Sesame Street: The First Generation

Sesame Street: The First Generation is an exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art from November 11 to December 31, 1989. The exhibition celebrated the first 20 years of Sesame Street.
The exhibition featured weekend screenings of various Sesame Street related programs, including a pair of compilations of animated and live action films (hosted by Telly Monster and Oscar the Grouch in their Sneak Peek Previews format), a showcase of international co-production segments (Sesame Street Around the World), early kinescope footage of the series and the feature film Follow That Bird. Screenings of Christmas Eve on Sesame Street were also held during the weeks preceding Christmas.
A fifteen minute mini-documentary, The Sesame Street Experiment, was screened daily at the John Edward Noble Education Center.
==Sneak Peak Previews compilations==
Two different "Sneak Peak Previews" reels were prepared and screened for the exhibition. The 43-minute compilations feature an assortment of animated, live-action, and "American Movie Classics" inserts from the show. The framing scenes with Telly and Oscar were recorded on September 21, 1989, and were written by Norman Stiles.
;Reel #1
*Oscar advises Telly to avoid sitting in a broken seat, and Telly manages to sit in a different, broken one. Telly is also mistaken in thinking the films are being screened for his mommy rather than MOMA. He frets that his mom will miss the films, but believes she can simply read the books they're based on instead.
**"The Word is "No""
**Film: Children Alphabet Speeded Up
**Cartoon: Raisin Story
**Song: "Cow Dog Song"
**Cartoon: Bellhop #12
**Film: Spring in the Woods
**Cartoon: Experimentation Waking Plant
**Film: Number Three Ball Film (Version #1)
**Cartoon: Jake the Snake
**Monsterpiece Theater: Gone with the Wind
**Song: "Me and My Chair"
**Cartoon: Detective: The Clue
**Film: Sounds Around the House (Version #1)
**Cartoon: "The Alligator King"
**Film: Fay Ray: Animal Guessing Game
**Cartoon: Adventure
**Song: "Peanut Butter"
**Cartoon: Diverse Mothers
**Film: Mad Painter #8
**Cartoon: "Beginning, Middle, End"
**Susan Sarandon: Counting Knocks
**Cartoon: Cat's Can
**Film: Elephant Bath
**Cartoon: F Fleas
**Film: Stop Dancing
*When the films end, Telly gives rave reviews and finds the series put Oscar right to sleep.
;Reel #2 
*Telly opens the screening solo, only to find Oscar has taken the seat directly behind him in the theater. To ensure he gets an obstructed view of the films, Oscar plops a large, stovepipe hat on Telly's head.
**"Down Below the Street"
**Cartoon: The Noble Ostrich
**Song: "Dressed Up"
**Cartoon: Wanda the Witch
**Chaplin: Museum Painting
**Cartoon: Pinball Number Count #5
**Animation: Rain Dance
**Cartoon: "It's Hip to Be a Square"
**Film: Fay Ray: Dog O'Clock
**Animation: Teeny Little Super Guy: Cooperation Swing
**Cartoon: Puerto Rican Boy
**"Doin' the Pigeon"
**Cartoon: "Martian Beauty"
**Film: Alvin Ailey Dance Class
**Cartoon: Breakdance Pencil
**Monsterpiece Theater: 39 Stairs
**Cartoon: Madrigal Alphabet
**Song: "Ookyook Song"
**Animation: Number Twelve Rocks
**Cartoon: Name That Food Game Show
**Film: Making a Saxophone
**Cartoon: "Above It All"
*By the end of the screening, Oscar is seated by Telly, who heaps praise on "39 Stairs." Oscar's favorite movie is the one he has with him, plopping a heap of raw film stock in Telly's hands. He adds that his film has a surprise ending as well, as more film stock gets dumped on Telly.
==Sources==
*October 1989 press release
*Script documents provided by trusted source
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Category:Sesame Street Exhibits