Big Bird still has legs. But does 'Sesame Street,' the longest-running children's program that's celebrating its 40th anniversary, still have legs?
In honor of Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, Google is running a Big Bird Doodle on its homepage. The bird's cute orange-and-pink legs make up the "L" in Google.
Everyone's favorite 10-foot feathery friend is one of the many characters to come out of the show over its long history. Oscar the Grouch, Elmo, Snuffy, and the Count are a few more.
The children's television series actually debuted on November 10, 1969--so we're still a few days away from the actual birthday. When the show premiered it was ground-breaking.
As Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell has stated, "Sesame Street was built around a single, breakthrough insight: that if you can hold the attention of children, you can educate them." Sesame Street was the first children's show that structured each episode and made "small but critical adjustments" to each segment to capture children's attention long enough to teach them something. Each segment is like a commercial.
The Children's Television Workshop produced the show, and the producers and writers built the program around the brownstones of an inner-city street, a choice that was "unprecedented" at the time, author Michael Davis wrote in his 2008 book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. Their intent was to attract inner-city viewers with a realistic city street, complete with peeling paint, alleys, and front stoops.
The program was cast with both White and African-American actors, and later Hispanics and Asians, to reflect the diversity of this kind of neighborhood. And then Jim Henson's furry and lovable Muppets--from Oscar the Grouch to Big Bird--were thrown in the mix.
The formula worked. Children of the 70s grew up glued to the series. A fluffy Muppet taught many of us the alphabet and how to count. And the popularity has continued. In 2006, Sesame Street became the most widely viewed children's television show in the world with 20 international independent versions and broadcasts in over 120 countries. Today it is ranked the fifteenth most popular children's show on television in the United States.
Michelle Obama will star in the 41st season.
Next Wednesday, Sesame Street introduces its 41st season with a brand-new opening sequence and a star-studded cast.
"We have Cameron Diaz in our premiere episode," says executive producer Carol-Lynn Parente, "and Adam Sandler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kobe Bryant, Eva Longoria, Christina Applegate, Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, and more--we have over 30 celebrities this season. And we also have First Lady Michelle Obama!" Mrs. Obama will appear in the first episode to talk about the importance and benefits of planting a garden and eating healthy.
The upcoming season certainly sounds celebrity-packed, but after 40 years and with many new programs fighting for kids' time, does Sesame Street still have legs? Does it still offer the best educational programming?
I threw out these questions to members of the SFGate Bay Area Moms Facebook page and to a San Francisco parents Yahoo Group:
"My 20-month-old LOVES Sesame Street," shares Richmond mom Krishelle Mercer-Hursh. "It's all I can get him to watch. I actually believe he learned his letters, shapes, and numbers from the show (with some help from me of course). Its been on for so many years and still continues to teach children with quality programing."
San Francisco mom Melissa Brassfield adds: "Sesame Street crosses generations and still continues to educate while entertaining both the young and the old."
San Francisco dad Michael Conte doesn't agree. He's disappointed in how Sesame Street has evolved, and thinks it's now "The Elmo Show" with a bunch of supporting characters.
Elmo: Is he taking over the show?
Elmo: Is he taking over the show?
"Elmo has the mo
st irritating voice since old-school Barney, but more importantly, he's got no appeal to adults," says Conte, who suggests checking out The Poop blogger Peter Hartlaub's entries that recall the old Sesame Street.Part of it is also songwriting," Conte adds. "I haven't heard anything lately that can rival 'Sing A Song,' 'I'd Like To Visit The Moon,' or anything by that crazy guy who I now know was Joe Raposo." (Raposo was one of the show's early songwriters and wrote the theme song.)
Nowadays, Conte says that he's more likely to turn to Backyardigans, Wonder Pets, and the occasional WordWorld when he sits down to watch TV with his kids. "I've even found myself watching Wonder Pets on my own after the kids have gone to bed," he says.
"Occasionally we'll pull up old-school Sesame Street on YouTube," Conte says. "The shows back then worked on so many levels, like Pixar movies. Each character had a distinct personality, and one character didn't monopolized the screen."
WATCH NOW:
Related searches:
sesame street, sesame street wiki, sesame street google, giant center hershey pa, google doodle
