Today, Sesame Street released its parody of HBO’s True Blood, which is fittingly called “True Mud.” As you may have guessed, the sketch is about a stranger who orders “true mud,” raising suspicions that he’s a grouch. The writers over on Sesame have always been quite deft at providing entertainment for parents while keeping their children entertained and educating them. Click through to watch “True Mud” and 10 more spoofs of hit TV shows — from “Mad Men” to “Desperate House Plants,” some of their very adult choices might surprise you.
“True Mud”
Sparing children and their potentially concerned parents from vampire sex and violence, Sesame Street switches blood for mud and vampires for grouches. We still get the “stranger in town” vibe, plus a quick rhyming lesson.
“30 Rocks”
As in 30 Rock, “30 Rocks” stars Lemon — here an actual lemon — saving the day by verifying the studio’s order for, you guessed it, 30 rocks.
“The Closer”
The Muppets didn’t need to change the name of The Closer to do this one. The gag is a pun on the phrase “case closed,” ostensibly a lesson in leaving things tidy. Not a bad job imitating Kyra Sedgwick’s Southern twang either.
“Desperate House Plants”
OK, this one — “the story of some house plants who were not getting what they needed” — might be the raciest of the bunch. It stars two dried up houseplants hoping to be noticed by a suave gardener.
“Law and Order: Special Letters Unit”
“Law and Order: Special Letters Unit” follows a group of detectives who track down missing letters. In this episode, detectives seem to be confused about the difference between things that start with the letter M and the letter itself. As is to be expected, there are plenty of “chung chung” sound effects.
“Mad Men”
Complete with the iconic introduction, Sesame Street‘s take on Mad Men is a literal look at emotions — sad, happy, and of course, mad — which isn’t too far from the real show’s emphasis on how Madison Avenue’s early ad men played with consumers’ emotions. Kids also get a chance at picking up a new word: sycophant.
“Miami Mice”
“Miami Mice” features Kermit interviewing the famous and rather jaded Miami Mice, asking the duo about any adventures they have. The mice answer that it’s nothing more than a day’s work.
“Outrageous Makeover Home Addition”
Poking fun at the swath of home makeover shows, Grover surprises an older Muppet trying to quietly read War and Peace in peace and makes his home more outrageous. Unfortunately, the lesson here is basic counting, and we’re counting the numbers of doors in his living room.
“Pre-School Musical”
A parody of the Disney Channel’s massive popular High School Musical franchise, “Pre-School Musical” features younger Muppets arguing over the merits of playing with blocks or dressing up. Thankfully the gang learns to take turns. As a final dig for the more culturally-aware viewers, the voiceover informs us there will be two sequels coming soon, an ice show and a musical version.
“RSI: Rhyme Scene Investigation”
Featuring Horatio Caine’s (David Caruso) signature red hair and sunglasses, RSI agents assist the public in finding rhyming words, perfect for when you forget the name of something but know that it rhymes with another word.
“Squeal of Fortune”
“Squeal of Fortune” involves spinning a pig and guessing how many times he’ll squeal. These days, that doesn’t sound like that crazy of a concept for a game show. The clip begins with a strange introduction, with Big Bird counting his toes.