Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Freudberg, Judy. |
| Title: | Judy Freudberg Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1976-2010 |
| Quantity: | 4.5 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | American television writer. Collection includes notes, drafts, scripts and story ideas for Sesame Street, Elmo's World and various other creative projects. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Judy Freudberg (1949-2012) was an American television writer. A graduate of Syracuse University, she was a scriptwriter for Sesame Street for more than 35 years and was the co-creator and head writer of the "Elmo's World" segment. She also wrote sketches for celebrities appearing on Sesame Street, and co-wrote the screenplays for the animated features films The Land Before Time and An American Tail.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Judy Freudberg Papers consists of notes, drafts, scripts and story ideas for Sesame Street, Elmo's World and various other creative projects.
The Elmo's World series consists of an official guide to the show (including a sketch of the set) and notes and scripts (some partial) for six seasons as well as an Elmo's World special (undated). The miscellaneous material includes lists of Elmo's World home videos, ideas for show topics, notes and memos about the show, and other assorted items.
The Sesame Street series contains bound scripts, inserts, files for individual shows, and miscellaneous Sesame Street-related items. Bound scripts encompass 25 years and eleven seasons. Not all shows are represented, and the scripts that are present are partial only; presumably only the parts that Freudberg wrote are included but this cannot be verified. Inserts consist of very short pieces intended to be inserted into a show; the inserts for Season 41 include a CD labeled "SS Puppet Inventory Animals." Show files contain notes, memos, and various version of scripts (drafts, production meeting copies, final copies). A few also contain music or lyrics for songs. The show file for show #4126, Rocco's birthday party, includes a CD labeled "Operatic Lullaby." Miscellaneous material includes handwritten notes with ideas for sketches, copies of Sesame Street curriculum guides for several seasons, handouts from creative meetings and workshops, and assorted other items.
Subject files contains notes, ideas, scripts and pitch documents for a range of creative projects, ranging from two episodes for the WGBH series Between the Lions to pitch documents for Mrs. Sparklenose's Flying Fairy School to handwritten notes for what appears to be a novel.
Arrangement of the Collection
Material is divided into the three series given above. Within each series, scripts, inserts and show files are arranged chronologically while subject files are arranged alphabetically by title or topic.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Related Material
Five hardcover books have been transferred to Rare Books for cataloging. Please refer to the Classic Catalog to locate these items. The titles are:
- Sesame Street Unpaved: Scripts, Stories, Secrets and Songs (Borgenicht)
- Susan and Gordon Adopt a Baby (based on script by Freudberg)
- Vegetable Soup (Freudberg and Geiss)
- Molly Moves to Sesame Street (Freudberg), hardcover, book club edition
- Molly Moves to Sesame Street (Freudberg), hardcover, trade edition
Subject Headings
Persons
Corporate Bodies
Associated Titles
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Occupations
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Judy Freudberg Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Joan Leibovitz, Jean Ballin, and Lee Freudberg, 2012.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: MRC
Date: 30 Aug 2012
Revision history:
Inventory
| Elmo's World | |||||||||||
| Official guide 1998, undated - includes sketch of set | |||||||||||
| Show files | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Season 33, Wild Wild West 2001 - script, various versions (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Season 35, Bathtime 2003 - script, various versions | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Season 36, Jumping 2004 - script, various versions | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Season 37, Horses 2005 - script, various versions | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Season 38, Violins 2006 - script, various versions | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Season 39, Eyes 2007 - script, various versions | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Special undated | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Miscellaneous - notes, memos, lists of Elmo home videos, potential topics, etc. | ||||||||||
| Sesame Street | |||||||||||
| Bound scripts | |||||||||||
| Box 2 | Season 8 1976-1977 - shows 926, 941, 946, 957, 965, 1000, 1011, 1016, 1023, 1026, 1035, 1053 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Season 9 1977-1978 - shows 1058, 1063, 1070, 1075, 1081, 1089, 1095, 1124, 1125, 1127, 1129, 1135, 1136, 1137, 1143, 1146, 1148, 1154, 1157, 1168, 1172, 1173, 1181, 1178, 1182, 1185 | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Season 10 1978-1979 - shows 1186, 1188, 1196, 1208, 1215, 1216, 1217, 1225, 1226, 1228, 1252, 1256, 1261, 1263, 1284, 1290, 1293, 1299, 1304, 1307, 1313 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Season 11 1979-1980 - shows 1316-1321, 1324, 1329, 1331, 1339, 1347, 1349, 1356, 1363, 1366, 1371, 1409 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Season 23 1991-1992 - shows 2885, 2886, 2901, 2906, 2912, 2915, 2920, 2936, 2949, 2968, 2994, 3000, 3005 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Season 25 1993-1994 - shows 3153, 3140, 3161, 3181, 3199, 3212, 3233, 3248, 3255, 3261 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Season 26 1994-1995 - shows 3280, 3297, 3300, 3331, 3352, 3367, 3370, 3395 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Season 27 1995-1996 - shows 3401, 3405, 3406, 3456, 3457, 3473, 3478, 3496, 3500, 3503, 3508, 3509, 3516, 3525 | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Season 28 1996-1997 - shows 3530, 3536, 3549, 3557, 3561, 3600, 3593, 3592, 3602, 3619, 3648, 3652, 3653 | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Season 29 1997-1998 - shows 3656, 3660, 3666, 3672, 3674, 3687, 3698, 3702,3715, 3761, 3762, 3766, 3776, 3782 | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Season 31 1999-2000 - shows 3854, 3879, 3882, 3904, 3905, 3913, EW 20 | ||||||||||
| Inserts | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | International | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Nathan Lane | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Season 35 - "Trash Gordon" inserts | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Season 38 - miscellaneous, for shows 4141, 4145, 4152, 4158 | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Season 40 - miscellaneous, for shows 4187, 4190, 4194, 4197, 4203, 4207 | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | Season 41 - miscellaneous, for shows 4216, 4223, 4229, 4238; handwritten notes; CD, "SS Puppet Inventory Animals" (freudberg_002) | ||||||||||
| Show files | |||||||||||
| Season number is given in parentheses following the show number. | |||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4057 (35) 2003 - Sesame Street meets Elmo's World; draft; Revision #1, #2, #3; lyrics for "The Street I Live On," music and lyrics for "The Snuffleupagus" (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4069 (35) 2003 - Snuffy's invisible, part 1; notes, drafts, production meeting copy, lyrics to "I Love Trash" | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4070 (35) 2003 - annotated draft | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4075 (35) 2003 - Cookie Monster, while waiting for cookies, writes a story; notes, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4080 (35) 2003 - Elmo's [Barkley's] fairy godperson grants his wish to become a bird [turn Zoe into a bird]; notes, draft, production meeting copy | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4090 (36) 2004 - Big Bird wants to bake special birdseed cookies for his granny; drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 6 | 4099 (36) 2004 - Zoe needs a rock-sitter for Rocco; drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4100 (36) 2004 - Baby Bear and Telly collaborate on a story; drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4107 (36) 2004 - Rosita can't go to Mexico so Big Bird and friends bring Mexico to her; notes, drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4111 (37) 2005 - Cookie World; drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4117 (37) 2005 - Elmo celebrates the letter J by changing his name to Jelmo; drafts, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4126 (37) 2005 - Rocco's birthday party; drafts, production meeting copy, final; includes CD, "Operatic Lullaby" (freudberg_001) | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4132 (37) 2005 - Big Bird and Snuffy want to play with Gina's new baby; notes, draft, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4138 (38) 2006 - Elmo is in love with his favorite book, "Lucy the Lazy Lizard"; drafts, photocopy of music and lyrics for "What Makes Music" | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4141 (38) 2006 - Big Bird accidentally breaks Elmo's tricycle; notes, drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4148 (38) 2006 - drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4152 (38) 2006 - Elmo wishes he had a pet dinosaur; notes, drafts, production meeting copy, final | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4171 (39) 2007 - drafts only | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4175 (39) 2007 - drafts only | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4177 (39) 2007 - drafts only | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4180 (39) 2007 - drafts only; includes "30 Rock" parody | ||||||||||
| Box 7 | 4183 (39) 2006 - Maria the Cowgirl; drafts, final (partial?); date differs because original show no. was 4171 | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4194 (40) 2008 - Quest for words that start with Y; drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4197 (40) 2008 - Cookie Monster wishes for a cookie tree; drafts, production meeting copy | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4206 (40) 2008 - Big Bird visits the doctor when he hurts his arm and has to wear a sling; notes, drafts, production meeting copy | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4207 (40) 2008 - letter G; notes, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4210 (40) 2008 - Gordon teaches Abby to ride a tricycle; notes, drafts, production meeting copy, "Revised #1" | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4218 (40) 2008 - notes, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4223 (41) 2009 - letter K, number 19; notes, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4229 (41) 2009 - notes, drafts, words and music for "Singing in the Shower," proof of concept document for "Munchin' Impossible" by Syndi Shumer | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | 4238 (41) 2009 - letter Z, number 15; notes, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Miscellaneous ideas - handwritten notes with various ideas for Sesame Street spots | ||||||||||
| Box 8 | Miscellaneous 1996-2010, undated - season curriculm guides, notes, memos, etc. | ||||||||||
| Subject files | |||||||||||
| Box 8 | The Alphabet Thieves 1995 | ||||||||||
| Between the Lions - WGBH series | |||||||||||
| Box 9 | Pirates 1998-1999 - contract, episode guide, notes, drafts, feedback from WGBH | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Pygmalion 1998-1999 - notes, episode outline, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Boomer 2007 - story of a horse; notes, outline, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Fairy School 2007 - "Mrs. Sparklenose's Flying Fairy School," a school for magical preschoolers; pitch documents, drafts of two scripts | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Letter stories undated - notes, partial draft about Sam the Singing Sock | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Murray 2008 - notes, drafts; draft episodes include karate school, farming school, nature school, gymnastics school, etc. | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Show ideas, miscellaneous 2002, undated - Furry Arms pitch document (Freudberg et al.), Zoe Hawker Neighborhood Dog Walker (Katchke), Frog and Toad Together, Extreme Adventure (Nat. Geo / Fox Kids) | ||||||||||
| Umbilical Brothers | |||||||||||
| See The Upside Down Show | |||||||||||
| The Upside Down Show | |||||||||||
| Box 9 | Pitch documents - explanation, outline, characters, etc., using title "The Umbilical Brothers" | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Barbershop - thumbnail, drafts | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Beach - pilot script, using title "The Umbilical Brothers" | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Miscellaneous - character outline, curriculum, word lists, development notes, possible episode topics/titles, etc. | ||||||||||
| Box 9 | Unidentified - several handwritten pages, possibly the outline for a novel | ||||||||||