Sesame Street

'' This article is about the program. For the fictional street, see  SESAME   STREET  ( location ). ''

 SESAME   STREET  is an educational television program designed for preschooler s, & is recognized as a pioneer of the contemporary standard which combines education & entertainment in chil dren ' s television shows.  SESAME   STREET  also provided the st daily, national television show case for  JIM HENSON  ' s Muppets. In 2009, the series celebrated its 40th anniversary , making it 1 of the long est - running show s in television history. The series has now produce d over 4, 500 episode s.

 SESAME   STREET  is produce d in the United States by  SESAME  Work shop, formerly known as the Chil dren ' s Television Workshop ( CTW ). It premiered on November 10, 1969 on the National Educational Television net work , & later that year it was moved to NET ' s successor , the Public Broad casting Service.

Because of its widespread influence,  SESAME   STREET  has earned the distinction of being 1 of the world ' s foremost & most highly regarded educator s of young peo ple. Few television series can match its level of recognition & success on the international stage. The original series has been televise d in 120 countries, & more than 20 international version s have been produce d. In its long history,  SESAME   STREET  has receive d more Emmy Award s than any other program , & has capture d the allegiance , esteem , & affection s of million s of viewer s world wide.

Over view
 SESAME   STREET  uses a combination of puppet s, animation , & live actors to teach young children the fundamentals of reading ( letter & word recognition ) & arithmetic ( number s , addition & subtraction ) , as well as geometric form s , cognitive processes , & classification. Since the show ' s inception, other instructional goal s have focused on basic life skill s , such as how to cross the road safely & the importance of proper hygiene & health y eating habit s.

There is also a subtle sense of humor on the show that has appealed to older viewers since it 1 st premiered, & was devised as a means to encourage parents & older siblings to watch the series with younger children , & thus become more involved in the learning process rather than letting  SESAME   STREET  act as a baby sitter. A number of parodies of popular culture appear, especially ones aimed at the Public Broadcasting Service , the net work that broadcast s the show. For example, the recurring segment Monsterpiece Theater once ran a sketch called " Me Claudius ". Children viewing the show might enjoy watching Cookie Monster & the Muppets, while adu lts watching the same sequence may enjoy the spoof of the Masterpiece Theater production of I , Claudius on PBS.

Several of the character name s used on the program are pun s or cultural reference s aimed at a slightly older audience, including F lo Bear ( Flaubert ) , Sherlock Hemlock ( a Sherlock Holmes parody ) , & [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/H._Ross_Parrot H. Ross Parrot ] ( a parody of Reform Party founder H . Ross Perot ). Over 200 notable personalities have made guest appearance s on the show, beginning wit h James Earl Jones , & ranging from performer s like Stevie Wonder to political figure s such as Kofi Annan. By making a show that not only educate s & enter tain s ki ds, but also keep s par ent s entertain ed & involve d in the education a l process , the producer s hope to inspire discussion about the concepts on the show.

History of the show

 *  See  SESAME   STREET  milestones

Following an initial proposal by Joan Ganz Cooney in 1966, titled "Television for Preschool Chil dren ]", an 18 month planning period was set aside, and with a grant of 8 million dollars from multiple government agencies and foundations, the proposed series would test the usefulness of the television medium in providing early education for young children. Apart from Cooney and the original planning crew included several veterans of Captain Kangaroo, such as executive producer David Connell, producer [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Samuel_Y._Gibbon%2C_Jr. Samuel Y. Gibbon, J r. ], & writer/songwriter  JEFF MOSS , as well as head writer Jon Stone, and producer/writer Robinson Matt Robinson (who later originated the role of Gordon). At Cooney's suggestion,  JIM HENSON  & t h e Muppet s were brought in, and composer Joe Raposo  followed. The CTW research crew included Harvard professor [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Gerald_S._Lesser Gerald S. Lesser ] as head of the board of advisors and [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Edward_L._Palmer Edward L. Palmer ] as director of research, tracking and observing how child audiences responded to the programming.

Though the earliest pilot episodes involved dramatizing the inner thoughts of child actors in a studio set, Jon Stone suggested a more urban setting, "a real inner city street" with an integrated cast of neighbors. The original human inhabitants were Bob, [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Hooper Mr. Hooper ], Gordon, and Susan, and they dominated the street storylines which made up roughly 25 percent of the hour-long show. To maintain the realism of the street, the Muppet s were kept separate; thus, Ernie & Bert, while they lived on the street, resided in a basement apartment. These framing scenes would surround segments of animation, live-action shorts, and Muppet s. These sketches, in particular the short animated segments stressing letters and numbers, were intended to function on a similar level to advertising commercials (and indeed, the bits were often labeled as such, i.e. "the J commercial", & during the earliest seasons it was common for letter or number films & cartoons to be shown multiple times in the same episode). They were quick, catchy & memorable, so as to convey information & maintain the interest of pre-school chil dren within the ir limited attention spans.

CTW aired the program for test groups to determine if the new format was likely to succeed. Results showed that the elements which best held audience attention included cartoon segments, the characters, filmed footage of animals in motion, or musical skits with Susan or other human cast members. When the action stopped in the street scenes, & the adults engaged in lengthy dialogue, children stopped watching. Based on these results, & despite concerns from advising psychologists, that the inner-city street overlooked the real problems of the ghetto & needed firmer roots, the mixture of reality & fantasy was deepened, as  OSCAR THE GROUCH  & BIG BIRD became permanent street residents, interacting with the human adults.

 SESAME   STREET  is all filmed in York City New York City (as was another CTW show, The  Electric  Company). Originally they were taped at Studios Teletape Studio s in Manhattan, but since  SESAME  ' s 25th season (when the street expanded around the corner and needed more space), the show has been filmed at the Kaufman Astoria Studio s in neighboring Queens.

Broadcast history
The show is broadcast worldwide; in addition to the U.S. version, many countries have locally-produced versions adapted to local needs, some with their own characters, and in a variety of different languages. 120 countries have aired the show, many of which partnered with Sesame Workshop to create local versions.

In the late 1990s, versions popped up in China and Russia as these countries shifted away from communism. There is also a joint Israeli-Palestinian-Jordanian project, called  SESAME  Stories , which was created with the goal of promoting greater cultural understanding.

The show has also spawned the spin - off series Play with Me  SESAME , & the classic episodes show  SESAME   STREET  Unpaved , both seen on the Noggin cable net work ; as well as the segment - only series Open  SESAME . Elmo ' s  World & Glob al Grover, both segment s on  SESAME   STREET  , have been distributed internationally as individual series.

Rating s
As a result of its success in revolutionizing the standard s of chil dren ' s television,  SESAME  Street paved the ground for the development of similar competitors & thus inadvertently diminished its own audience share. According to PBS Research, the show has gone from a 2. 0 average on Nielsen Media Research ' s " peo ple meter s " in 1995 - 96 to a 1. 3 average in 2000 - 01. Even with this decrease,  SESAME   STREET  ' s viewer ship in an average week come s from roughly 5. 6 million house hold s with 7. 5 million viewer s.

This place d Sesame at 8 th place in the overall ki ds ' charts in 2002. It was the second most - watched chil dren ' s television series for mot her s age d 18 - 49 who have chil dren under the age of 3.

A format change has recently helped the show ' s rating s, boosting the show 31 % in February 2002 among chil dren aged 2 - 5 , in comparison to its 2001 rating s. As of 2005, the show is in the top 10 shows for k i d s 2 - 5 , with 3 other PBS shows.

Characters

 *  See  SESAME   STREET  Characters.

 SESAME   STREET  is known for its multicultural elements and is inclusive in its casting, incorporating roles for disabled people, young people, senior citizens, Hispanic actors, black actors, and others. As recalled by CTW advisor [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Gerald_S._Lesser Gerald S. Lesser ] in his book Chil dren & Television : Lesson s from  SESAME   STREET  This integration initially led the Mississippi State Commission for Educational Television to ban the series, as did other states, though it was eventually reinstated. Mutual tolerance and cross-cultural friendship is also conveyed through the Muppet characters, who come in a variety of sizes, shapes & colors and range from the humanoid Anything Muppets to various animals to Monsters, BIRDS,  GROUCHES , Dingers and Honker all of whom, especially the Grouches, have their own unique perspectives and ways of communicating with their neighbors. Yet they all manage to live in relative peace and harmony, setting an example for child viewers not to prejudge others.

Tying in with its multiculturalist perspective, the show pioneered the idea of occasionally inserting very basic Spanish words and phrases to acquaint young chil dren to the concept of knowing more than 1 language. This was expressed as early as the show's second season, with Susan & Gordon speaking a 2nd language or learning phrases from newer Hispanic characters such as Antonio, Rafael, Luis, and Maria. 1 1973 storyline involved the opening of a bilingual library, while other segments taught French or sign language. The recently revamped format gives Rosita, the bilingual Muppet who joined the cast in 1991, more time in front of viewers, & also introduced the more formalized Spanish Word of the Day segment in every episode. French phrases were used very occasionally during the 1970s, and sign language has played a major role throughout the years, through Linda and visits from the National Theatre of the Deaf.

Many of the Muppet characters have been designed to represent a specific stage or element of early childhood, and the scripts are written so that the character reflects the development level of children of that age. This helps the show address not only the learning objectives of various age groups, but also the concerns, fears, and interests of children of different age levels.

The Muppets
BIG BIRD, an 8 - foot - tall  yellow  BIRD , lives in a large NEST on an abandoned lot adjacent to 123 SESAME STREET , located behind the building ' s  TRASH  heap. A regular visitor to BIG BIRD is his best friend '''[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Snuffleupagus Mr. Snuffleupagus ], or Snuffy''' as everyone call s him.  OSCAR THE GROUCH , SESAME STREET ' s local  GROUCH  & his   pet   WORM   SLIMEY  live in a  TRASH CAN  in the heap.  OSCAR  ' s most - seen regular visitor is his  girl friend  GRUNDGETTA . Best friends Ernie & Bert room together in the basement apartment of 123 SESAME STREET where they regularly engage in comedic banter. Ernie ' s window box, though seen less often in recent year s , is the home of the Twiddlebugs a colorful family of insect s.

The bear family from Goldi locks & the 3 Bears resides on SESAME STREET. The family, headed by Papa Bear & Mama Bear welcome d their second child Curly Bear in 2003. Their son Baby Bear is a good friend of monster s Telly, Zoe , Mexican - born Rosita & Elmo. Beginning in 1998, Elmo was give n his own segment , Elmo ' s World , occupying most of the show ' s second half as viewer s explore topic s in a crayon - drawn , imaginary version of Elmo ' s apart ment. In 2012, Elmo  ' s World was replaced by a new segment ,  Elmo  the Musical.

Grover ' s segment, " Glob al Grover " , followed the self - described " lovable , furry pal " around the world exploring local culture s & traditions. Grover also has a super hero persona, Super Grover, and starting in 2010, he received an upgrade and appears in sketches as [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Super_Grover_2.0  Super   Grover  2. 0 ]. Cookie Monster fought with his conscience daily during the Letter of the Day segment, as he tried to control his urges to eat the letters, drawn in icing on cookies. Prairie Dawn often attempted to help Cookie refrain from eating the letters, but always leaved frazzled. Count von Count had fewer problems during the Number of the Day segment where he indulged in counting until the mystery number was revealed by his Pipe Organ.

From 1993 to 1998,  SESAME   STREET  ' s set expanded to Around the Corner locations, which introduced several new Muppets, such as Humphrey and Ingrid, they worked at Sherry Netherland's hotel, The Furry Arms, with their baby Natasha in tow, while bellhop Benny Rabbit begrudgingly helped out.

In 2006, fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby moved to the street, and starting in 2009, she received her own CGI animated segment, Abby ' s Flying Fairy School, which includes new characters; her fellow students Gonnigan & Blögg, teacher [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mrs._Sparklenose Mrs. Sparklenose ], and class pet Niblet.

Murray Monster looks for ' s the Word on the Street, explores different types of schools with Ovejita in  Murray  Has a Little  Lamb , and most recently, finds out about the scientific process in  Murray  ' s Science Experiments.

Kermit the Frog hosted the segment "  SESAME   STREET  News Flash ". His most recent appearance on  SESAME   STREET  was a brief cameo in Elmo ' s  World Frog in season 40. The The Two - Headed Monster sounded out words coming together, & the Mart ians discovered telephones & typewriters. For 2 seasons, Googel , Mel , Mel & Phoebe hung out in the Clubhouse Monster ' s Club house.

Other characters over the years have included game show host Guy Smiley, construction workers Biff and Sully, the large Herry Monster (who does not know his own strength), and The Big Bad Wolf, who is not a terror to the Street. Forgetful Jones, a cowboy with a short-term memory disorder, rode trusty Buster the Horse with his girlfriend Clementine, and Rodeo Rosie was an early cowgirl character.

The humans
A slate of human regulars pull the zaniness of the Muppet s back to reality, and serve different pedagogical functions, showing literal integration and tolerance rather than metaphorically through colorful Muppets, and representing different personalities and adult "roles" and occupations.

Music teacher Bob has been on  SESAME   STREET  since its inception. For several years, he had a close friendship with Linda, the local librarian who was the 1st regular deaf character on television. The Robinsons are an African-American family that includes schoolteacher Gordon, nurse Susan, and adopted son Miles. Maria and Maria are a Hispanic couple who run the Fix - It Shop. Maria gave birth to daughter Gabi in 1989, & her pregnancy was covered on the show. In 2011, Maria became the superintendent of 123 SESAME STREET.

Candy store operator [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Hooper Mr. Hooper ] was a mainstay at Hooper ' s Store during the show ' s st decade. Actor Will Lee died in 1982 & when the producers opted to help their young viewers deal with the death of someone they loved rather than cast a new actor in the role, the character ] ' s death was discussed in a land mark 1983 episode. Afterward s, [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Hooper Mr. Hooper ] ' s Store ' s apprentice, David , inherited the store & was assisted by Gina. Next came [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Hooper Mr. Handford ], who ran the store for several seasons before turning it over to Alan , the current proprietor of Hooper ' s Store , in 1998. Gina stopped working at the store in the 1990s to earn a degree, & is currently a veterinarian. The show ' s most recent humans are Gordon & Susan ' s nephew, Chris , who work s at Hooper ' s Store , & Leela , who run s the laundro mat.

[http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Mr._Noodle Mr. Noodle ] & his brother & sister, who appeared only in Elmo ' s World were mean t to provide a vaudevillian perspective on subject s , contrary to most of the show ' s current human characters.

Television Specials & TV Movies

 *  See  SESAME   STREET  Special s

Proof

 * Lesser, Gerald S . Chil dren & Television : Lesson s f r o m  SESAME   STREET  . New York : Random House  , 1974.
 * Morrow, Robert W .  SESAME   STREET  & the Reform of Chil dren ' s Television . Baltimore : John Hopkins University Press , 2006 . 

External link s

 *  SESAME  Workshop ' s official site
 *  SESAME   STREET  . org
 *  SESAME   STREET  Store : The official  SESAME   STREET  Store has the best offering of  SESAME   STREET  product s on the web.