Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

[Barbaraann]

I slept later than usual this morning, and while listening to the radio, they announced that Sesame Street will be 40 years old today.

I haven't watched the program in many years, so I decided to turn it on. I didn't find it on it's usual channel. I immediately noticed the things that are different and the things that are still the same. Today I will be a kid at heart, and I will celebrate Sesame Street.

Happy Birthday Sesame Street.

[Barbaraann]

Re: Sesame Stree - 40 Years Old Today

I see that Barbaraann needs to learn how to spell. Perhaps a moderator will be so kind, to add that t, that I left off of the Street in Sesame Street.

Thanks for the correction.

[MsSarah]

Re: Sesame Stree - 40 Years Old Today

Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!
Even google has been celebrating their birthday for the past few days!

[Barbaraann]

Re: Sesame Stree - 40 Years Old Today

I am watching the program now. I understand that Michelle Obama will appear on today's episode. She will be talking about gardening with the residents of Sesame Street.

[cositaluvsmickey]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

I have to give a special thanks to Seaseme Street..because I learned my ABC's and 123's...

Happy Brithday Seasme Street!! for 40 awesome years and counting..may it always teach new generations the letter of the day!!

[OC2Epcot]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Spent many hours watching Sesame Street as a kid.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

This post is brought to you by the letter T.

T is for Thanks, to Sesame Street for being the master of mixing entertainment and education. I hope they're on the air for another 40 years.

And the Google tribute has been awesome.

[Crazy Larry]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Sesame Street's birthday is brought to you by the number 40.

Happy birthday Sesame Street!

Here's a classic clip from the good ole days.
I present Kermit and Cookie Monster with the Mystery Box.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shbgRyColvE"]YouTube - Sesame Street: Kermit And Cookie Monster And The Mystery Box[/ame]

Happy Birthday!

[Deanna]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

I learned how to count to ten in Spanish because of Sesame Street. And my 19 month old just said, "bee bir" when she saw your av...

[Barbaraann]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Big Bird was always a favorite of mine. My grandson was fond of snuffleupagus. I remember when he was first introduced on Sesame Street. No one could see him but Big Bird, and the at home audience.

[aashee]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

I grew up on Sesame street. Happy Birthday, you will always have a special place in my childhood memories.

[BC_DisneyGeek]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

I love Snuffy. I understand that he's visible to everyone now because before, when only Big Bird could see him, none of the adults believed him, and it was decided that the notion of adults not listening to a child was sending the wrong message.

I also love that they didn't gloss over reality, such as the case where Mr. Hooper died.

[Melonballer]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Classic Sesame Street song

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCF9jT1v2ec&feature=related]YouTube - Sesame Street - Telephone Rock (full version)[/ame]

[aimster]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Thank you Sesame Street for not dumbing down your programming and realizing kids don't like being talked down to.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1SiSUrvUnk]YouTube - Classic Sesame Street - Oscar sings "I Love Trash" (1970)[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf-HBMq9ggg]YouTube - Sesame Street - Near and Far with Grover[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7pGANh3vuU]YouTube - Sesame Street - Monsterpiece Theater: Upstairs, Downstiars[/ame]

[Barbaraann]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Yes, even though I haven't watched the program in ages, the episode that I watched today was very enjoyable, and brought back many memories of watching it with my grandson.

[aimster]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

I have volumes 1 & 2 of Old School Sesame Street on DVD.

[Barbaraann]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

We actually bought wuite a few Sesame Street videos for our grandson when he was a toddler. He loved watching them at bedtime. Some of them were watched so much that the covers are dog eared.

[brand42]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

Thanks to you, I can type my internet postings error free.

[Radiobarry]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Sunny day, chasing the clouds away - find my way to where the air is sweet. Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?

The major program of my early childhood was Captain Kangaroo, and a few local SoCal shows like Sheriff John.

But when I was 14, I started watching Sesame Street in its very first season, with my oldest younger brother, who was two then...and then I had another brother a year later.

What a wonderful job the Children's Television Workshop and PBS has done over the years, making learning fun for generations now.

And what a showcase that show has been for Jim Henson's Muppets over the years. Bert and Ernie, et al. And while Kermit the Frog had apparently been around a few years before, most of us got to know him on Sesame Street.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIOiwg2iHio"]YouTube- Sesame Street - Bein' Green (1969)[/ame]

That song always makes me a little misty-eyed. I also love Frank Sinatra's cover.

("Rainbow Connection" from the Muppet Movie has the same effect)


Happy birthday and many more years.

[OogieBoogie]

Re: Sesame Street - 40 Years Old Today

Here's a a bit of trivia about Sesame Street:

1. Four First Ladies have visited Sesame Street: Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.

2. Although Big Bird is a curious 6-year old and Oscar is a Grouch, the two are identical on the inside. At age 75, Carroll Spinney has been both characters since 1969.

3. Snuffleupagus is a Pachyderm who lives on Sesame Street. While it is thought that he was invisible, he has always lived on Sesame Street—he just has inconvenient timing.

4. A Birdseed Milkshake at Hooper’s Store cost $.20 in 1969 and costs $2.99 now.

5. Sesame Street has a subway stop that is powered by imagination, and one can get there by taking the “A, B, 1 or 2” trains. The actual studio for Sesame Street is in Astoria, Queens. The NYC N or R subway trains are the best bet.

6. Why the name Sesame Street? After a long search for a catchy name, one of the show’s writers suggested “Sesame Street.” The word “sesame,” an allusion to the fabled command from The Arabian Nights, “Open, Sesame!,” suggested excitement and adventure. Since the show was set in an urban street scene, “Sesame Street” seemed an ideal combination.

7. It takes two puppeteers to manipulate Ernie, Rosita, The Count, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Telly Monster and Snuffleupagus, while Big Bird, who is 8’ 2” tall, only requires one.

8. 9. James Earl Jones was the first celebrity to appear on Sesame Street.

10. Cookie Monster used to have pointy teeth.

11. Ernie is the only Sesame Street Muppet™ to have a built in smile.

12. Oscar was just as grouchy in 1969 as he is today. His first words on the show were “Don’t bang on my can! Go away.”

13. Two cast members have had their real-life children portray their TV children. Gabriella is Sonia Manzano’s daughter and she played “Gabi,” “Maria” and “Luis’,” daughter, as a child. Roscoe Orman’s son, Miles, also portrayed “Miles,” “Gordon” and “Susan’s,” adopted son when he was younger.

14. Bert has more than 368 bottle caps in his collection.

15. Mr. Hooper’s first name was Harold.

16. Oscar the Grouch was the color orange in season 1.

17. Currently, there are nine Elmo puppets, including a remote controlled version, used for various purposes.

18. Elmo in South Africa is named Neno while Elmo in Mexico is named Elmo.

19. Cameraman, Frankie Biando, has been filming Sesame Street since the first season and still operates Camera 1 on today’s set.

20. While some characters have puppeteer understudies, for the most part, only one puppeteer performs each Sesame Street Muppet™.

21. 22. Sesame Workshop conducts its global operations from 1 Lincoln Plaza in New York City.

23. Sesame Street has won 118 Emmys to date. The most for any television show in history.

24. Fran Brill, a veteran stage and film actress, was the first female puppeteer to work on Sesame Street. Brill was personally trained by legendary puppeteers Frank Oz and Jim Henson.

25. In 2006, Abby Cadabby moved to the Sesame Street neighborhood as a pink fairy-in-training. She was designed to inspire young girls and demonstrate positive female relationships. She was the first new female lead character added to Sesame Street in 13 years.

26. All of the Sesame Street Muppets™ have four fingers, except Cookie Monster, who has five.

27. Sesame Street’s original studio was the 81st Street Second Stage / Teletape studio. The game show Beat the Clock was moved out of the space to make room for the street set.

28. At the end of Sesame Street’s 40th season, 4212 episodes will have aired.

29. Sesame Street has won nine Grammy Awards.

30. Roscoe Orman is the third actor to portray Gordon and he joined the cast in season 5.

31. Elmo is the only puppet in history to have testified before Congress.

32. Sesame Street’s current Executive Producer, Carol-Lynn Parente, started her career at Sesame Workshop as a production assistant and rose all the way to the top.

33. There have been over 440 celebrity visitors to Sesame Street.

34. Big Bird is covered with approximately six thousand dyed North American turkey, coq, ostrich and hackle feathers.

35. Carroll Spinney still uses the same Oscar the Grouch puppet since Sesame Street’s second season.

36. While in 1969, the fabric for Bert and Ernie’s sweaters could be purchased at a store, their sweaters now have to be hand knit to match their original pattern.

37. Sesame Workshop has over 1000 licensees who create and sell Sesame Street products around the world.

38. As a nonprofit, product proceeds and philanthropic donations support Sesame Workshop’s educational research and creative content for children around the world.

39. The Jim Henson Company has built over 5000 puppets for Sesame Street over the past 40 years.

40. Sesame Street is the longest running children’s show and still produces new episodes every year!