The popular and classic Sesame Street TV show has been running since November 10, 1969. The show combines sketch comedy, live-action, puppetry, and animation and was created by Lloyd Morrisett and Joan Ganz Cooney. The show is known mostly for the use of Jim Henson’s Muppets as communicators, and it includes short films that have cultural and humorous references. There was some controversy in the beginning, but it has always been hugely popular. Since the beginning, the show has aired on PBS, America’s public TV provider. The show consists of a combination of commercial TV elements.
Sesame Street is the first show that had its content shaped by educational goals, and it was also the first time that a TV show’s educational effects were studied formally. Because of this, the show has undergone changes that are significant in its history. The format and content have sometimes been changed to reflect social and cultural shifts. In 1996, a survey found that 95% of preschoolers in the U.S. had watched Sesame Street by the time they turned three years old. In 2018, estimates suggested that 86 million Americans watched the show when they were kids. To say that Sesame Street has had a huge impact on the American culture is an understatement.
YouTube
In the clip below, you will see a little girl named Joey in 1973 singing the ABC song with Kermit the Frog. Everyone is going great until Joey stops and inserts “Cookie Monster” as one of the alphabet’s letters. As Kermit gently corrects her, Joey insists that Cookie Monster is a letter. Finally, an insulted Kermit storms quickly off the set and says that maybe next time Cookie Monster will sing with the little girl, but he returns with a forgiving heart and says “I love you, too,” to the little girl. The adorable Joey thanks Kermit.
Watch the video below.
