Muppet Wiki

Kermiteye Welcome to Muppet Wiki!


Please visit Special:Community to learn how you can collaborate with the editing community.

READ MORE

Muppet Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Kas pgallery popup arnd 3

Entrance to the Sesame stage at Kaufman Astoria Studios in the Astoria section of Queens, one of New York City's five boroughs.

KaufmanStageJ

Stage J, Sesame Street's current filming location, 2012.

Kaufman Astoria Studios, located in the Astoria section of Queens, is where Sesame Street has been taped since 1993.[1] The show was taped on the studio's ground floor on Stage G until Season 39, when production moved three floors up to Stage J.[2] The series, specials, and most of the home video releases are taped at the studio. The facilities were also home to production for Bear in the Big Blue House.[3]

KAS Music and Sound studio is also located there, which records all of the audio needed for the show. According to a press release, "NEP Broadcasting created and maintains the Sony-based HD system for Kaufman Astoria Studios."[4]

Originally opened in the 1920s as part of Paramount Pictures, the studio's current incarnation has been in business since 1977, when it was reopened to film Sidney Lumet's film version of The Wiz (1978). Other shows, such as Law & Order and Johnny and the Sprites[5] also filmed there, as did The Cosby Show and Spin City.

Elmo and Kevin Clash spoke at a ceremony announcing the expansion of the facilities; a letter K was given to the company, as the space will be "Studio K."[6] Kaufmann Organization Chairman George S. Kaufmann cites Elmo as his favorite Sesame Street character.[7]

On December 3, 2013, Kaufman Astoria Studios opened the first and only backlot located in New York City. Grover was among those who attended the ribbon cutting ceremony, in addition to New York senator Chuck Schumer and Orange is the New Black actress Dascha Polanco.[8]

Sources[]

  1. Dunlap, David W., "TV Industry Scrambles for Studio Space", The New York Times, March 28, 1993.
  2. Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street, page 212
  3. Tough Pigs: A Chat with Noel MacNeal, Part 3
  4. "Sesame Street Converts to High-Definition Production with Sony Cameras and Switchers", Sony Electronics News and Information, April 13, 2008.
  5. "Kaufman Astoria’s Neighborhood Studios", Markee Magazine, July 2007.
  6. Hayley Lerner, "Bloomberg touts film, TV impact on economy", The Hollywood Reporter, 20 October 2008.
  7. New York Times Interview
  8. "Kaufman Astoria Studios Unveil City's First Backlot Film Studio", DNAinfo, December 3, 2013

External links[]

Advertisement