TSSR- Season 3 (1971-1972)

 

Season 3. This was the season where Sesame Street started to pick up the slack in terms of being an educational and entertaining show for kids. It’s the season that introduced certain character and status quo changes that would become huge staples of the show as it continued. And it’s the season that started to redefine just how far the show was willing to go to teach lessons to its audience.

As you can imagine, those were all quite huge tasks, so just how did the Children’s Television Workshop manage to pull it off? Let’s jump in and find out.

Production History

Don’t really have much to say here. Not a lot of changes happened with the production history of this season, and I can’t locate any production dates. But, the season debuted on November 15, 1971, and ended on May 12 of the next year.

Also, here’s a fun fact. Since Big Bird and Oscar were really the only characters Caroll Spinney was performing, and since they didn’t really make that many appearances off of the street yet, he and his characters were added to the human cast list during the end credits. And this would continue to be the case for 48 more seasons.

Overview

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that Season 3 was the first season that Sesame Street felt like it was what people have come to know it as: A real street with real people doing real things. This was a thing in the first two seasons, for sure, but I feel season 3 was where the writers finally got their groove for how to write for this neighborhood. You know how I went over previous storylines like Susan getting her nurse’s license in season 1, or Gordon and Mr. Hooper arguing about who owns the arbor garage, well, those types of storylines were starting to make their way into the foreground of the show, starting with season 3.

The human grown-ups would talk more about their adult struggles, jobs, and daily problems. Like Molly would give updates about her mail carrier job, Luis and Rafael open a Fix-It Shop and chat among themselves, Mr. Hooper tells Big Bird about how important bills are, and so on. They were still firmly riding that line between friendly kids' show characters and real adults. Not just that, but the situations they, along with the muppets they starred alongside, would find themselves in were slightly more complex than the first two seasons. Cookie Monster loses his memory, Bert tries to live somewhere else, Grover climbs the street sign, etc. It feels like there are still things for the characters to do.

The kid characters would also have a chance to be fleshed out a bit, too. As the scripts were allowing them to come to the right conclusions on their own, which no doubt, helped the kids watching at home feel like they’re smarter than they give themselves credit for.

The lessons the show was teaching were also evolving as well. In addition to the usual letter and number recognition, we also got to learn more about self-love, understanding emotions, not littering, taking care of the environment, not cutting down trees, getting vaccinated, and most of all realizing that the Spanish exist.

Season 3 is the season that starts acting like what people have praised it for being. Not being afraid to tackle any lessons kids need to learn and still keeping them entertained with great character interactions, catchy songs, and cool animation. All things that would continue to be huge facets of the show going forward.

Characters

The characters are where this season really shines. Continuing to build up old ones, and giving us new ones that were lovable worthwhile additions to the neighborhood. When it comes to who got to do what, on the muppet side, Big Bird and Oscar still have the highest totals, but the other four main muppets are starting to make more frequent street appearances.

When it comes to changes, I’d say Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, and Cookie Monster are pretty much the same as they were last season. Oscar, on the other hand, is getting progressively grouchier. We’re seeing less of Oscar being a guy who keeps to himself, and more of a pricky jerk who thrives on negativity. Most of his appearances are about him ranting about stuff, doing things deliberately to make his friends miserable, or just getting angry in general. And his outbursts can get pretty nasty at times.

“The favor you can do for me is to take your string, get outta here, and never come back and bother me with any dumb favors again!!!!!!” -Oscar

Caroll Spinney was really getting the hang of these guys.

Kermit also returned this season, and he’s just the same as he ever was, and so are his lectures. My favorite one has to be this one featuring Bob and a real frog.

Herry Monster came back too, but he has two scenes that feel out of place for him. There’s one segment where when an AM is asked if he gets attacked by monsters on the street, Herry swoops in and attacks him for no reason, and there’s an episode where Big Bird imagines Herry as a vicious monster who’s captured Tom to tickle him. Both of these scenes go against the character Herry was building up to be, and because of this, I find it quite jarring. Luckily, this was just a two-time scenario, at least from what I’ve seen and read, so far.

Now I wanna talk about Grover because there’s something I should’ve mentioned in the previous installment. While Grover was always someone who loved to help people, in most sketches of the previous season, Grover was portrayed as a competent guy whom the odds were often against. This was also seen in the first of his Charlie’s Restaurant sketches, where he works as a waiter serving food for the fat blue anything muppet known as Mr. Johnson. There, Grover has to get Mr. Johnson a hot bowl of alphabet soup, but this time, the dynamic between these two characters is switched up. Grover is portrayed as the toiling waiter who’s trying his best to meet his customer's demands, while Mr. Johnson is somewhat rude and picky, refusing to eat the soup without all the letters in it, and demanding it be taken back when it gets cold.

And after seeing this sketch in action, I think it was for the best that this dynamic was changed into what it is now, because it made both characters much more endearing, with Grover being the clueless employee who means well, but can never get his job done right, and Mr. Johnson, the unlucky customer who can never catch a break, and is always fainting.

Mr. Johnson wasn’t the only new character who debuted this season, there was also The Amazing Mumford and the Yip Yip Martians. A character and a set of characters who became fan favorites. Mainly for their iconic catchphrases.

“Ala Peanut Butter Sandwiches!” -Mumford

“Yip yip yip yip yip yip. Uh-huh uh-huh.” -Martians

Harvey Kneeslapper also made his debut the season, and while he didn’t stick around as long as the latter two characters, and isn’t nearly as remembered and loved as they are, he’s a character I quite enjoy, and one who I feel is very underrated. I’ve always had a soft spot for punny jokester characters, and despite the pain it caused for poor Frank Oz, his laughter is pretty contagious. Though I will say he could stand to take what he dishes out better.

But I think we all know who really stole the show in terms of new muppets, and that would be… Mr. Aloysius Snuffleupagus. You guys might want to get yourselves comfortable because I have quite a bit to say about this lovable brown mountain.

I believe Snuffy was the breakout new character this season, because, unlike the other characters I mentioned, he’s a full-bodied muppet who makes most of his appearances on the street with the likes of Big Bird, Oscar, and the humans. That, and he wasn’t exactly a looker in his first few appearances. Some would even say he’s downright terrifying.

Speaking of Big Bird, I really think he and Snuffy’s first interaction was a natural way of bringing these two gentle giants together. Big Bird wants to find a watering can, finds Snuffy just standing there, the two introduce themselves, Snuffy helps with Big Bird’s plants, and the two of them hit it off. It seems like a natural way two best friends would meet, especially kids. You meet up, do something together, and then you’re immediately buddies. As much as many of us would like to meet our best friends the same way Anne and Sprig did, the truth of the matter is that most of the time, the friends you’ve known all your life you’ve first met somewhere randomly, with no outside conflict, whatsoever. I know I have. So I give props to the writers for giving a natural start to Big Bird and Snuffy’s friendship.

What I WON’T give them props for is starting the annoying storyline of the adults in Big Bird’s life not believing that Snuffy is real. I get that kids DO have imaginary friends, but if they wanted to go with that explanation, they should have just stuck to it and not have these ambiguous moments where Big Bird feels Snuffy actually touching him. Because then, the storyline from then on is just this poor bird trying to prove to the people he loves that his best friend and the adventures they go on are real, but almost never succeeding. Plus, it’s not a good look for either of the parties that are affecting him. The grown-ups don’t look good for constantly scoffing and brushing off Big Bird’s adventures, (Which will only get worse as we continue.) and Snuffy doesn’t look good for never staying put long enough for Big Bird to get his other friends over, and always leaving without a word. It’s not funny, deep, or thought-provoking to me, and as I said, it’ll only get worse as we get to later seasons. But, I digress.

Now let’s focus on the human cast, which unlike last season features a sizable collection of new faces who were a lot more memorable and lovable, and they can all be separated into 1 of 4 categories.

Characters who became mainstays immediately: This category is of course referring to Maria (Played by Sonia Manzano) and Luis (Played by Emilio Delgado), and is it any wonder why these two have been with us for as long as they have? Maria and Luis have been the first Latin figures that many people have ever seen on TV. Who better to be introduced to Spanish culture than two figures who are down-to-earth, friendly, and on equal ground with their fellow cast members? Because Luis and Maria were basically paid to be themselves, they were able to win the audience over with their likability. (And their good looks.)

Characters who weren’t mainstays, but should’ve been: This category is for two specific characters that didn’t appear again after this season, but I feel should have, because they’re just that charismatic.

I’m talking about Molly the Mail Carrier, played by Charlotte Rae, who you might know as Edna Garrett from The Facts of Life and Different Strokes, and Rafael, one of the original Fix-It shop owners, played by Raul Julia, who you might know as the one and only Gomez Addams. Anyway, I’d say these two are also quite underrated, as you never see anyone talking about them when it comes to SS humans, and I don’t think that’s fair, because from what little scenes I’ve seen of them, they’ve proven to be just as real and good at interacting with other characters as their co-stars. And while I am glad they got greater success down the road, I do wish they got to stay on the show for a longer period of time. Like 3 more seasons minimum.

Characters previously introduced that made their marks: These next two characters are actually characters that debuted in the second season, but I avoided talking about them in the previous installment because I feel they actually started to become true cast members in this season.

David (Played by Northern Calloway) first appeared near the latter half of season 2, but only for a couple of episodes, and Linda (Played by Linda Bove) made her first appearance as a guest celebrity as part of the Little Theatre Of The Deaf, but she eventually moved to Sesame Street in episode 326 and became part of the main cast roster. And it’s not hard to see why these two stuck around either. David is a cool dude with a great range of emotions and great comedic timing, and Linda was such a good character to represent the deaf community on TV, not letting her disability stop her from doing the things she wants. While they didn’t stay as long as Luis and Maria, they stayed more than long enough to leave an impact, and this season really was their time to shine.

Characters that should have just stayed in this season: This category, like the other three I went over, just features two characters, and they may very well be some of my least favorite characters of the show. Wally and Ralph were another comedy duo made specifically for this season, and they’re literally just discount Buddy and Jim. I’m sorry, but it’s true. I know I wasn’t that fond of Larry and Phyllis, but at least they felt like different characters who had a different dynamic than those who came before them. Here, a good majority of W&R’s sketches are just B&J remakes with these new guys. I haven’t seen all of them but I bet the original versions are way better. Another reason why Wally and Ralph don’t work was that Brandon Maggart and James Catusi were quite honestly the perfect fit for their characters, and they sold their performances with every line. And while I can’t say Joe Ponazecki and Paul Price are bad actors, I also can’t really say they were born to play these characters, either.

I don’t know, it seems like Wally and Ralph seemed like an obligation. It felt like the show made these segments because they HAD to, not because they wanted to. Like they realized that Larry and Phyllis weren’t as popular as Buddy and Jim were, so they decided to hastily go back to the original formula with two replacements, and it just wasn’t that good.

But overall, the characterization of the season 3 gang is pretty good. In terms of MVPs, Big Bird, once again, takes the prize on the muppet side, since he gets the biggest storylines of the season. On the human side, I’d have to give the title to Molly, who seems to have the most to do in both the street scenes I’ve read online and the episodes I’ve watched.

My Top 5s

Okay, I realized that me putting episodes that aren’t available online on my street scenes list is probably gonna be a recurring theme for the first few installments, so from now on, whenever a street scene that isn’t available in video form is on my list, it’ll have this symbol by it: * Everyone got that? Good, now let’s get into the lists.

My Top 5 Favorite Street Stories

#5: (Episode 287) The One Where Molly’s Feet Hurt: This is an episode that really highlights Oscar’s importance on the show, because as unlikely as it seems, his worldview and values are actually useful in certain situations, like this one. From what I’ve read about this episode, it’s about Molly’s feet hurting, and she goes to Bob, Gordon, and Big Bird, who, while offering different solutions, all basically tell her to pretend the problem doesn’t exist, but when Molly gets to Oscar, I assume he encourages her to embrace how rotten she feels, and once she does that, she feels a lot better. This is why Oscar’s input matters in the grand scheme of things. He’s the only one who will openly encourage people to vent and blow off steam because that’s what he thrives on. And in turn, that helps whoever he’s interacting with because sometimes you need to vent and get your negative feelings out of your system. Negative emotions are a natural part of life, and that’s something that Oscar embodies perfectly.

UPDATE: So, this episode was released online not too long ago, so I decided to give it a watch, and it was pretty much what I was expecting, except for the fact that Oscar is a lot more mellow here than I thought he'd be.

#4: (Episode 343) The One Where Big Bird Gets A Measles Vaccination: I first found out about this one thanks ToughPigs’ Sesame Rewind series, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it, because now, we sane SS fans now have a reference to show conservative right-wing nuts that claim SS has gone off the deep end because it dared to talk about a topical issue, that they’ve been doing that since the 70s. But seriously, this episode is great at showcasing how progressive Sesame Street REALLY is. From the explanation that Big Bird and the audience get about the process to Susan and Dr. Marzullo being two black ladies running the operation to Luis helping a kid named Antonio not be so scared about getting his shot, this episode does a great job of making sure kids know how important getting vaccinated is. It also features Snuffy accidentally freaking Dr. Marzullo out with his… everything. Which does sound kinda funny.

#3: (Episode 352) The One Where Cookie Monster Loses His Memory: While it does feel pretty off to hear Cookie Monster speak so normally, the premise is still tons of fun to watch. Seeing him try to be different things and having a neutral opinion on cookies is entertaining, mainly because of Frank Oz’s outstanding performance, and you do feel really happy once Cookie gets his memories back and scarfs down an entire plate of cookies that the grown-ups make for him near the end.

#2: (Episode 276) The One Where Big Bird Meets Snuffy: I had to include the first episode of season 3 on the list. It introduces us to what characters we’re going to be seeing more of, it brings back Kermit, and even though it’s not ideal, it introduces us to one of the best friendships of the entire show.

#1: (Episode 330) The One Where The Fix-It Shop Opens: Having grown up in 2002, it’s so weird to me that Luis and Maria didn’t always run the Fix-It Shop together, but I have to say, the shop itself a had a great introduction. It feels like a natural occurrence on a street like this that two guys would start their own fixing business together. This was an episode that also showcased how enjoyable Rafael is, mainly in the way he interacts and reacts to Big Bird, who gets the highlight of the episode. His scheme to get all of their flashlights to give back to them is such a funny and clever scene that I’ve already talked about in my top 55 SS moments list and the way Rafael laughs it off by the end is rather sweet. Just an all-around great episode.

Honorable Mentions: Episode 334, Episode 355, Episode 338, Episode 376, Episode 349, and Episode 326

My Least Favorite Street Story: (Episode 359) The One Where Bert Tries To Find A New Place To Live: Surprisingly, my least favorite of the season is not any of Snuffy’s near misses, but rather a poor attempt of splitting Bert and Ernie up that was done a lot better in a future episode. The first problem I have with this episode is that we don’t see the inciting incident of E&B’s separation. No, Ernie being himself is not a good enough excuse for Bert to want to live somewhere else. Have the two get into an intense argument and insult each other badly, or have Ernie mess up something Bert was really looking forward to. This would help us get why Bert is so upset and why he wants to leave forever. Secondly, Ernie gets hardly ANY focus, so we never really get to see things from his perspective, or what emotions he’s going through, or, as I said, find out what exactly he did to piss Bert off. Instead, we spend 90% of the episode seeing Bert attempt to move in with Oscar and Big Bird, which is alright, but not enough to bring the episode up, especially considering its third and final issue, it feels like nothing was accomplished. Bert doesn’t really decide to move back because he misses Ernie or anything like that, he seems to do it because it’s the lesser of two evils. And when the two reunite, it’s not as heartwarming as it could be, despite Ernie planning a surprise welcome party. Cause not only have we not spent any time with Ernie to get us invested in his side of things, but at the very end, Ernie tells Bert to clean up his mess and immediately ditches him to play football. Sorry, but if you want to create a scenario like this, you can’t just end it with your usual comedic schtick, because Ernie’s insensitivity robs their reunion of any heart it could’ve had. Definitely a contender for my least favorite of the entire show.

My Top 5 Favorite Songs

#5: La La La: This is a song that not only works as a way to go over what words begin with the letter L but also to illustrate the personalities of the duo singing it. Bert and Ernie’s characters are on full display with the types of L words they sing about. When you hear Bert say “Linoleum” you instantly get what kind of person he is.

#4: J Friends: This song is just so gosh darn catchy. I wish I could say more about it, but that’s all it is. Give it a listen, and I’m sure you’ll agree. (EDIT: A few hours after I released this to the public, my good pal Spencer Griffin informed me that the friends mentioned in this song, as well as the scenarios that accompany them are subtle nods to Joe Raposo, Jim, and Jane Henson, and Joan Ganz Cooney. So, that's pretty awesome.)

#3: Welcome!/Bienvenidos!: The first time I ever heard this song was during the 50th anniversary special, where Norah Jones and the human cast congregated to sing it together. And I still prefer that version, but this one isn’t half bad either. Plus, the song itself is such a nice way to welcome somebody to something.

#2: No Matter What Your Language: This is another catchy and educational song. The first version of it I heard was the one by Rosita, but this one with Luis and Big Bird is just as catchy. It’s so great seeing how dedicated the show was to showing how the Spanish weren’t that different from Americans.

#1: C Is For Cookie: Come on, did you really think this song WASN’T gonna be number one? This is the song that cements who my favorite SS character is from this point onward. A monster who loves one thing and one thing only: The warm, delicious, mouthwatering treat known as the cookie. Cookie Monster doesn’t care that carrot starts with C, or camel starts with C, or chiropractor starts with C, none of that. So long as it’s the first letter of his favorite thing in the world, he’s satisfied. It’s no wonder the song became as popular as it did. It’s got a memorable hook and refrain and is sung by a character that a lot of people can relate to, especially me. Not really much else to say here. It’s another predictable pick, but it’s predictable for a reason.

Honorable Mentions: Believe in Yourself, Tu Me Gutas, Would You Like To Buy An O, Dee Dee Dee, The Two Song, and Me

My Least Favorite Song: M-M-M Monster Meal: This is by no means a bad song, but it is less good or catchy compared to the ones we’ve already gone over.

My Top 5 Favorite Segments

#5: 2 Train: As someone who likes trains, I found this segment to be rather charming, despite how short it is.

#4: The Cooperating Lines: Lines that can talk and argue are funny. They just are.

#3: Donnie Budd’s Country Songs: While Donnie Budd isn’t exactly the most memorable of Sesame Street’s animated characters, his fiddle songs are actually pretty catchy. My favorite ones would have to be the ones for the numbers 2 and 5.

#2: Martian Beauty: Now here’s a much more memorable animated character, mostly because of her appearance. The martian beauty has to be one of the most interesting and fun characters to draw. I’ve drawn her two times, and hope to do so more in the future. The song is pretty nice, too.

#1: The Mad Painter: It’s honestly such a trip to watch this guy go around places and randomly pick places to paint numbers. But what’s even funnier is how each character he interacts with reacts to his technical vandalism. Sometimes they’ll shrug it off, other times, they’ll get angry and chase him, and sometimes, they’ll even help him paint. Whatever the reaction, you should definitely check one of these out.

Honorable Mentions: Counting To 5 In The Jungle, Kangaroo Blues, I am Somebody and Jack And The B-Stalk

My Least Favorite Segment: Broken Glass Bridge: I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.

Conclusion

If season 1 set the basic stuff up, and season 2 improved on the things that needed improving, I say season 3 was the show's first real game-changer. This was where Sesame Street truly started to feel like more than just a kid’s show. It gave us characters and locations that would be true show staples going forward, the lessons were evolving past the basics, and it’s really starting to feel like what most people remember it as.

No more of the awkward, slow pacing of the first season, it’s now quicker, more snappy, and more clever, and trust me, these things are only going to get better from here.

Ah, another installment down. I hope you guys enjoy this one, even if I couldn’t find all the information that I wanted, but next time, we’re going to take a look at season four. So with all that said, I’ll see ya real soon, and remember, don’t litter.

*(Images from Tony Whitaker, Muppet Wiki, and Google Images)