ON THE POSITIVE side of things, this long running PBS series has much to recommend it. It is well mounted, has had a creative use of music and always remains bright throughout every minor 'crisis'.
ITS WELL INTEGRATED interaction between both human and puppet characters always seems to be quite natural; both to the 'Little Ones', as well as to any adolescent and adults who just happen to be within earshot. Well planned use of regular characters from the late Jim Henson's MUPPETTS add a depth of characterization and aids in maintaining a good measure of continuity.
EVEN MORE RECOGNIZABLE than any of the people in the cast, the names of the Muppett are forever etched into our collective memory. Who could ever forget those 'regulars' such as: Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Ernie & Bert and Elmo. In addition to these Henson creations, the production company gave us the 8' 2" Bug Bird and Snuffleupugas.
ON THE OTHER side of the ledger, we must ask why such a successful and seemingly immortal a series as this is on the Public Broadcasting System rather than on 'commercial' TV?
WHY DOES THE production company, once again being The Children's' Television Workshop, receive its funding from public sources such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts and other $ource$ from private foundations?
WE CAN UNDERSTAND having 'seed money' advanced from both Uncle $am, as well as from those aforementioned Foundations. But, why should this panhandling financial plan when the program is and has been well established for over four decades?
AS Further EVIDENCE to our argument, we point to the seemingly never ending of licensed toys, books, clothing, games and kiddie records that bear the Sesamme Street brand.
AS AN EVEN more perplexing situation, we offer the existence of the SESAME STREET ON ICE Show; which has been touring for nearly 40 years itself. Surely this enterprise alone must generate a huge quantity of revenue by way of royalties paid.
IN ALL FAIRNESS, if this sort of aid to PBS programming is to continue, should it not also be offered to other Communications Conglamorates? So, Uncle Sam, how about throwing some tax payers' $$$ toward outfits like : Disney, Comcast/NBC/Universal and Time-Life-Warner?
ITS WELL INTEGRATED interaction between both human and puppet characters always seems to be quite natural; both to the 'Little Ones', as well as to any adolescent and adults who just happen to be within earshot. Well planned use of regular characters from the late Jim Henson's MUPPETTS add a depth of characterization and aids in maintaining a good measure of continuity.
EVEN MORE RECOGNIZABLE than any of the people in the cast, the names of the Muppett are forever etched into our collective memory. Who could ever forget those 'regulars' such as: Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Ernie & Bert and Elmo. In addition to these Henson creations, the production company gave us the 8' 2" Bug Bird and Snuffleupugas.
ON THE OTHER side of the ledger, we must ask why such a successful and seemingly immortal a series as this is on the Public Broadcasting System rather than on 'commercial' TV?
WHY DOES THE production company, once again being The Children's' Television Workshop, receive its funding from public sources such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts and other $ource$ from private foundations?
WE CAN UNDERSTAND having 'seed money' advanced from both Uncle $am, as well as from those aforementioned Foundations. But, why should this panhandling financial plan when the program is and has been well established for over four decades?
AS Further EVIDENCE to our argument, we point to the seemingly never ending of licensed toys, books, clothing, games and kiddie records that bear the Sesamme Street brand.
AS AN EVEN more perplexing situation, we offer the existence of the SESAME STREET ON ICE Show; which has been touring for nearly 40 years itself. Surely this enterprise alone must generate a huge quantity of revenue by way of royalties paid.
IN ALL FAIRNESS, if this sort of aid to PBS programming is to continue, should it not also be offered to other Communications Conglamorates? So, Uncle Sam, how about throwing some tax payers' $$$ toward outfits like : Disney, Comcast/NBC/Universal and Time-Life-Warner?