Sesame Street Stays Up Late

SS-StaysUp — Title card used in televised version.

ElmoGroverNewYear — Promotional photo with Elmo and Grover for home video releases.

SSNewYear04 — Grover delivers traditions from all over the globe.

Sesame Street Stays Up Late is a 1993 New Year's Eve special with guest appearances by characters from some of the international versions of Sesame Street. The special was first broadcast by PBS on December 29, 1993^[1] with the subtitle A Monster New Year's Eve Party. It was later retitled Sesame Street Celebrates Around the World for home video and was adapted into book form.

Synopsis[]

Everyone on Sesame Street is preparing to celebrate New Year's Eve as they all go Around the Corner to hold the party. However, Telly quickly discovers that this means the current year ends. He becomes afraid that he soon will enter an unknown year, and starts a campaign to prevent the new year from coming. Lily Tomlin makes an appearance as her Laugh-In character Ernestine the Telephone Operator.

Meanwhile, Elmo is the host of the Monster News Network, showing how New Year's Eve is celebrated around the world. This is done by showing segments created by the Sesame characters from the different co-productions around the world.

The international Sesame Street characters who appear are:

Moishe Oofnik (here referred to as "Oofnik the Grouch") and Kippi Ben Kippod from Israel's Rechov Sumsum
Tita from Portugal's Rua Sésamo
Tiffy, Samson and Finchen from Germany's Sesamstrasse
Max Mekker, Alfa and Bjarne Betjent from Norway's Sesam Stasjon

Rosita and Elmo's Cousin Pepe appear in the special to represent Mexico, while Elmo's cousin Elmo-noske represents Japan.

As the new year draws closer, nearly everyone stands around the corner awaiting the countdown. Earlier, Big Bird comes up with the idea of tossing a beach ball into the air, just like in Times Square. So they have Wolfgang the Seal balance the beach ball on his nose for the event. Once the countdown reaches zero, Wolfgang the Seal removes the beach ball in slow motion. After the ball falls to the ground, the citizens cheer, and Telly is overjoyed to see that nothing bad happened. Then, Big Bird has everyone make New Year's wishes while eating grapes, followed by singing "Faces That I Love."

After the credits roll, everyone wishes the viewers "Happy New Year!" and continue to celebrate (even Slimey, much to Oscar's chagrin). The words "THE END" then appear onscreen and Cookie Monster eats one of the letters, exclaiming "Me love credits!"

Songs[]

Notes[]

This special also features one of the first new appearances of Ernie since Jim Henson's death. Steve Whitmire took over as his performer, doing the character's voice for the first time for a TV appearance.
Besides Oscar's mom and Uncle Hank, three more Grouch relatives join Oscar's party line, performed by Joey Mazzarino, David Rudman, and Kevin Clash. Earlier in the special, Oscar names cousins Ethyl and Fred.
Mazzarino also performs a bespectacled orange crew member for the Monster News Network, and Rudman performs a grey monster who gets a party horn blown through his ear (declaring "It work").

Home video[]

The special was released on home video as Sesame Street Celebrates Around the World, featuring a modified title sequence.

Credits[]

Executive Producer: Nina Elias-Bamberger
Writer: Lou Berger
Director: Chuck Vinson
Music Composed and Conducted by Stephen Lawrence
Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
Costume Designers: Bill Kellard, Terry Robinson
Muppets, Costumes, and Props: Ed Christie, with Mark Zeszotek, Peter MacKennan, Stephen Rotondaro, Laurent Linn, Mark Ruffin, Carlo Yannuzzi, Fred Buchholz, Connie Peterson
Creative Consultant: Kevin Clash
Segment Producer: Ellen Goosenberg Kent
Associate Director: Ted May
Assistant to the Executive Producer/Children's Casting: Nina Shelton
Production Coordinator: Chrissy Ferraro
Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
"Stay Up Late and Party" and "Faces That I Love" lyrics by Lou Berger, music by Stephen Lawrence
"New Year Chorale for 6 Grouches" by Christopher Cerf & Lou Berger
Graphic Designer: Mike Pantuso
Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
Art Director: Bob Phillips
Assistant to the Producers: Danette DeSena
Animation: Al Jarnow
Choreographer for Portuguese Segment: Julio Leitao
Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
Audio: Blake Norton, Tim Lester
Cameras: Frank Biondo, Dave Driscoll, Manny Gutierrez, Miguel Armstrong
Videotaped at Lifetime Television and Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York