HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SESAME STREET
Sesame Street celebrates its 40th birthday tomorrow (November 10), the exact day the series debuted on TV four decades ago. Tomorrow is also the beginning of a new season. First lady Michelle Obama will find her way to Sesame Street to plant a garden and promote healthy eating. Sesame Street has been a part of most of our lives in some way. Whether it’s from TV, the movies, coloring books or music, the world knows Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar, Bert & Ernie and The Cookie Monster! Celebrate with the family tomorrow the creations by Jim Henson and Sesame Street!
Tuesday’s episode is number 4187.
Sesame Street” has won 122 Emmys, the most of any show in history. It’s also won two prestigious Peabody Awards and 10 Grammys.
The show is seen in 140 countries — nearly three-fourths of all the recognized countries in existence.
More than 440 celebrities have visited Sesame Street. High-profile grownups appearing on this season include Cameron Diaz, Jimmy Fallon, Ricky Gervais, Sarah Jessica Parker, Adam Sandler and Tiki Barber.
James Earl Jones was the first celebrity to appear on Sesame Street, as part of a test film. The segments including him were eventually aired as part of the series itself. However, Carol Burnett was the first celebrity whose appearance on Sesame Street was actually broadcast.
Contrary to popular reports, the Cookie Monster has not caved to the political correctness that rules the day and sworn off eating his namesakes. He’s not going vegetarian.
Big Bird has been on the cover of Time magazine and has a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.
One expert on television culture calls Sesame Street “one of the top five most important American TV shows of all time,” right up there with 60 Minutes and All in the Family — programs that altered the landscape of American culture.
In a survey more Americans could identify Elmo than their own state senators.
Sesame Street was banned in Mississippi in 1970 because some felt people they weren’t ready for such a racially integrated cast.
An estimated 100,000 Sesame Street products have been made available internationally, from T-shirts and costumes to high-tech toys such as Elmo Live. Toys R Us is re-introducing the original Tickle Me Elmo doll — a sensation in 1996 — for this holiday season.
Sesame Street producers estimate there have been close to 1,000 studies on the show’s educational influence. The most recent showed a positive effect on the vocabulary and math skills of preschoolers who watched an average of two hours a week. Researchers say the show’s educational value is expanded when a child watches with a parent or caretaker.
Cookie monster used to have pointy teeth.
In the first season Grover was brown, not blue. Also inn the first season Oscar was orange, not green.
Big Bird is covered in exactly 6,000 North American turkey, coq, ostrich and hackle feathers.
Bert and Ernie’s sweaters are hand knit to match the original pattern from 1969.
Bert has more than 368 bottle caps.
All the characters have four fingers, except for Cookie Monster, who has five fingers.
Ernie is the only character to have a built-in smile.
The first words Oscar said were “Don’t bang on my can! Go away.”