Kids TV Shows: Elmo's World: Sesame Street's Show-within-a-show

If it seems like Elmo is always on when you turn on Sesame Street, it’s because he has his own 15-minute segment called Elmo’s World.

Kids who love the fuzzy, red, 3-year-old monster will be happiest at the 40-minute mark of their favorite TV show when their hero takes over the program.

The set is dominated by Elmo’s crayon drawings. This harkens back to the introduction of Elmo in the Eighties, when he was revealed to be the one who was making crayon graffiti all over Sesame Street.

If you watch Sesame Street’s 35th anniversary (an extended Elmo’s World about the show itself) you’ll notice that Elmo is seen drawing with crayons as he sings the Elmo’s World theme song. Thus, we learn that Elmo’s World consists of Elmo living in an imaginary world that he drew himself.

Elmo opens the show by welcoming viewers and introducing them to his goldfish, Dorothy. Then he asks, “Guess what Elmo’s thinking about today?”

His door opens to reveal the show’s topic: bikes, music, doctors, the sky … any topic that would interest a preschooler.

From there, Elmo opens his window shade to explore the topic with Mr. Noodle, a mute clown played by Bill Irwin. Kristin Chenoweth sometimes pops up as Miss Noodle, and the late Michael Jeter portrayed “Mr. Noodle’s brother, Mr. Noodle.”

Throughout the show, Elmo interacts with the crayon-drawn objects in the room. Drawer opens to help him answer questions like, “What has feet, and what doesn’t have feet?” Computer appears to deliver a video e-mail from one of the usual Sesame Street Muppets like Ernie, Telly or Oscar the Grouch.

The highlight of the show is when Elmo asks “How can we find out more? Hmmm…” This means Elmo is about to watch a TV show, so he turns on the Bird Channel or the Dancing Channel or whatever.