I'd be happy to see Baby Bear (or, as he says, "Baby Beaw" go). And he can take Telly with him. Can't stand the bear's baby talk.

I love when Sesame Street does send-ups of current tv shows. The references fly right over kids' heads, but they're entertaining for the adults. One that I recall liking was an SVU send-up, complete with a puppet that looked like Richard Belzer.

Bob, Maria, Luis and Gordon - still hanging around the Street after all these years, have to be costing a fortune. At the risk of an age discrimination lawsuit, they'd have to be the first to go.

LIFO? Then you'd have to axe Abby.

Who'd be best equipped to find work elsewhere? Rosita. Musically talented, Spanish speaking - no worries. On the other end of the spectrum, Tele would never make it out there...

I've always been suspicious of the Count's immigration status...

Snuffleupagus is imaginary, is he even on the payroll?

My top 10 Sesame Street moments (in no particular order)

1. the pinball machine (1,2,3,4,5 etc..)
2. the lady bug picnic
3. 5 banana cream pies...
4. ultimate favorite!!! the songs that went with each letter of the alphabet - grover's i song; mmm monsters, the r machine, x marks the spot (with sherlock hemlock), sammy the snake, the association of w lovers (without w a waffle would be awful :)), four furry friends, g grover no g george - that's all I can remember but they were classic!!!!
5. mr hooper dying - not a favorite but a classic
6. christmas eve on sesame street
7. the golden "AN"
8. guy smiley and every game show he hosted
9. super grover
10. "doing the pidgeon" by bert!!

so much more I could write if I could remember them, but these are the ones that stick out 30 + years later...

I don't think Big Bird is really an active character anymore, they hardly even show him.

Big Bird ran off with soul mate Ward Cleaver.

I have been the mystery mistress of Count von Count for many years. His tub of lard wife won't give give him a divorce. She has the position and the title. I have the great sex and 5 secret love children with the Count.

BTW, The Count loves to count in the bedroom...

Perhaps 'domestic partners' Bert and Ernie would be most vulnerable to cutbacks in many states, including California. Bert could probably get another job somewhere, but I'm not so sure about Ernie. And he'd probably have to take his pigeons with him too.

I don't think Big Bird is really an active character anymore, they hardly even show him.

Posted by: mb129 | March 13, 2009 10:13 AM

That's probably because Caroll Spinney is almost 70 years old. Can't be easy getting into that puppet any more.

Perhaps 'domestic partners' Bert and Ernie would be most vulnerable to cutbacks in many states, including California. Bert could probably get another job somewhere, but I'm not so sure about Ernie. And he'd probably have to take his pigeons with him too.

Posted by: Justsaying4 | March 13, 2009 11:26 AM | Report abuse

Bert and Ernie have volunteered to help raise Octo-mom's youngin's. No word on the pigeons...

Wait, the budget deficit is how much? Any we're worried about which muppets to cut? Lay them all off.

Cut the whole show and just use reruns from the '60s, '70s, and early '80s (pre-Elmo). We received "Sesame Street: Old School Vol. 1" as a gift and my 6 year old exclaimed after watching it that he didn't know Sesame Street could be funny and interesting.

"The company says it's eliminating 67 of 355 staff positions."

...which is actually 19%, not 20%, but in this world of ignoring tax indiscretions, ponzi schemes, and mark-to-market rules, who's counting?

(no, seriously, who's counting?)

Carl Parisien Natick MA says: layoffs at Sesame Street. What the heck is going on out there. This is an institution

Bring back the Old School shows...they're much more educational and imformative than today's Sesame Street. We've got both Old School DVDs, and my kids prefer those to the new Sesame Street hands down! (I'm convinced that the newer one has been dumbed down just like most of today's children's programming anyway.) Mr. Rogers lived on in syndication after he crossed over, why can't classic Sesame Street? Those episodes teach something!

It does seem like a major edifice is falling when Sesame Street faces cutbacks. But I was always more into "The Electric Company." But Oscar, Cookie Monster, and Grover (always my personal favorite), are pretty much classics. Elmo is just annoying. As is the more recent trend towards cutesy, babyish, "acceptable" characters.

What the heck is going on out there. This is an institution

Posted by: DrRobertCarlParisien | March 13, 2009 1:54 PM

Sesame Street is, of course, "sponsored in part by viewers like you". So, perhaps you should ask yourself what the heck is going on out there....

"Mr. Rogers lived on in syndication after he crossed over, why can't classic Sesame Street?"

I dunno, I mean why should we produce any more art or music or plays? The old ones are so good...Why did anyone even try to compose music after Mozart? Or, at least after record players were invented. We could just play Mozart records over and over again. Wolfgang was old school. The National Orchestra shall play NOTHING ELSE! End ridiculous analgarant...

I can't imagine who they'd want to cut back on Sesame Street. I personally love Cookie Monster, Grover, The Count, and Oscar, but my son absolutely loves Elmo and Abby Cadabby.

I love it when they bring in celebrities to help with a skit. Usually there are jokes that only adults catch that go right over our kiddos heads.

My vote would be to axe the "Murray Has a Little Lamb" segments. I could handle Elmo's voice for hours on end if someone would silence Murray + Ovajita. Oh, and while I'm complaining, I'd also like to see the portion of the Elmo segment devoted to the cartoon on the TV go away. They contribute the least, are totally inane, and the voice of the woman they often feature is grating and insipid.