Changes: Teletape Studios

Revision as of 15:15, 26 July 2014

GroverTeletape — Grover being taped by a Teletape Productions camera, circa early 1970s.

Reeves Teletape Camera 1 taping a scene with Big Bird and Snuffy, circa mid 1980s.

Teletape Studios, a subsidiary of Reeves Entertainment, were American television studios located in Manhattan and former filming locations for Sesame Street.

Originally, the test shows were shot at Videotape Center on West 67th Street. (Videotape Center was joint venture between 3M Corporation and Ampex Corporation that shut down in 1970, with their production facilitaties being sold to the ABC Network.) The show's first season was set to be taped there as well, but due to a technician strike, production resumed at Teletape's Second Stage Studio at 81st Street and Broadway.^[1] The original run of another CTW production, The Electric Company, was also shot there.

Caroll Spinney cited that the Second Stage studio was a converted RKO movie theater. "They had leveled the floor where the audience used to sit, and the old proscenium and domed ceiling could still be seen above the new lighting grids and cat walks."^[2]

In 1982, they moved to Teletape's Third Stage at 9th Avenue and 55th Street (previously home to The Dick Cavett Show),^[3] remaining there for another decade. By 1987, Unitel Video Inc. (which purchased Reeves, Teletape and their assets) had taken over operation of the facilities. In 1992, before shooting Season 25, Sesame Street relocated to the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, where it is still currently being taped.

Sources

↑ Gikow, Louise. Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street, pages 66, 206
↑ Spinney, Caroll. The Wisdom of Big Bird, page 40
↑ Murphy, Tim. "How We Got to ‘Sesame Street’", New York Magazine, Nov 1, 2009

[1] Gikow, Louise. Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street, pages 66, 206

[2] Spinney, Caroll. The Wisdom of Big Bird, page 40

[3] Murphy, Tim. "How We Got to ‘Sesame Street’", New York Magazine, Nov 1, 2009

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[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Groveratteletapeproductions.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Grover]] being taped by a Teletape Productions camera.]]
+[[File:GroverTeletape.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Grover]] being taped by a Teletape Productions camera, circa early 1970s.]]
+[[File:Bird&SnuffyTeletape.jpg|thumb|300px|Reeves Teletape Camera 1 taping a scene with [[Big Bird]] and [[Snuffy]], circa mid 1980s.]]
-'''Teletape Studios''', a subsidiary of Reeves Entertainment, were American television studios located in [[New York City]], [[New York]] and were former filming locations for ''[[Sesame Street]]''. Originally, the [[Sesame Street Pilot Episodes|test shows]] were shot at the Reeves Videotape Center on West 67th Street. The show's first season was set to be taped there as well, but due to a technician strike, production resumed at Teletape's Second Stage Studio at 81st Street and Broadway<ref>[[Louise Gikow|Gikow, Louise]]. ''[[Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street]]'', pages 66, 206</ref> (the original run of another [[Sesame Workshop|CTW]] production, ''[[The Electric Company]]'', would also be shot there). [[Caroll Spinney]] cited that the studio was a converted RKO movie theater. "They had leveled the floor where the audience used to sit, and the old proscenium and domed ceiling could still be seen above the new lighting grids and cat walks."<ref>Spinney, Caroll. ''[[The Wisdom of Big Bird]]'', page 40</ref> In 1982, they moved to Teletape's Third Stage at 9th Avenue and 55th Street (previously home to [[The Dick Cavett Show]]),<ref>Murphy, Tim. [http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/topic/61744/ "How We Got to ‘Sesame Street’"], ''New York Magazine'', Nov 1, 2009</ref> remaining there for another decade. In 1986, when Reeves and Teletape went bankrupt, Unitel Video Inc. took over operation of the facilities. In 1992, before shooting [[Season 25 (1993-1994)|Season 25]], ''Sesame Street'' relocated to the [[Kaufman Astoria Studios]] in Queens, where it is still currently being taped.
+'''Teletape Studios''', a subsidiary of Reeves Entertainment, were American television studios located in [[New York City|Manhattan]] and former filming locations for ''[[Sesame Street]]''.
+Originally, the [[Sesame Street Pilot Episodes|test shows]] were shot at Videotape Center on West 67th Street. (Videotape Center was joint venture between 3M Corporation and Ampex Corporation that shut down in 1970, with their production facilitaties being sold to the ABC Network.) The show's first season was set to be taped there as well, but due to a technician strike, production resumed at Teletape's Second Stage Studio at 81st Street and Broadway.<ref>[[Louise Gikow|Gikow, Louise]]. ''[[Sesame Street: A Celebration - 40 Years of Life on the Street]]'', pages 66, 206</ref> The original run of another [[Sesame Workshop|CTW]] production, ''[[The Electric Company]]'', was also shot there.
+[[Caroll Spinney]] cited that the Second Stage studio was a converted RKO movie theater. "They had leveled the floor where the audience used to sit, and the old proscenium and domed ceiling could still be seen above the new lighting grids and cat walks."<ref>Spinney, Caroll. ''[[The Wisdom of Big Bird]]'', page 40</ref>
+In 1982, they moved to Teletape's Third Stage at 9th Avenue and 55th Street (previously home to ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]''),<ref>Murphy, Tim. [http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/topic/61744/ "How We Got to ‘Sesame Street’"], ''New York Magazine'', Nov 1, 2009</ref> remaining there for another decade. By 1987, Unitel Video Inc. (which purchased Reeves, Teletape and their assets) had taken over operation of the facilities. In 1992, before shooting [[Season 25 (1993-1994)|Season 25]], ''Sesame Street'' relocated to the [[Kaufman Astoria Studios]] in Queens, where it is still currently being taped.
 ==Sources==