Sesame Street News Flash

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The most commonly seen Sesame Street News Flash title card.

Behind the scenes of the Waiting in Line skit.

The Sesame Street News Flash was a segment that featured Kermit the Frog reporting for "Sesame Street News." Kermit, wearing a trenchcoat and hat and holding a microphone, was seen interviewing characters from various fairy tales and nursery rhymes as well as other popular stories, even appearing at key moments in history. As with most such parodies, the stories often did not go according to tradition.

The sketches began appearing on the show in 1971, and lasted up until 1990. The skits were no longer produced after Jim Henson's death in 1990, but the skits continued to be rerun on the show up until 2001, when Sesame Workshop lost the rights to Kermit the Frog.

Four sketches were included in their entirety on the video Big Bird's Story Time. Pictures and scripts for many sketches were featured in the book Sesame Street Unpaved.

Some sketches are included here that may not have used the opening Sesame Street News Flash theme music and logo, but they are undoubtedly meant to be a part of the same series as evidenced by the presence of Kermit in his reporter garb, and the manner in which he goes along his duties. Outside of these interuptions to the "regularly scheduled programs," Kermit has appeared in his reporter persona for the recurring Galley-o-hoop-hoop sketch, in the television anniversary special Elmopalooza, and most recently from the red carpet of the 2006 TV Land Awards.

Logo

Most of the sketches began with a logo of the words "NEWS FLASH" on a cloud with stars and a lightning bolt on a black background, along with a "generic" news theme with beeping Morse Code sounds and an announcer (voiced by Jerry Nelson) usually saying "We take you now to Kermit the Frog with another fast-breaking news story!" The colors on the logo occasionally varied (one version had it in black and white), though it usually had a basic color scheme, as pictured on the top of the page. On some occasions, the "NEWS FLASH" text would flash on and off.

A few of the sketches originally did not begin with a logo or announcer, although later prints would have the logo tacked onto the beginning. The opening did not appear on the Don Music sketches. One known early sketch had an alternate logo, too; they had a title card reading "news bulletin" in big white lowercase letters on top of a blue screen.

On Elmo Saves Christmas, a new News Flash logo was used, without the cloud and lightning, and with the background being a map of the world. The theme song remained the same. During the coverage of Slimey's moon trip, the broadcast started right at a news desk with a different logo on the wall: It had "NEWS" in big orange letters under the Sesame Street logo, and a different fanfare.

The oldest known variant of the NEWS FLASH title card.

The earliest incarnation of the most commonly seen title card, which was first used on the "Rapunzel" skit.

The 1982-1986 version of the title card where the text flashes.

Other variations

Kermit gave a news report about Big Bird planning on returning to Sesame Street in Follow That Bird, though he was probably reporting for a news program other than "Sesame Street News."

In Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting, three new Sesame Street News segments were created, featuring Kermit on location to ask the question of the day, "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?"

One segment featured a subsitute reporter, a brown wolf named Warren Wolf. Nonetheless, it was featured as part of the series and included the "News Flash" logo at the beginning.

In 1996, on Elmo Saves Christmas, Steve Whitmire played Kermit in a brand-new Sesame Street News Flash with the frog reporting on the Christmas shopping craze, eventually leading to a man trying to purchase his microphone.

In 1998, Slimey the Worm traveled on a space mission, and Kermit reported on the worm's moon landing.

Kermit's last news report on Sesame Street was in 2001, when Kermit teamed up with Al Roker to report on a hurricane that came to Sesame Street in a five-part episode.

Individual Sketches

Picture	Summary	Earliest Known Appearance	Description
	Frog on the Street		Kermit interviews a little girl about the sounds animals make. When he asks her what sound a frog makes, she replies "Wiggit! Wiggit!" which doesn't amuse Kermit. (This segment does not have the News Flash title card, and was more of a Street segment.)
	Humpty Dumpty	Episode 0796	Humpty Dumpty has fallen off a wall, and Kermit interviews one of the king's horses. Humpty is put together again, but then Kermit gives him a congratulatory pat on the back, and he falls off the wall again.
	Hey Diddle Diddle		In a take on the "Hey Diddle Diddle" nursery rhyme, Kermit interviews Natalie the cow and her cat manager as she prepares to jump over the moon. After the cat plays a fanfare on his fiddle, she makes the jump and crash lands back to Earth.
	Aladdin and His Lamp		Aladdin is distressed that his lamp won't work until Kermit informs hims that he needs to add a lightbulb, plug in the cord and turn the switch. All the while, the Genie wisecracks about his job and trying to get some sleep inside a lamp.
	The Six Dollar Man	Episode 1141	Kermit explores the lab of Professor Nucleus Von Fission, who has just built a robot called the Six Dollar Man, out of parts which cost him six dollars total. The robot destroys the lab, while Von Fission laughs. Kermit is horrified, but Von Fission explains, "What do you expect for six dollars?" (YouTube)
	The Elves and the Shoemaker	Episode 1316	Kermit interviews the elves, who give the shoemaker various gifts that are not shoes, but rather things that rhyme with "shoe."
	Peter Piper's Family	Episode 1563	Kermit goes to Peter Piper's Pickled Peppers Patch to interview Peter Piper, but he only gets to meet other members of his family, whose names all begin with a common letter.
	The Old Woman who Lives in Shoe	Episode 1836	Kermit looks for the Old Woman who Lives in a Shoe. At first he ends up visiting The Old Man who Lives in a Glove, and the Young Woman who Lives in a Hat. When he reaches the shoe, it turns out the old woman needs a babysitter for her kids, and what better candidate than Kermit?
	Princess Chooses a Prince	Episode 1839	A princess claims that she will kiss anyone who has small ears and a funny voice, is green all over, and wears a trench-coat. Kermit is the only one who fits that description, so she kisses him and, in a puff of smoke, she turns into a frog. Kermit invites her to "the hop" and she accepts.
	Holiday Mix-Up		Kermit interviews Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and a witch -- they are all confused about who they are and what holidays they belong in. (YouTube)
	Mary and Her Little Lamb	Episode 2059	After an interview with Mary, the lamb follows Kermit the Frog. (YouTube)
File:2485f.jpg	London Fog		In London, Kermit tries to talk about the London Fog, but is interrupted by the London Frog, a Grenadier Guardsman carrying "The Famous London Log," and a London Hog. By the time he's ready to talk, the Fog has evaporated, and the others gather around to dance the London Clog. (YouTube)
	The Invisible Man		Kermit interviews the invisible man, who tap dances for him, and later introduces his family which crowds Kermit. All that is seen of the Invisible Man and his kin are their hats.
	Jack Be Nimble		Jack can't figure out how to jump over the candle stick.
	Mirror, Mirror		The Wicked Witch from the Snow White story plans to fool the mirror into saying that she is the fairest. But she hasn't counted on Kermit hiding behind a curtain. Features Jerry Nelson (in a cameo appearance) as the mirror.
	Old King Cole		Kermit witnesses as Old King Cole calls for his pipe and bowl (both of which he rejects), followed by his fiddlers three (along with a drummer, a saxophone player, and a bass player). (YouTube)
	Rapunzel		Rapunzel has been locked in a tower by the wicked witch. Prince Charming comes to rescue her...until her hair falls off her head. This is known to have been the first sketch to feature the "News Flash" logo and feature Kermit in his trademark news reporter outfit. (YouTube)
	Christopher Columbus		Kermit interviews Christopher Columbus before he goes to discover that the world is round. Kermit tries to tell him that the third ship is tied to the dock, but it's too late -- the dock breaks free and takes Kermit in tow with the ship.
	Little Bo Peep		Part 1: Kermit encounters a distressed Little Bo Peep, whose sheep is missing. They both observe every sheep that walks by - the first sheep has its tail in front (on its face); the second one has its tail in the middle (on its back), and the third one has no tail. The fourth one does have a tail where it should be: behind. However, this indignant sheep claims to be Mary's little lamb. Kermit tells us to stay tuned for updates on the search for the lost sheep. Part 2: Bo Peep has had no luck in finding her sheep; instead she encounters Gladys the Cow pretending to be a sheep, and Fred the Wonder Horse pretending to be a dog. Kermit decides to give up on the search, and returns us to our regularly scheduled program. (YouTube)
	Waiting in Line		Kermit talks to people waiting in line for a football game.
	The Boston Tea Party		Kermit interviews some colonial American citizens who are participating in the Boston Tea Party. Rather than tea, they drop things that begin with the letter "T" in the water instead! (YouTube)
File:News-PiedPiper.jpg	The Pied Piper		The Pied Piper has trouble luring mice with his music -- but Kermit doesn't! (YouTube)
	Jack and Jill		Jack needs someone to go up the hill with him. First he chooses Mervin, then Francine and Gladys the Cow. Finally Jack chooses Jill, who refused go up the hill with him again, so he asks Kermit to fill in.
	Hickory Dickory Dock		Kermit the Frog is standing by a clock that a mouse is to run up, but various other animals keep showing up instead. Finally, a horse comes in and explains that the mouse can't make it, so the horse runs through the clock.
	George Washington's Father's Cherry Tree		Kermit interviews the father of George Washington, who is annoyed that George keeps chopping down his cherry trees and then telling the truth about it.
	Alice in Wonderland		Kermit interviews Alice, from the Lewis Carroll tales. For this adventure, she eats something that makes her grow.
	Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves		Kermit interviews Ali Baba, who can't seem to figure out the magic word starting with the letter S to open the door to the cave. When Kermit says goodbye to the viewers, he accidentally blurts out "open Sesame (Street News)," to which the rock opens and forty thieves come out, stealing Kermit's watch and all his clothes.
	Pinocchio		Kermit interviews Pinocchio, who makes his nose grow by lying. He won't stop lying, and his nose spears Kermit's trench coat, pushing him through a wall.
	What Makes People Angry?		Kermit tries to find out what makes people angry, but everyone he encounters is too busy to speak to him, which ultimately causes him to lose his temper and yell at the camera.
	Man in Snowstorm		Part 1: Kermit has gotten a phone call about there being a man who is standing out in a terrible snow storm, and Kermit wants to find that man and interview him. Part 2: Kermit is still looking for the man. Part 3: Harvey Kneeslapper informs Kermit that he is the one who made the call, which was a prank call. As it turns out, Kermit was the man standing out in the storm.
File:Ssnews.rumple.jpg	Rumpelstiltskin		The miller's daughter is in danger of losing her baby if she cannot guess the first name of Rumpelstiltskin. Kermit puts up a hotline, Sesame-Street-555, for people to call in and help her. The name ends up being Bruce Rumpelstiltskin, but unfortunately for Kermit, he picked the wrong place to hide: the baby's carriage!
	The First Day of School in History		Kermit goes back in time to witness the very first day of school, taught by a caveman teacher (Mr. Moses) with caveman students (such as Oog, Argh, and Runk). Today the students learn about the letter N. The teacher presents a stone carved N to Kermit... which accidentally lands on his flipper.
	Little Miss Muffet		Kermit meets Little Miss Muffet, who sits on her water bed, eats crunchy granola, and is not afraid of the spider, who ends up chasing Kermit away. (YouTube)
	The First Day of School		Kermit reassures kindergarten student Cookie Monster that there's no need to be afraid on the first day of school. As he's about to leave, the teacher mistakes him for a student and tells him to sit down.
	Jack and the Beanstalk		Kermit climbs the famous beanstalk and passes Jack on the way who warns him not to go up. He breaches the clouds and meets a giant (played by Jerry Nelson in a cameo). (YouTube)
	Weather Report		Simon Soundman does a weather report using sounds for different kinds of weather. News anchorman Kermit fires him and calls for another weatherman, who has a more "visual" approach to reporting the weather. This did not use the News Flash logo, since it was more of a weather report skit.
	J Mine		Kermit interviews the miners who work in a J mine.
	Mumford's Big and Small Trick		The Amazing Mumford has a new trick, where he will make Thumbelina big and The Big Bad Wolf small. He makes Thumbelina big, but doesn't make the wolf smaller. The trick, however, works on Kermit.
	Rainy Day		Kermit asks Telly and Juliet how they spend a rainy day. Telly enjoys practicing his bassoon, while Juliet loves to play pretend. Against his will, Kermit gets to play the part of the White Rabbit.
	Seven Emotional Dwarves		Kermit meets the Seven Dwarves, seemingly from the Snow White story. However, in this version each is named after (and represents) an emotion. (Kermit ad-lib: "Hey Dulcy, we got the wrong dwarves again!") They are named Cheerful, Sad, Lovey, Angry, Proud, Surprised and Fearful. (YouTube)
	Ideas for Games		Kermit interviews people who have invented their own games. Elmo plays "the reporter game", where he pretends to be a news reporter, and then fights with Kermit over his microphone. (YouTube)
	They Live in Different Places, But They Both Love Me		Kermit interviews a bird who sings about how her parents still love her even though they don't live together anymore (though it is not directly stated whether her parents are divorced or seperated). (YouTube)
	Cooperation		Kermit is sent to the park for a report on co-operation, except that there's nobody around to interview. At that moment, monster reporter Telly turns up to conduct the same interview. They end up cooperating by interviewing each other.
	What Monsters Want to Be When They Grow Up		Kermit asks monsters at a daycare what they want to be when they grow up. Cookie wants to be an orthodontist.
	That is How We Look		Kermit is at the first day of school for monsters, where the monster teacher and his monster students sing a song about how different they look.
	Santa Claus		Kermit witnesses how Santa Claus comes down the chimney, but not before a chimney sweep enters the chimney first.
File:Ssnews.miamimice.jpg	Miami Mice		Although it didn't carry the Sesame Street New Flash logo, and was part of a separate series of segments, Kermit appeared in his reporter persona in a Miami Mice sketch. Kermit tries to interview the mice about adventure, but finds it difficult to do so when he's interrupted by a jet plane, an animal stampede, and a giant monster all making their way through the office.
Cinderella
	Cinderella at the Ball		Kermit is interviewing Cinderella and Prince Charming, who are dancing at the ball. After Cinderella leaves at midnight, she leaves one glass slipper behind. The prince wants to find Cinderella.... so he can have the other glass slipper, because he broke it by accident.
	In Search of Cinderella		Kermit interviews Prince Charming, who is looking for Cinderella. The prince tries to see whose foot matches the glass slipper. However, the shoe fits someone unexpected. (Kermit: "Boy, these fairy tales are starting to get me down.") (YouTube)
	Cinderella Prepares for the Ball		Cinderella's Fairy Godmother tries to make a beautiful ball dress appear on Cinderella without success: the gown ends up on Kermit instead! (YouTube)
Don Music
	Whistle, Whistle, Little Bird		Don Music tries to rewrite "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." He succeeds and is joined by a country-western band.
	Mary Had a Bicycle		Kermit helps Don Music write a remake of "Mary's Lamb," with some back-up vocals from the Monotones. (YouTube)
	Row, Row, Row Your Boat		"Life is but a... but a..." With Kermit's help, Don Music manages to rewrite the tune to "Drive, drive, drive your car."
	The Alphabet Song		Don Music successfully "writes" the Alphabet Song, with help from his surroundings. (YouTube)
	Can You Tell Me How To Get To Yellowstone Park		Don Music tries to rewrite the "Sesame Street Theme". He succeeds and is joined by Little Chrissy & The Alphabeats.
	Yankee Doodle		Kermit helps Don Music finish the "Yankee Doodle" song, then because Don finds the idea of calling feathers macaroni ridiculous, they rewrite it to be a song in which Yankee Doodle stays at home cooking for his pony, puts "fat spaghetti" in a pot and calls it macaroni. Little Chrissy and the Alphabeats then come in and perform the song with Don.
Dr. Nobel Price
	The Tinkle Table		Dr. Nobel Price wants to show off his latest invention, a piano, but it's already been invented. Kermit even knows how to play it!
	The Great Poonga-Poonga		Dr. Nobel Price reveals his latest captured creature, which turns out to be a live rabbit.
	Foot Snuggies		Dr. Nobel Price invents socks.
	Herman the Hoppity-Hop		It's green, wears a trenchcoat, does news reports... and it even talks. Nobel Price "invented" an exact mechanic replica of Kermit!
	Speaking Stick		Warren Wolf is the first newsperson to witness Nobel Price's latest invention, a stick that makes your voice sound louder. It bears a striking resemblance to Warren's microphone...
	The Slushabouts		Dr. Nobel Price invents galoshes.
Little Red Riding Hood
	Little Red Riding Hood: The Woodsman		Kermit witnesses how the mailman, the salesman and the woodsman knock at the door while the Wolf chases Red Riding Hood around the bed.
	Directions for Little Red Riding Hood		Kermit, using a pull-down map, tries to give Little Red Riding Hood directions to her grandmother's house. But she seems preoccupied with brushing lint from her red cloak. In the end, Red joins her grandmother, the Big Bad Wolf, and a cab driver for a picnic.
	Little Red Cookie Hood		Cookie Monster portrays Little Red Riding Hood. He brings cookies for his sick grandmother, but Kermit tells him that sick people should have healthy foods. (YouTube)
Old MacDonald
	Spaceship on Old McDonald's Farm		Old MacDonald thinks a spaceship will land on his farm. A dog emerges with a frisbee in its mouth, and MacDonald mistakes it for a spaceship. But before long, a real spaceship lands on the farm, and out of it come the Yip Yip Martians! The scene ends in chaos. (YouTube)
	Old MacDonald Had a Health Farm		Old MacDonald opens a health resort for his animals.
The Princess and the Pea
	The Princess and the C		Instead of a pea, this princess sleeps on things beginning with C.
	The Princess and the Cookie		Kermit interviews a servant who tells him that the queen wants to test the maiden by placing a cookie under the mattresses to see if she can feel it. The "princess" (Cookie Monster) not only feels it, but also eats the cookie and the mattresses above it.
Suzanne Farrell
	Ballerina's Body		Kermit points out different parts of ballet dancer Suzanne Farrell's body, and watches her drink a glass of milk.
	Counting Battements		Kermit and Grover watch Suzanne do twenty grand battements.
Sleeping Beauty
File:Ssnfsleep.JPG	Sleeping Beauty		The prince kisses Sleeping Beauty, but turns her into a frog. (YouTube)
	Sleeping Beauty's Kiss		The prince kisses Sleeping Beauty, but the prince falls asleep.
Three Pigs, Big Bad Wolf
	The Count Counts the Three Little Pigs		Kermit's interview with the Three Little Pigs is interrupted by The Count, who wants to count them. When the Count's counting puts an end to the interview, Kermit goes to interview the residents of the next house... the Seven Dwarfs.
	How the Three Little Pigs Feel	Episode 2096	The Big Bad Wolf has blown down the houses of the Three Little Pigs, so Kermit interviews them to know how they feel. The pig who made his house out of straw is angry, the pig who made a stick house is sad, but the one who made his house out of bricks is proud, because his house is still standing. (YouTube)
	The Three Little Pigs		The Big Bad Wolf plays a game of "Three of These Things" with Kermit and the pigs. Since Kermit doesn't belong with the pigs, the wolf blows him out of the picture.
	The Pig's Straw House		Kermit interviews one of the Three Little Pigs, the one who built a straw house. The Big Bad Wolf comes to blow it down, but the house is actually strong. (YouTube)
	Five Little Pigs		Kermit realizes he's encountered the wrong group of pigs: one of them went to market, one stayed home, etc. As always, the wolf ends up blowing Kermit away again.
	The Big Bad Wolf's School for Huffing and Puffing		The wolf teaches Kermit how to huff and puff, and Kermit ends up blowing a monster couple's house down.
Tortoise and Hare
	The Tortoise and the Hare		Not an official "News Flash" segment, but the first sketch featuring Kermit as a reporter, the frog covers the race between the tortoise and the hare for a one-time Sesame Street Sports broadcast. When the race begins, the hare dawdles, since the tortoise is so slow he'll have time to win. Kermit rushes to the finish line so that he can see the results... and is crowned the winner. (YouTube)
	The Tortoise and the Hare's Rematch		The hare challenges The Tortoise to a rematch: this time, the Tortoise comes equipped with a jet-pack! Unlike the first sketch, this was included in the Sesame Street News series.

External Links

• Tough Pigs Anthology -- Sesame Street News Flash transcripts