==Skit List==
The sketches that are lost mostly include segments that either [[wikia:w:c:muppet:Inserts produced for Sesame Street that haven't aired on the domestic version|have not aired on the domestic show]] or [[wikia:w:c:muppet:Unaired Sesame Street inserts|were unaired in any form]]. Half of these sketches have made their way onto home video releases, official online releases (such as, for a period of time, sesamestreet.org), and also streaming rereleases of some episodes that were edited for that specific release. They have also appeared in international co-productions, as well as ''Sesame Street'''s Noggin spin-off ''Play with Me Sesame''.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
===Assorted Lost Skits===
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
So far, the following assorted clips that haven't aired on the domestic show currently have not resurfaced in English or in any form:
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fb8ok3eZoE&t=99s|320x240|center|What's My Part?: Foot}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxx0ux7L5gs|320x240|center|Emotions (Partial English dub)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrPGgTXz0SU|320x240|center|Pogo Stick (Arabic dub, with one English audio piece at the beginning)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMdWGYg6uUM|320x240|center|Dump Truck (Arabic dub, with one English audio piece at the end)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIZTFB4YR-U|320x240|center|Exercise (Portuguese dub)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x5bRRdcJFE|320x240|center|Body Parts (German dub)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7xI0dMYjwQ|320x240|center|Big and Little (German dub)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmSv53npfb4|320x240|center|Spinning Wheel (incomplete, English)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icEYMGkY0O8|320x240|center|Letter U (Ernie's version, audio from soundtrack, English)}}
|}


==Leslie Mostly Skits - Partially Found==
*'''Cookie Monster demonstrates "Away From":''' A short bit from Season 2 where Cookie Monster places a cookie on a plate and walks away from it to show "away from".
Leslie Mostly is a short-lived Muppet from the twelfth season. She was the host of “The Leslie Mostly Show,” a talk show host spoof series. Her segments are interviews with other Muppet characters, including The Amazing Mumford, Grover, Count von Count, Cookie Monster, and the word “CASA.
**So far, this clip is known to have appeared on ''Vila Sésamo'', ''Sesamstraat'', ''Iftah Ya Simsim'', and ''Svenska Sesam''.


Of the segments listed above, all of them have been uploaded to YouTube in English, with the exception of the Cookie Monster skit being found in Castilian Spanish. The uploaded clips can be viewed below.
*'''Grover's Ropes and Bells:''' A sketch from Season 3 where Grover stumbles upon five ropes and pulls each rope that makes the sound of a bell, minus the last rope that sounds a yell coming from a Muppet Tarzan.
**So far, this clip is known to have appeared on ''Sesamstrasse'', ''Iftah Ya Simsim'', and ''Rechov Sumsum'' (that one having an alternate ending where Tarzan flies back up on the rope and Grover faints).


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
*'''[[wikia:w:c:muppet:Starship Surprise|"Starship Surprise"]]:''' A sketch from Season 12 that spoofed the sci-fi TV series Star Trek where two Anything Muppets named Captain Jane and Dr. McToy land on the Moon. This is a predecessor to the recurring series of "Spaceship Surprise" sketches from Season 19.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
**According to script highlights at the CTW archives, "Starship Surprise" was originally planned to air in Episode 1505, but did not appear in the final. The sketch was unaired by all means and it is unknown if it appeared in any international co-productions, but its existence is confirmed by at least a couple of behind-the-scenes photos.
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zMKdL4GWh4|320x240|center|The Amazing Mumford Interview.}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaR0F_1Y1qM|320x240|center|Count von Count Interview.}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZBFBnh7lD4|320x240|center|Grover Interview.}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLUYO1PdVFM|320x240|center|CASA Interview.}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSXhU4xTyY|320x240|center|Cookie Monster Interview. (Castilian Spanish)}}
|}


==Deena and Pearl Skits - Partially Found==
*'''"Carrot Time When It's Time for a Snack":''' A song from Season 13 where Biff walks into a dull restaurant that livens up when Grover serves them carrots.
Deena and Pearl are a Muppet duo from the twelfth season. They were seen in a total of four sketches on the show before disappearing. Their discontinuance is largely attributed to the similarity of their segments to those of Ernie and Bert.
**So far, this clip is known to have appeared on ''Rua Sésamo''.


The four sketches include Baby Deena, Toy Box, Underwater, and Pearl is Sick.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Deena_and_Pearl_Sketches MuppetWiki entry on Deena and Pearl.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref> Of these, Baby Deena is the only sketch uploaded on YouTube in English (as “Play House”). Toy Box has been uploaded in Dutch. The other two haven’t resurfaced in any language yet.
*'''“That Makes Three”:''' A song from Season 16 sung by three Anything Muppet children in a winter scene.
**So far, this clip is known to have appeared on ''Plaza Sésamo'', ''Sesamstraat'' and ''Sesamstrasse''.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
*'''"NO" Sign:''' Zoe sees Cookie Monster next to a plate of cookies, holding a sign that says "NO" since he "no eat cookies". Zoe asks if he's serious, to which Cookie replies "NO!" and devours the cookies.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AckH3gIyeg|320x240|center|Baby Deena, also known as Play House.}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t336N62sF7Q|320x240|center|Toy Box (Dutch dub).}}
|}


==Gymnast Segments - Partially Found==
*'''What Makes Me Happy?:''' Ernie, Telly, Rosita, the Count, and Cookie Monster show the things that make them happy.
The Gymnast segments are a series of shorts including a gymnast demonstrating various directions with a dark black background. Two of the six shorts following this gymnast have resurfaced on YouTube; the four that haven’t are Beginning/End, Close To/Away From, Over/Under, and Slow.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Gymnast MuppetWiki entry on the Gymnast segments.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
*'''Triangle Intro:''' A sketch from Season 31 where Grover introduces a segment featuring a "three-sided-mabob" until he is told that it's actually called a triangle.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqG3v_hACYQ|320x240|center|Gymnast “Around” segment.}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Zhh52pUfs|320x240|center|Gymnast “Between” segment.}}
|}


==Assorted Audio-Only Skits==
*'''What Makes Me Happy?:''' A Season 32 sketch where Ernie, Telly, Rosita, The Count and Cookie Monster show the things that make them happy.
The following assorted clips, originally included in the Article Requests listing, have resurfaced in English audio only online and are included to view below:
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in. An English version was once released on sesamestreet.org.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
*'''Bert's Portrait:''' Ernie draws a picture of Bert, but with two noses. Ernie becomes sad, as he thinks Bert doesn't like his picture. Bert overlooks the noses and claims he likes Ernie's picture very much, so Ernie gives Bert his Picasso-esque picture of Bert with seven unibrows.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXWuRJKMoRM|320x240|center|“I’m Square” (sung by Ernie to Bert)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9TR7tECkPg|320x240|center|“The Sound of the Letter A” (sung by Big Bird)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipLuIUFm52E|320x240|center|“Handful of Crumbs” (sung by Cookie Monster)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO64VvZBRTg&t=5s|320x240|center|Ernie Dusts the Shelf}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu4eD-f96RQ|320x240|center|Ernie Presents the Letter Q}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrLhsqcCTE4|320x240|center|The Story of Ira and Inez}}
|}


==Assorted Partial-English Skits==
*'''Ernie and Bert's Healthy Life Tips:''' A Season 37 sketch where Bert tries to inform the viewer about ways to stay healthy, while Ernie interrupts running, munching on a carrot and brushing his teeth. He points out to Bert that they are all ways to be healthy and a bewildered Bert accepts the crowd's applause anyhow.
The following assorted clips, originally included in the Article Requests listing, have resurfaced in only partial English and partially dubbed online:
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
*'''Ernie and Bert's Ice Cream Experiment:''' Just as the duo is about to dig into their ice cream, Ernie announces today they will be performing an experiment (which is news to Bert). Ernie tests to see what will happen if Bert eats slowly and Ernie eats fast. He makes Bert eat so slowly that before Bert can even try his first bite, Ernie eats his serving before it melts.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXoSvmPfRuE&t=84s|320x240|center|“We Coulda” (sung by Biff to Sully, partially dubbed in Dutch)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoCiqhB3lyY|320x240|center|Ernie's Barber Shop (3-part sketch, with the other two parts dubbed in German)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guq8-nMcvBk|320x240|center|Banana in Ernie's Ear (3-part sketch, with the last part dubbed in Dutch)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaMSkQ8arRM|320x240|center|"Do the Wash" (Partially dubbed in Dutch)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPR5wWWQsjU|320x240|center|Through the Hoop (Partially dubbed in German)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BEqgUCwoQ8&t=112s|320x240|center|Kermit and Grover Count to 5 (Mostly dubbed in Portuguese)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vZk7qlg72E|320x240|center|News Flash: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Partially dubbed in Dutch)}}
|}


==Assorted Found Skits==
*'''Ernie and Bert on Music and Reading:''' As Bert tries to read his book, Ernie walks near him with a radio and plays a song loudly. Bert can't read with the music going, so Ernie puts in headphones, but his singing along is just as loud. Ernie suggests they both do something together - dance to the music!
The following assorted clips, originally included in the Article Requests listing, have resurfaced in full in English and are included to view below:
**So far, this clip is known to have appeared on ''Sesamstraat''.


{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
*'''Bert's Newspaper:''' Ernie sees that Bert has a newspaper and encourages him to be environmental by reusing it instead of throwing it away. Ernie takes it and turns it into a pirate hat and some pom poms, only Bert hasn't had a chance to read it yet.
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
**So far, this clip is known to have appeared on ''Rechov Sumsum''. Not to be confused with a 1969 sketch.
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMQDQY0wG70|320x240|center|Guy Smiley “What is it?” with Grover, Biff, and Prairie Dawn}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wITuoEtbvac|320x240|center|“When the Countess Counts for You”}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGqGUh2OMVA|320x240|center|Scuba Diver (finds five shells underwater, counts them on the shore, and is surprised by a crab)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4ly77iL00w|320x240|center|Danger}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUqE-v30Ldo|320x240|center|Ernie and the Letter R}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT9-Q7IJqbc|320x240|center|Muppets cooperate to make lemonade}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O50FyJSH7U|320x240|center|Rubber Duckie (1969 Original version, with beginning cut)}}
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7yZ9o3k9xw|320x240|center|Yellow Submarine (with beginning cut)}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| {{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z890uPfp-ic|320x240|center|Muppets Cheer for the Letter K (Three different versions are known to exist, but the CTW documents labed them as #1, #2, and #4, suggesting at least one more additional "K Cheer" sketch.)}}
|}


==Assorted Lost Skits==
*'''Ernie and Bert's Imaginary Car Ride:''' Ernie and Bert are going on a pretend car ride, but Ernie keeps making them stop to cater to Rubber Duckie's various needs.
The following assorted clips, originally included in the Article Requests listing, have not resurfaced in English online:
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.


'''“ Windy” Song:''' "Windy" is a pop song, originally a #1 hit for the Association in 1967. A version of the song was sung by Tony and Beautiful Day Monster in the first season of Sesame Street. Tony sings about his girlfriend, Windy, who can fly across the sky. The monster injures herself at the end of the song, which ends with a huge crash. Longtime sound engineer Dick Maitland recalls this song as his first experience on the show. The segment in German was once uploaded to YouTube by a German user back in 2006, but due to that German user's YouTube channel being terminated, the segment has been removed and has not resurfaced.
*'''Ernie and Bert on Reading and Exercise:''' Bert reads his book, while Ernie tries to get him to exercise with him. By the time Bert's finished, Ernie's too exhausted.
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.


'''“ Come Join Us!” Song:''' “Come Join Us” is a Muppet segment written by Cheryl Hardwick in 1980. The surviving still from the skit depicts a Muppet rock band performing the song.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Come_Join_Us MuppetWiki entry on “Come Join Us!”] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>Not much else is known about this segment, but the segment in Castilian Spanish that allegedly was uploaded to YouTube has since been removed.
*'''Bert's Paperclip Collection:''' Bert spends some quiet quality time with his paperclip collection when Ernie disrupts it with his pretending. Bert shows him some particular parts of his collection, including the big, bigger and biggest paperclips.
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.


'''Dr. Nobel Price (Slushabouts skit):'''
*'''Ernie and Bert show Up and Down:''' Ernie hastily has Bert look up and down several times, which Bert then learns is just to demonstrate the opposites. He ignores Ernie's suggestion to look up once more and is struck by a falling bird.
Dr Nobel Price is a Muppet inventor. He was best known for “inventing” objects that already existed with other names. One example of this is the “Slushabouts,” another name for galoshes.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street_News_Flash#slushabouts MuppetWiki excerpt about the Slushabouts skit.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
**It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.


'''Miami Mice (The Space Center skit):'''
*'''"Cookie Monster, Food Investigator":''' a spoof of ''Dragnet'' from Season 36.
Miami Mice was a short-run “Miami Vice” spoof starring Tito and J.P., two mouse detectives. The Space Center skit in which the mice help Count von Count get to the space center so he can do the countdown, is a lost skit from this series.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Miami_Mice MuppetWiki entry on Miami Mice.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
**This sketch is not available in any form and is only mentioned in a Season 36 press release that was posted on Muppet Central.<ref>[https://muppetcentral.com/news/2005/021005.shtml Season 36 press release, posted on Muppet Central]</ref>


'''Sherlock Hemlock Twiddlebug Mystery:'''
*There is another Alec Baldwin sketch from Season 38 where Alec Baldwin describes himself as a "closer" and closes things such as a door.
Sherlock Hemlock is a Muppet parody of Sherlock Holmes. One of his mysteries includes The Twiddlebug Mystery that first aired in season 2<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_0256 MuppetWiki entry on Episode 0256, the first known appearance of the Twiddlebug Mystery skit.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>. The clip is available to view in a German dub on YouTube<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k2LBcQCwhU YouTube German dub of Sherlock Hemlock’s Twiddlebug Mystery] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref> but no English version has been uploaded online. However, a Sesame Street book release of the same name tells the story of this mystery<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sherlock_Hemlock_and_the_Great_Twiddlebug_Mystery MuppetWiki entry on the Sherlock Hemlock Twiddlebug Mystery book.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
**A brief clip of this is found at the 3:22 timemark in a [https://youtu.be/iWa88zOH1ns?t=202 Sesame Street pop-culture montage] that has been uploaded on YouTube by MuppetWiki.


'''David Looking For Maria Skit:'''
*A Season 40 segment features a pair of Anything Muppet cheerleaders (resembling Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri as the Spartan Cheerleaders from ''Saturday Night Live'') who cheer for the letter H.
An early skit about miscommunication features David and Maria looking for each other in the park. The skit has appeared in a couple of episodes, but its first televised appearance is in Episode 0677<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_0677 MuppetWiki entry on Episode 0677, the first episode to show the David and Maria miscommunication skit.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>.
**Only a [https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/muppet/images/f/f8/4._Sesame_H.jpeg/revision/latest?cb=20100517153844 set photo for this sketch] can be found.


'''Cookie and Kermit Demonstrate Through:'''
*Two Muppet & Kid Moment segments with Grover are lost: One sketch featured Grover interacting with Hunter Vogel (son of Matt Vogel), and another sketch featured Grover interacting with a girl who tells him she knows all the planets, listing a few and then saying there's one that she can't say, which turns out to be Uranus.
Cookie and Kermit’s demonstration of through, also known as “Through,” is exactly like what the title sounds like.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Cookie_Monster_and_Kermit MuppetWiki entry on the “Through” Cookie Monster and Kermit skit.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref> The clip is notorious for concluding with Cookie Monster smashing a picture frame over Kermit’s head and shouting “Through!”<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Episode_0334 MuppetWiki entry on Episode 0334, the first episode appearance of the “Through” skit.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>
**Both sketches never aired on television and were only mentioned in social media posts and panel interviews, respectively. Matt Vogel posted on FaceBook about the Grover & Hunter moment, with two photos attached.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/welcomemattv/posts/3475187775931462 Matt Vogel Facebook post]</ref> ToughPigs also compiled info from the Museum of the Moving Image’s ''An Evening with Frank Oz'' event where Frank Oz discussed about the little girl & Grover moment.<ref>[https://toughpigs.com/frank-oz-talking-a-recap/ Frank Oz Talking: A Recap]</ref>


'''Big Jeffy Environmental Song Skit:'''
===Assorted Existence Unconfirmed Skits===
Big Jeffy is a Muppet musician who appeared in many Muppet bands, including Little Jerry and the Monotones and Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats.<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Big_Jeffy MuppetWiki entry on Big Jeffy.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref> Not much is known about the skit about the environment including the musical performance of Big Jeffy.
Due to the vague nature of some of the descriptions provided by interested users, lack of available documentation online, or CTW documentation errors, some of these segments from this series have remained unidentified, been marked “Existence Unconfirmed,” and are listed below.


'''“ Away"We Equal Three” Song:'''
*'''“A” Cheers:''' One of the Letter Cheers sketches from Season 1. The sketch was listed in the [[wikia:w:c:muppet:Talk:University of Maryland#First Season Show Content|First Season Show Content]] CTW documents and is one of several unused segments. However, the sketch was crossed out on the documents with a strikethrough unlike the other unused Season 1 segments, and there are no video footage stills or set photos of this sketch to confirm its existence, so it's unknown if the "A" Cheer sketch was ever taped.
“We Equal Three” is a song sung by three Muppet children in a winter scene. Not much is known about this skit, and no information is available online about it.


==Assorted Existence Unconfirmed Skits==
*'''A.M. "K" Cheer Version #3:''' One of the different versions of the Anything Muppet "K" cheer sketch from Season 1. Only three different versions of this sketch are known to exist as they have been aired on the show domestically, but due to the CTW documents labeling them as #1, #2, and #4, there is confusion about there being a version #3 of the "K Cheer" sketch, reportedly due to version "#4" being a possible documentation error with the third version that aired in Episode 0102.
Due to the vague nature of some of the descriptions provided by interested users or lack of available documentation online, many of the requested segments from this series have remained unidentified, been marked “Existence Unconfirmed,and are listed below. If anyone knows more about these segments, feel free to comment below or write a new section for them.


* Three Monsters Demonstrate Big, Bigger, Biggest
*'''A.M. mother and daughter at the zoo:''' A Season 2 sketch where a Large Lavender Anything Muppet mother and a Lavender Anything Muppet daughter visit a zoo and switch personalities. The mother pretends to be the daughter, and the daughter pretends to be the mother. The two Anything Muppets walk through a live-action zoo (this was done on a chroma-key background). We see a close up of a real live tiger in its cage, and the mother pretends she's afraid, and daughter tells her there's nothing to be afraid of. The daughter buys the mother a balloon from an off-screen vendor (only a live human hand is seen). The mother cries when she loses the balloon, and the daughter gets her another one.
* A Muppet coach teaches her baseball team to play string quartet
**This sketch is rumored to have only aired on ''Sesamstrasse'' or ''Sesamstraat'', and the sketch's rumored existence was described in detail by SkyeFan from memory.<ref>[https://muppetcentral.com/forum/threads/help-with-information-on-segments-that-aired-only-outside-the-u-s-version.65875/#post-1295778 A Muppet Central forum thread about Sesame Street sketches that did not air on the domestic show.]</ref>
* A little girl teaches a monster marching band do play in a parade
* Two Muppet kids on a ship
* Starship Surprise (not to be confused with Spaceship Surprise<ref>[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Spaceship_Surprise MuppetWiki entry on Spaceship Surprise.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16.</ref>)
* Muppets and monsters count to ten (1969)
* Muppets cooperate to build a clubhouse
* "Surprise" (English version with Susan and Oscar's cutaway)
* Ernie meets a Pumpkin Seed Candy Salesman
* Grover and Little Bird at the Zoo
* Ernie makes a friend (1969)
* G is for Grover (1969)
* Anything Muppets sing "Up, UpAway."
* Kermit shows "Between" by placing three objects on a table and then ducks underneath it when BDM comes along and devours the table to bits
* "People in Your Neighbourhood": Dentist and Bus Driver (1969)
* AB Song is sung by the barbershop quartet
* A monster barbershop quartet singing about the number 4
* Post office song - a hip song about the post office and mail delivery featuring the line '...to the post office where it will stay, for just one day...' (live-action)
* Figure skater - a clip featuring a figure skater skating to the tune of "Don't You Know You're Beautiful?" (live-action)
* Horses pulling heavy loads - Horses participate in a contest where they keep trying to pull heavier and heavier loads until they can't do it anymore. (live-action)
* Circles on film - a circle 'wraps itself' around several live-action objects, an 'OK' sign being one of them. (live-action)
* Riding on the Train - a song about train rides, with one of the lines going '...the A Train, B Train, Double C, takes you where to want to be...' (live-action)
* [[Cracks aka 'Crack Master' (found Sesame Street short; 1975)]] Spanish Version


==“Rare Sesame Street Muppet Clips” Original Listing==
*'''The Drama of the Poor Little Milkmaid:''' A sketch from Season 3 where an Anything Muppet milkmaid brings her cow (played by Bert) to a grassy field, where he can eat the grass he needs to give milk. But the villain owner of the field (played by Oscar) threatens to shovel up all the grass. At last, the hero (played by Ernie) arrives to buy the field with a rusty tin can.
This is a replication of the original Article Requests section for clips from this series. I request that this section of the article remains unedited for the sake of completeness:
**This sketch was documented in a CTW archives guide for Episode 0343, but it does not appear in the script nor final cut of the episode.


This is a section devoted to rare clips from ''Sesame Street'', added for no reason whatsoever.
*'''Post office song:''' A hip song about the post office and mail delivery featuring the line '...to the post office where it will stay, for just one day...' (live-action)
*"Come Join Us!" (a Muppet band teaches the viewers to "Join Us!" It can be seen on YouTube, but dubbed in Castilian Spanish only.)
*All sketches of "Leslie Mostly" (rare sketches featuring host Leslie Mostly who interviewed a Sesame Street character in his/her home. Guests included Kermit, Guy Smiley, Cookie Monster, Grover, The Count, and Mumford.)
*All Deena and Pearl sketches [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AckH3gIyeg Here's one! -R]
*All Professor Hastings sketches
*Three monsters demonstrate big, bigger, and biggest
*Sherlock Hemlock's Twiddle-Bug Mystery
*A Muppet coach teaches her baseball team to play string quartet (rare; last seen in Castilian Spanish on ''Barrio Sesamo'')
*News Flash: Dr Nobel Price's Slush-a-Boots (Galoshes)
*A little girl teaches a monster marching band do play in a parade.
*A Guy Smiley game show with Grover, Biff, and Prairie Dawn.
*"We Coulda" (sung by Biff to Sully)
*"I'm Square" (sung by Bert with Ernie)
*"The Sound of the Letter A" (sung by Big Bird)
*A Miami Mice episode with the Count
*Starship Surprise (not to be confused with Spaceship Surprise)
*Two Muppet kids on a ship
*Muppets cooperate to make lemonade
*Muppets cooperate to build a clubhouse
*Muppets and Monsters count to 10 (1969)
*Muppets and Monsters (plus Bert and Oscar) demonstrate none, some, and all (1969)
*"Surprise" (English version with Susan and Oscar's cutaway)
*"The Countess Counts" (sung by the Countess with Muppet patrons)
*A B song sung by the barbershop quartet
*A monster barbershop quartet singing about the number 4
*"The Garden"-style environmental song with Big Jeffy and two female backup singers with cameos from Grover and Cookie
*"We Equal Three" (sung by three Muppet kids in a winter scenario)
*The Spanish version of the "Small V" cartoon ("Ve menuscula.  Ve-ve-ve-VA-VA-VA-VOOOOOM!")
*1. Gymnast - a gymnast (blonde hair, black leotard) was featured in six different clips. One of them - 'between' - has been posted. The other five, yet to be posted, are 'around,' 'beginning/end,' 'close to/away from,' 'over/under,' and 'slow.'
*2. 'Beginning/end' - five stop-motion clips featuring 'beginning' and 'end.' They are a barber giving a customer a haircut, a man eating a hot dog, a man painting a picture, a woman making a sandwich, and kids waiting in line.
*3. Scuba diver - a clip featuring a scuba diver who finds five shells underwater, counts them on the shore and is surprised by a crab.
*4. Post office song - a hip song about the post office and mail delivery featuring the line '...to the post office where it will stay, for just one day...'
*5. Danger - a man walks down the street while reading a newspaper and barely avoids running into dangerous things. He then gets nailed by something (revolving door?) in the end.
*6. Figure skater - a clip featuring a figure skater skating to the tune of "Don't You Know You're Beautiful?"
*7. Horses pulling heavy loads - Horses participate in a contest where they keep trying to pull heavier and heavier loads until they can't do it anymore.
*8. David and Maria - David and Maria are supposed to meet each other in a park but have trouble finding each other due to miscommunication. The words demonstrated are 'above' and 'below' and the music score is electronic-like.
*9. Circles on film - a circle 'wraps itself' around several live-action objects, an 'OK' sign being one of them.
*10. Riding on the Train - a song about train rides, with one of the lines going '...the A Train, B Train, Double C, takes you where to want to be...'
*11. Batman and Robin catch Penguin and his gang with dirty windows and demonstrate 'clean' and 'dirty' while doing so.
*12. Kermit tries to demonstrate the word 'through' by having Cookie Monster run through a frame lined with tissue paper. Everything then backfires as Cookie Monster stops short of the frame, wonders what to do, and when Kermit tells Cookie thus, Cookie decides to demonstrate 'through' in another way - by smashing the frame over Kermit's head, saying 'This is THROUGH!'
*Of the above, the first ten are live-action, the eleventh one is animated, and the last is obviously a Muppet clip.
*[[Cracks aka 'Crack Master' (found Sesame Street short; 1975)|Crack Master]] (Spanish Version)


==Other Noteworthy Sesame Street Clips==
*'''Figure skater:''' A clip featuring a figure skater skating to the tune of "Don't You Know You're Beautiful?" (live-action)
The following is a brief list of Sesame Street clips for which there are separate articles on this wiki:
 
<br/><br/>
*'''Riding on the Train:''' A song about train rides, with one of the lines going '...the A Train, B Train, Double C, takes you where to want to be...' (live-action)
Episodes:
 
*[[Sesame Street: Episode 847 (Lost "Wicked Witch of the West" Episode; 1976)]]
==See Also==
*[[Sesame Street "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce" (lost episode; 1992)]]
===Noteworthy Episodes===
<br/>
*[[Sesame Street (partially found test pilots of children's educational TV series; 1969)]]
Sketches:
*[[Sesame Street "Episode 847" (found "Wicked Witch of the West" episode of children’s educational TV series; 1976)]]
*[[Cracks aka 'Crack Master' (found Sesame Street short; 1975)]]
*[[Sesame Street "Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce" (partially found episode of children's puppetry TV series; 1992)]]
*[[The Count Orders a Hot Dog (Rare 1972 Sesame Street Sketch)]]
 
*[[Handful of Crumbs (Lost Sesame Street short; 1982)]]
===Noteworthy Sketches===
*[[Batman: Clean and Dirty (Lost Sesame Street Segment; 1970)]]
*[[Cracks aka "Crack Master" (found animated "Sesame Street" short; 1975)]]
<br/>
*[[The Count Orders a Hot Dog (found "Sesame Street" sketch; 1973)]]
Specials:
*[[Handful of Crumbs (found "Sesame Street" short; 1982)]]
*[[Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration]]
*[[Windy (found "Sesame Street" segment; 1970)]]
*[[Out to Lunch (Lost Sesame Street/Electric Company Crossover Special; 1974)]]
*[[Batman: Clean and Dirty (found "Sesame Street" animated segment; 1970)]]
*[[The Sesame Street Experiment (incomplete/partially found 1989 documentary)]]
*[[Pixar's Made in Point Richmond DVD Rarities (found various Pixar footage; 1986-2000)|Luxo Jr (found "Sesame Street" animated shorts; 1991-1994)]]
*[[Sesame Street At Night? (Lost Sesame Street Special; 1977)]]
*[[Surprise! (found "Sesame Street" segment; 1970)]]
*[[The Grover Monster - Jean Marsh Cartoon Special (Lost TV Special; 1975)]]
*[[Granny Fanny Nesselrode (found "Sesame Street" sketches; 1970-1972)]]
*[[Professor Hastings (found "Sesame Street" sketches; 1969-1971)]]
*[[Leslie Mostly (found "Sesame Street" sketches; 1980-1981)]]
*[[Deena and Pearl (found "Sesame Street" sketches; 1980-1981)]]
*[[Sesame Street "Gymnast Segments" (found segments of children's educational TV series; 1973)]]
 
===Specials===
*[[Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration (found deleted scenes of TV special; 1994)]]
*[[Out to Lunch (partially found Sesame Street/Electric Company crossover special; 1974)]]
*[[The Sesame Street Experiment (partially lost documentary based on children's educational TV series; 1989)]]
*[[Sesame Street At Night? (lost Sesame Street television special; 1977)]]
*[[The Grover Monster - Jean Marsh Cartoon Special (lost TV special; 1975)]]
 
===The Muppets and Jim Henson===
*[[Sam and Friends (partially found early Jim Henson puppet TV series; 1955-1961)]]
*[[Wilkins and Wontkins (partially lost series of Jim Henson commercials; 1957-1969)]]
*[[The Muppets (partially lost series of early TV commercials featuring puppet characters; 1962-1969)]]
*[[The Dark Crystal (partially found high-quality version of workprint/director's cut of puppet fantasy film; early 1980s)]]
*[[The Power of The Dark Crystal (partially lost production materials from canceled sequel to "The Dark Crystal" fantasy film; 1982-2014)]]
*[[Fraggle Rock (partially found British co-production of puppet children's television series; 1984-1990)]]


==References==
==References==
<references/>
{{reflist}}
 
==External Links==
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street Wikipedia article on ''Sesame Street''.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16
*[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_Wiki The main page to the Muppet Wiki.] Retrieved 16 Sept ’16


[[Category:Partially found media]]
[[Category:Lost puppetry]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category:Partially lost media]]
[[Category:Existence unconfirmed]]
[[Category:Historic]]
[[Category:Historic]]
[[Category:Lost puppetry]]

Latest revision as of 08:59, 16 March 2024

SS1969Cast.jpg

Cast photo from Sesame Street's first season.

Status: Partially Lost

Sesame Street is a children’s television series that started on November 10th, 1969, on National Educational Television (NET) before moving to PBS in 1970. The series is one of the most well-known and longest-running children’s television series of all time. Since its inception in 1969, the show has earned 159 Emmy Awards and 8 Grammy Awards, and an estimated 77 million Americans watched the series as children as of 2008.

Despite its massive multi-decade running time, it’s become an interest of avid fans of the series to document the series in its entirety, including descriptions for shorts in episodes ranging from the first season to the present.

While episode listings adapted from Children’s Television Workshop archives are complete in writing (especially on Muppet Wiki, whose majority of Sesame Street episode guides are complete), many of the segments in the listings or guides are not available for audiences on any home video releases or (authorized) digital releases. A complete listing of these is not available, largely due to the vast number of episodes of the series produced, but while many of the popular segments have been found since the genesis of the Internet, some segments still remain lost (or elusive) as listed below.

As of 2022, the majority of the show's seasons have been donated to the AAPB (American Archive of Public Broadcasting) and the Library of Congress (however, episodes are available for viewing at the latter but on-location only), rendering the majority of episodes (along with many segments that were unavailable to the general populace) no longer lost or elusive, with the exception of at least fifty-three episodes that are missing from Sesame Workshop's archive. Additionally, the latter four test pilot shows from 1969, the notorious "Snuffy's Parents Divorce" episode, and several Sesame Street specials were not donated to the AAPB and still remain lost or elusive (more on that below in the Noteworthy Episodes list).

Missing Episodes

When Sesame Workshop was preparing to donate the past 4,000 episodes of Sesame Street to the AAPB in 2019, they discovered that a select number of older Sesame Street episodes have gone missing from their archives over the years. The reasons these episodes have gone missing are due to either the source materials being misplaced, an accident that caused irreparable damage (i.e. fires, floods), or the BBC practices that reportedly interfered with CTW during Sesame Street's conflict with BBC in the 1970s.

The episodes that have gone missing from Sesame Workshop's archives mostly include those from Seasons 1 (2 episodes), 2 (23 episodes), 3 (25 episodes), 5 (2 episodes) and 8 (1 episode). (One Season 11 episode and one Season 14 episode were previously lost until now.) Initially, 60 episodes of Sesame Street were missing from the archives. This figure later dropped to 53 as of now, as some episodes have been recovered from outlets and donated to the AAPB. Episodes 0108, 0237, 0291, 0294, 0297, 0298, 0385, 0389, 0397, 0401, 1444 and 1814 have been recovered so far; all said previously-lost episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 survive only in black-and-white, while the other three episodes from Season 1, 11 and 14 respectively have been recovered in their original color format. (A few episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 which are not lost, including 0199, 0305 and 0380 also survive only in black-and-white.) However, the Season 3 episodes 0277, 0279, 0283 and 0285 and another Season 5 episode 0563 were initially assumed to have been archived but later it was discovered that those 5 episodes have gone missing from Sesame Workshop's archives as well, bringing the toll of missing episodes to have been originally 65 before the above 12 episodes were eventually recovered.

Some international versions of Sesame Street in the 1970s, such as Sesamo Apriti and Sesamstrasse, often repurposed material from the American episodes with a foreign language dub track. This mostly includes the street scenes from the domestic show's second season, which notably aired (dubbed) for German co-production Sesamstrasse's first 247 episodes from 1973 through 1975. In the case of lost episodes, Episodes 0202, 0214, 0239, 0246, 0259, 0261 and 0270 survive dubbed in German from Sesamstrasse, but due to Sesamstrasse often cutting or swapping some street scenes in random episodes, a couple of street scenes per episode (as Muppet Wiki indicates) are still entirely missing with no trace of surviving footage.

The missing episodes covered here are (usually) final ready-for-broadcast edits including Street Scenes with segments. In the case of Episode 0402 (which is lost), the song "I Am Somebody" from that episode was released on the Old School: Volume 1 DVD set. That Street Scene was sourced from raw footage, suggesting that raw footage for the Street Scenes of other lost episodes may still exist in the archives somewhere, waiting to be discovered.

Skit List

The sketches that are lost mostly include segments that either have not aired on the domestic show or were unaired in any form. Half of these sketches have made their way onto home video releases, official online releases (such as, for a period of time, sesamestreet.org), and also streaming rereleases of some episodes that were edited for that specific release. They have also appeared in international co-productions, as well as Sesame Street's Noggin spin-off Play with Me Sesame.

Assorted Lost Skits

So far, the following assorted clips that haven't aired on the domestic show currently have not resurfaced in English or in any form:

  • Cookie Monster demonstrates "Away From": A short bit from Season 2 where Cookie Monster places a cookie on a plate and walks away from it to show "away from".
    • So far, this clip is known to have appeared on Vila Sésamo, Sesamstraat, Iftah Ya Simsim, and Svenska Sesam.
  • Grover's Ropes and Bells: A sketch from Season 3 where Grover stumbles upon five ropes and pulls each rope that makes the sound of a bell, minus the last rope that sounds a yell coming from a Muppet Tarzan.
    • So far, this clip is known to have appeared on Sesamstrasse, Iftah Ya Simsim, and Rechov Sumsum (that one having an alternate ending where Tarzan flies back up on the rope and Grover faints).
  • "Starship Surprise": A sketch from Season 12 that spoofed the sci-fi TV series Star Trek where two Anything Muppets named Captain Jane and Dr. McToy land on the Moon. This is a predecessor to the recurring series of "Spaceship Surprise" sketches from Season 19.
    • According to script highlights at the CTW archives, "Starship Surprise" was originally planned to air in Episode 1505, but did not appear in the final. The sketch was unaired by all means and it is unknown if it appeared in any international co-productions, but its existence is confirmed by at least a couple of behind-the-scenes photos.
  • "Carrot Time When It's Time for a Snack": A song from Season 13 where Biff walks into a dull restaurant that livens up when Grover serves them carrots.
    • So far, this clip is known to have appeared on Rua Sésamo.
  • “That Makes Three”: A song from Season 16 sung by three Anything Muppet children in a winter scene.
    • So far, this clip is known to have appeared on Plaza Sésamo, Sesamstraat and Sesamstrasse.
  • "NO" Sign: Zoe sees Cookie Monster next to a plate of cookies, holding a sign that says "NO" since he "no eat cookies". Zoe asks if he's serious, to which Cookie replies "NO!" and devours the cookies.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • What Makes Me Happy?: Ernie, Telly, Rosita, the Count, and Cookie Monster show the things that make them happy.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Triangle Intro: A sketch from Season 31 where Grover introduces a segment featuring a "three-sided-mabob" until he is told that it's actually called a triangle.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • What Makes Me Happy?: A Season 32 sketch where Ernie, Telly, Rosita, The Count and Cookie Monster show the things that make them happy.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in. An English version was once released on sesamestreet.org.
  • Bert's Portrait: Ernie draws a picture of Bert, but with two noses. Ernie becomes sad, as he thinks Bert doesn't like his picture. Bert overlooks the noses and claims he likes Ernie's picture very much, so Ernie gives Bert his Picasso-esque picture of Bert with seven unibrows.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Ernie and Bert's Healthy Life Tips: A Season 37 sketch where Bert tries to inform the viewer about ways to stay healthy, while Ernie interrupts running, munching on a carrot and brushing his teeth. He points out to Bert that they are all ways to be healthy and a bewildered Bert accepts the crowd's applause anyhow.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Ernie and Bert's Ice Cream Experiment: Just as the duo is about to dig into their ice cream, Ernie announces today they will be performing an experiment (which is news to Bert). Ernie tests to see what will happen if Bert eats slowly and Ernie eats fast. He makes Bert eat so slowly that before Bert can even try his first bite, Ernie eats his serving before it melts.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Ernie and Bert on Music and Reading: As Bert tries to read his book, Ernie walks near him with a radio and plays a song loudly. Bert can't read with the music going, so Ernie puts in headphones, but his singing along is just as loud. Ernie suggests they both do something together - dance to the music!
    • So far, this clip is known to have appeared on Sesamstraat.
  • Bert's Newspaper: Ernie sees that Bert has a newspaper and encourages him to be environmental by reusing it instead of throwing it away. Ernie takes it and turns it into a pirate hat and some pom poms, only Bert hasn't had a chance to read it yet.
    • So far, this clip is known to have appeared on Rechov Sumsum. Not to be confused with a 1969 sketch.
  • Ernie and Bert's Imaginary Car Ride: Ernie and Bert are going on a pretend car ride, but Ernie keeps making them stop to cater to Rubber Duckie's various needs.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Ernie and Bert on Reading and Exercise: Bert reads his book, while Ernie tries to get him to exercise with him. By the time Bert's finished, Ernie's too exhausted.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Bert's Paperclip Collection: Bert spends some quiet quality time with his paperclip collection when Ernie disrupts it with his pretending. Bert shows him some particular parts of his collection, including the big, bigger and biggest paperclips.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • Ernie and Bert show Up and Down: Ernie hastily has Bert look up and down several times, which Bert then learns is just to demonstrate the opposites. He ignores Ernie's suggestion to look up once more and is struck by a falling bird.
    • It is unknown which international co-production this appears in.
  • "Cookie Monster, Food Investigator": a spoof of Dragnet from Season 36.
    • This sketch is not available in any form and is only mentioned in a Season 36 press release that was posted on Muppet Central.[1]
  • There is another Alec Baldwin sketch from Season 38 where Alec Baldwin describes himself as a "closer" and closes things such as a door.
  • A Season 40 segment features a pair of Anything Muppet cheerleaders (resembling Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri as the Spartan Cheerleaders from Saturday Night Live) who cheer for the letter H.
  • Two Muppet & Kid Moment segments with Grover are lost: One sketch featured Grover interacting with Hunter Vogel (son of Matt Vogel), and another sketch featured Grover interacting with a girl who tells him she knows all the planets, listing a few and then saying there's one that she can't say, which turns out to be Uranus.
    • Both sketches never aired on television and were only mentioned in social media posts and panel interviews, respectively. Matt Vogel posted on FaceBook about the Grover & Hunter moment, with two photos attached.[2] ToughPigs also compiled info from the Museum of the Moving Image’s An Evening with Frank Oz event where Frank Oz discussed about the little girl & Grover moment.[3]

Assorted Existence Unconfirmed Skits

Due to the vague nature of some of the descriptions provided by interested users, lack of available documentation online, or CTW documentation errors, some of these segments from this series have remained unidentified, been marked “Existence Unconfirmed,” and are listed below.

  • “A” Cheers: One of the Letter Cheers sketches from Season 1. The sketch was listed in the First Season Show Content CTW documents and is one of several unused segments. However, the sketch was crossed out on the documents with a strikethrough unlike the other unused Season 1 segments, and there are no video footage stills or set photos of this sketch to confirm its existence, so it's unknown if the "A" Cheer sketch was ever taped.
  • A.M. "K" Cheer Version #3: One of the different versions of the Anything Muppet "K" cheer sketch from Season 1. Only three different versions of this sketch are known to exist as they have been aired on the show domestically, but due to the CTW documents labeling them as #1, #2, and #4, there is confusion about there being a version #3 of the "K Cheer" sketch, reportedly due to version "#4" being a possible documentation error with the third version that aired in Episode 0102.
  • A.M. mother and daughter at the zoo: A Season 2 sketch where a Large Lavender Anything Muppet mother and a Lavender Anything Muppet daughter visit a zoo and switch personalities. The mother pretends to be the daughter, and the daughter pretends to be the mother. The two Anything Muppets walk through a live-action zoo (this was done on a chroma-key background). We see a close up of a real live tiger in its cage, and the mother pretends she's afraid, and daughter tells her there's nothing to be afraid of. The daughter buys the mother a balloon from an off-screen vendor (only a live human hand is seen). The mother cries when she loses the balloon, and the daughter gets her another one.
    • This sketch is rumored to have only aired on Sesamstrasse or Sesamstraat, and the sketch's rumored existence was described in detail by SkyeFan from memory.[4]
  • The Drama of the Poor Little Milkmaid: A sketch from Season 3 where an Anything Muppet milkmaid brings her cow (played by Bert) to a grassy field, where he can eat the grass he needs to give milk. But the villain owner of the field (played by Oscar) threatens to shovel up all the grass. At last, the hero (played by Ernie) arrives to buy the field with a rusty tin can.
    • This sketch was documented in a CTW archives guide for Episode 0343, but it does not appear in the script nor final cut of the episode.
  • Post office song: A hip song about the post office and mail delivery featuring the line '...to the post office where it will stay, for just one day...' (live-action)
  • Figure skater: A clip featuring a figure skater skating to the tune of "Don't You Know You're Beautiful?" (live-action)
  • Riding on the Train: A song about train rides, with one of the lines going '...the A Train, B Train, Double C, takes you where to want to be...' (live-action)

See Also

Noteworthy Episodes

Noteworthy Sketches

Specials

The Muppets and Jim Henson

References

External Links