Season 34 (2003)

Sesame Street Season 34 premiered on April 7, 2003.
==Overview==
The curriculum for Season 34 goes global to "emphasize similarities among all of us while celebrating our cultural differences." In an interview with Rosemarie Truglio, she said about this season's curriculum, "In the States, we're comprised of so many ethnicities and cultures. We want to show children the importance of developing friendships with those who don't look like you."The New York Times: FOR YOUNG VIEWERS; It's Hard to Cut Corners on a Street That Circles the World
Two new segments, "Global Grover" and "Global Thingy," are added to help address these issues.
Starting this season, 26 episodes were produced per season. According to Bob McGrath, "Lou Berger, the head writer, wanted 26 episodes. The bean counters said 25 and asked, 'Why do you keep saying 26?' Lou said, 'There are 26 letters in the alphabet. Which one am I supposed to fire?'"McGrath, Bob Bob McGrath interview
;Parodies
Parody sketches and segments include "I Soaks Up the Sun" (based on "Soak Up the Sun") and "If I Were the Letter B" (based on the musical Fiddler on the Roof song "If I Were a Rich Man").
==Episodes==
Episodes 4031 - 4056 (26 episodes)
* Episode 4031 -- Sesame Street sings karaoke
* Episode 4032 -- Elmo falls in love with Gina
* Episode 4033 -- Cookie Hood
* Episode 4034 -- Bert's birthday
* Episode 4035 -- The Big Bad Wolf's brother, Leonard
* Episode 4036 -- Elmo helps Gordon set up the chess board
* Episode 4037 -- Super Grover's cape
* Episode 4038 -- Big Bird can't come up with an ending for his story
* Episode 4039 -- Elmo and Zoe pretend to be aliens
* Episode 4040 -- Telly and Baby Bear play girls' games
* Episode 4041 -- Oscar moves to different locations
* Episode 4042 -- Fish-sitters for Dorothy
* Episode 4043 -- Elmo and Zoe search for Rocco
* Episode 4044 -- Gabi helps Elmo and Zoe make kites
* Episode 4045 -- Cookie Monster gets the cookie flu
* Episode 4046 -- Elmo and Rosita's play date
* Episode 4047 -- Telly is afraid he'll hurt Baby Bear
* Episode 4048 -- Rosita meets a frog wearing a crown
* Episode 4049 -- Stinky and Zoe write a story
* Episode 4050 -- Zoe's tutu is stuck in a tree
* Episode 4051 -- Telly cares for a duckling
* Episode 4052 -- Baby Bear and Telly find a bagpipe
* Episode 4053 -- Big Bird thinks Snuffy forgot their playdate
* Episode 4054 -- Baby Bear worries about his future sibling
* Episode 4055 -- Curly Bear is born
* Episode 4056 -- Curly Bear comes home
==Notes==
* The format changed slightly this season. Instead of having Big Bird introduce and close the episodes and having the street plot in the middle of the show, the street story was shown at the very beginning of the show, and the middle of the episode would usually have a short street scene (often musical) that connects to the street story.
* "Monster Clubhouse" only appeared in two episodes. The segments were dropped the following season.
* The intro changed a bit in this season. The theme song is remixed and clips of Hero Guy and the monster girls (from Episode 3983) are replaced with "Journey to Ernie" and "Global Grover," respectively. 
* An edited version of the animated "dancing city" closing credits is used until Season 37 and is now shown at the end of every episode (rather than exclusively on Friday shows as with previous seasons). Also, the credit crawl is now standardized; for instance, listing full series director credits instead of a sole director credit for a specific episode.
* After this season, Rosita is rebuilt without wings. This design change would remain until season 52.
* This is Olamide Faison's first season as Miles.
* This is Michael Jeter's last season as Mr. Noodle's brother, Mr. Noodle. The season premiere aired shortly after his death.
* New Elmo's World segments included for its fifth season are about Mail, Ears, Firefighters, Wild Animals, Open and Close, and Feet.
==Cast==
;Cast
:Alison Bartlett O'Reilly, Desiree Casado, Emilio Delgado, Olamide Faison, Bill Irwin, Michael Jeter, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Alan Muraoka, Roscoe Orman
;Jim Henson's Muppets
:Caroll Spinney, Fran Brill, Kevin Clash, Jerry Nelson, Carmen Osbahr, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Pam Arciero, Lisa Buckley, R. Bruce Connelly, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Eric Jacobson, Jennifer Barnhart, Jim Martin, Joey Mazzarino, John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, Steve Whitmire, Bryant Young, Frank Oz
;Guest Stars
:Wayne Brady, Laura Bush, Aaron Carter, Nick Carter, Sheryl Crow, Natalie Portman, Diane Sawyer
===Characters===
;Humans
:Maria, Alan, Gordon, Gina, Luis, Bob, Susan, Gabi, Miles, Mr. Noodle
;Muppets
:The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Bert, Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, Cookie Hood, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Curly Bear, Dinger, Elmo, Ernie, Elephant, Fluffy, Gladys the Cow, The Great Fentini, Grouches, Grover, Herry Monster, Honkers, Hoots the Owl, Ingrid, Mama Bear, Marian, Leonard Wolf, Narf, Oscar the Grouch, Grundgetta, Papa Bear, Phoebe, Prairie Dawn, Rosita, Scotty McKilt, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Stinky the Stinkweed, Telly Monster, The Three Little Pigs, Two-Headed Monster, Zoe
==Credits==
*Executive Producer: Dr. Lewis Bernstein
*Producers: Melissa Dino, Carol-Lynn Parente
*Line Producer: Karen Ialacci
*Directors: Emily Squires, Ken Diego, Victor DiNapoli, Jim Martin, Ted May, Lisa Simon
*Head Writer: Lou Berger
*Writers: Molly Boylan, Joey Mazzarino, Annie Evans, Christine Ferraro, Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, Belinda Ward, Emily Perl Kingsley, Luis Santeiro, John Weidman
*Head Writer (Elmo's World): Judy Freudberg
*Co-Executive Producer (Elmo's World): Kevin Clash
*Talent Producer: Danette DeSena
*Associate Producers: Tim Carter, Susanne Cornelius
*Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
*Muppets, Costumes, Props: Jason Weber, with Rollie Krewson, Connie Peterson, Victoria Ellis, Sarah Iams, Mary Brehmer, Michael Schupbach, Heather Asch, Sarah Lurasch
*Music Director: Mike Renzi
*Associate Music Director: Dave Conner
*Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
*Original Songs and Arrangements: Mike Renzi, Joe Raposo, Jeff Moss, Dave Conner, Stephen Lawrence, Tony Geiss, Glen Daum
*Lighting Designer: Dan Kelley
*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: Ken Diego, Leslie Williams, Tim Carter, Carol-Lynn Parente
*Production Stage Manager: Adam Matalon
*Stage Manager: Shawn Haven
*Production Manager: April Chadderdon
*Production Coordinator: Heather L. Dick
*Children's Casting: Theresa Anderson
*Post Production Coordinator: Conrad Ford
*Production Associate: Rebecca Rosa
*Production Assistant: Todd E. James
*Music Production Assistant: Vicki Newman
*Technical Directors: Dan Stewart, Richard Wirth
*Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
*Audio: Blake Norton
*Second Audio: Carla Bandini-Lory
*Sound Editing: Bob Schott
*Senior Video: James Meek
*Cameras: Frank Biondo, Jimmy O'Donnell, Jerry Cancel, Shaun Harkins
*Videotape Editors: John Tierney, Selbern Narby
*Technical Consultant (Elmo's World): Dave Satin
*Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Steve Ruggiero, Tony Santoro
*Utility: Chuck Tutino, Gordon Price
*Boom: Dan Guachione, John Heneghan
*Tape: Ernie Albritton
*Make Up: Joe Cuervo
*Hairstylist: Karen Specht
*Wardrobe: Rose Cuervo
*Scenic Artist: Margaret Ryan
*Script Supervisor: Syndi Shumer
*Script Coordinator: Lynda Holder-Settles
*Production Secretaries: Mindy Fila, Ben Lehmann, Dan Gilbert
*Transportation Supervisor: Keith Olsen
*Manager, Production Accounting: Stephanie Longardo
*Production Accountant: Kalombo Tshimanga
*Vice President of Education and Research: Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.
*Sesame Street Research Team: Anna E. Housley, M.A., David I. Cohen, Evangelean Pope
*GVP of Production for TV, Film & Home Video: Jodi Nussbaum
*Co-Executive Producer (Elmo's World) / Creative Consultant (Journey to Ernie): Arlene Sherman
*Post Production by Sony Music Studios, Creative Bubble, SMA Realtime, Inc.
*Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York
==Sources==
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