(Dec 1) HOW to get to Sesame Street? Don't tell the children.

Recently, the earliest episodes, covering the decade from 1969 to 1979, were re-released on DVD.

But apparently, the series that so shaped the young minds of millions worldwide - many Singaporeans among them - has been deemed suitable only for adults.

A warning by the creators on volumes one and two of Sesame Street: Old School said: 'These early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today's preschool child.'

The New Paper could not find a copy despite calling several DVD retailers here. But each volume is also available online at store.sesame- workshop.org for US$39.95 ($58).

Sesame Street executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente told the New York Times that Alistair Cookie (Cookie Monster's alter-ego) used to appear with a pipe and eat it on Monsterpiece theatre and 'that modelled the wrong behaviour'.

So the scenes were reshot, this time pipe-free, and then the parody was dropped.

Oscar The Grouch was another problem. The filthy, trash can-dwelling muppet was, well, too grouchy.

'We might not be able to create a character like Oscar now,' Ms Parente said.

Also, back then, Cookie Monster didn't care about fruits or vegetables, like he does now. Snuffleupagus was only a figment of Big Bird's imagination (he became real in 1985). And the unfathomably cheerful Elmo didn't exist.

It is understood that Sesame Street: Old School will be released unrated in Singapore. This means it is suitable for all ages.

Singapore is typically seen to be more conservative than the US. A case in point: The temporary banning and M18 rating for the Xbox 360 game Mass Effect because of a lesbian scene between a woman and an alien.

But if even we found it okay, why did Sesame Street feel the need to add a warning?

Perhaps it's because of the lawsuit-happy culture in the US.

Assistant Professor Bradley Freeman from Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Wee Kim Wee School of Communication And Information, wondered if the label sounded like a legal disclaimer.

'So they don't end up sued by parents whose children end up getting fat after watching Cookie Monster,' he said.

Mr Caleb Liu, 26, a former foreign service officer, quipped: 'Far from being labelled 'adult programming' that is 'unsuitable for children', the DVDs should be labelled 'children's programming' that is 'unsuitable for adults without a sense of imagination'.'

Some parents also feel that it's a case of being over-protective towards youngsters.

Mr Noel Tan, 37, a father of three, said it's ludicrous to say those episodes of Sesame Street are not suitable for preschoolers, when there are far worse programmes on TV.

Mr Tan, a programme manager and co-founder of Sanctuary House, a volunteer charity organisation which dedicates itself to saving abandoned babies, said: 'It is political correctness gone overboard.'

Educational psychologist Amanda Kok, from Dynamics OTC Therapy Centre For Kids, said it is difficult to gauge what is over-protection.

It is up to the parent, she said.

EXPOSURE IS GOOD

Psychologist Daniel Koh of Insights-Tse said: 'Children who are exposed to both good and bad (situations) are much more equipped to deal with anything that happens in life, making them both socially and emotionally resistant.'

However, NTU's Assistant Professor Freeman, who has researched children's TV policy and programming, said: 'As a parent, it doesn't hurt to have a warning.'

The father of a 1 1/2-year-old daughter also suggested that the target market may not be children but nostalgic adults.

Sesame Street is one of the most researched children's shows ever, he noted.

He said researchers had found that Sesame Street wasn't really teaching children to love learning, but just how TV teaches learning.

And that while children who watch Sesame Street have a better vocabulary, the advantage fades by age 6.

No one needs to be worried.

He doubts that old-school Sesame Street would be attractive to today's children, who are reared on fast-paced programming.

'They'll be bored,' he said.

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REASONS:

OSCAR THE GROUCH

Too negative

COOKIE MONSTER

Binges on too many cookies

BERT

Has too-close relationship with male roommate Ernie?