Season 23 (1991-1992)

thumb|300px|"Once Is Not Enough"
Sesame Street Season 23 aired from November 11, 1991, to May 8, 1992.
==Overview==
Season 23 continues its four-year curriculum on race relations that began the previous season. The focus is primarily on American Indians, notably the Cherokee, Crow, Iroquois, and Navajo tribes.Truglio and Fisch. G is for Growing. p. 33 Young viewers see how American Indian children live and recognize general cultural similarities and differences among American Indian nations.Beaver Country Times: 'Sesame Street' family growing For a week's worth of shows early in the season, Big Bird and cast members travel to Pryor, Montana to visit a Crow Indian reservation and witness an authentic Crow Indian naming ceremony for 7-year-old Francis Bear Claw. Big Bird learns how important traditional dances, ceremonial outfits, and various customs are to them, as well as a better appreciation of nature. Contrarywise, Oscar the Grouch prefers to stay in his trash can to avoid all the beauty of the landscape, while Count von Count discovers new things to count that are usually unavailable in the city. Following the Montana episodes, several inserts would continue with the curriculum focus, such as an animation explaining how various animal names are derived from American Indian language, and a series of films in which Navajo children discuss their families and homes through their artwork.
The topic of divorce was to have been a part of the season's lessons with an episode about the separation of Snuffy and Alice's parents. The subject was heavily researched and a full episode was produced. However, despite the time, care, and effort that went into the development and production, testing with focus groups of children had proven that the show unintentionally gave mixed messages on the subject and was ultimately unsuccessful in teaching its message, and the episode never aired.
==Characters and segments==
Many new Muppet characters are introduced for season 23.St. Petersburg Times: "Sesame Street" begins 23rd season - November 11, 1991 Most notably, Rosita makes her debut in Episode 2888. A bilingual monster hailing from Mexico, she would become the main character of performer Carmen Osbahr and one of Sesame Street's most popular Muppets. There is also Roxie Marie, a fifth-grader who comes from Canarsie and is the niece of Biff (though the two luckily don't share a similar sense of knowledge). The chuckleheaded Monty has a skewered look on logic and brings utter nonsense in the manner of his namesake, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and would usually be paired with the more down-to-earth Prairie Dawn. Chicago the Lion is a vegetarian character, who pounces on broccoli and string beans as if they're prey; fellow jungle dwellers Joey and Davey Monkey make a brief cameo as well before becoming regulars the following year. A trio of monsters known as Baby Tooth and the Fuzzy Funk make short appearances during segments displaying their impressive dance skills, done in the style of Bunraku puppetry. An episode of Monsterpiece Theater stars the talented yet temperamental Cyranose de Bergerac, and detective Colambo solves the first of his cases based on popular stories and fairy tales. In addition to these, a few characters introduced the previous year such as Baby Bear and Merry Monster are also given expanded roles.
Recurring segments making their debut for season 23 include the Underwater Series, in which a tropical fish counts various creatures and objects that are reminiscent of those in The Song of the Cloud Forest. Simple math and relational concepts are demonstrated in film sequences featuring kids playing around a colorfully-tiled park bench, and The Adventures of Prairie Dawn pits the titular character in ordinary situations that are played as daring feats by a hyped-up announcer (voiced by Martin P. Robinson). Counting sequences featuring rubber stamps and numbers growing out of scenery are also featured, as well as brief songs that are performed while letters of the alphabet spin or swing into view.
==Episodes==
Episodes 2876 - 3005 (130 episodes)
* Episode 2876 -- 23rd season premiere; Floyd the Fluter-tooter needs a new home
* Episode 2877 -- Big Bird teaches Barkley some tricks
* Episode 2878 -- Biff lectures with Brittney
* Episode 2879 -- The Happiest People in the World
* Episode 2880 -- Big Bird goes to Francis' house
* Episode 2881 -- Montana Day 1 – Preparing to leave
* Episode 2882 -- Montana Day 2 – Arriving in Montana
* Episode 2883 -- Montana Day 3 – Learning about horses
* Episode 2884 -- Montana Day 4 – Big Bird's letters/Arrow Creek picnic
* Episode 2885 -- Montana Day 5 – Frances' ceremony
* Episode 2886 -- Return from Montana
* Episode 2887 -- Telly and the dogs
* Episode 2888 -- Rosita debuts
* Episode 2889 -- Slimey flies a balloon
* Episode 2890 -- The Singing and Whispering Friends
* Episode 2891 -- A park for Slimey (repeat)
* Episode 2892 -- Monster detectives (repeat)
* Episode 2893 -- Athena's bird-day party (repeat)
* Episode 2894 -- Old MacDonald relocates to Sesame Street (repeat)
* Episode 2895 -- Oscar's brother Ernest visits (repeat)
* Episode 2896 -- Telly plays with an empty carton (repeat)
* Episode 2897 -- Sleepytime on Sesame Street (repeat)
* Episode 2898 -- Preston's "Illustration Activation" machine (repeat)
* Episode 2899 -- Bob accompanies Oscar to Grouchytown (repeat)
* Episode 2900 -- Ruby and Tatyana pretend they're adults (repeat)
* Episode 2901 -- Slimey is hurt skydiving (repeat)
* Episode 2902 -- Telly watches Wolfgang (repeat)
* Episode 2903 -- Elmo in Numberland (repeat)
* Episode 2904 -- Luis cleans the apartment (repeat)
* Episode 2905 -- Oscar writes to Grundgetta (repeat)
* Episode 2906 -- Bob's music lesson
* Episode 2907 -- Bongos at Hooper's Store
* Episode 2908 -- Snuffy's lecture series
* Episode 2909 -- Baby Bear tries to hide from Goldilocks
* Episode 2910 -- Roxie Marie and Elmo capture a Doozie bug
* Episode 2911 -- Chicago goes hunting
* Episode 2912 -- Slimey's first day at worm school
* Episode 2913 -- Young MacDonald's circus
* Episode 2914 -- Gus guesses music
* Episode 2915 -- Oscar gets a visit from his mother
* Episode 2916 -- Gina babysits Elmo (repeat)
* Episode 2917 -- A day with Hiroshi (repeat)
* Episode 2918 -- Linda gets a closed-captioning decoder (repeat)
* Episode 2919 -- The Important Report (repeat)
* Episode 2920 -- Ruby experiments with eyes (repeat)
* Episode 2921 -- Sally Field's impressions
* Episode 2922 -- Celebrating Around Day
* Episode 2923 -- Speedy van Gough paints a mural
* Episode 2924 -- Merry scares people/Chicago visits the library
* Episode 2925 -- Taking care of Natasha
* Episode 2926 -- Word play on Sesame Street
* Episode 2927 -- Oscar's GO sign
* Episode 2928 -- Biff disturbs Bob's morning
* Episode 2929 -- Mr. Big visits
* Episode 2930 -- Elmo's alphabet collection
* Episode 2931
* Episode 2932 -- Prairie Dawn hangs out with Snuffy
* Episode 2933
* Episode 2934 -- A day with Debra
* Episode 2935 -- Oscar uses Disappear-o
* Episode 2936 -- Elmo stands on his head/Bob babysits Natasha
* Episode 2937 -- Visiting the Grouch grocery store
* Episode 2938 -- Big Bird's "Yellow Ambition Rock Concert Tour"!
* Episode 2939 -- A ridiculous day with Monty
* Episode 2940 -- Elmo's newspaper
* Episode 2941 -- Elmo pretends he's a flower
* Episode 2942 -- Mr. Handford and the pogo stick
* Episode 2943 -- Prince Charming chooses Gabi as his love
* Episode 2944
* Episode 2945 -- A chilly day on Sesame Street
* Episode 2946 -- Monty bothers Prairie Dawn
* Episode 2947 -- A day at Bob's
* Episode 2948 -- Writing with Flo Bear
* Episode 2949 -- Mumford's dancing spell
* Episode 2950 -- Elmo loves his head
* Episode 2951 -- Wanda the Word Fairy visits
* Episode 2952 -- Grundgetta gets nice-lessons
* Episode 2953 -- Telly breaks Luis' vase
* Episode 2954 -- Alice needs to take a nap
* Episode 2955 -- Telly doesn't want to give up his blanket
* Episode 2956 -- Telly sees a giant number 11
* Episode 2957 -- Telly waits for Radish Dude
* Episode 2958
* Episode 2959 -- Linda uses a sander
* Episode 2960 -- Luis, Gordon and Wolfgang go fishing
* Episode 2961 -- The Opposite Show
* Episode 2962 -- Luis is bothered at work
* Episode 2963 -- Elmo wants to be like the Count
* Episode 2964 -- Granny Molly Darton visits
* Episode 2965 -- Elmo finds out about people's careers
* Episode 2966 -- Telly is Grand High Triangle Lover for a day
* Episode 2967 -- Gina calls out sick
* Episode 2968 -- Linda signs foods/Gordon and Bob make music
* Episode 2969 -- Grouches protest the letter L
* Episode 2970 -- The Great Nineteeni
* Episode 2971 -- There's a flood in Oscar's can.
* Episode 2972 -- Singing "London Bridge"
* Episode 2973 -- Kalamazoo!
* Episode 2974 -- Ruby uses magnets
* Episode 2975 -- Singbad the Sailor
* Episode 2976 -- Irvine joins the Birdketeers
* Episode 2977 -- Big Bird moves his nest
* Episode 2978 -- Barkley tries to join Polly Darton's band
* Episode 2979
* Episode 2980 -- Launching a lamb into space/The Toothpaste Fairy
* Episode 2981 -- Elmo pretends he is as big as Gordon
* Episode 2982 -- Oscar gears up/Elmo the toy
* Episode 2983 -- Barkley steals the sponsors
* Episode 2984 -- Big Bird's doorbell
* Episode 2985 -- Jelani works at Birdland (repeat)
* Episode 2986 -- Elmo asks questions
* Episode 2987 -- Herry celebrates a winning football game
* Episode 2988 -- Mirabelle's broken cowbell
* Episode 2989
* Episode 2990 -- CinderTelly
* Episode 2991 -- Telly plays Señor Zero Jr.!
* Episode 2992 -- Chicago wants vegetables/"Not a Dog Show"
* Episode 2993 -- Telly learns about baseball
* Episode 2994 -- What You Hear is What You Get
* Episode 2995
* Episode 2996 -- A tribute to the word "agua"
* Episode 2997 -- Elmo at daycare
* Episode 2998 -- Wolfgang's stuck ball/Monty's interruptions
* Episode 2999 -- Telly pretends to be a cowboy
* Episode 3000
* Episode 3001 -- The Elmo-mobile
* Episode 3002 -- Telly asks a question
* Episode 3003 -- Voting on whether to spend money on crayons or juice
* Episode 3004
* Episode 3005 -- 23rd season finale; Elmo practices
==Notes==
* This was the last season to use the original Sesame Street opening theme, as well as the final season to include the "Sesame Closing Theme," the funky instrumental played during the funding credits since 1972.
* This was Richard Hunt's last season before his passing in January 1992. Hunt performed in several Street stories and inserts taped during the production year, most of which would air posthumously. He continued to be credited as a performer through Season 31.
* This is the first season in which the full credit sequence is aired as part of the season premiere as well as for Friday episodes.
* For the first time since 1977, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting resumed funding Sesame Street, which would continue in succeeding seasons (except for Season 30).
==Cast==
;Cast
:Alison Bartlett, Linda Bove, Emilio Delgado, Savion Glover, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bill McCutcheon, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, David L. Smyrl, Lillias White (uncredited: Lisa Boggs, Donald Faison, Miles Orman, Gabriela Rose Reagan)
;Muppet Performers
:Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Fran Brill, David Rudman, Camille Bonora, Pam Arciero, Jim Martin, Judy Sladky, Fred Garbo, Bryant Young, Rick Lyon, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr (Uncredited: Julianne Buescher, Louise Gold, Paul Hartis, Jim Kroupa, Peter Linz, Peter MacKennan, Noel MacNeal, Alison Mork, Kathryn Mullen)
;Guest Stars
:Blair Brown, Johnny Cash, Leon Chesney, En Vogue, Gloria Estefan, Sally Field, Gregory Hines, Bill Irwin, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis, Isaiah Thomas, Robert Townsend
===Characters===
;Humans
:Maria, Savion, Gordon, Gina, Luis, Bob, Susan, Linda, Gabi, Miles, Mr. Handford, Lillian, Uncle Wally, Lisa, Duane
;Muppets
: Alice Snuffleupagus, The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Baby Natasha, Barkley, Baby Tooth and the Fuzzy Funk, Benny Rabbit, Bert, Biff, Big Bird, Bruno the Trashman, Buster the Horse, Chicago the Lion, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Cyranose de Bergerac, Dingers, The Elephant, Elmo, Ernie, Forgetful Jones, Frazzle, Gladys the Cow, Goldilocks, The Grand High Triangle Lover, Grover, Grundgetta, Honkers, Herry Monster, Hoots the Owl, Humphrey, Irvine, Joey and Davey Monkey, Mr. Johnson, Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats, The Martians, Merry Monster, Monty, Nora Nicks, Norman, Oscar the Grouch, Polly Darton, Prairie Dawn, Preposterous, Preston Rabbit, Rosita, Roxie Marie, Ruby, Shelley the Turtle, Sherlock Hemlock, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sonny Friendly, Sully, Telly Monster, Two-Headed Monster, Vincent Twice, Watson, Wolfgang the Seal
==Credits==
*Executive Producer: Dulcy Singer
*Producer: Lisa Simon
*Directors: Emily Squires, Jon Stone, Lisa Simon, Ted May
*Head Writer: Norman Stiles
*Writers: Nancy Sans, Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, Sonia Manzano, Cathi Rosenberg-Turow, Belinda Ward, Lou Berger, David Korr, Josh Selig, Jeff Moss, John Weidman, Sara Compton, Luis Santeiro, Molly Boylan, David Johnson, Joe Mazzarino, Ian James, Emily Perl Kingsley, Mark Saltzman, Jon Stone
*Coordinating Producer: Arlene Sherman
*Associate Producers: Karin Young, Carol D. Mayes
*Muppets, Costumes, Props: Ed Christie, with Mark Zeszotek, Paul Hartis, Laurent Linn, Peter MacKennan, Connie Peterson, Stephan Rotondaro, Caroly Wilcox
*Muppet Coordinator: Kevin Clash
*Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
*Associate Music Director: Dave Conner
*Special Songs: Chris Cerf, Jeff Moss, Tony Geiss, Stephen Lawrence, Cheryl Hardwick, Sarah Durkee, Paul Jacobs, Dave Conner
*Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
*Editing Supervisor: Robert J. Emerick
*Associate Directors: Robert J. Emerick, Arlene Sherman, Ted May, Eulogio Ortiz Jr., Cher Jung, Diane P. Mitchell, Craig Bigelow
*Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
*Costume Designer: Bill Kellard
*Assistant Costume Designer: Terry Roberson
*Graphic Designer: Mike Pantuso
*Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
*Art Director: Bob Phillips
*Production Stage Managers: Chet O'Brien, Ric E. Anderson
*Stage Managers: Mortimer J. O'Brien, Hank Smith, Rose Riggins
*Curriculum Coordinator: Diane P. Mitchell
*Assistant to the Producers: Danette DeSena
*Production Assistants: Cher Jung, Tim Carter, Gabrielle Howard, Leslie Brothers, Christine Ferraro, Ruth Luwisch, Carol-Lynn Parente
*Script Coordinator: Thelma Moses
*Children's Casting: Kim Wilson
*Unit Manager: Eleanor McIntosh
*Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
*Lighting Director: Bill Berner
*Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
*Audio: Blake Norton, Tim Lester
*Video: Dick Sens
*Cameras: Frank Biondo, Dave Driscoll
*Videotape Editor: Evamarie Keller
*Electronic Maintenance: Rolf Wahl
*Make-Up: Lee Halls
*Hair Stylist: Karen Specht
*Wardrobe: Colleen Noe
*Assistant Vice President, Production Research: Valeria Lovelace, Ph.D.
*Vice President, Production Research: Bettina Peel
*Vice President for Research: Keith Mielke, Ph.D.
*Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald Lesser, Ph.D.
*Vice President for Production: Franklin Getchell
*Facilities by Unitel Video, Inc.
*Remote Facilities by Videocenter of New Jersey (2885)
==Sources==
__NOWYSIWYG__
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