Part 1 – Part 2
Earlier this week we presented the first half of Sesame Street‘s “Hidden Gems”, those pesky little in-jokes and references slipped into almost every episode of the 40th season just for us fans. And now we’re happy to complete the set with Part Two of our coverage of the Hidden Gems of Sesame Street! Enjoy!
Episode 4202: When Chris and Elmo go camping, they know that the only way to truly rough it in the wild is to do so by humming “Willie Wimple.”
Episode 4203: One of the spectators for Slimey’s “Squirmageda” race is Leela! Can you believe it?? It’s Leela! Oh, and I guess the guy next to her is pretty well known too or whatever.
Episode 4204: I suppose it’s been a while since anyone’s needed any construction done on Sesame Street, because this is the first time in a long while that we’ve seen Biff and Sully, who are present to watch Jack (of candlestick fame) jump over some stuff.
Episode 4204: Another jumping aficionado is Richard Termine, who works as a puppeteer, puppet builder, and photographer for Sesame Workshop.
Episode 4205: No matter how many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he makes for the denizens of Sesame Street, he still needs to remind himself how peanut butter is made by singing a familiar tune.
Episode 4206: Egad! Sherlock Hemlock makes a cameo in Hooper’s Store! This must be a clue…
Episode 4206: When Big Bird sprains his wing, the doctors on his x-ray are listed as C. Spinney and L. Berger. I know they don’t really have medical degrees, but I wouldn’t ask for a second opinion if those two guys diagnosed me.
Episode 4206: In yet another Hidden Gem from the same episode, the great Jerry Nelson appears, along with two of his similarly voiced friends, Herry Monster and Mr. Johnson. It’s kinda like seeing Clark Kent standing next to Superman, isn’t it?
Episode 4207: Elmo has good taste in crayons, as his preferred brand features an image from the classic Crayon Factory sketch.
Episode 4207: It must be a slow news day, because Maria’s newspaper features an article about a 20-year-old sketch about the creation of a steel I-beam.
Episode 4208: Just like a real mother (and who’s to say that she isn’t??), Maria keeps a photo album of her daughter Gabi’s life on the Street. The pictures include Gabi’s birth and a visit from James Earl Jones. And in a Hidden Gem double whammy, Maria sings “I’m Proud to Be a Cow” while browsing through her memorybook.
Episode 4209: Harvey Kneeslapper pulls the ultimate practical joke by disappearing for decades, and then reappearing for a very brief, mustachioed cameo.
Episode 4210: No, the Hidden Gem for this episode isn’t Naked Gordon. His eyes are up here, buddy! While covering up his naughty bits, Gordon is reading the classic novel “Dialogue with Dirt” by Solomon Grundy.
Episode 4210: Hooper’s Store’s sandwich board reading “Loaf of Bread/Container of Milk/Stick of Butter” doesn’t mean that those items are on sale. They’re just really special.
Episode 4211: I’d like to think that Jim’s kids John and Cheryl Henson get to hang out on Sesame Street whenever they want. It’s like their backyard, but on an artificially lit set. Which very well might be exactly what their real backyard is like.
Episode 4212: The final Hidden Gem of season 40 reveals that Northern Calloway would have gone into the realty business if he was still with us. I wish there was a contact number on that flyer, because I’d be pretty interested in renting a storefront on Sesame Street. It’d be a blog-for-hire service, and I’d charge real money (unlike those Hooper’s Store people… how do they pay their rent??).
Many thanks to the gang at the Muppet Wiki for their extensive research (and obsessive geekiness) to help bring these Hidden Gems to life!
Click here to disappear for 20 years and then reappear in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
