List of Sesame Street recurring segments

This is a list of miscellaneous recurring segments on the children's daytime program, Sesame Street.

Current Segments

Elmo's World

Main article: Elmo's World

What's The Word on the Street

What's the Word on the Street? first appeared in 2007. Murray Monster hosts the segment which precedes the corporate sponsor spots before each episode. He speaks with people about what the word of the day means, and instructs the audience to listen for its usage in the following episode.

Letter Of The Day

The "Letter of the Day" is a segment introduced in 2002. Cookie Monster hosted the segment with cameo appearances by guests for the first two years. In 2004, Prairie Dawn joined "Letter of the Day;" she usually finishes with a sigh and an apology from Cookie Monster. In 2007, the Letter Of the Day sketches became less common. The original segments involved a letter written in icing on a cookie, which Cookie Monster tried to resist but invariably ate. Segments produced in 2005 involved "The Letter of the Day Games": a game show introduced by an energetic off-camera announcer (voiced by Matt Vogel). Starting in 2009, Murray Monster hosts both the Letter and Number of the day segments.

Number Of The Day

The "Number of the Day" segment is hosted by Count von Count. The numbers range from zero to twenty. Initially, the segment was presented with the Count playing his pipe organ; and when he reached the number of the day, balloons, confetti and the number appeared. If the number of the day was zero, the organ disappeared in a puff of smoke. In 2005 and 2006, the number of the day was revealed at a restaurant, with the Count and his girlfriend Countess Dahling von Dahling present. The Count sang a song, asking whether the number of the day was one, two, etc. When he reached the number of the day, the Countess shouted "Stop!" Also in 2005 and 2006, the number of the day was found by using a jack-in-the-box, and starting in season 40 Murray Monster hosts both the Letter and Number of the day segments.

Abby's Flying Fairy School

These CGI segments feature fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby. Abby goes to Fairy School, learning from Mrs. Sparklenose. Her class features all new characters: classmates Blögg and Gonnigan, fairies, trolls, and a part-gerbil part-unicorn called Niblet. Episodes of the preschool series are eight to nine minutes long and debuted during Season 40. 13 shorts were made. Scott Stewart's SpeakEasy FX produced.

Super Grover 2.0

This title is an upgraded version of Super Grover, a superheroic Muppet who saves the world helping the others. One of the segments has a talking Chicken in the Great Wall of China.

Other

Great Moments at the Sink

This is a sketch that began in 1996, in which children perform healthy acts near a sink.

The Adventure of Trash Gordon

At the end of some episodes from 2004-2007, Oscar the Grouch read Slimey the Worm a chapter of Trash Gordon, a book with over 900 chapters. It's about a man named Trash Gordon (Gordon) who visits distant planets. At the end Trash would announce what the letter and number of the day was.

Hero Guy

Hero Guy was a sketch from 2001-2002. In a series of 11 sketches, Baby Bear brings Hero Guy to life by drawing a picture of him and singing his theme song. These sketches first aired in Season 32, and appeared on occasions until Season 38. When Hero Guy, who is also a bear, springs to life as an animated character, he and Baby Bear embark on adventures together. Although they often face unexpected challenges, Hero Guy never fails to save the day.

Spanish Word of the Day

The "Spanish Word of the Day" aired in 2002, and remained until 2006. is a segment on Sesame Street. In the segments, a character teaches a Spanish word and its English translation. Usually the segment features Grover, Rosita, Maria or Gabi.

Journey to Ernie

"Journey to Ernie" is a game of hide-and-seek. Big Bird must locate Ernie in a box with Ernie's striped shirt and his rubber duckie, but it may not be the first or even the second boxes that Big Bird finds. If Ernie is not in a box, then a sketch or song is featured. Then the game resumes after that segment is played out. When Ernie is found it is followed up by a sketch or song featuring Ernie with or without Bert. In 2003, the segment changed with Big Bird looking for clues and finds Ernie in a location that is hinted at in the beginning. This is played out in a complete narrative without any diversions as it was in the first format of "Journey to Ernie." One recurring gag in the second format is Big Bird asking The Two Headed Monster where Ernie is, with the Two Headed Monster pointing both left and right. Occasionally, there are unexpected surprises. For example, Telly Monster will hide in a triangle or Bert decides to hide instead of Ernie. At the end, when Big Bird finally discovers Ernie, they sing, and the game ends. In both formats, Ernie is featured in the sketch which follows "Journey to Ernie." A brief clip from Journey To Ernie appears in the 2003-2006 intro.

Despite this segment being very popular among the younger viewers, it was dropped from the show in Season 37 because the writers and producers felt that it was not 'Sesame' enough and that the look and feel of the animation was too similar to other shows on the television schedule and didn't mesh with the whole show.^[1]

Monster Clubhouse

Monster Clubhouse is a recurring Sesame Street segment featuring energetic young monster friends Mooba, Mel, Narf and Groogel. In 2002, Mooba was renamed Googel and Groogel was renamed Phoebe. In seasons 33, the segments were shortened considerably, and the monsters would only do three or four of the activities. A brief clip of Monster Clubhouse can still be seen in Sesame Street's 2002-2006 opening sequence. According to Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street, "It was an inspired idea, but kids didn't know the new Muppets and became confused, and the frentic pace of the segment raised concerns. The puppets Mooba, Mel, Narf, and Groogle literally bounced off the walls."

Dinner Theatre

Dinner Theatre is a food themed successor to Monsterpiece Theater, introduced in Sesame Street 2006. The segment is currently on the show. The series parodies plays and films to stress the importance of mealtime and healthy eating habits.

Murray Has a Little Lamb

A song will play before the segment, allowing Murray to wait for his lamb. The lamb will give clues in Spanish; examples include soccer, music, baseball and gymnastics. This title is a play of the Mother Goose nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb.

Monsters In Day Care

Monsters in Day Care was a recurring segment premiering in 1998. Harry Monster visits a real child at a day care center. He engages in conversation with the child before heading back to monster day care to inform the monsters what he learned.

Worms in Space

Worms in Space first aired in 1997, in which Slimey and his fellow WASA astronauts form letters or numbers aboard the Wiggleprise.

Super Morphin Mega Monsters

Super Morphin Mega Monsters was a recurring segment in the 1990s written as a parody of Power Rangers. The characters Elmo-saurus, Zoe-ceratops, Telly-dactyl, and Rosita-raptor would "morph" into caped and helmeted outfits when trouble arose. In contrast to the fight scenes on the real Power Rangers, the Mega Monsters would run around and wave their arms in vaguely martial arts-style motions, but would only reason with others instead of attacking.

References

1. ^ Louise Gikow (2009). Sesame Street: A Celebration 40 Years of Life on the Street. Five Mile Press Pty Limited. pp. 167.