I Love Sesame Street!

"Me do anything for cookie!" ~ Cookie Monster

"This is Sesame Street. A place where people, birds, monsters all live in perfect harmony."
~ Phil Donahue

"It's not easy being green." ~Kermit the Frog

"Sesame Street has been brought to you today by the letters W, S and E, and by the numbers 2 and 3." ~Mr. Hooper


On this day, November tenth, in 1969, the very first episode of Sesame Street was aired on public television. I was almost ten years old, but I loved it. It came on at 5 o'clock in the afternoon back then. We watched it on channel 14, the public television station. I had never seen anything like this new show with people and giant fuzzy things called Muppets. I would learn a lot through the years from those crazy creatures. I had found myself a new favorite television show. Apparently a lot of other children loved it too. Sesame Street has become the longest running children's program on American television. The show is now produced in the United States by the non-profit organization Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), founded by Joan Ganz Cooney and Ralph Rogers.


Because of its positive influence, Sesame Street has become one of the most highly regarded educational shows for children in the world. No other children's show has matched its level of international success. The original series has been televised in more than 120 countries, and 25 independent versions have been produced. It is the most viewed children's program in the world. Sesame Street uses combinations of animation, puppets, and live actors to stimulate young children's minds, improve their letter and word recognition, basic math , shapes, simple problem solving, and socialization by showing children or people in their daily lives. Since the shows beginning, they have also added basic life skills, such as how to cross the street safely, proper hygiene, healthy eating habits, and social skills.


The show displays a subtle sense of humor that has appealed to older viewers since it first began ; this was devised as a means to encourage parents and older siblings to watch the series with younger children, and becoming involved in the learning process, rather than having Sesame Street act as a babysitter. A 1996 survey found that 95% of American preschoolers have watched the show by the time they are three years old. I loved the show myself and all of my children watched it. Anthony and I especially loved Oscar the grouch. Cooper always loved Cookie monster the "very best". Emily , David , and Jennifer all loved Kermit the frog. In honor of today being a birthday of sorts for one of our Favorite shows, I will share with you some fast facts about Sesame Street!


1.) ~Big Bird is 8'2" tall.

2.) ~Barkley was originally called Woof-Woof.

3.) ~The Count was born on 9 October 1,830,653 B.C.- ( I love the count too!)

4.) ~ Oscar the Grouch was inspired by two people. His attitude comes from a nasty waiter that served Jim Henson and former director Jon Stone at a restaurant called Oscar's Tavern in Manhattan. The voice was inspired by a cab-driver that used to drive 'Carroll Spinney' to the set every day during the first season.

5.) ~In 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that, before trying cookies for the first time, his name was Sid. ( Mason and I watched that show. Along with other children I was babysitting at the time. Who would have ever guessed his name was Sid?)

6.) ~Snuffy's baby sister is named Alice.

7.) ~ Elmo's goldfish is named Dorothy. ( Mason loves Elmo and he once named a goldfish here Dorothy after Elmo's fish.)

8.) ~Ernie originally had his own bedroom instead of sharing a bedroom with Bert. ( I remember that actually.. I wonder why they changed it?)

9.) ~ After the death of Jim Henson in 1990, the show stopped producing new sketches featuring Kermit the Frog. Kermit appeared only in reruns of old sketches until 1998, when he popped up to do a Sesame Street News Flash when Oscar the Grouch's pet worm Slimy went into space. He appeared again in 2001, reporting on a hurricane with Al Roker. Kermit is now voiced by Steve Whitmire, who has also assumed the role of Ernie since Henson's passing. ( didn't Y'all wonder what had happened to Kermit.. I did!)

10.) ~ To answer the immortal question, here is how to get to Sesame Street: Take the "R" or "V" train to Steinway Street. Stay on back of train. Walk west on 34th Avenue, three blocks to 36th Street. Turn left on 36th Street. The entrance to Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens is mid-block (between 34th & 35th Avenues). And there you shall find Sesame Street! ( or at least the sets where it is filmed!)


I hope you have enjoyed our visit to Sesame Street today. I watched it with my children and we would count and spell and learn together. We would sing and laugh together at the muppets and at each other. Mason still watches it when he is here and sits down long enough to watch Television. Sometimes I just turn it on and enjoy it all by myself. You can laugh at me if you want to. I won't care. I'll be too busy laughing at all the funny creatures That enjoy a good life together down On Sesame Street. If you have small children or any children, I invite you to watch TV with them. If you truly hate Sesame Street~ ( yes, I have met people who do!)~ then choose something else. But sit and relax and simply enjoy the show just for a little while. Give them just a small amount of your time. You might even enjoy it. I promise you that you will build memories and a special bond with your children by sharing fun time with them. Have a wonderful Day and as Cookie monster always says ~ Cowabunga!
Patsy