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| {{infobox television | | |||
| | bgcolor = <!--please do not put in a color. it simply makes things hard to read.--> | |||
| | show_name = Sesame Street | |||
| | image = ] | |||
| | caption = Sesame Street title card used since 2002. Here is one from an episode in season 36. | |||
| | format = ] | |||
| | runtime = 60 minutes per episode | |||
| | country = {{USA}} | |||
| | network = ] (1969 – 1970),<br>] (1970 – present) | |||
| | first_aired = ], ] | |||
| | last_aired = present | |||
| | creator = ] <br> ] | |||
| | executive producer = ] | |||
| | starring = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br> ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>(see also ], ])'' | |||
| | num_episodes = 4,134 (as of season 37) | |||
| |}} | |||
| '''''Sesame Street''''' is an ] educational ] for ] and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both ]. ''Sesame Street'' is well known for its ] characters, created by the ] ]. More than 4,134 episodes of the show<ref>The first season included 130 episodes, but season 36 only had 25.</ref> have been produced in 37 seasons, which makes it one of the ] television shows in ]. | |||
| ''Sesame Street'' is produced in the United States by non-profit organization ], formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), founded by ] and ]. It premiered on ], ], on the ] network, and later that year it was moved to NET's replacement, the ]. | |||
| As a result of its positive influence, ''Sesame Street'' is one of the most highly regarded educational shows for children in the world.<ref>Karen Barss ''et al.'', "", Corporation for Public Broadcasting (accessed ] ])</ref> No television series has matched its level of international recognition and success. The original series has been televised in 120 ],<ref name="presskit"></ref> and more than 30 international versions have been produced, not including ] versions. The series has received 109 ], more than any other television series.<ref name="presskit"></ref> An estimated 75 million Americans have watched the series as children;<ref name=washingtonfile2>Michael Jay Friedman, , ] ].</ref> millions more have watched around the world, as have their parents. | |||
| == Overview == | |||
| Sesame Street uses a combination of ]s, animation, and live actors to teach young children letter and word recognition, mathematics (numbers, addition and subtraction), as well as geometric forms, and classification. Since the show's inception, other instructional goals have been 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 humour that has appealed to older viewers since it first premiered; this was devised as a means to encourage parents and older siblings to watch the series with younger children, thus becoming involved in the learning process, rather than having ''Sesame Street'' act as a babysitter. A number of parodies of popular culture appear, especially ones aimed at the ], the network that broadcasts the show. For example, the recurring segment ] once ran a sketch called "Me Claudius". Children viewing the show might enjoy watching ] and ], while adults watching the same sequence may enjoy the spoof of the '']'' showing of '']'' on PBS. | |||
| ] (above) or ], and real children]] | |||
| Several of the character names used on the program are puns or cultural references aimed at a slightly older audience, including Flo Bear (]), ] (a ] parody), H. Ross Parrot (based on Reform Party founder ]), Dr. Feel based on ], Polly Darton (]), and a ] Muppet in a parody of '']''. Over two hundred notable personalities have made guest appearances on the show, beginning with ] on the first episode, and ranging from performers like ] and ], to political figures such as ] and ].<ref name=washingtonfile1>Michael Jay Friedman, , ] ]. Annan was actually on his way to Norway to accept the 2001 ].</ref> By making a show that not only educates and entertains kids, but also keeps parents entertained and involved in the educational process, the producers hope to inspire discussion about the concepts on the show. | |||
| In 1999, the series became the longest running American children's program, taking the title from '']''. The British series '']'' still retains the worldwide record.<ref>Note that '']'' and '']'' were produced longer than ''Sesame Street'', but both ran only in local markets, while ''Sesame Street'' is national.</ref> The series has made many published lists, including greatest all-time show compilations by '']'' and '']''. Nielsen Media Research has found that 99% of American preschoolers recognise the series' characters.<ref name="sslpress">''Sesame Street Live'' Press Kit, Minneapolis MN: Vee Corporation, 2004.</ref> Another study** found that 81% of kids under the age of six own a ''Sesame Street'' toy or game, and 87% own a book based on the series.<ref name="sslpress">''Sesame Street Live'' Press Kit, Minneapolis MN: Vee Corporation, 2004.</ref> | |||
| ]'', showing much of the main cast of ''Sesame Street''. Left to right, a penguin, ], ], ] (in front of Big Bird), ], ], ], ] (behind Ernie).]] | |||
| The series' music has appeared on music charts around the world, including Ernie's "Rubber Duckie" song, which made #16 on the ] chart in 1970; the song achieved an even higher position in Germany. In 1992, British band ] released ''Sesame's Treet'', a ] dance track which sampled the "classic" version of the ''Sesame Street'' theme. It reached #2 on the ].<ref>David Roberts (Managing Editor) ''et al.'', ''Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles & Albums'' (Eighteenth Edition), 2005, ISBN 1-904994-00-8</ref> Sesame Street has won 11** Grammy Awards, most recently for 2001 release ''Elmo and the Orchestra''. | |||
| ==History of the show== | |||
| :''Main article: ]'' | |||
| The show's format called for the humans to be intermixed with the segments of animation, live-action shorts and ]s. These segments were created to be like commercials — quick, catchy and memorable — and made the learning experience much more like fun. The format became a model for what is known today as ]-based programming. | |||
| CTW aired the program for test groups to determine if the revolutionary new format was likely to succeed. Results showed that test watchers were entranced when the ad-like segments aired, especially those with the jovial puppets, but were remarkably less interested in the street scenes. Psychologists warned CTW against a mixture of fantasy and reality elements, but producers soon decided to mix the elements. A simple dose of cartoon-like characters lets the humans deliver messages without causing viewers to lose interest.<ref name=unpaved>David Borgenicht, '']''. Hyperion, 1998.</ref> | |||
| ''Sesame Street'', along with several other ] – produced shows (such as '']'', which was produced when Sesame Workshop was still CTW) are all taped in ]. Originally they were taped at the ] at 81st and Broadway in Manhattan, but the bankruptcy of Teletape's parent company, Reeves Entertainment, forced these productions to move to ] in neighboring ]. | |||
| The brownstone architecture of ''Sesame Street'', a fictional ] in ], as well as the concept of neighbors from different backgrounds living in the same area and sharing their life experiences, was loosely based on Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn - where several of the founding producers were living at the time. | |||
| ==Broadcast history== | |||
| The show is broadcast worldwide; in addition to the U.S. version, many countries have locally-produced versions adapted to local needs, some with their own characters, and in a variety of different languages. In ], beginning in 1970, 15-minute shows called ''Canada's Sesame Street'' were broadcast, and by 1972 an edited version of the one-hour American program was airing but with specially filmed Canadian segments, which featured the ]. In 1995 the American version was replaced by a half-hour long all-Canadian version of the series entitled '']''. Since the original ''Sesame Street'' was still accessible to Canadians, and more familiar, the format change didn't find acceptance with audiences and was taken off the air in 2002. Broadcasts in ] and ] began in 1971. In the ], the show was first broadcast by various ] regions in the early 1970s, after which it moved to ], where it was a lunch-time fixture for many years through to the early 2000s. Later broadcasts of the show featured the hour-long episodes in a format of two half-hour episodes. 120 countries have aired the show, many of which partnered with Sesame Workshop to create local versions. | |||
| In recent years ''Sesame Street'' has made what area educators consider to be critical advances in its international versions. In the late 1990s versions appeared in ] and ] as these countries shifted away from communism. There is also a joint ]i-]-]ian project, called ''Sesame Stories'', which was created with the goal of promoting greater cultural understanding. | |||
| The show has also spawned the spin-off series '']'', ] program '']'', the "classics" show '']'', and the segment-only series '']''. '']'' and '']'', both of which are segments of ''Sesame Street'', have been distributed as individual series. Jennifer Monier-Williams, Vice President, Worldwide Television Distribution at Sesame Workshop commented "The expansion of the ''Sesame'' brand through wonderfully interactive shows like ''Play With Me Sesame'' and ''Elmo's World'' give children around the globe new ways to experience fun and learning in the way Sesame does it best."<ref>"", Sesame Workshop press release, 21 August 2006.</ref> | |||
| ===Funding=== | |||
| ] has criticized PBS for allowing ] and ] as sponsors, as they can be linked to ] and ], respectively. In general he dislikes corporate sponsorships, as "'Sesame Street' is not Main Street." He had appeared on the show in the 1988 special '']'', with the character Bob, singing "]".]] | |||
| Funding for season 37 of ''Sesame Street'' is provided by a ] grant in partnership with the ], the ], ], ] and EverydayKidz.com from ]. Major funding for ''Sesame Street'' is provided by ] (did not fund from 1972-1992, and from 1998-2000) and by contributions to your PBS stations from "]." Previous donors of funding for ''Sesame Street'' included ], the ], ], ] (2002), ], and the ]. | |||
| Occasionally local businesses and organizations fund local telecasts of ''Sesame Street'' on PBS stations throughout the U.S. For example, the ] underwrites the broadcast of Sesame Street on ] in Los Angeles. | |||
| Within the context of the show, and before the actual underwriting announcements, it is announced that "Sesame Street is brought to you by" the letters and numbers of the day, as though they too were sponsors. | |||
| ===Ratings=== | |||
| As a result of its success in revolutionizing the standards of children's television, ''Sesame Street'' inadvertently diminished its own audience share. According to PBS Research, the show went from a 2.0 average on ]'s "people meters" in 1995–96 to a 1.3 average in 2000–01. Even with this decrease, ''Sesame Street'''s viewership in an average week came from roughly 5.6 million households with 7.5 million viewers. This placed ''Sesame'' at 8th place in the overall kids' charts, as of 2002. The program fares better among mothers age 18–49 who had children under the age of 3, taking second place. | |||
| A format change helped the show's ratings, boosting them up 31% in February 2002 among children age 2–5, in comparison to its ratings in 2001. As of 2005, ''Sesame Street'' and three other PBS shows are in the top 10 shows for children ages 2 to 5.<ref>http://www.azcentral.com/families/articles/1018pbscharacter1019.html</ref> As of season 36 in 2005, there were 8 million viewers daily.<ref name="presskit"></ref> | |||
| ==Characters== | |||
| ]]] | |||
| ], ], ], ], Biff, and ]]] | |||
| {{Main|List of Sesame Street characters}} | |||
| :''See also: Characters that are ], ], ]. Also ], ]'' | |||
| ''Sesame Street'' is known for its ] element and is inclusive in its casting, incorporating roles for disabled people, young people, senior citizens, Hispanic actors, Black actors, and others. While some of the puppets look like people, others are animal or "monster" puppets of different sizes and colors. This encourages children to believe that people come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and that no particular physical "type" is any better than another. Jim Henson commented that "The only kids who can identify along racial lines with the Muppets have to be either green or orange."<ref name=all>Phylis Feinstein, ''All About Sesame Street''. 1970."</ref> | |||
| In harmony with its multiculturalist perspective, the show pioneered the idea of occasionally inserting very basic Spanish words and phrases to help young children become acquainted with the concept of a foreign language, doing so almost three decades before ] made her debut on ]. Perhaps in response to the popularity of Dora, the recently revamped format gives ], the bilingual muppet who "emigrated" in 1993 from the Mexican version of the show, more time in front of viewers, and also introduced the more formalized "Spanish Word of the Day" in every episode. | |||
| Each of the puppet characters has been designed to represent a specific stage or element of early childhood, and the scripts are written so that the character reflects the development level of children of that age. This helps the show address not only the learning objectives of various age groups, but also the concerns, fears, and interests of children of different age levels. | |||
| ===The Muppets=== | |||
| ] is an 8-foot 2-inch-tall yellow bird who lives in a large nest on an abandoned lot which is located in 123 Sesame Street's garbage heap. Big Bird is often visited by his friend ], who is a very large, brown woolly elephant-like creature and is known more popularly by his nickname "Snuffy". Various other Snuffleupaguses<!--this spelling is correct within SS--> have appeared on the show from time to time, most notably Snuffy's little sister Alice and his unnamed mother. Initially, Snuffy showed up when no one but Big Bird was around, leaving the rest of the neighborhood to think he was imaginary. In the mid-1980s, however, Snuffy was revealed to be "real" and incorporated into the regular cast of the show. | |||
| ] lives with his pet worm ] and his pet elephant ] in a garbage can in the heap. | |||
| ], two of the most-recognized Muppets, are roommates who share the basement apartment of 123 Sesame Street, and regularly engage in comic routines which showcase their odd-couple personalities. Ernie's flowerbox was once a hotspot for ], a colorful family of insects. | |||
| ], which resembles the bears of '']'', resides in ''Sesame Street''. This family, headed by ] and ], welcomed their second child ], and ] became a good friend of the monsters ] and ], Mexico-born ], and the furry, red preschooler ]. Elmo has his own segment near the end of each episode, in which viewers explore topics in '']''. New to ''Sesame Street'' is ], a ]-in-training who attends Storybook Community School with Baby Bear. | |||
| ]'s regular segment, '']'', follows the self-described "cute, furry monster" around the world as he explores local cultures and traditions. Grover has had several notable roles over the years, often as a waiter or a superhero (Super-Grover). ] fights with his conscience daily during ], as he tries to control his urges to eat the letters, shown as icing on cookies. ] often attempts to help Cookie Monster refrain from eating the letters, but never succeeds and always leaves frazzled. ] has fewer problems during the ] segment, where he indulges in counting until the mystery number is revealed by his pipe organ. | |||
| ] are a married couple who have a baby named ], and they are the proprietors of the hotel known as '']'', which is located near the Sesame Street Subway station. The hotel's bellhop, ], tends to be easily irritated, but begrudgingly helps out. The ] sounded out words coming together, and the ] aliens discovered telephones and typewriters. For two seasons, ], ], ] and ] hung out in the '']''. | |||
| ] hosted the segment '']''. In other segments, Kermit would play ] to the wacky antics of other Muppets. | |||
| Incidental characters include television personality ], construction workers ], the large ] (who does not know his own strength), and ], who is not a terror to the Street. ], a cowboy with a short-term memory disorder, rode his trusty Buster the Horse with his girlfriend Clementine, and ] was an early cowgirl. The ] tries his hardest to amaze with his magic, but his tricks always end up backfiring. | |||
| {{seealso|Muppets}} | |||
| ===The humans=== | |||
| ], while Luis is the longest running ] character.<ref name=washingtonfile2>Michael Jay Friedman, , ] ].</ref> Gordon and Susan may hold such an honor for longest running African-American characters.]] | |||
| :''Main article: ]'' | |||
| A slate of human regulars pull the zaniness of the Muppets back to reality. They were not always meant to serve this purpose. The show lost test viewers' attention during the Street Scenes, meaning Muppets needed to be added, to hide the fact it was educational. | |||
| Music teacher Bob has been on ''Sesame Street'' since its inception. He dated ] the local ] librarian, who was the first regular deaf character on television. Linda owns ], a Muppet dog. ] are an African-American family that includes schoolteacher Gordon, nurse Susan, and adopted son Miles. The Puerto Rican Rodriguez Family include Maria and Luis, who ran the ], which was turned into the ]; Maria gave birth to daughter Gabby in 1986, and her ] was covered on the show. | |||
| General store and restaurant operator Harold Hooper, played by actor ], was a mainstay at ]. When Lee died in 1982, the producers opted to help their young viewers deal with the death of someone they loved rather than cast a new actor in the role, and the character's death was discussed in a landmark 1983 episode.<ref>While Mr. Hooper's death is considered by most as a landmark in children's television, this wasn't the first death in a children's program. Upon the 1973 death of ], who played the titular character in the British series '']'', the third season of the show dealt with the character's passing. The series was renamed ''Pipkins'', to reflect the change in cast.</ref> Afterwards, Hooper's apprentice David took over, followed by later owners Gina, Mr. Handford, and Alan. Gina stopped running the store in the 1990s, to earn a PhD and became a veterinarian. | |||
| ] and his brother and sister, who appear only in '']'' are meant to provide a vaudevillian perspective on subjects, contrary to most of the show's current human characters (though reminiscent of such earlier insert characters as Buddy and Jim, Larry and Phyllis, and The Mad Painter).<ref></ref> | |||
| ]<ref>''Sesame Street'' even turned to relative star-wattage for its theme song, "(Can you tell me how to get, how to get to) Sesame Street". Harmonica legend ] wrote the song in 1969, and played a harmonica solo in some versions of the sequence.</ref> and various children from New York schools and day-care centers are a constantly changing part of the cast, including children who would later become celebrities, like actor ], and rapper ]. | |||
| ==Cast and crew== | |||
| Over the 37 seasons of ''Sesame Street'' hundreds, if not thousands, of people have worked on the show's cast and in their crew, producing Street scenes or segments, or working behind the scenes. | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Regional variations== | |||
| {{mainarticle|Sesame Street internationally}} | |||
| ], in a knight's armour. The puppet, as well as most of the series cast, is displayed at the ].]] | |||
| Some countries have co-produced their own unique versions of ''Sesame Street'', in which the characters and segments represent their country's cultures. Other countries simply air a dubbed version of ''Sesame Street'', or a dubbed version of '']''. Among various other countries, Australia has and still does broadcast the American version on the ABC and the ] had broadcast the American show, on ] until 2001 when it was replaced with Henson production '']''. | |||
| Dubbed versions include ''Seesamtie'' in Finnish, ''Boneka Sesame'' in Indonesian, ''Sesam Opnist Þú'' in Icelandic, ''Sesamo Apriti'' in Italian, ''Sezame, otevři se'' in Czech, and Malay ''Taman Sesame''. In 2004, one Japanese network cancelled the dubbed American ''Sesame'', while another created a local version. In ], locally produced segments entitled "Korero ]" (in English: "let's speak Māori") were inserted into episodes to educate children in the ]. Spanish program '']'' also includes segments from ''Sesame Street''. | |||
| ] of ''Sesame Street'' include: | |||
| {| | |||
| | | |||
| * 1972: '']'', Brazil | |||
| * 1972: '']'', Mexico | |||
| * 1973: '']'', Germany | |||
| * 1973: ''Canadian Sesame Street'', Canada (reformatted as '']'' in the 1990s) | |||
| * 1976: '']'', Netherlands<ref>Note that people in the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium, called ], also watch the program.</ref> | |||
| * 1978: '']'', France | |||
| * 1979: '']'', Kuwait | |||
| * 1979: '']'', Spain | |||
| * 1981: '']'', Sweden | |||
| * 1983: '']'', Israel | |||
| * 1984: '']'' (''Batibot''), Philippines | |||
| * 1986: '']'', Turkey | |||
| * 1989: '']'', Portugal | |||
| * 1991: '']'', Norway | |||
| * 1996: '']'', Russia | |||
| * 1996: '']'', Česká republika (Czech Republic) | |||
| * 1996: '']'', Poland | |||
| * 1998: '']'' and '']'', Israel and Palestinian Territories | |||
| | | |||
| * 1998: '']'', China | |||
| * 1999: '']'', Taiwan, China, Italy, Poland | |||
| * 2000: '']'', South Africa | |||
| * 2000: '']'', Egypt | |||
| * 2002: '']'', Great Britain | |||
| * 2003: '']'', Australia | |||
| * 2004: '']'', Afghanistan | |||
| * 2004: '']'', Japan | |||
| * 2005: '']'', Bangladesh | |||
| * 2005: '']'', France | |||
| * 2005: '']'', Cambodia | |||
| * 2006: '']'', ] | |||
| * 2007: ''] (as announced by ] during her visit to Indonesia in 2006) | |||
| * 2007?: '']'' | |||
| * 2007?: '']''<ref> and </ref> | |||
| * '']'', Jordan, '']'', Palestinian Territories, '']'', Israel | |||
| |} | |||
| <small>Note that dates solely refer to the year production on the series began.</small> | |||
| {{seealso|List of characters from international versions of Sesame Street}} | |||
| It should also be noted that popular, long-running ] children's series '']'' was originally conceived as a British equivalent of ''Sesame Street'',<ref>{{cite book|last=Evans|first=Jeff|title=The Guinness Television Encyclopedia|publisher=Guinness|id=ISBN 0-85112-744-4|year=1995}}</ref> however it holds no official affiliation with Sesame Workshop. | |||
| ==Research== | |||
| ], filmmaking of ] and his ] dogs, Big Bird conducting the ], or simply Telly Monster playing a triangle.]] | |||
| ''Sesame Street'' has operated with a rigorous research standard since its foundation, to ensure that programming addresses its viewers' needs. The Education and Research (E&R) department of Sesame Workshop is currently headed by ], Ph.D. and ], Ed. D. Truglio states that the level of interaction between E&R, Content, and Production is "ntimately·hand-in-hand. They are not creating anything without our knowledge, our guidance and our review. We are involved in content development across all media platforms."<ref name="Q&A"></ref> This close-knit organizational structure has been an integral part of Sesame Workshop since it began. | |||
| Writers create plots for ''Sesame Street'' scenes and segments, and the content is reviewed by the E&R team, which has authority to reject a script and force rewrites if the content is not acceptable. When a script is factually correct, but includes gray areas that may not be comprehensible to children, the writers and E&R work together to tweak everything. "A balance between content and humor"<ref name="Q&A" /> is always pursued, according to Truglio. | |||
| In a national study of American mothers with children under age six, 64% responded that they strongly believe ''Sesame Street'' is a leader and innovator in educational methods.<ref name="sslpress">''Sesame Street Live'' Press Kit, Minneapolis MN: Vee Corporation, 2004.</ref> | |||
| Since 1998 Sesame Workshop has provided a great deal of content on its website<ref></ref> and others such as ].<ref></ref> The content is targeted at parents and children ranging in age from birth to school-age, and includes information on dozens of topics, such as appropriate parenting techniques, dealing with children's fears, development of literacy, and maintenance of good health. | |||
| Research is funded by government grants, corporate and private donations (including, recently, The Prudential Foundation for the Sesame Beginnings program), and the profits gained from the sale of Sesame Workshop merchandise. | |||
| ===Healthy Habits for Life=== | |||
| In 2005, ''Sesame Street'' launched its ] programming, to encourage young viewers to lead more active and nutritious lifestyles. A major catalyst for this was data published by the US ] regarding ] in children. | |||
| Health content has existed on ''Sesame Street'' for years, but to a limited extent. In one instance press kits for a project were made available, news wires latched onto the story, and literally hundreds of newspapers reported that ] was "going on a diet". In actuality there was no change to Cookie Monster's character. The new season featured a new segment with rapper ] singing the praises of fruits and vegetables, similar to segments in the 1990s which featured Cookie doing nearly the same. | |||
| According to people from Sesame Workshop, {{cquote|Health has always been a part of our Sesame Street curriculum, therefore we will always be committed to ensuring kids are given information and messages that will help them become healthy and happy in their development. For season 36, we have turned up the dial in health, but it will always be part of our curriculum.<ref>, accessed ] ].</ref>}} | |||
| The Workshop formed an Advisory Board consisting of experts such as ], M.D., M.P.H., the Assistant ]. This board examines the research of other organizations, and also conducts pilot studies to determine which areas of research should be expanded, based on social, ethnic and socio-economic sections of the population. | |||
| Characters Elmo and Rosita filmed ]s with various U.S. Governors in 2006.<ref>, ] ]; Governors Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Frank Murkowski (R-AK), Felix Perez Camacho (R-GU), Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Kathleen Blanco (D-LA), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Kenny Guinn (R-NV), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ancibal Acevendo-Vila (D-PR), Bob Taft (R-OH), Don Carcieri (R-RI) with his wife, Sue Carcieri, Jon Huntsman (R-UT), Jim Douglas (R-VT) and Joe Manchin III (D-WV).</ref> | |||
| ==Merchandising and endorsement== | |||
| ]'' shows several of Sesame Street's muppet characters]] | |||
| ] (left) with Grover, in '']''. Over the course of the show, many hundreds of Muppet skits have been accumulated, allowing the Workshop to release full-length collections of skits, like the aforementioned.]] | |||
| ''Sesame Street'' is known for its extensive merchandising, which includes many books, magazines, video/audio media, and toys. A percentage of the money from any Sesame Workshop product goes to help fund ''Sesame Street'' or its international co-productions.<ref name="presskit"></ref> | |||
| Current licensors include ], ], ] (Build-An-Elmo and Build-A-Cookie Monster), ] (]), ], ] (Elmo Fruit Snacks), ] (air freshners) and ]. Former liscencees include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and the ]. ] (a partnership between ] and ]) produced Sesame Street software for the Macintosh, since at least 1995 & on the PC since 1996<!--1994?-->; ] produced ''Sesame Street'' games in 1983. Before going bankrupt, ] was to release a line of deluxe series action figures, for adults, as part of Sesame Workshop's push to expand into retro products for teens and adults. | |||
| ] was one of the fastest selling toys of the 1996 season. That product line was and still is one of the most successful products Mattel has ever launched. Both it and its most notable successor, TMX, have caused in-store fights. Elmo starred in a ] that year, in which he wished every day of the year was Christmas.<ref>{{cite news | last=Gliatto | first=Tom | title=Elmo Saves Christmas | date=] ] | publisher=People | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&an=9612201526}}, accessed in EBSCOhost.</ref> | |||
| Its fiction books are published on five continents, primarily by ] in North America. Over 18 million ''Sesame Street'' books and magazines were purchased in 2005.<ref name="presskit"></ref> The books often mention that children do not have to watch the show to benefit from its publications. | |||
| Live touring show '']'' presents costumed actors and dancers as characters from the series, in original plots. In recent years, VEE has had four touring casts, each performing a unique multi-million dollar budget show. Each season, the tours reach 160 different cities across North America, reaching 2 million people annually. Since the first production of ''Sesame Street Live'' on ] ], 48 million children and their parents have seen the show performed, across the world.<ref name="sslpress">''Sesame Street Live'' Press Kit, Minneapolis MN: Vee Corporation, 2004.</ref> | |||
| Langhorne, Pennsylvania, United States, is the long-time home to ''Sesame Street'' theme park ]. New to the park for summer 2006 are three new rides themed to the popular ''Elmo's World'' segments. Another theme park, '']'', exists in ], ], and ] includes a three-dimensional movie based on the show. | |||
| The ] line, launched in mid-2005, consists of apparel, health and body, home, and seasonal products. The products in this line are designed to accentuate the natural interactivity between infants and their parents. Most of the line is exclusive to a family of Canadian retailers that includes ], ], and ]. | |||
| Although ''Sesame Street'' characters occasionally endorse non-educational products, they rarely appear in their puppet form, to limit the suggestion to children that the characters are formally endorsing the product. The Muppets do appear in puppet form to endorse select causes. Big Bird has promoted safe seating practices and the wearing of seatbelts, for the ],<ref>{{cite news | first=Thomas L. | last=Bryant | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&an=9706193803 | title=Big Bird and Ford | publisher=Road & Track | pages= | page= | date=July 1997 | accessdate=2006-03-02}}, accessed through EBSCOhost.</ref> while Grover promoted a new course on children's informal learning, created by ] with Sesame Workshop.<ref>{{cite news | first=Debra | last=Viadero | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=16357051 | title=Grover Promotes Harvard Course | publisher=Education Week | pages=1/5th | page=6 | date=] ] | accessdate=2006-03-02}} The course itself was developed by professor Joseph Blatt, who told Education Week "it focuses on how to harness the positive power of the media to improve children's health, particularly problems that stem from alarming levels of obesity among youngsters nationwide." Guests to the course include Sesame Workshop staff. Students are required to pitch media projects to promote healthy behaviors among 6- to 9-year-olds to Sesame executives at the end of the course.</ref> Elmo has appeared before the US Education Appropriations Subcommittee to urge more spending on music in schools.<ref>Bruce Morton, "Mr. Elmo goes to Washington". Atlanta, GA: ''CNN'', ] ]. Note that the characters of ''Sesame Street'' have a major presence in Washington. ]'s 1997 inaugural guests included ]. ({{cite news | last=Roberts | first=Roxanne | title=For inauguration celebration, a group of diverse diversions | date=] ] | publisher=Washington Post | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&an=9702032910}}, through EBSCOhost.)</ref> | |||
| ===Internationally=== | |||
| ''Plaza Sésamo'', ''Sesamstraße'', ''Sesame English'' and ''Sesamstraat'' have all had merchandise of their local characters. ''Shalom Sesame'' videos and books have also been released. | |||
| In 2004, ] (CPLG) became Sesame Workshop's licensing representative for ],<ref></ref> adding to their United Kingdom representation.<ref>Previously ] held the British rights to ''Sesame Street''. Its licensees included ] for books. ({{cite news | title=Reed to publish Sesame Street Books in the UK | date=] ] | publisher=Publishers Weekly | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&an=9705091134}})</ref> | |||
| ===Web site=== | |||
| Sesame Street's Web site was one of the first to include educational materials, for both parents and children. "There are downloadable games plus number- and alphabet-coloring pages for the children. Their parents can consult references covering everything from how to comb their baby's hair to how to play with their 4-year-old."<ref>{{cite news | last=Shaw | first=Russell | title=Click me Elmo: Kids TV goes online | date=] ] | publisher=Electronic Media | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rch&an=9706265184}}, accessed through EBSCOhost.</ref> The Web site has been recommended by academic journals.<ref>{{cite news | title=Teaching Day-by-Day A Cornucopia of Activities. | date=November /December 2005 | publisher=Teaching PreK-8 | url=http://search.epnet.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=18721256}}, accessed through EBSCOhost.</ref> It receives over 1 million visitors daily.<ref name="presskit"></ref> | |||
| ==Movies, videos, and specials== | |||
| ]'' scene with ] (in garbage can) and ] at the 86th Street ] station]] | |||
| A series of ''Sesame Street'' telefilms have featured the characters on day trips or in foreign countries. '']'' (1983) saw the cast locked in the gallery overnight; Big Bird and Snuffy help a cursed boy pharaoh. NBC's '']'' (1983) followed Big Bird, Barkley, and their new friend Xiao Foo traveling through China to find Feng Huang, the ] bird. In '']'' (1988), the titular character gets lost. '']'' (1974) features the cast of ''Sesame Street'' and '']'' taking over ]. Big Bird turned six in '']'' (1991), despite being referred to as four years old previously. '']'' (1999) was a FOX special, with ] as the princess look for her match among the kingdom. Telly fears what the ] will bring in '']'' (1993, DVD in 2004). | |||
| Various strictly musical programs have been made. ] and ] performed with the Muppets on '']'' (1974). '']'' and '']'' are two special episodes of PBS series '']'' variety show have featured ''Sesame Street'' characters. The '']'' (1988) also included many guest performances. | |||
| Holiday special '']'' (1978) won an Emmy Award, while another special that year, '']'' (1978), has mostly unfavourable reviews. Anniversary specials include '']'' (1979), '']'' (1989), '']'' (1994) and '']'' (1994), and '']'' (2004). ] is set to host a "live" retrospective on the series on ABC, but is accidentally locked in his dressing room with the tapes. Elmo attempts to salvage the show, improvised, in '']'' (1998). | |||
| In 1987 and 1992, episodes of '']'' were produced, focusing on introducing Jewish culture, customs, and language to ] children. International co-productions of ''Sesame Street'' have created many of their own specials as well. | |||
| The characters have made appearance on television series including '']'' (2001), '']'' (1972, 1975), '']'' (2005), '']'', '']'' (1970), '']'' (1992, 1995, 1997), '']'', '']'', '']'' (2006), '']'', '']'' (1981), '']'' (1998), '']'' (1991), '']'' (2004), '']'', and numerous talk shows and mornings shows, ranging from '']'' to the '']''. | |||
| Characters have also appeared on specials and videos not related to the series, including '']'' (1975), '']'' (1978), '']'' (1979), '']'' (1982), '']'' (1996), and '']'' (2005). | |||
| ===Feature films=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Two feature films based on the series have been made. | |||
| Co-produced with ], the 1985 film '']'' revolved around a social worker forcing Big Bird into adoption. Big Bird gets homesick and tired of his adoptive parents, and heads back to New York, when he is kidnapped by evil carnival leaders (played by ] and ]); the residents of Sesame Street launch a cross-country search to find him. | |||
| In the second ''Sesame Street'' theatrical film, 1999's '']'', fourteen years after ''Follow That Bird'', ] spends time with his favorite blanket. After ] accidentally tears the blanket, when Elmo refuses to share, the blanket winds up in ], ruled by the ] (]). Elmo ventures forth, to rescue his blanket from the villainous ] (]). Soon, the rest of the ''Sesame Street'' gang follow in pursuit. | |||
| According to a rumor posted on /FILM, Elmo has suggested to TVguide.com that ''Elmo's World'' might later be turned into a movie.<ref>Peter Sciretta, "", 4 July 2006.</ref> | |||
| ==Criticism== | |||
| Some educators criticized the show when it debuted,{{Fact|date=March 2007}} feeling that it would only worsen children's attention spans. This concern still exists today,{{Fact|date=March 2007}} although there is no conclusive proof of this being the case, even after more than 35 seasons of televised shows. | |||
| In a letter to the ''Boston Globe'', ] professor of education Frank Garfunkel commented "If what people want is for their children to memorize numbers and letters without regard to their meaning or use — without regard to the differences between children, then ''Sesame Street'' is truly responsive. To give a child 30 seconds of one thing and then to switch it and give him 30 seconds of another is to nurture irrelevance."<ref name="feinstein">{{cite news | last=Feinstein | first=Phylis | title=All About Sesame Street | date=1971 | publisher=unknown | url=http://members.tripod.com/~hooperfan/chap12.html}}</ref> | |||
| In the magazine '']'', Minnie P. Berson of ] asked "Why debase the art form of teaching with phony pedagogy, vulgar sideshows, bad acting, and layers of smoke and fog to clog the eager minds of small children?" | |||
| For an animation on the letter "J", the writers included "a day in jail." This drew criticism from '']'' columnist ], despite executive producer David Connell's assertion that kids are familiar with the word through shows like '']'' and '']'', and that "when you're trying to come up with a lot of words starting with J, you soon run short" of words they are already familiar with.<ref name="feinstein">{{cite news | last=Feinstein | first=Phylis | title=All About Sesame Street | date=1971 | publisher=unknown | url=http://members.tripod.com/~hooperfan/chap12.html}}</ref> | |||
| The series also met with criticism in its attempts to help the underprivileged. Educator Sister Mary Mel O'Dowd worried that the show might start to replace "personalized experiences". "If Sesame Street is the only thing ghetto kids have, I don't think it's going to do much good. It never hurts a child to be able to count to 10 or recognize the 26 letters of the alphabet. But without the guidance of a teacher, he'll be like one of our preschoolers who was able to write 'CAUTION' on the blackboard after seeing it on the back of so many buses, and told me 'That says STOP.'"<ref name="feinstein">{{cite news | last=Feinstein | first=Phylis | title=All About Sesame Street | date=1971 | publisher=unknown | url=http://members.tripod.com/~hooperfan/chap12.html}}</ref> | |||
| Though it is widely beloved, like a number of PBS shows (notably ]'s '']''<ref></ref>) ''Sesame Street'' has long had to contend with those who disagree with its social content. ] comments in his book ''Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Street'' that the show faced hostility in the southern United States when it first aired because it portrayed people of various races mingling peacefully.<ref>Gerald S. Lesser, ''Children and Television: Lessons from Sesame Street'', ISBN-10 0394714482.</ref> At first the ] in Mississippi refused to air the show. However, the commission had no choice but to allow their local public television stations to air the show when commercial stations in Mississippi said they would air the program themselves.<ref name="mandel">{{cite journal | journal=The Journal of American Culture | last=Mandel | first=Jennifer| title=The Production of a Beloved Community: Sesame Street’s Answer to America’s Inequalities | date=2006 | accessdate = 2006-08-21 | publisher=Blackwell Publishing, Inc. | url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1542-734X.2006.00270.x}}</ref> | |||
| ==Rumors and urban legends== | |||
| While many rumors have been started about the series, a few have been widely promulgated and perpetuated over the years. | |||
| It has widely been suggested that ] are a ] couple, as they are apparently adult human males portrayed sharing a bedroom, though with separate beds. A 1980 collection of humorous essays by ], titled ''The Real Thing'', made light of the growing rumor. "Bert and Ernie conduct themselves in the same loving, discreet way that millions of gay men, women and hand puppets do. They do their jobs well and live a splendidly settled life together in an impeccably decorated cabinet."<ref>{{cite book | |||
| | last = Andersen | |||
| | first = Kurt | |||
| | title = The Real Thing | |||
| | format = Paperback | |||
| | year = 1982 | |||
| | month = February | |||
| | publisher = Henry Holt & Co | |||
| | location = New York, NY | |||
| | language = English | |||
| | id = ISBN 0-03-060037-5 | |||
| | pages = 180 | |||
| }}</ref> The rumor was promulgated repeatedly, so much so that by 1993, Sesame Workshop had a prepared statement to send out to people inquiring on the topic. In a 1994 effort to get the characters banned, Rev. Joseph Chambers stated on his radio show: "Bert and Ernie are two grown men sharing a house and a bedroom. They share clothes, eat and cook together and have blatantly effeminate characteristics. In one show Bert teaches Ernie how to sew. In another they tend plants together. If this isn't meant to represent a homosexual union, I can't imagine what it's supposed to represent."<ref>James R. Petersen, , December 1995</ref> Both Steve Whitmire as Ernie and Eric Jacobson as Bert have stated publicly that the characters are not gay.<ref>, accessed ] ].</ref> The alleged relationship has been parodied on the adult animated series '']'' and by '']''. The latter, a 2002 short film that ran at the ], was the subject of a cease and desist order from the legal department of Sesame Workshop.<ref>{{cite news | last=San Vicente | first=Romeo | title=Bert and Ernie outed from film festival | date=] ] | publisher=PlanetOut | url=http://www.planetout.com/pno/entertainment/news/splash.html?sernum=154}}</ref> The Broadway musical '']'' includes two characters similar to Bert and Ernie, named Rod and Nicky, one of which is gay. | |||
| The pair's relationship bears similarity to that of ], who were also occasionally shown sleeping together; this became such a comedy staple as to be adopted by ] in the 1970s, all of whom were similarly asexual. '']'' is another, more apposite, contemporary comparison. Some adult viewers are upset by the assertions, as in their view, Ernie and Bert act like children, teenagers at the oldest, and are no more different than brothers or cousins who share a room. | |||
| In 1990, puppeteer ]'s death spurred rumors that Ernie would be "killed off" in the show, much the way the character of Mr. Hooper was after actor ]'s passing some years earlier.<ref> Union Leader "Muppet Ernie Keeps His Life." 28 July 1991 (p. F1).</ref> Rumor said that he would be either killed by a vehicle, ], or ]. There was no legitimacy to this rumor, but because producers took their time recasting a puppeteer for Ernie, the delay allowed the claims to burgeon. A spokesperson for the series was quoted as saying "Ernie is not dying of AIDS, Ernie is not dying of leukemia. Ernie is a puppet."<ref>{{cite news | first = Jefferson | last = Graham | title = Muppet Ernie Is Doing Just Fine | url = | work = USA Today | publisher = | pages = 1 | page = D3 | date = 1992-04-30 | accessdate = | language = English }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first = Brenda | last = Herrmann | title = Ernie Rumor Just Won't Die | work = Chicago Tribune | publisher = | pages = 1 | page = C1 | date = 1992-11-10 | accessdate = | language = English | quote = }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | first = Jon | last = Lender | title = Rest Assured, Ernie the Puppet Has Never Felt Better | work = Hartford Courant | publisher = | pages = 1 | page = B1 | date = 1992-11-23 | accessdate = | language = English | quote = }}</ref><ref>Barbara Mikkelson, , ] ].</ref> | |||
| In ], Sesame Workshop announced that a character with ] would be introduced to '']'', the ]n version of the show. Many conservatives and religious groups wrongly presumed that the American version would be getting a "gay Muppet," presumably because of the early historical connection between homosexuality and HIV in the U.S., but the character with HIV is only present on this international version of the show. The character, ], contracted HIV from a blood transfusion as an infant. | |||
| == See also == | |||
| {{portal}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] (including '']'' and '']'') | |||
| * '']'' | |||
| * '']'' | |||
| * '']'' | |||
| '''Lists:''' | |||
| * ], ] | |||
| == Footnotes == | |||
| <!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/Cite/Cite.php --> | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| == References == | |||
| {{Wikiquote}} | |||
| {{Wikinews|Sesame Street to promote healthy lifestyles}} | |||
| * David Borgenicht, ''Sesame Street Unpaved: Scripts, Stories, Secrets, and Songs'', 1998 and 2002 reprint, ISBN 1-4028-9327-2 | |||
| * Caroll Spinney, J. Milligan, ''The Wisdom of Big Bird: (And the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers'', 2003, ISBN 0-375-50781-7 | |||
| * Christopher Finch, ''Jim Henson: The Works - The Art, the Magic, the Imagination'', 1993, ISBN 0-679-41203-4 | |||
| * Shalom M. Fisch, Rosemarie T. Truglio, ''"G" Is for Growing: 30 Years of Research on Children and Sesame Street'', 2000, ISBN 0-8058-3395-1 | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * | |||
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| * {{imdb title|id=0063951|title=Sesame Street}} | |||
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Revision as of 13:51, 29 March 2007
Bert fucks Ernie up the ass every night.