Entertainment

Lloyd Morrisett, who helped launch ‘Sesame Street,’ dies

Published

8 months ago

January 25, 2023

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Lloyd Morrisett, who helped launch 'Sesame Street,' dies

Lloyd Morrisett, the co-creator of the beloved children’s education TV series “Sesame Street,” which uses empathy and fuzzy monsters like Abby Cadabby, Elmo and Cookie Monster to charm and teach generations around the world, has died. He was 93.

Morrisett’s death was announced Tuesday by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit he helped establish under the name the Children’s Television Workshop. No cause of death was given.

In a statement, Sesame Workshop hailed Morrisett as a “wise, thoughtful, and above all kind leader” who was “constantly thinking about new ways” to educate.

Morrisett and Joan Ganz Cooney worked with Harvard University developmental psychologist Gerald Lesser to build the show’s unique approach to teaching that now reaches 120 million children. Legendary puppeteer Jim Henson supplied the critters.

“Sesame Street” is shown in more than 150 countries, has won 193 Emmys, 10 Grammys and in 2019 received the Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime artistic achievement, the first time a television program got the award (Big Bird strolled down the aisle and basically sat in Tom Hanks’ lap).

Born in 1929 in Oklahoma City, Morrisett initially trained to be a teacher with a background in psychology. He became an experimental educator, looking for new ways to educate children from less advantaged backgrounds. Morrisett received his bachelor’s at Oberlin College, did graduate work in psychology at UCLA, and earned his doctorate in experimental psychology at Yale University. He was an Oberlin trustee for many years and was chair of the board from 1975 to 1981.

The germ of “Sesame Street” was sown over a dinner party in 1966, where he met Cooney.

“I said, ‘Joan, do you think television could be used to teach young children?’ Her answer was, ‘I don’t know, but I’d like to talk about it,’” he recalled to The Guardian in 2004.

The first episode of “Sesame Street” — sponsored by the letters W, S and E and the numbers 2 and 3 — aired in the fall of 1969. It was a turbulent time in America, rocked by the Vietnam War and raw from the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. the year before.

Children’s programming at the time was made up of shows like “Captain Kangaroo,” “Romper Room” and the often violent cartoon skirmishes between “Tom & Jerry.” “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” was mostly teaching social skills.

“Sesame Street” was designed by education professionals and child psychologists with one goal: to help low-income and minority students aged 2-5 overcome some of the deficiencies they had when entering school. Social scientists had long noted kids who were white and from higher-income families were often better prepared.

The show was set on an urban street with a multicultural cast. Diversity and inclusion were baked into the show. Monsters, humans and animals all lived together peacefully.

It became the first children’s program to feature someone with Down syndrome. It’s had puppets with HIV and in foster care, invited children in wheelchairs, and dealt with topics like jailed parents, homelessness, women’s rights, military families and even girls singing about loving their hair.

It introduced the bilingual Rosita — the first Latina Muppet — in 1991. Julia, a 4-year-old Muppet with autism, came in 2017 and the show has since offered help for kids whose parents are dealing with addiction and recovery, and children suffering as a result of the Syrian civil war. To help kids after 9/11, Elmo was left traumatized by a fire at Hooper’s store but was soothingly told that firefighters were there to help.

The company said upon the news of his death that Lloyd left “an outsized and indelible legacy among generations of children the world over, with ‘Sesame Street’ only the most visible tribute to a lifetime of good work and lasting impact.”

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Entertainment

‘Expend4bles’ opens with epic flop while ‘Nun 2’ claims top spot again at the box office

Published

6 days ago

September 25, 2023

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Expend4bles' opens with epic flop while 'Nun 2' claims top spot again at the box office

Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham weren’t enough to save “Expend4bles” from a debut box office flop. The fourth installment suffered the action-packed franchise’s worst opening weekend while “The Nun 2” took home the top spot for a third straight week, data firm Comscore reported on Sunday.

The Lionsgate and Millennium’s film, also known as “Expendables 4,” pulled in a mediocre $8.3 million for the big-budget project. It starred several popular names, including Stallone, Statham, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox and Dolph Lundgren. It’s been nearly a decade since the franchise released a film, which opened with $15.8 million and eventually grossed $214 million globally.

But times have certainly changed, as the film barely placed second behind “The Nun 2,” a horror movie that earned $8.4 million in its first week. It’s been a solid start for that Warner Bros.’ project — a spinoff from the lucrative “Conjuring” franchise. So far, the Michael Chaves-directed sequel has grossed more than $69 million.

“It’s a star-studded franchise, but horror is a different situation,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It just seems no matter what if you’re scared in the movie theater a couple times in an hour and a half or two, that’s worth the price of admission.”

In third, “A Haunting in Venice” earned $6.3 million. Kenneth Branagh’s third Agatha Christie adaptation, following 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile,” has drawn in over $25.3 million after two weeks.

“The Equalizer 3,” starring Denzel Washington, only dropped to fourth place with $4.725 million. In four weeks, it has grossed $81.1 million domestically.

“Barbie,” the biggest movie of 2023, is still carrying some momentum from the summer into the fall season. The Greta Gerwig box-office smash ranked in the top five, earning $3.2 million this week and a domestic total of more than $630 million after a 10-week period.

Sixth place went to “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” with $3 million, while “It Lives Inside” opened its first week with $2.6 million. The Sony film “Dumb Money,” a dramatization of the GameStop stock frenzy, stayed put in the eighth position for a second week in a row with $2.5 million.

“Blue Beetle” fell to ninth, with $1.8 million, and “Oppenheimer” rounded out the top 10 with $1.6 million. The Christopher Nolan film has garnered $321 million domestically.

In all, it was another slow output for box office figures as many Hollywood projects are still on hold due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Writers Guild of America strikes.

This weekend grossed the lowest since Dec. 9, 2022, Dergarabedian said. It was also the first time since the weekend of Feb. 10, 2023 to not have a movie earn over $10 million.

But Dergarabedian said a “spectacular October” could be on the way with the much-anticipated “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film, “The Exorcist: Believer” and “Saw X.”

“Things are going to change next week or the weeks after when Taylor Swift hits the multiplex,” he said. “This is the natural ebbs and flow of the box office. That means one thing: We’ll be back to normal.”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “The Nun II,” $8.4 million.

2. “Expend4bles,” $8.3 million.

3. “A Haunting in Venice,” $6.3 million.

4. “The Equalizer 3,” $4.7 million.

5. “Barbie,” $3.2 million.

6. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3,” $3 million.

7. “It Lives Inside,” 2.6 million.

8. “Dumb Money,” $2.5 million.

9. “Blue Beetle,” $1.8 million.

10. “Oppenheimer,” $1.6 million.

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Entertainment

When will Saudi Arabia’s first cinema event take place?

Published

6 days ago

September 25, 2023

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When will Saudi Arabia's first cinema event take place?

First time in the history of Saudi Arabia, a cinema event is being organised on Oct 1 in Riyadh.

According to a media outlet, about 100 people will participate in this event titled “Saudi Film Forum.” As many as 50 important speakers will speak on the occasion and the event will conclude on Oct 4.

The media reported that this would be the first event of its kind in the kingdom to be held at the Boulevard City Exhibition Hall in Riyadh. The aim of the event is to transform the film industry into a major contributor to the Saudi economy.

Following the initiative, the film industry will be able to achieve sustainable and renewed economic growth by expanding investment opportunities and cooperation through exchange of experiences.

Renowned filmmakers, producers, directors, investors and international media persons will join the gathering so that they could ascertain the reality and future of filmmaking in Saudi Arabia.

Workshops and several other sections including Inspiration Zone, Innovation Zone, Interactive Activities Zone, Experiences Zone and Business Zone are also part of the event.

The media reported that Saudi Film Commission CEO Engineer Abdullah Al Ayyaf had described the forum as a major success for the film industry.

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Entertainment

Hamaima Malik’s photoshoot in pool attracts fans

Published

6 days ago

September 25, 2023

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Hamaima Malik's photoshoot in pool attracts fans

Fans of Humaima Malik are very much surprised to have a look of her recent photoshoot in the swimming pool.

The actor shared a few videos of the photoshoot in the pool with her fans on the Instagram. Her photoshoot invited a number of comments from the fans. Hamaima Malik’s unique pose in the pool is being loved by the fans.

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