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| - In 1969, for the first season of Sesame Street, Jim Henson produced and directed a series of live-action short films teaching . Ten segments were produced, for the numbers 1 through 10. The shorts were highlighted by the use of animated graphics, supplied by Henson, and a song, performed by the Kids. The films were shot from June 2-June 6, 1969. Each film opened with an animated sequence where kids counted up to 10 and then back to 1. Another animated sequence followed, as children would count to the specific number, in choral voice over, while animated numbers zoomed around the screen.
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| abstract
| - In 1969, for the first season of Sesame Street, Jim Henson produced and directed a series of live-action short films teaching . Ten segments were produced, for the numbers 1 through 10. The shorts were highlighted by the use of animated graphics, supplied by Henson, and a song, performed by the Kids. The films were shot from June 2-June 6, 1969. Henson labeled his March 1969 storyboards for the project as Numerosity, however CTW would invoice the films under the labels "Henson 10" (or whichever number was featured). As such, internal CTW document refers to the segments as, for example, "Henson #10", and the Sesame Street Old School DVD chapter menu refers to one segments in a similar fashion. The music for each film was individually registered with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers as, for example, "Ten Song (Song of Ten)." The series has also been referred to as "'The Baker' films" or "baker segments" due to the presence of a baker as the final gag in each film. Each film opened with an animated sequence where kids counted up to 10 and then back to 1. Another animated sequence followed, as children would count to the specific number, in choral voice over, while animated numbers zoomed around the screen. After the segment's number was announced, several human characters, ranging from jugglers to professors, would use different objects to demonstrate the number. Finally, a baker (laden with that segment's number of desserts) would melodically announce the confection... and immediately tumble down a flight of stairs, spilling the desserts. Jim Henson provided the voice of the baker, while stuntman Alex Stevens played the character on screen. Different child actors were used, including Brian Henson in several entries (1, 3, 5, 7-10; most often counting coins) and John Henson rang ten bells (replacing brother Brian and ten little Indians). Saralou Cooper was the only actress used, appearing in entries for 2, 3, and 5. In addition to the opening song and the baker, the most notable recurring sequence in these segments was a man opening a door with a question mark on it, revealing animals (two turtles, three crocodiles, four fish, etc.) In 1970, the New York Times Magazine reported on Joan Ganz Cooney's distaste for the baker's fall at the end of the segment: "'I don't like it,' Mrs. Cooney says flatly of the pratfall finale. 'Banana-peel humor is male and it's from age 4 on. Younger children -- 2-year-olds, say -- think he's hurt.' Then why does the guy stay? 'The show,' said Mrs. Cooney, 'is definitely male-oriented.'" The films were eventually taken off the show for being deemed too violent.
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