SESAME STREET BEGAN 50 YEARS AGO TODAY

Sesame Street was the coolest TV series for kids. Politicians, actors and many famous musicians appeared as guests on SS. It was great for us babysitters because it wasn't painful to sit through 50 times with the kiddies. My daughter was totally into Ernie. She never forgave me for putting Ernie into the washing machine! Thought I was abusing him!

I still love the music and the characters that were so memorable. My favorite was Grover. I loved them all really...

Grover

On November 10, 1969, “Sesame Street,” a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. “Sesame Street,” with its memorable theme song (“Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame Street”), went on to become the most widely viewed children’s program in the world. It has aired in more than 120 countries.

The show was the brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, a former documentary producer for public television. Cooney’s goal was to create programming for preschoolers that was both entertaining and educational.

She also wanted to use TV as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. “Sesame Street” was set in a fictional New York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages.

Joan Ganz Cooney

Taking a cue from “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” a popular 1960s variety show, “Sesame Street” was built around short, often funny segments featuring puppets, animation, and live actors.

SESAME STREET BEGINS 11-10-1969 ON PBS

On this day in 1969, “Sesame Street,” a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. “Sesame Street,” with its memorable theme song (“Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame Street”), went on to become the most widely viewed children’s program in the world. It has aired in more than 120 countries.

The show was the brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, a former documentary producer for public television. Cooney’s goal was to create programming for preschoolers that was both entertaining and educational.

She also wanted to use TV as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. “Sesame Street” was set in a fictional New York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages.

Taking a cue from “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” a popular 1960s variety show, “Sesame Street” was built around short, often funny segments featuring puppets, animation and live actors.

This format was hugely successful, although over the years some critics have blamed the show and its use of brief segments for shrinking children’s attention spans.

From the show’s inception, one of its most-loved aspects has been a family of puppets known as Muppets. Joan Ganz Cooney hired puppeteer Jim Henson (1936-1990) to create a cast of characters that became Sesame Street institutions, including Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover and Big Bird.

Since its inception, over 74 million Americans have watched “Sesame Street.” Today, an estimated 8 million people tune in to the show each week in the U.S. alone.

ELMO'S GOTTA GUN! SESAME STREET INKS 5 YR DEAL WITH HBO

The five-year deal allows HBO to widen its programming to include a long-running and prestigious children’s show, while Sesame Workshop needs the cash influx to be able to produce twice as much content each year.

The deal doesn’t mean “Sesame Street” has left PBS wearing cement shoes. The new episodes will be available to PBS after a nine-month delay.

Jeffrey D. Dunn, CEO of Sesame Workshop, said in a statement that the partnership with HBO provides the group with the “critical funding it needs to be able to continue production of ‘Sesame Street’ and secure its nonprofit mission of helping kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.”

Previously, PBS provided less than 10 percent of the funding for the show. Licensing revenue like DVD sales used to cover the rest of the cost, but that income has been shrinking with the advent of streaming and on-demand viewing.

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