Sesame Street Hamlet

Back in the old days of Sesame Street, they had a parody sketch called "Monsterpiece Theater" (the real show was called Masterpiece Theater -- a televised series showcasing dramatizations of the classics).   Always more clever than they needed to be, Jim Henson's muppets drop in multiple references that went right over our heads when we were little.  I have heard that these little nuggets were intended to be "for the parents," but I suspect that these bits were just as important to the artistic sensibilities of Henson and his clever cast.  These allusive elements add a brilliant complexity to "children's television" that respects the genre and the little minds that were paying attention: rather than playing down to children, Henson, et al. were playing up to them.

Monsterpiece Theater was a recurring segment that was set up like a TV show, complete with a muppet-themed parody of the original opening sequence and a dapper host in an arm-chair: Cookie Monster as "Alistair Cookie" (instead of the real-life British host Alistair Cooke).

In the Hamlet sketch, an eager Elmo observes Prince Hamlet's emotional responses to the book he is reading.  Hamlet is, by turns, made "happy," "sad," and "angry" by the book he is reading.  It's cute, and Hamlet's advice to Elmo to "Get thee to a library" near the end of the segment is a nice example of the show's unexpectedly sophisticated humor and references.

Enjoy the SESAME STREET "MONSTERPIECE THEATER: HAMLET, PRINCE of DENMARK" SKETCH.

Disclaimer: the actor in the scene is Mel Gibson -- and although I pointedly disagree with Mr. Gibson's personal views and life choices, I do love the Muppets.  I hope that makes the inclusion of this sketch on our class site seem "worth it."  Your comments on this subject are welcome.  --Mr. G. :)