Sesame Street Season 37 premiered on August 14, 2006.

Overview[]

The 37th season of Sesame Street focuses on getting kids ready for school and the classroom experience. The season featured the debut of a new female Muppet character named Abby Cadabby, who introduces herself in the cold open of the season's first two episodes (4109 and 4110) as a fairy in training who recently moved to Sesame Street. Every other episode begins with a cold open featuring Grover, Elmo, and Zoe singing "You never know who you'll meet on Sesame Street!" followed by Gordon announcing who the viewer will meet in today's episode.

The season introduced a new human character to the street - Marco, Gina's new baby. A three-episode story line (beginning in 4130) followed the adoption of Marco from Guatemala. Gina's adopting of Marco allowed Sesame Street to deal with issues of international adoption and non-traditional families. He appeared in a couple episodes the following two seasons but did not appear again until season 42. As a new baby was introduced to the show this season, the previous Sesame Street children, Miles and Gabi, entered adulthood as they graduated from high school (in 4112).

Episodes in season 37 featured a "This Is the Game Today" bumper introducing game or physical movement segments, and one episode showed the return of the Twiddlebugs (in computer-animated form).

New Elmo's World segments for its eighth season include the subjects of Friends, Penguins, Doctors, Building Things, Horses, and Fast & Slow. New installments of "Global Grover" include visits to Germany, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Iceland, and Hawaii.

Starting in this season, the Fix-It Shop turned Mail-It Shop is now the Fix-It Shop once more, with no on-screen reason why.

Parodies[]

Parody sketches and segments include Scramalot (a Grouch parody of the musical Spamalot), Survivor: Musical Chairs (a parody of the reality show Survivor), Outrageous Makeover: Home Addition (a parody of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), Law and Order: Special Letters Unit (a parody of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), and the song "The Breakfast Club" (a parody of the film The Breakfast Club). Several new Dinner Theatre sketches include "What We're Having for Dinner" (a parody of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner), "Man of La Muncha" (a parody of Man of La Mancha), and "Omelet, Prince of Dinner" (a parody of Hamlet).

Episodes[]

Episodes 4109 - 4134 (26 episodes)

• Episode 4109 -- Abby Cadabby comes to Sesame Street
• Episode 4110 -- Abby Cadabby's first day of school
• Episode 4111 -- Cookie World
• Episode 4112 -- Gabi and Miles graduate from High School
• Episode 4113 -- Herb, the plant eating dinosaur, visits Sesame Street
• Episode 4114 -- Snow White's Meltdown
• Episode 4115 -- Maria and Luis' wedding anniversary/H Day
• Episode 4116 -- Elmo and Alan play school
• Episode 4117 -- Good-bye Elmo, Hello Jelmo
• Episode 4118 -- Ask Oscar Show
• Episode 4119 -- Big Bird wishes the adults were kids
• Episode 4120 -- Baby Bear writes a story called "The 3 Astro Bears"
• Episode 4121 -- Telly's doll Freddy wants to play with Rocco
• Episode 4122 -- Healthy Food Pageant
• Episode 4123 -- Baby Bear builds an automatic lemonade pouring machine
• Episode 4124 -- Slimey wants to be a hero like Trash Gordon
• Episode 4125 -- Alphabet Road Show comes to Sesame Street
• Episode 4126 -- Zoe has a birthday party for Rocco
• Episode 4127 -- Oscar gets a Rottendoodle
• Episode 4128 -- Zoe wants long hair like Rapunzel
• Episode 4129 -- What Comes Next Game Show
• Episode 4130 -- Gina Adopts a Baby, part 1
• Episode 4131 -- Gina Adopts a Baby, part 2
• Episode 4132 -- Gina Adopts a Baby, part 3
• Episode 4133 -- National Try a New Food Day
• Episode 4134 -- Oscar and Grundgetta race the Sloppy Jalopy

Notes[]

• Starting this season, the U.S. Department of Education no longer provided funding to the show.
• Several episode numbers were changed this year, from taping to air. The episodes focusing on Marco's adoption were moved to November in order to coincide with National Adoption Month. The original episode numbers include:

• 4109 -- Gina adopts a baby
• 4110 -- Gina brings the baby home
• 4123 -- Abby Cadabby comes to Sesame Street
• 4129 -- Abby starts school for the first time

• This was the final season to use the 2002 "blocks" opening sequence and the 1992 animated "dancing city" closing credits.

• This was the final season to credit the Muppet performers as "Jim Henson's Muppets." Beginning with the following season, Jim Henson's name is dropped, and they are simply credited as the "Muppets of Sesame Street."

• The Journey to Ernie segments are discontinued this season and replaced by "This Is the Game Today," although the former still appears in the opening.

Cast[]

Cast

Alison Bartlett O'Reilly, Desiree Casado, Emilio Delgado, Kristin Chenoweth, Olamide Faison, Bill Irwin, Michael Jeter, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Alan Muraoka, Roscoe Orman

Jim Henson's Muppets

Caroll Spinney, Pam Arciero, Heather Asch, Jennifer Barnhart, Fran Brill, Tyler Bunch, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph (uncredited), Kevin Clash, R. Bruce Connelly, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Ryan Dillon, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, Noel MacNeal, Amanda Maddock, Jim Martin, Joey Mazzarino, Jerry Nelson, Carmen Osbahr, Frank Oz, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Steve Whitmire, Bryant Young

Guest Stars

Jamie Foxx, T. R. Knight, Shirley Jones, Matt Lauer, John Legend, Amy Sedaris, Alex Trebek, Lillias White

Characters[]

Humans

Maria, Alan, Gordon, Gina, Luis, Bob, Susan, Gabi, Miles, Marco, Mr. Noodle

Muppets

Abby Cadabby, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Bert, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Mrs. Crustworthy, Curly Bear, David Letterguy, The Elephant, Elmo, Ernie, Fairy Godperson, Grover, Grundgetta, H-Man, Hansel and Gretel, Herb, Herry Monster, Honkers, Hoots the Owl, Jack and Jill, Jamie Fox, Mr. Johnson, Little Red Riding Hood, Mama Bear, Murray Monster, Old MacDonald, Oscar the Grouch, Papa Bear, Mr. Pattern, Peter Piper, Prairie Dawn, Rosita, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Stinky the Stinkweed, Telly Monster, Zoe

Credits[]

• Executive Producer: Carol-Lynn Parente
• Line Producer: April Chadderdon
• Producers: Melissa Dino, Tim Carter, Crystal Whaley
• Directors: Kevin Clash, Ken Diego, Victor DiNapoli, Jim Martin, Ted May, Lisa Simon, Emily Squires, Nadine Zylstra
• Head Writer: Lou Berger
• Writers: Molly Boylan, Annie Evans, Christine Ferraro, Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, Joey Mazzarino, Emily Perl Kingsley, Luis Santeiro, Belinda Ward, John Weidman
• Head Writer (Elmo's World): Judy Freudberg
• Co-Executive Producer (Elmo's World): Kevin Clash
• Production Designers: Victor DiNapoli, Lyndon Mosse
• Puppets, Costumes, Props: Jason Weber, with Ed Christie, Andrea Detwiler, Michelle Hickey, Rollie Krewson, Sarah Luraschi, Jane Pien, Anney McKilligan, Tom Newby, Polly Smith
• Music Director: Mike Renzi
• Studio Music Director: Dave Conner
• Director of Music Operations: Danny Epstein
• Original Songs: Chris Cerf, Tony Geiss, Stephen Lawrence, Jeff Moss, John Pizzarelli, Sam Pottle, Mark Radice, Joe Raposo, Mike Renzi, Earl Rose
• Lighting Designer: Dan Kelley
• Talent Coordinator: Theresa Anderson
• Child Talent Assistant: Carrie Haugh
• Costume Designers: Bill Kellard, Terry Roberson
• Art Director: Bob Phillips
• Senior Graphic Designer: Mike Pantuso
• Graphic Designer: Pete Ortiz
• Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
• Editing Supervisor: Robert J. Emerick
• Associate Directors: Frank Campagna, Tim Carter, Ken Diego, Leslie Williams
• Production Stage Manager: Meryl Jaffe
• Stage Manager: Shawn Havens
• Production Manager: Heather Dixon
• Production Coordinator: Katherine Guttman
• Post Production Coordinator: Conrad Ford
• Associate Producers: Todd E. James, Benjamin Lehmann, Rebecca Rosa
• Production Associate: Mindy Fila
• Music Coordinator: Vicki Levy
• Sound Effects: Dick Maitland C.A.S.
• Technical Directors: Tom Guadarrama, Robert Salzer, Dan Stewart, Richard Wirth
• Audio: Blake Norton
• Second Audio: Carla Bandini-Lory
• Cameras: Frank Biondo, Jerry Cancel, Aaron Meddick, Pat Minetta, Jimmy O’Donnell
• Video Engineer: James Meek
• Tape: Ernie Albritton
• Utility: Jonathan Lory, Gordon Price, Chuck Tutino
• Boom: Mel Becker, Dan Guachione
• Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Steve Ruggiero, Tony Santoro
• Editors: Selbern Narby, Chris Reinhart, John Tierney
• Sound Editing: Bob Schott
• Recording Engineers: Jim Czak, Bill Moss
• Make Up: Joe Cuervo, Jane Di Persio, Heidi Kulow
• Hairstylist: Karen Specht
• Wardrobe: Rose Cuervo
• Scenic Artists: Wilber Ball, Margaret Ryan
• Script Supervisor: Syndi Shumer
• Script Coordinator: Lynda Holder-Settles
• Production Secretaries: Leah Baker, Leigh Gallagher
• Transportation Supervisor: Keith Olsen
• Director of Production Accounting: Stephanie Longardo
• Production Accountant: Kalombo Tshimanga
• Post Production Assistant: Tim Wells
• Production Clerk: Nathaniel Wharton
• Vice President of Education and Research: Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.
• Sesame Street Research Team: David I. Cohen, Anna E. Housley-Juster, M.A., Jennifer Kolter, Ph.D., Jane S. Park, M.A., Evangelean Pope, Autumn Ziztani, M.A.
• GVP of Production for TV, Film & Home Video: Jodi Nussbaum
• Post Production by Postworks, Creative Bubble
• Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York

External Links[]

• Sesame Workshop Pressroom - Season 37 (archive link)