THE AISLE SEAT - by Mike McGranaghan

"SESAME STREET: SILLY STORYTIME"

It's fascinating to watch “Sesame Street” as an adult. I always loved it as a kid; seeing it through grown-up eyes, I can't help but marvel at how clever and sophisticated the writing is. That fact was really driven home as I sat down with my family to watch the new Sesame Street: Silly Storytime DVD, which mixes old and new segments from the series to great effect. Four different fairy tales are tackled in the inimitable “Sesame Street” style: Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty (which here becomes Sleeping Grouchy), Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood. First we see a newer take on these classic stories, followed by vintage segments, in the form of Kermit the Frog's famous “News Flash” bits.

For example, the disc kicks off with Zoe making a wish for longer hair, only to be visited by the Hairy Godperson. He grants her wish before taking off again. (“There's a mullet in Michigan that needs my help!” he says before disappearing.) Her hair eventually becomes so long that it creates a traffic jam, which leads to a policeman attempting to press charges. Thankfully, the Hairy Godperson returns to set things straight. I love the wittiness here, as well as some of the subtle puns scattered throughout, such as when one character trips over Zoe's locks and complains of possibly having “a hairline fracture.” The disc then jumps into a sketch I remember quite well from childhood, in which reporter Kermit stands outside Rapunzel's castle while an irritable Prince Charming tries to make himself heard to her. It's as funny now as it was then.

The spoof of Jack and the Beanstalk is equally funny, with the character confused about what he's supposed to trade his cow for. At one point, told that what he needs rhymes with “jeans,” he turns up with a pair of tambourines. These kinds of jokes are all over Silly Storytime, which makes the DVD as fun for parents to watch as it is for kids. It amazes me that “Sesame Street” has been pumping out such quality material for so many decades.

The replay value of the disc is high and, as you'd expect, there is an educational component as well. As a bonus feature, you get a 7-minute animated story called “A Wish for Grover.” Sesame Street: Silly Storytime hits shelves on February 1, and if you have kids, this will be a wonderful addition to your family DVD collection.