Sesame Street videography

There have been many Sesame Street videos over the years, usually featuring a mix of newly-produced material and segments from the series. Many video releases have also come with such bonus materials as activity booklets and song lyric posters. Many Sesame Street videos revolved around a certain theme, from such learning concepts as letters and numbers, to "best of" videos focusing on certain characters, to music-themed videos. Nearly every direct-to-video Sesame Street production began with a voice-over reading the title as it appeared on-screen.
==Early releases==
The first releases of Sesame Street videos on VHS were a couple of storybook videos released by Golden Video in 1985. These two featured stills from various storybooks, with limited animation and voices. Also around this time, Sesame Street's first movie, Follow That Bird, was released on video by Warner Brothers.
File:Old3SesameStoriesVHScover.JPG||link=Sesame Street Stories (video)
File:Video.followthatbird-vhs.jpg||link=Follow That Bird (video)
==Random House==
In 1986, Random House Home Video started releasing Sesame Street videos. The packaging for these usually featured an image in a border on the cover. The back covers didn't include any pictures, just a summary and usually a listing of other Sesame Street videos available on Random House Home Video. Most collections of videos featured a number in the "proof of purchase" box on the side panels. The first collection of Sesame Street videos from Random House was My Sesame Street Home Video, which were approximately 30 minutes long (as opposed to an hour, like the average Sesame Street episode). These videos also originally came with special activity booklets.
In 1987, Random House started releasing Sesame Street television specials on video, with the first specials released on video being Big Bird in China, Don't Eat the Pictures, and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. Around this time Random House also released another series of videos, Sesame Street Start-to-Read Video. These were similar to the Golden Video releases, being that they featured still images from various storybooks, but unlike those videos, the Start-To-Read videos did not include any animation. Also, while Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, and Fran Brill provided voices to the Golden Video releases, only Caroll Spinney provided voices to this video series, narrating the videos as Big Bird, and also providing voices of all other characters. Also, in this video series, words appeared on-screen as Big Bird narrated.
In 1990, Random House started releasing another video series, Sesame Songs Home Video. All of these releases were themed around song sketches. The videos came with song lyric posters, and while past video series featured a listing of other videos in those collections on the back covers, this series didn't list other Sesame Songs releases, instead using the space to list the songs that appear on the videos. Also, during that year, Random House released its first two direct-to-video Sesame Street productions to not have segments from the show. These two videos were Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Hospital and Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Firehouse.
File:Origlettersvhs.jpg||link=Learning About Letters
File:Orignumbersvhs.jpg||link=Learning About Numbers
File:Origreadytoreadvhs.jpg||link=Getting Ready to Read
File:Origimgladvhs.jpg||link=I'm Glad I'm Me
File:Origplayalongvhs.jpg||link=Play-Along Games & Songs
File:Origbedtimevhs.jpg||link=Bedtime Stories & Songs
File:Origschoolvhs.jpg||link=Getting Ready for School (video)
File:Origaddvhs.jpg||link=Learning to Add and Subtract
File:Origsingalongvhs.jpg||link=Sing Along
File:Origstoryvhs.jpg||link=Big Bird's Story Time
File:Video.bigbirdchina-vhs.jpg||link=Big Bird in China
File:Video.xmaseve-vhs.jpg||link=Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (video)
File:Vhs.donteatthepictures.jpg||link=Don't Eat the Pictures
File:Video.starttoread-erniesbigmess.jpg||link=Ernie's Big Mess (video)
File:Video.starttoread-iwanttogohome.jpg||link=I Want to Go Home! (video)
File:Thealphabetgamevideo.jpg||link=The Alphabet Game
File:Video.countithigher-vhs1.jpg||link=Count It Higher: Great Music Videos from Sesame Street
File:Origerniebertvhs.jpg||link=The Best of Ernie and Bert
File:Bigbirdsfavt.jpg||link=Big Bird's Favorite Party Games
File:Monster hits!.jpg||link=Monster Hits!
File:Sing yourself silly!.jpg||link=Sing Yourself Silly!
File:Origrockandrollvhs.jpg||link=Rock & Roll!
File:Dance along!.jpg||link=Dance Along!
File:Sesame_street_visits_the_firehouse.jpeg||link=Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Firehouse
File:Video.hospital.jpg||link=Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Hospital
File:Bigbirdinjapanvhs.jpg||link=Big Bird in Japan
File:Video.starttoread-dontcrybigbird.jpg||link=Don't Cry, Big Bird (video)
File:Sing hoot howl.jpg||link=Sing, Hoot & Howl with the Sesame Street Animals
File:Elmo's sing along guessing game.jpg||link=Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game
File:Video.starttoread-ernieslittlelie.jpg||link=Ernie's Little Lie (video)
File:MusicalCelebrationRH.jpg||link=Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years
File:We all sing together.jpg||link=We All Sing Together
File:Video.earthsongs.jpg||link=Sing-Along Earth Songs
File:Video.newbaby-original.jpg||link=A New Baby in My House
File:BestOfElmoVHSRH.jpg||link=The Best of Elmo (video)
File:Put_Down_the_Duckie_.jpg||link=Put Down the Duckie (special)
Sesamestreetcelebratesaroundtheworld1994randomhousehomevideovhs.jpg||link=Sesame Street Stays Up Late
==Sony Wonder==
In 1995, Sony Wonder took over distribution of Sesame Street videos, rereleasing many past video releases in addition to releasing new-to-video releases. Unlike the Random House releases, Sony Wonder's releases didn't have a border on the cover, and the back covers featured an image on the back. Unlike Random House (with the exception of the Sesame Songs videos), most Sony Wonder video releases had song listings on the back covers. Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years was the only video re-released by Sony Wonder to not have any major packaging changes. With some rereleases (Learning About Letters, Learning About Numbers, etc) the main packaging changes were the lack of a border and different background, while other rereleases (Getting Ready to Read, Play-Along Games and Songs, etc.) had much more significant cover changes. While quite a few video releases from Random House had detailed backgrounds, until 2004 nearly all of Sony Wonder's releases had plain-colored backgrounds.
Sony Wonder released a handful of new Sesame Street videos with the My Sesame Street Home Video and Sesame Songs opening logo sequences, but these logos didn't appear on the video packaging. Many of Sony Wonder's other releases had a special animated "Sesame Street Home Video" sequence, which features Big Bird, Elmo, Snuffy, Cookie Monster, Ernie and Zoe building the words "Home Video" under the Sesame Street sign. Sony Wonder also released a few Sesame Street videos with a "Kids' Guide to Life" series, which usually featured the major presence of a celebrity.
In 2000, Sony Wonder started to release various Elmo's World segments on video. Each video release included three Elmo's World segments, sometimes tied to a specific theme, sometimes not. In 2001, Sony Wonder released Elmo's World: Wild Wild West, the first of a few direct-to-video Elmo's World specials. In fact, it was around this time that Sony Wonder started to regularly release direct-to-video Sesame Street releases that lasted more than a half hour (some lasting up to 40 or 50 minutes in length).
Although a few Sesame Street specials had been released on DVD when they were first released on video, in 2001 Sony Wonder started releasing past Sesame Street videos on DVD. At first, most Sesame Street DVDs didn't have any bonus features (excluding a "preview other Sesame Street DVDs" feature, which featured short clips from other DVDs). Eventually, Sesame Street DVDs started to have features, usually a game or bonus segments from the show.
In 2002, Sesame Street changed its format. One of the changes was to make the street plot one long segment, with no inserts interrupting the plot. Following this change, Sony Wonder started to release videos featuring the street plots from these newer episodes, starting with Elmo Visits the Firehouse. Some releases included two or more street stories. Before the format change, the only videos to feature street plots (with most of the segments edited) were Slimey's World Games and Computer Caper. In 2005, following a number of hurricanes, Sony Wonder released the street scenes from the Season 32 hurricane episodes, edited together for the video release Friends to the Rescue. In 2006, Sony Wonder started to release mostly complete hour-long episodes of the show, in collections such as Old School, featuring episodes from the show's early years, and TV Episode Fun Packs, featuring more recent episodes.
In 2004, Sony Wonder made a significant change to the style of its packaging. While back covers had previously only had one image, now Sesame Street videos featured three to four pictures on the back covers, often with a small caption under the photo. These were originally presented vertically, but later they were presented horizontally (the Elmo's World videos also had a style like this). In 2006, video covers started to have a side border on the right of the cover. Some of these borders resembled the Sesame Street lamppost.
Also in 2006, Sony Wonder released a new direct-to-video series, Sesame Beginnings, featuring baby versions of the Sesame Street Muppets.
File:Big_bird_sings!.jpeg||link=Big Bird Sings! (video)
File:Cookie_monster's_best_bites.jpeg||link=Cookie Monster's Best Bites
File:Do_the_alphabet.jpeg||link=Do the Alphabet
File:Learning_to_share.jpeg||link=Learning to Share
File:Imagine_that.jpeg||link=Imagine That! (video)
File:Elmocize.jpg||link=Elmocize
File:Slimeysworldgames.jpg||link=Slimey's World Games
File:Video.elmosavesxmas.jpg||link=Elmo Saves Christmas (special)
File:Get_up_and_dance.jpeg||link=Get Up and Dance
File:Telling_the_truth.jpeg||link=Telling the Truth
File:Quiet_time.jpeg||link=Quiet Time (video)
File:Singyourselfsillier.jpg||link=Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies
File:123countwithme.jpg||link=123 Count with Me (video)
File:Elmo_says_boo.jpeg||link=Elmo Says BOO! (video)
File:Video.wegman-goose.jpg||link=William Wegman's Mother Goose
File:Big_bird_gets_lost.jpeg||link=Big Bird Gets Lost (video)
File:Fiesta.jpg||link=Fiesta!
File:Elmopalooza.jpg||link=Elmopalooza
File:Alphabetjunglegame.jpg||link=The Alphabet Jungle Game
File:Video.GreatNumbersGame.jpg||link=The Great Numbers Game
File:Bestofkermit-NEW.jpg||link=The Best of Kermit on Sesame Street
File:Let's_eat.jpeg||link=Let's Eat!: Funny Food Songs
File:Kidsfavtsongs.jpg||link=Kids' Favorite Songs (video)
File:Grouchlandsingandplay.jpg||link=The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Sing and Play
File:LV 55235.PNG|
File:LV 55236.PNG|
File:Elmoingrouchlanddvd.jpg||link=The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (video)
File:Cinderelmodvd.jpg||link=CinderElmo
File:Let's_make_music.jpeg||link=Let's Make Music
File:Peterandthewolf.jpg||link=Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter and the Wolf
File:Elmosmagiccookbook.jpg||link=Elmo's Magic Cookbook
File:Kid's_favorite_songs_2.jpeg||link=Kids' Favorite Songs 2 (video)
File:Computer_caper.jpeg||link=Computer Caper
File:Video.wordplay.jpg||link=Bert & Ernie's Word Play
File:Elmofirehouse.jpg||link=Elmo Visits the Firehouse
File:Zoe's_dance_moves.jpeg||link=Zoe's Dance Moves
File:Sesame_sings_karaoke.jpeg||link=Sesame Sings Karaoke
File:Three_bears_and_a_new_baby.jpeg||link=Three Bears and a New Baby
File:Video.whatsthename.jpg||link=What's the Name of That Song? (video)
File:Streetweliveon.jpg||link=The Street We Live On
File:A_magical_halloween_adventure.jpeg||link=A Magical Halloween Adventure
File:Celebrationgrover.jpg||link=A Celebration of Me, Grover
File:Happy_healthy_monsters.jpeg||link=Happy Healthy Monsters
File:Friendsrescue.jpg||link=Friends to the Rescue
File:Video.allstaralphabet.jpg||link=All-Star Alphabet
File:Video.elmodoctor.jpg||link=Elmo Visits the Doctor
File:Beginning_Together.jpeg||link=Beginning Together
File:Walmartdvd.scienceexplore.jpg||link=Elmo and Zoe's Scientific Exploration
File:Dvd-guessthatshape.jpg||link=Guess That Shape and Color
File:Dvd-elmopotty.jpg||link=Elmo's Potty Time
File:Exploring_Together_DVD.jpg||link=Exploring Together
File:Walmartdvd.monsterparade.jpg||link=The Furry Red Monster Parade
File:Walmartdvd.letterclub.jpg||link=The Letter of the Month Club
File:Make_Music_Together.jpeg||link=Make Music Together
File:Oldschool1.jpg||link=Old School: Volume 1
File:Video.ssxmascarol.jpg||link=A Sesame Street Christmas Carol
File:Moving.Together_DVD.jpg||link=Moving Together
==Genius Entertainment==
In 2007, Genius Entertainment got the rights to release Sesame Street videos and DVDs. In addition to new-to-DVD releases, Genius rereleased past releases on one DVD each, packaged as Sesame Street Double Features. Afterwards, Genius Products rereleased a number of past DVDs in single-disc, single-program format.
File:CountrySongs.dvd.jpg||link=Kids' Favorite Country Songs
File:RedyforSchool.jpg||link=Ready for School!
File:Oldschools2.jpg||link=Old School: Volume 2
File:Tvfunpack1.jpg||link=TV Episode Fun Packs
File:Tvfunpack2.jpg||link=TV Episode Fun Packs
File:AbbyDVD.jpg||link=Abby in Wonderland
File:Count-on-sports.jpg||link=Count on Sports
File:Sesamedinosaurs.jpg||link=Dinosaurs!
File:TalesDVD-cover.jpg||link=Elmo and Friends: Tales of Adventure
File:Video.elmos-christmas-countdown.jpg||link=Elmo's Christmas Countdown
File:Lovetheearth.jpg||link=Love the Earth!
File:Bedtime with elmo.jpg||link=Bedtime with Elmo
File:Beinggreen-dvd.jpg||link=Being Green (video)
File:BirthdayFun.jpg||link=Elmo and Abby's Birthday Fun!
File:Elmolovesyou-dvd.jpg||link=Elmo Loves You (video)
File:Dvd-elmosanimaladv.jpg||link=Elmo's Animal Adventures (video)
File:Pirates-video.jpg||link=Pirates: Elmo and the Bookaneers
File:DVD-40years.png||link=40 Years of Sunny Days
File:Dvd-letterquest.jpg||link=Elmo and Friends: The Letter Quest and Other Magical Tales
==Warner Home Video==
Genius Products' contract distributing Sesame Street DVDs lasted only two years. Warner Home Video took over video rights in 2010.TV shows on DVD press release In addition to rereleasing many Genius titles, Warner usually released one new Sesame Street release per month. In 2012, the releases started to get longer than usual, with some of the single-disc releases promoting "Over 2 hours of fun!" on the covers. Around this time, DVD releases started to occasionally include an existing video release as a bonus feature.
While there had previously been a handful of releases containing full hour-long episodes, most of which were multi-disc releases while a few single-disc releases contained only one hour-long episode, 2012's Elmo's Magic Numbers started a new trend of releasing single-disc releases with two hour-long episodes. However, around this time, Sesame Street DVDs would generally stop including the theme song, with the opening and closing cut from releases of full episodes being cut (though instances of an instrumental version of the theme appearing as an underscore in existing episodes would sometimes be retained). The opening would again be included on video releases as early as 2017, with the opening included in a bonus episode in Elmo and Cookie Monster Supersized Fun (though the closing was still omitted), and the season 46 opening would open the compilation Elmo Loves Animals. Elmo Loves Animals would also be the first Sesame Street DVD where the main program included a mix of full half-hour episodes and street stories. Also starting as early as 2017, videos would no longer open with a title sequence.
File:Elmosrainbowdvd.jpg||link=Elmo's Rainbow and Other Springtime Stories
File:Greatadvtdvd.jpg||link=Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures (video)
File:BestOfElmo2.jpg||link=The Best of Elmo 2
File:Buggybuddiesdvd.jpg||link=Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies
File:ABCSWithElmo.jpg||link=ABCs with Elmo (video)
File:Pisforprincess.jpg||link=P Is for Princess
File:CountingWithElmo.JPG||link=Counting with Elmo (video)
File:IronMonsterandOtherSuperStories.jpg||link=Iron Monster and Sesame Heroes
File:CIsForCookieMonster.jpg||link=C is for Cookie Monster
File:SillyStorytime-FinalVersion.jpg||link=Silly Storytime
File:WildWordsandOutdoorAdventures.jpg||link=Wild Words and Outdoor Adventures
File:ElmosTravelSongsandGames.jpg||link=Elmo's Travel Songs and Games
File:SesameSpoofs.jpg||link=Best of Sesame Street Spoofs!
File:LettersWithElmo.jpeg||link=Learning Letters with Elmo
File:ElmosMusicMagic.jpg||link=Elmo's Music Magic
File:ElmosShapeAdventure.jpg||link=Elmo's Shape Adventure
File:ByeByePacifier.jpg||link=Bye-Bye Pacifier! Big Kid Stories with Elmo
File:SingingWithStars.jpg||link=Singing with the Stars
File:BigElmoFun.jpg||link=Big Elmo Fun
File:ElmosMagicNumbers.jpg||link=Elmo's Magic Numbers
File:Elmo's_Alphabet_Challenge.jpg||link=Elmo's Alphabet Challenge
File:Best of Friends.jpg||link=Best of Sesame Friends
File:MakingFriends.jpg||link=Making Friends
File:OSV3.jpg||link=Old School: Volume 3
ETM-DVD.jpg||link=Elmo the Musical (video)
Image:ArtsPlaydate.jpg||link=Arts and Crafts Playdate
CForCookingDVD.jpg||link=C is for Cooking (video)
BeingBrave.jpg||link=Being Brave
FairytaleFun.jpg||link=Fairytale Fun
Good-SportDVD.jpg||link=Be a Good Sport
ElmoAndFriendsDVD.jpg||link=Elmo and Friends (video)
AlphabetSongs.jpg||link=Alphabet Songs
CM&Friends.jpg||link=Cookie Monster and Friends
BB&Friends.jpg||link=Follow That Bird (video)
MonsterManners.jpg||link=Monster Manners
Learning-Rocks.jpg||link=Learning Rocks
ETM-Vol2DVD.jpg||link=Elmo the Musical - Volume 2: Learn and Imagine
M-Mystery-DVD.jpg||link=M is for Mystery
Elmo-SuperNumbers.jpg||link=Elmo's Super Numbers
BestOfElmo3.jpg||link=The Best of Elmo 3
CountOnElmo.jpg||link=Count on Elmo
PlayAllDay-DVD.jpg||link=Play All Day with Elmo
ElmoCanDoIt.jpg||link=Elmo Can Do It!
File:Warrr.jpg||link=The Cookie Thief (video)
File:SingItElmo.jpg||link=Sing It, Elmo!
File:ElmoStories-DVD.jpg||link=Elmo's Favorite Stories (video)
File:LoveToLearn-DVD.jpg||link=Love to Learn (video)
File:MonsterMagic.jpg||link=Monster Magic
File:SingingWithStars2.jpg||link=Singing with the Stars 2
File:ElmoCM-Supersized.jpg||link=Elmo and Cookie Monster Supersized Fun
File:Sesame-Street-Elmo-Loves-Animals-DVD-351x500.jpg||link=Elmo Loves Animals
File:TrickOrTreatSesame.jpg||link=Trick or Treat on Sesame Street
File:OnceSSXmas-DVD.jpg||link=Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas (video)
File:BestOfElmo4.jpg||link=The Best of Elmo 4
File:LoveToLearnVol2.jpg||link=Love to Learn Vol. 2
==Shout! Factory==
In 2018, Shout! Factory took over the video rights to Sesame Street.
File:MagicalWandChase-DVD.jpg||link=The Magical Wand Chase (video)
File:CelebrateFamily_72DPI.jpg||link=Celebrate Family
File:AmazingAlphabetCollection.png||link=Awesome Alphabet Collection
File:SS-DanceParty.jpg||link=Dance Party!
File:50DVD.jpg||link=50 Years and Counting (video)
File:Sesame-50thSpecialDVD.jpg||link=Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration (video)
File:WishPickle-DVD.jpg||link=When You Wish Upon a Pickle (video)
File:MonsterHitsElmo.jpg||link=Monster Hits: Rock & Rhyme With Elmo
File:CoolCountingCollection.jpg||link=Cool Counting Collection
File:WonderfulWorldofFriends.jpg||link=Wonderful World of Friends!
File:PottyTimePlus.png||link=Potty Time Plus! Getting Ready With Elmo
File:DVD-FavoriteHolidays.jpg||link=My Favorite Holidays
File:DVD-ElmoTango.jpg||link=Elmo & Tango: Furry Friends Forever
File:ElmoAbbyAdventures.jpg||link=Abby & Elmo's Amazing Adventures
File:ElmoHolidaySpectacular.jpg||link=Elmo’s Holiday Spectacular
==Other distributors==
A DVD of the special Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting was released in 2010 as Sesame Street: 20 Years... and Still Counting! by Lions Gate Entertainment for the Jim Henson Company. (This special is one of the few Sesame Street projects directly produced by the Jim Henson Company, who retained the rights.) In 2011, MUSE Film and Television, Inc. released Don't Eat the Pictures on DVD. In 2012, A Special Sesame Street Christmas was released to DVD for the first time by Legendary Entertainment Alliance.
File:SesameStr 20YearsAndCountin.jpg||link=20 Years and Still Counting
File:DontEatPicturesDVDCover.jpg||link=Don't Eat the Pictures
File:ASpecialSesameStreetChristmasDVDCover.png||link=A Special Sesame Street Christmas
==See also==
* Sesame Street home video box sets
* Play With Me Sesame Videography
* Elmo's World Videography
* Sesame Street home video titles not on DVD
==Sources==
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Category:Videographies