Sesame Street

**Sesame Street** is an American educational children's television series created by **Joan Ganz Cooney** and **Lloyd Morrisett** and produced by **Sesame Workshop** (formally known as the **Children's Television Workshop**). The series combines **live-action**, **sketch comedy**, **animation** and **puppetry** and is known for its images communicated through the use of **Jim Henson's Muppets**, including short films, humor and cultural references. It first premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership. It has aired on the United States national public television network **PBS** since its debut, with its first run moving to premium channel **HBO** on January 16, 2016, then its sister streaming service **HBO Max** in 2020. **Sesame Street** is one of the longest-running children's shows in television history.

Its main theme song "**Can You Tell Me How To Get To Sesame Street?**" is one of the oldest and popular songs in Sesame Street history. It was used in different variations and versions of each season throughout the years and was instrumental of each ending credits of the series. It was composed by **Joe Rapaso**, a "**writer and composer of many of television shows**" songs. In his book on the history of **Sesame Street**, **Michael Davis** called the theme "**jaunty**" and "**deceptively simple**". Raposo wrote the lyrics to the song with **Jon Stone** and **Bruce Hart**. Stone considered the song "**a musical masterpiece and a lyrical embarrassment**". Raposo enlisted jazz harmonicist **Jean "Toots" Thielemans**, as well as a mixed choir of children, to record the opening and closing themes. The song has become a "**siren song for preschoolers**". The current ending theme of the series is "**Smarter, Stronger, Kinder**", sung by the **Sesame Street Muppets** from Season 46 and onward.

The show's format consists of a combination of commercial television production elements and techniques which have evolved to reflect changes in American culture and audiences' viewing habits. It was the first children's television show to use educational goals and a curriculum to shape its content, and the first show whose educational effects were formally studied. Its format and content have undergone significant changes to reflect changes to its curriculum.

Shortly after its creation, its producers developed what came to be called the **CTW Model** (**after the production company's previous name**), a system of planning, production and evaluation based on collaboration between producers, writers, educators and researchers. The series was initially funded by government and private foundations, but has become somewhat self-supporting due to revenues from licensing arrangements, international sales and other media. By 2006, independently produced versions ("**co-productions**") of **Sesame Street** were broadcast in 20 countries. In 2001, there were over 120 million viewers of various international versions of Sesame Street; and by its 40th anniversary in 2009, it was broadcast in more than 140 countries.

**Sesame Street** was by then the 15th-highest-rated children's television show in the United States. A survey in 1996 found that 95% of all American preschoolers had watched it by the time they were three. In 2018, it was estimated that 86 million Americans had watched it as children. As of 2021, it has won 205 **Emmy Awards** and 11 **Grammy Awards**, more than any other children's show.

## History

**Sesame Street** was conceived in 1966 during discussions between television producer **Joan Ganz Cooney** and **Carnegie Foundation** vice president **Lloyd Morrisett**. Their goal was to create a children's television show that would "**master the addictive qualities of television and do something good with them**," such as helping young children prepare for school. After two years of research, the newly formed **Children's Television Workshop** (**CTW**) received a combined grant of US$8 million ($59 million in 2021 dollars) from the **Carnegie Foundation**, the **Ford Foundation**, **The Corporation For Public Broadcasting** and the U.S. federal government to create and produce a new children's television show. The program premiered on public television stations on November 10, 1969. It was the first preschool educational television program to base its contents and production values on laboratory and formative research. Initial responses to the show included adulatory reviews, some controversy, and high ratings.

According to writer **Michael Davis**, by the mid-1970s the show had become "**an American institution**." The cast and crew expanded during this time, with emphasis on the hiring of women crew members and the addition of minorities to the cast. The show's success continued into the 1980's. In 1981, when the federal government withdrew its funding, **CTW** turned to and expanded other revenue sources, including its magazine division, book royalties, product licensing, and foreign broadcast income. Its curriculum has expanded to include more affective topics such as relationships, ethics and emotions. Many of its storylines have been inspired by the experiences of its writing staff, cast and crew—most notably, the death of **Will Lee** in 1982, who played **Mr. Hooper**, and the marriage of **Luis** and **Maria** in 1988.

By the end of the 1990s, the show faced societal and economic challenges, including changes in young children's viewing habits, competition from other shows, the development of cable television, and a drop in ratings. As the 21st century began, the show made major changes. Starting in 2002, its format became more narrative-focused and included ongoing storylines. After its 30th anniversary in 1999, due to the popularity of the Muppet **Elmo**, the show also incorporated a popular segment known as **Elmo's World**. In 2009, the show won the **Outstanding Achievement Emmy** for its 40 years on the air.

In late 2015, in response to "**sweeping changes in the media business**" and as part of a five-year programming and development deal, premium television service **HBO** began airing first-run episodes of **Sesame Street**. The episodes became available on **PBS** stations and websites nine months after they aired on HBO. The deal allowed Sesame Workshop to produce more episodes—increasing from 18 to 35 per season—and to create a spin-off series with the **Sesame Street** **Muppets,** and a new educational series.

At its 50th anniversary in 2019, **Sesame Street** had produced over 4,500 episodes, two feature-length movies (**Follow That Bird** in 1985 and **The** **Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland** in 1999), 35 TV specials, 200 home videos, and 180 albums. Its YouTube channel has almost five million subscribers. It was announced in October 2019 that first-run episodes will move to **HBO Max** beginning with the show's 51st season in 2020.

## Format

From its first episode, **Sesame Street's** format has utilized "**a strong visual style, fast-moving action, humor, and music**," as well as animation and live-action short films. When it premiered, most researchers believed that young children did not have long attention spans, and the new show's producers were concerned that an hour-long show wouldn't hold their attention. At first, its "**street scenes**"—the action recorded on its set—consisted of character-driven interactions. Rather than ongoing stories, they were written as individual, curriculum-based segments interrupted by "**inserts**" of puppet sketches, short films and animations. This structure allowed producers to use a mixture of styles and characters, and to vary its pace, presumably keeping it interesting to young viewers. However, by season 20, research showed that children were able to follow a story—and the street scenes, while still interspersed with other segments, became evolving storylines.

On recommendations by child psychologists, the producers initially decided that the show's human actors and Muppets would not interact because they were concerned it would confuse young children. When **CTW** tested the new show, they found that children paid attention during the Muppet segments, and that their interest was lost during the "**Street**" segments. They requested that **Henson** and his team create Muppets such as **Big Bird** and **Oscar** **The Grouch** to interact with the human actors, and the Street segments were re-shot.

**Sesame Street's** format remained intact until the 2000s, when the changing audience required that producers move to a more narrative format. In 1998, the popular "**Elmo's World**," a 15-minute-long segment hosted by the **Muppet Elmo**, was created. Starting in 2014, during the show's 45th season, the producers introduced a half-hour version of the program. The new version, which originally complemented the full-hour series, was broadcast weekday afternoons and streamed on the Internet. In 2017, in response to the changing viewing habits of toddlers, the show's producers decreased the show's length from one hour to 30 minutes across all its broadcast platforms. The new version focused on fewer characters, reduced pop culture references "**once included as winks for their parents**", and focused "**on a single backbone topic**."

## Educational Goals

Author **Malcolm Gladwell** said that "**Sesame Street was built around a single, breakthrough insight: that if you can hold the attention of children, you can educate them**." **Gerald S. Lesser**, the **CTW's** first advisory board chair, went even further, saying that the effective use of television as an educational tool needed to capture, focus, and sustain children's attention. **Sesame Street** was the first children's show to structure each episode, and the segments within them, to capture children's attention, and to make, as **Gladwell** put it, "**small but critical adjustments**" to keep it. According to CTW researchers **Rosemarie Truglio** and **Shalom Fisch**, it was one of the few children's show to utilize a detailed and comprehensive educational curriculum, garnered from formative and summative research.

**Sesame Street's** creators and researchers formulated both cognitive and affective goals for the show. They initially focused on cognitive goals, while addressing affective goals indirectly, believing it would increase children's self-esteem and feelings of competency. One of their primary goals was preparing young children for school, especially children from low-income families, using modeling, repetition, and humor. They adjusted its content to increase viewers' attention and the show's appeal, and encouraged older children and parents to "**co-view**" it by including more sophisticated humor, cultural references, and celebrity guests; by 2019, 80% of parents watched **Sesame Street** with their children, and 650 celebrities had appeared on the show.

During **Sesame Street's** first season, some critics felt that it should address more overtly such affective goals as social competence, tolerance of diversity, and non-aggressive ways of resolving conflict. The show's creators and producers responded by featuring these themes in interpersonal disputes between its Street characters. During the 1980s, the show incorporated real-life experiences of its cast and crew, including the death of Will Lee (Mr. Hooper) and the pregnancy of **Sonia Manzano** (**Maria**). In later seasons, it addressed real-life disasters such as the **September 11 terrorist attacks** and **Hurricane Katrina**.

In its first season, the show addressed its outreach goals by focusing on the promotion of educational materials used in preschool settings; and in subsequent seasons, by focusing on their development. Innovative programs were developed because their target audience, children and their families in low-income, inner-city homes, did not traditionally watch educational programs on television and because traditional methods of promotion and advertising were not effective with these groups.

Starting in 2006, **Sesame Workshop** expanded its outreach by creating a series of **PBS** specials and DVD's focusing on how military deployment affects the families of service people. Its outreach efforts also focused on families of prisoners, health and wellness, and safety. In 2013, **SW** started **Sesame Street in Communities**, to help families dealing with difficult issues.

## Funding

As a result of Cooney's initial proposal in 1968, the **Carnegie Institute** awarded her an $1 million grant to create a new children's television program and establish the CTW, renamed in June 2000 to **Sesame Workshop** (SW). **Cooney** and **Morrisett** procured additional multimillion-dollar grants from the U.S. federal government, **The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations**, **CPB**, and the **Ford Foundation**. Davis reported that Cooney and Morrisett decided that if they did not procure full funding from the beginning, they would drop the idea of producing the show. As Lesser reported, funds gained from a combination of government agencies and private foundations protected them from the economic pressures experienced by commercial broadcast television networks, but created challenges in procuring future funding.

After **Sesame Street's** initial success, its producers began to think about its survival beyond its development and first season and decided to explore other funding sources. From the first season, they understood that the source of their funding, which they considered "**seed**" money, would need to be replaced. The 1970's were marked by conflicts between the **CTW** and the federal government. In 1978, the **U.S. Department of Education** refused to deliver a $2 million check until the last day of CTW's fiscal year. As a result, the CTW decided to depend upon licensing arrangements with toy companies and other manufacturers, publishing, and international sales for their funding.

In 1998, the **CTW** accepted corporate sponsorship to raise funds for **Sesame Street** and other projects. For the first time, they allowed short advertisements by indoor playground manufacturer **Discovery Zone**, their first corporate sponsor, to air before and after each episode. Consumer advocate **Ralph Nader**, who had previously appeared on **Sesame Street**, called for a boycott of the show, saying that the CTW was "**exploiting impressionable children**." In 2015, in response to funding challenges, it was announced that premium television service **HBO** would air first-run episodes of **Sesame Street**. **Steve Youngwood**, SW's **Chief Operating Officer**, called the move "**one of the toughest decisions we ever made**." According to **The New York Times**, the move "**drew an immediate backlash**." Critics claimed that it favored privileged children over less-advantaged children and their families, the original focus of the show. They also criticized choosing to air first-run episodes on **HBO**, a network with adult dramas and comedies.

## Production

**Research**

Producer **Joan Ganz Cooney** has stated, "**Without research, there would be no Sesame Street**." In 1967, when she and her team began planning the show's development, combining research with television production was, as she put it, "positively heretical." Its producers soon began developing what came to be called the **CTW Model**, a system of planning, production and evaluation that did not fully emerge until the end of the show's first season. According to Morrow, the Model consisted of four parts: "**the interaction of receptive television producers and child science experts, the creation of a specific and age-appropriate curriculum, research to shape the program directly, and independent measurement of viewers' learning**."

Cooney credited the show's high standard in research procedures to Harvard professors **Gerald S. Lesser**, whom **CTW** hired to design its educational objectives; and **Edward L. Palmer**, who conducted the show's formative research and bridged the gap between producers and researchers. **CTW** conducted research in two ways: in-house formative research that informed and improved production; and independent summative evaluations, conducted by the **Educational Testing Service** (**ETS**) during the first two seasons, which measured its educational effectiveness. Cooney said, "**From the beginning, we—the planners of the project—designed the show as an experimental research project with educational advisers, researchers, and television producers collaborating as equal partners**." She characterized the collaboration as an "**arranged marriage**."

**Writing**

**Sesame Street** has used many writers in its long history. As **Peter Hellman** wrote in his 1987 article in **New York Magazine**, "**The show, of course, depends upon its writers, and it isn't easy to find adults who could identify the interest level of a pre-schooler**." Fifteen writers a year worked on the show's scripts, but very few lasted longer than one season. Norman Stiles, head writer in 1987, reported that most writers would "**burn out**" after writing about a dozen scripts. According to Gikow, Sesame Street went against the convention of hiring teachers to write for the show, as most educational television programs did at the time. Instead, Cooney and the producers felt that it would be easier to teach writers how to interpret curriculum than to teach educators how to write comedy. As Stone stated, "**Writing for children is not so easy**." Long-time writer **Tony Geiss** agreed, stating in 2009, "I**t's not an easy show to write. You have to know the characters and the format and how to teach and be funny at the same time, which is a big, ambidextrous stunt**."

The show's research team developed an annotated document, or "**Writer's Notebook**," which served as a bridge between the show's curriculum goals and script development. The notebook was a compilation of programming ideas designed to teach specific curriculum points, provided extended definitions of curriculum goals, and assisted the writers and producers in translating the goals into televised material. Suggestions in the notebook were free of references to specific characters and contexts on the show so that they could be implemented as openly and flexibly as possible.

The research team, in a series of meetings with the writers, also developed "**a curriculum sheet**" that described the show's goals and priorities for each season. After receiving the curriculum focus and goals for the season, the writers met to discuss ideas and story arcs for the characters, and an "**assignment sheet**" was created that suggested how much time was allotted for each goal and topic. When a script was completed, the show's research team analyzed it to ensure that the goals were met. Then each production department met to determine what each episode needed in terms of costumes, lights, and sets. The writers were present during the show's taping, which for the first twenty-four years of the show took place in Manhattan, and after 1992, at the **Kaufman Astoria Studios** in **Queens** to make last-minute revisions when necessary.

**Media**

Early in their history, **Sesame Street** and the **CTW** began to look for alternative funding sources and turned to creating products and writing licensing agreements. They became, as Cooney put it, "**a multiple-media institution.**" In 1970, the CTW created a "**non-broadcast**" division responsible for creating and publishing books and **Sesame Street Magazine**. By 2019, the Sesame Workshop had published over 6,500 book titles. The Workshop decided from the start that all materials their licensing program created would "**underscore and amplify**" the show's curriculum. In 2004, over 68% of **Sesame Street's** revenue came from licenses and products such as toys and clothing. By 2008, the **Sesame Street Muppets** accounted for between $15 million and $17 million per year in licensing and merchandising fees, split between the **Sesame Workshop** and **The Jim Henson Company**. By 2019, the Sesame Workshop had over 500 licensing agreements and had produced over 200 hours of home video. There have been two theatrically released **Sesame Street** movies, **Follow That Bird**, released in 1985, and **Elmo In Grouchland**, released in 1999. In early 2019, it was announced that a third film, a musical co-starring **Anne Hathaway** and written and directed by **Jonathan Krisel**, would be produced. In November 2019, Sesame Street announced a family friendly augmented reality application produced by **Weyo** in partnership with **Sesame Workshop** in honor of the show's 50th anniversary.

**Jim Henson**, the creator of the Muppets, owned the trademarks to those characters, and was reluctant to market them at first. He agreed when the **CTW** promised that the profits from toys, books, computer games, and other products were to be used exclusively to fund the CTW and its outreach efforts. Even though Cooney and the CTW had very little experience with marketing, they demanded complete control over all products and product decisions. Any product line associated with the show had to be educational and inexpensive, and could not be advertised during the show's airings. As Davis reported, "**Cooney stressed restraint, prudence, and caution**" in their marketing and licensing efforts.

Director **Jon Stone**, talking about the music of ***Sesame Street***, said: "**There was no other sound like it on television.**" For the first time in children's television, the show's songs fulfilled a specific purpose and supported its curriculum. In order to attract the best composers and lyricists, the **CTW** allowed songwriters like **Joe Raposo**, Sesame Street's first musical director, to retain the rights to the songs they wrote, which earned them lucrative profits and helped the show sustain public interest. By 2019, there were 180 albums of **Sesame Street** music produced, and its songwriters had received 11 Grammys. In late 2018, the SW announced a multi-year agreement with **Warner Music Group** to re-launch **Sesame Street Records** in the U.S. and Canada. For the first time in 20 years, "**an extensive catalog of Sesame Street recordings**" was made available to the public in a variety of formats, including CD and vinyl compilations, digital streaming, and downloads.

**Sesame Street** used animations and short films commissioned from outside studios, interspersed throughout each episode, to help teach their viewers basic concepts like numbers and letters. **Jim Henson** was one of the many producers to create short films for the show. Shortly after Sesame Street debuted in the United States, the **CTW** was approached independently by producers from several countries to produce versions of the show at home. These versions came to be called "**co-productions**." By 2001, there were over 120 million viewers of all international versions of Sesame Street, and in 2006, there were twenty co-productions around the world. By its **50th anniversary** in 2019, 190 million children viewed over 160 versions of **Sesame Street** in 70 languages. In 2005, **Doreen Carvajal** of **The New York Times** reported that income from the co-productions and international licensing accounted for $96 million.

## Cast, Crew & Characters

Shortly after the **CTW** was created in 1968, **Joan Ganz Cooney** was named its first executive director. She was one of the first female executives in American television. Her appointment was called "one of the most important television developments of the decade." She assembled a team of producers, all of whom had previously worked on **Captain Kangaroo**. **Jon Stone** was responsible for writing, casting, and format; **Dave Connell** took over animation; and **Sam Gibbon** served as the show's chief liaison between the production staff and the research team. Cameraman **Frankie Biondo** has worked on **Sesame Street** from its first episode in 1969.

*For more information about the characters, visit the Muppet Wiki (Sesame Street Characters).*

**Jim Henson** and the **Muppets'** involvement in Sesame Street began when he and Cooney met at one of the curriculum planning seminars in Boston. Author **Christopher Finch** reported that Stone, who had worked with Henson previously, felt that if they could not bring him on board, they should "**make do without puppets**." Henson was initially reluctant, but he agreed to join Sesame Street to meet his own social goals. He also agreed to waive his performance fee for full ownership of the **Sesame Street Muppets** and to split any revenue they generated with the **CTW**. As **Morrow** stated, Henson's puppets were a crucial part of the show's popularity and it brought Henson national attention. **Davis** reported that **Henson** was able to take "**arcane academic goals**" and translate them to "**effective and pleasurable viewing**." In early research, the Muppet segments of the show scored high, and more Muppets were added during the first few seasons. Morrow reported that the Muppets were effective teaching tools because children easily recognized them, they were stereotypical and predictable, and they appealed to adults and older siblings.

Although the producers decided against depending upon a single host for **Sesame Street**, instead casting a group of ethnically diverse actors, they realized that a children's television program needed to have, as Lesser put it, "**a variety of distinctive and reliable personalities**," both human and Muppet. **Jon Stone**, whose goal was to cast white actors in the minority, was responsible for hiring the show's first cast. He did not audition actors until Spring 1969, a few weeks before the five test shows were due to be filmed. Stone videotaped the auditions, and **Ed Palmer** took them out into the field to test children's reactions. The actors who received the "**most enthusiastic thumbs up**" were cast. For example, **Loretta Long** was chosen to play Susan when the children who saw her audition stood up and sang along with her rendition of "**I'm a Little Teapot**." Stone stated that casting was the only aspect of the show that was "**just completely haphazard**." Most of the cast and crew found jobs on **Sesame Street** through personal relationships with Stone and the other producers. According to puppeteer **Marty Robinson** in 2019, longevity was common among the show's cast and crew.

According to the **CTW's** research, children preferred watching and listening to other children more than to puppets and adults, so they included children in many scenes. **Dave Connell** insisted that no child actors be used, so these children were non-professionals, unscripted, and spontaneous. Many of their reactions were unpredictable and difficult to control, but the adult cast learned to handle the children's spontaneity flexibly, even when it resulted in departures from the planned script or lesson. **CTW** research also revealed that the children's hesitations and on-air mistakes served as models for viewers. According to **Morrow**, this resulted in the show having a "**fresh quality**," especially in its early years.

**Muppets**

* **Big Bird -** A big yellow bird who lives on Sesame Street. He can dance, sing, skate, write poetry, draw and even ride a bicycle. He is a world-famous bird and has been a central character on the series since 1969. He lives in a large nest behind Sesame Street, next to Oscar's trash can and has a teddy bear named **Radar**. Big Bird helps children feel all right about not knowing everything because he himself does not know everything, and encourages them to inquire: a common Big Bird phrase has been "**Asking questions is a good way of finding things out!**" He also teaches other things in life, alphabet, and numerical lessons: **"I guess it's better to be who you are. Turns out people like you best that way, anyway"**. Big Bird is also known to make friends easily. He also has a close friendship with **Mr. Hooper**.
* **Ernie -** An orange Muppet character on Sesame Street. He first appeared in 1969. Ernie is well known to be close friends with Bert and has a fondness for taking bubble baths with his **Rubber Duckie**. Ernie is also a bit of naive trouble-maker and sometimes keeps Bert up at night for many reasons, such as playing the drums, wanting to count, observing, and even because he is waiting for his upstairs neighbor to drop his shoes. He also has a distinctive, snickering laugh (a trait he shares with his baby cousin **Ernestine**). Early sketches involve Ernie interrupting Bert, wanting to them to do an activity together, until Bert joins in. Ernie gets tired of it and wants to move on to something else. Other sketches have involved them sharing some food by dividing it equally, only for one of them to have a bit more than the other, prompting Ernie to make it even by eating the extra piece. He lives at the **123 Sesame Street** apartment.
* **Bert -** Ernie's best friend and roommate. He first appeared in 1969. In contrast to Ernie, he is serious, studious, and tries to make sense of his friend's actions. His interests include reading **Boring Stories**, collecting paper clips and bottle clips (especially the rare **Figgy Fizz** cap), eating oatmeal, and studying pigeons. He also has a pet pigeon named **Bernice**. His extended family includes his infant nephew **Bart**, and several unseen relatives, including his **Aunt Matilda**, **Uncle Bart** and great-great grandfather **Mountain Mike**. His favorite number is 6, which is stated in a song.
* **Grover -** A blue Muppet character on Sesame Street. He first appeared in 1970. He describes himself as a "**cute, furry little monster**". Grover rarely uses contractions when speaking, giving him a distinctive vocal pattern, in comparison to many other television characters. His character is multi-talented, taking on many different roles and professions throughout the series' run. He enjoys helping people, but is somewhat not good at it. He is well-known for becoming a superhero figure, which is **Super Grover,** his heroic persona. Grover, along with Elmo, is one of the more popular characters created during the show's run, partially for his silly manner of speaking, as well as his many imaginary adventures that children can easily identify with. Grover has left his mark in **Sesame Street** history as an enduring character by way of his multi-faceted talents, and his self-professed "**cute and lovable personality**".
* **Oscar The Grouch -** A furry, green grouch who lives in a Sesame Street inside a trash can. Oscar first appeared in 1969 with a different color pigment. He has a love for garbage. Like all Grouches, Oscar's mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible, and pass that feeling on to everyone else. When a visitor knocks on his trash, invariably interrupting him from a nap or an important task; Oscar greets them with a snarl. He mostly complains that he wants to be left alone, although when he's left entirely to himself, he's dissatisfied when there isn't anybody around to irritate or complain to. His companion is a worm named **Slimey**. He also has a girlfriend, a Grouch named **Grundgetta,** although a romantic relationship between two Grouches is understandably rocky (Oscar had previously courted grouches named **Trashini**, **Matilda**, and **Hermine**). **Grundgetta** usually calls him **Oskie**, while he occasionally calls her **Grungie**. His family members only include his grandmother, **Granny Grouch**. Oscar is able to move around by picking up the trash can and walk with his legs (as seen in early 70s episodes of **Sesame Street** (portrayed by **Hervé Villechaize**), in the specials **Christmas Eve On Sesame Street**, **Don't Eat the Pictures** and various stage shows.
* **Mr. Snuffleupagus -** A full-bodied Muppet character who lives with his family in a cave just off Sesame Street. Although his friends call him Snuffy, his full name is **Aloysius Snuffleupagus**. He is eternally four and a half years old. Snuffy's best friend is **Big Bird**, whom he affectionately calls "**Bird**." His favorite foods are cabbage and spaghetti, and in the fifth season premiere, he revealed that he also drinks sassafras tea. In one episode during his debut season, it is revealed that Snuffy is afraid of fruit. He dislikes apples because he fears they might fall from the tree and hit him on the head, and he dislikes bananas out of fear that he might slip on the peels. He is also a big fan of opera music. He has a younger sister named **Alice Snuffleupagus**.
* **Alice Snuffleupagus -** Mr. Snuffleupagus' two-year-old sister. As a baby-upagus, she is just starting to learn about the world. She also likes to do whatever her older brother does, including roller skate. Her birthday is December 21st. She throws tantrums whenever she doesn't get what she wants. She first appeared in 1988.
* **Roosevelt Franklin -** An African-American Muppet who appeared on **Sesame Street**. He attends **Roosevelt Franklin Elementary School,** where he taught the class as often as not. He taught concepts like family, pride, respect, geography and not drinking poison. Roosevelt was a cool kid who loved to scat, rhyme and sing the blues. His mother was proud of him. His name is simply a reversal of **President Franklin D. Roosevelt**. In addition to his elementary school, he had his own stadium, **Roosevelt Franklin Stadium**, where he coached **Headball**. Roosevelt has a younger sister, who wishes that she could go to school like he does. He was removed from the show because "**he was thought by some to be a negative cultural stereotype**".
* **The Two-Headed Monster -** A purple monster Muppet with two heads. They generally speak in gibberish but have a baby-like vocabulary. They teach viewers about cooperation or sounding out parts of words that show up. Their skits mostly take place behind a brick wall.
* **Count Von Count -** A light purple vampire Muppet who has a love for counting with a single-focused passion. He debuted in 1972. The Count will count anything and everything, regardless of size, amount, or how much annoyance he causes others around him. In one song, he stated that he sometimes even counts himself. When he finishes counting, The Count laughs and announces his total (which sometimes appears on screen). This finale is usually accompanied by a crash of thunder and a flash of lightning, even on sunny days. The Count lives in an old, cobweb-infested castle that he shares with many bats and sometimes counts the bats as well. Some of his pet bats are named, including **Lyuba**, **Cynthia**, **Yasha**, **Louisville**, **Slugger**, **Luba**, **Grisha**, **Misha**, **Sasha**, **Tattiana**, **Louis**, and **Persephone**. He also has a cat, **Fatatita**, a wolf named **Yuba**, and an octopus named **Octavia**. He also plays a large pipe organ, and in some illustrations he is seen playing the violin. The Count is now a friendly, non-threatening figure on the Street, but his early appearances in 1972 had a more sinister edge. He had hypnotic powers, and was able to stun other Muppets by waving his hands. After counting, he uttered a villainous laugh as lightning flashed in moody colors. He was often accompanied by creepy organ music. As the character matured, the sinister aspect of his personality was toned down, and his laugh became a throaty, Lugosi-style chuckle.
* **Cookie Monster -** A blue Muppet monster who has a voracious love and craving for cookies, but he can (and often does) consume anything and everything, from apples and pie to letters, flatware, and hubcaps. When Cookie Monster eats something, he makes a very distinct, loud munching sound that is often interpreted as "**OMM-nom-nom-nom...**" He first appeared in 1969. Cookie Monster has a deep, growly voice, and generally speaks with simplistic diction — for instance, saying "**Me want cookie!**" as opposed to "**I want a cookie!**" Cookie occasionally displays an unexpectedly complex vocabulary, however, and is at his most gentrified when in his **Alistair Cookie** persona, hosting **Monsterpiece Theater**.
* **The Martians -** A group of interplanetary visitors, sometimes called "**The Yip-Yips**" are presumed to be from the planet Mars, who are terrified by things like clocks, telephones, and computers on **Sesame Street**. When frightened, they hide beneath their lower lips, which shoot up to cover their faces. They rarely come face-to-face with other characters on the show. In their skits, these creatures, with squid-like tentacles, large eyes, and antennae, materialize into a room and converse with each other in their native tongue: *"***Yip-yip-yip-yip... Uh-huh. Uh-huh***,"* done in monotone voices. They often come across common objects and, curious as to their names and functions, the Martians will consult a book presumably containing information about things on Earth, although they sometimes make several incorrect guesses based on their book. In one skit, for example, the Martians call a computer a television and a typewriter before deciding what it actually is. They debuted in 1972.
* **Barkley -** A full-bodied Muppet dog who appears on Sesame Street. He first debuted in 1978, when he was originally named **Woof-Woof**. Barkley is energetic and playful, but is not anthropomorphized in the way that **Rowlf** and other characters are. While he may exhibit human-like emotions, he communicates only through barks, yelps, and physical contact. He was initially a stray dog and became under the care of many neighborhood residents.
* **Natasha -** A pink infant Muppet monster who only uses baby-talk to communicate and blows raspberries. She first appeared in 1986. Natasha is a very fast crawler. Her parents (and even Oscar, who once babysat her) can't even catch up to her. **Snuffy** once watched Natasha in one of her earliest appearances, and tried to teach her to say a new word. She ended up learning two: "**Oh, dear.**" Since she is too young to understand other people, Natasha does the opposite of what she's told (such as crawling fast, when her parents tell her to crawl slowly). However, it appears that she can understand Frazzle and vice versa, as shown in **Episode 3643**. In **Episode 3662**, she is seen growing her first baby, monster horns, which then fall out soon after (**thus, leaving spaces for her grown-up, monster horns to come in eventually**). Natasha's parents are **Humphrey** and **Ingrid**.
* **Telly Monster -** A slightly young and neurotic purple monster. He first debuted in 1979. Telly has a great love for triangles, and owns a pet hamster named **Chuckie Sue**. Telly has a favorite toy doll which he named "**Freddy.**" When Telly was a baby monster, his favorite toy was a stuffed animal horse which he named "**Clark**" before he got "Freddy". He also often jumps on a pogo stick which he learned from **Mr. Handford** in **Episode 3115**. He even plays instruments such as the bassoon, the tuba and, of course, the triangle instrument. For the twelfth season, Telly became a more prominent character and Muehl had developed Telly's worrywart personality, making him a character who always needed reassurance in order to be confident.
* **Elmo -** A furry red Muppet monster who lives on **Sesame Street**. He is three-and-a-half-years old and almost always refers to himself in the third person. Since his debut in 1980, he has became popular in the Sesame Street franchise. Elmo lives in an apartment on Sesame Street with his mother **Mae**, his father **Louie**, and, in some storybooks, a sister named Daisy. He has a pet goldfish named **Dorothy** and a pet dog named **Tango** who was introduced in 2021. As with many children of his age, Elmo is seen somewhat infrequently with a favorite toy of his: an orange monster-like doll named **Baby David**. In the film, **The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland**, Elmo is devoted to his blue blanket, **Blanket**. He has a high-pitched voice and a contagious giggle. Enthusiastic, friendly and cheerful, he always wants to be part of everything that goes on. However, like most preschoolers, he sometimes doesn't have the skills or knowledge to do what he wants. But that never stops him because he has a very positive, optimistic view of himself and life. Elmo enjoys riding his tricycle and being tickled. He always tells his viewers "**Elmo loves you**", when its time for a goodbye. Elmo is best friends with **Zoe** and **Rosita**.
* **Zoe -** A three-year-old orangish-yellow monster who lives on **Sesame Street**. She first debuted in 1993. Zoe has a pet rock named **Rocco** and a doll named **Mimi**. She occasionally rides a soapbox-style car around Sesame Street, called the **Zoemobile**. Zoe also has a fond for ballet and her love of dancing is featured in many episodes. Zoe was created to help balance what was then a predominately male cast of Muppets on the series. The color orange was chosen for her design to complement Elmo, who was gaining popularity at the time of her introduction. Her family members are her **Aunt Giselle**, **Aunt Chloe**, and her father. Zoe's favorite letter is Z because it starts her name. Zoe always wears her tutu; Originally, she was unclothed at the time of her first appearance. She will sometimes wear her tutu on a few occasions and more consistently in illustrations and merchandise.
* **Rosita -** A turquoise blue Muppet monster who is bilingual and lives on **Sesame Street**. She first debuted in 1991. her full name is **Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas** (**Rosita, The Monster Of The Caves**). She is five years old, and celebrates her birthday on December 7. Rosita has often presented the **Spanish Word of the Day**, and features frequently playing her guitar, which Luis taught her to do in **Episode 3794**. She's very good with history, as well as geography. Rosita has an extended family which includes an abuela and other relatives. Her dad, **Ricardo**, served in the military and is in a wheelchair due to injuries related to his service. She mostly speaks two languages, Spanish and English and is known for solving problems learning English. She is also proud of her heritage.
* **Baby Bear -** A Muppet bear who was adapted from the **Three Little Bears** story into a resident of **Sesame Street**. He is at least five years old. His parents are **Mama Bear** and **Papa Bear**. Baby Bear's best friend is **Telly Monster**. He also has a younger sister named **Curly Bear**. It's revealed in "**Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!**", Baby Bear and his family are Jewish. He also began to develop his own unique traits, such as an interest in making art and a rather sophisticated vocabulary. Much like his original story, he has a particular fondness for porridge.
* **Curly Bear -** Baby Bear's baby sister. She first appeared in 2003. When she was introduced as an infant in Season 34, Baby Bear had to adjust to no longer being the "**baby**" of the family. Currently a toddler, Curly is fond of her big brother, whom she calls "**Bebo.**" Unlike Baby Bear, Papa Bear, and Mama Bear, Curly does not like porridge. Curly can growl louder than Baby Bear. Her birthday is May 9. In the DVD "**Elmo's Potty Time**", Curly Bear was in the process of being toilet-trained.
* **Abby Cadabby -** A pink Muppet who is a fairy-in-training and lives on **Sesame Street**. She first debuted in 2006, when she moved into the neighborhood and met some of the Street's residents. Her name is a play on the magic word "**abracadabra**." Abby's magical abilities include popping in and out of thin air, floating when she's happy, casting spells and turning objects into pumpkins. Although familiar with the world of fairy tales, Abby is astounded by such basic learning skills as drawing letters or counting, prompting her catchphrase "**That's so magic!**" She frequently uses her wand cell phone to call her mommy. When she's asked to return home, she says that she's "**gotta poof**" or "**disappear.**" In recent years, she has used the phrase "**Zippity-zap!**" when casting a spell. It's revealed that her parents are divorced and she spends part of her time living with her mother and the other part of it living with her father. Abby's mom got remarried to a monster named **Freddy**, and Abby also gained a new stepbrother, **Rudy**, who, for the first three episodes after his introduction, had a habit of borrowing her wand without asking. She can speak a language called "**Dragonfly**" and is teaching Rosita the language while Rosita teaches her Spanish. She also claims to speak "**Butterfly**" and "**Puppydog**." Abby was formerly three-years-old when she was introduced. In 2018, she was aged up to four-years-old.
* **Murray -** An reddish Muppet monster who lives on **Sesame Street**. He has hosted two regular segments "**The Word Of The Day**" and "**Murray Had A Little Lamb**". An energetic monster, his early talk spots with kids in Season 36 often discussed the importance of exercise and healthy habits with young visitors. Scripts for these segments refer to the character simply as "**Orange Monster**."
* **Ovejita -** A Spanish-speaking Lamb who appears on the "**Murray Had A Little Lamb**" segments. She is Murray's best friend and companion. She assists Murray by giving him 3 clues for what kind of school they are going to that day. She gives the clues in Spanish. After Murray repeats each word and asks what it means, she reveals what it is in an unexpected way, such as having the item fall from a tree or appear in a pizza box. When he finally guesses what kind of school they are going to visit, she repeats the type of school in Spanish. At the schools, she participates in the activities with the children and with Murray. Although she rarely speaks during these segments, she can frequently be heard giggling happily.
* **Julia -** An orange Muppet who lives on Sesame Street. She was first introduced in 2015. Julia is four-years-old and has autism. Her favorite toy is a stuffed rabbit-like doll named **Fluffster**. Her family consists of a brother named **Sam**; her mother, **Elena**, and her father, **Daniel**. Fluffster is described in **Family Forever** as being a "**bunny**." She states within this title that Fluffster's favorite picnic food is frogs. Julia's characterization was originated by **Leslie Kimmelman** for the digital storybook **We're Amazing, 1, 2, 3!** She used her own experiences as the mother of a child with autism, as well as input from research and advisers from the autism community, to inform the story.
* **The Twiddlebugs -** A species of colorful insects who live in Ernie's window box. They first appeared in 1971. The Twiddlebugs seen most frequently on **Sesame Street** are a family of four. These Twiddlebugs often find themselves facing difficult challenges, such as taking their car to the zoo or hanging a postage stamp on the wall. Presented with such daunting situations, it would an easy thing for them to simply give up, and indeed they express despair when their initial attempts at solving these problems meet with agonizing failure. However, the Twiddlebugs persevere in the face of adversity, and through collective brainstorming and cooperation, they always manage to overcome even the most seemingly insurmountable tribulations, such as figuring out how to exit a roller rink. These moments of triumph are cause for celebration for the Twiddlebugs, who remain blissfully unaware that their ultimate solution is rarely the most logical.
* **Frazzle -** A growling monster who lives on **Sesame Street**. His deceptively fierce visage hides a child-like personality and a desperate need to be included. Although he can be intimidating to others, Frazzle has emotions like everyone else, as expressed in his eponymous song, "**Frazzle**." However, since his snarls and roars sound identical, regardless of his mood, the song required skilled interpreters, in the form of the **Frazzletones**. Frazzle appeared in 1973. He sometimes says words, but mostly speaks gibberish and growls.
* **Farley -** A green Muppet boy with spiky, orange hair and wears a mustard yellow sweater. He made an appearance in 1970. Farley figures prominently in the main story of **Episode 0258** in which his neighbors alleviate his fears about going to the doctor to have his tonsils removed. He eventually finds some consolation in an unnamed teddy, his mother, who welcomes Susan's nursing experience, and his father, who stands motionless and quiet. He has a teddy bear named **T.J.**, who appeared in the Sesame Street illustrations.
* **Stinky The Stinkweed -** A living stinkweed who lives on Sesame Street. At times he's a bit self-conscious about his smelly lot in life, but he's generally a very friendly plant. He doesn't hesitate to ask for a favor, "**If it's not too much of a bother**." At times, Stinky has bloomed single flowers, sprouting right out of his head. Surprisingly, these flowers varied in color: he has been spotted with a pink, blue, yellow and a plain green flower. He first debuted in 1993.
* **Slimey -** Oscar the Grouch's pet worm. He is orange with light orange stripes. Slimey was a silent character who communicated with squeaks and gestures. In later years, he developed a voice, provided by **Dick Maitland** (**which is digitally manipulated in post-production to achieve a higher pitch**). Slimey shows skill at playing the tuba and the clarinet, and has the distinction of being the first worm on the moon. He debuted in 1971. According to **Gikow**, he is the smartest on **Sesame Street**. Slimey's family includes his baby sister **Sloppy**, his parents **Dusty** and **Eartha**, and cousins Squirmy and Rachel. Stella, another baby sister of Slimey's, appears in Episode 2123.
* **Ji-Young -** A Korean-American girl who made her debut in the 2021 **Sesame Street** special **See Us Coming Together**. She is seven years old and enjoys playing electric guitar and skateboarding.
* **Rudy -** An orange monster who is Abby's stepbrother. He is three-years-old.
* **Sully -** A construction worker on **Sesame Street**. He is a friend and colleague to **Biff**. Sully is never heard speaking on the show, typically because the talkative Biff never lets him get a word in edgewise. In addition to working in construction, Sully is skilled at playing the piano. However, Biff is sometimes oblivious to this. In **Episode 0606**, **Biff** mentions that **Sully** is married and recently had a baby girl named **Junior**. He debuted in 1974.
* **Deena -** A young, energetic pink Muppet monster with red hair and googly eyes. She talks in monster grammar: "**Deena wants to play!**" She lives in a cave with **Pearl**, who functions as her caretaker. She debuted in 1980.
* **Lily -** A young pink Muppet girl who is homeless. She was introduced in the 2011 special "**Growing Hope Against Hunger**". She was reintroduced in 2018. It is revealed in this series that Lily's family has lost their apartment home and have had to stay with friends. Press outlets reported Lily to be the first **Sesame Street** character to be homeless.
* **Karli -** A lime green Muppet girl. She was introduced in 2019 in a series of videos for **Sesame Street In Communities** about foster care. Her favorite food is pizza, and she loves playing monster ball (**which is kind of like soccer, but for monsters**). She is shown to be in the care of two foster parents, Dalia and Clem. She is also good friends with Elmo. Karli starred in another series of videos that debuted on the site in October 2019, focusing on **substance abuse**. It is explained that Karli's mother is away getting treatment for her addiction, which was only implied in the earlier foster care videos.

**Humans**

* **Mr. Hooper -** An elderly storekeeper who lived on Sesame Street. He first debuted in 1969. He ran **Hooper's Store**, the corner candy store on Sesame Street. In the first season of the show, Mr. Hooper was often seen developing bizarre inventions with outlandish names, such as a hiccup curing machine in **Episode 0017** and a machine that creates ten of anything in **Episode 0054** (among others). He was first described as a "**slightly mean and abrasive but with a poorly hidden nice streak**". Mr. Hooper mellowed over the years and developed a particularly close relationship with Big Bird, who bought birdseed milkshakes from him. Their friendship was occasionally frustrated by Big Bird's frequent inability to correctly say the shopkeeper's name, often calling him Mr. Looper or some similar rhyming variation. Still, Mr. Hooper had a great affection for Big Bird, even trusting him to open the store in **Episode 0198**. Mr. Hooper is **Jewish**, sometimes speaking **Yiddish** (he speaks to a relative on the phone in Yiddish in **Episode 0687**, and in **Episode 1074**, he tells Big Bird "**I grew up in a neighborhood where that was the only language a lot of people spoke.**") His father once owned a store and he helped out as a child. His first name is **Harold**. He had a younger brother named **Arnold**, who often made visits to Sesame Street. Mr. Hooper (Will Lee) sadly passed away in 1982. After much discussion and research, the producers decided to have the character of Mr. Hooper pass away as well, and use the episode to teach its young viewers about death as a natural part of life and that it is okay to grieve and feel sad when a loved one passes away.
* **Maria -** A resident of **Sesame Street**. She made her debut in 1971 as a **Puerto Rican** teenager and applying for a job at the library. The library was later converted into the **Fix-It Shop**, where Maria was hired in **Episode 0832** (and later promoted to full partner in **Episode 1563**). Maria often mediates disputes among the Muppet characters, sometimes becoming flustered by their chaotic nature. She has been the target of the **Amazing Mumford's** magic, **Sonny Friendly's** ridiculous traveling game shows, **Grover's** lectures with incorrect facts, and **Oscar The Grouch's** cynical wisecracks, who has been known to address her with the nickname **Skinny**. Maria held a romantic relationship with **David** in the 1970's and later becoming married to **Luis** in 1988. Because of this, she adopted the name **Maria Rodriguez**. Her pregnancy became a storyline in the show and she and Luis later have a daughter named **Gabi** in 1989.
* **Gordon Robinson -** An original resident of **Sesame Street**. He debuted in 1969. He has a wife named **Susan** and an adopted son named **Miles**. Originally working as a history teacher (as mentioned in **All About Sesame Street**) and after serving in the army (as he mentions in **Episode 0950**), Gordon later became a science teacher. Gordon was conceived as a strong paternal character and a role model for African-American children who lacked a positive father figure. Gordon has transcended across the board to appeal to children of all races. Though friendly and kind, Gordon is the most likely of the **Sesame Street** adults to offer firm admonishment when the situation requires. He was once part of a rock band as a guitarist with **Luis** and **Bob** when he was young, seen in **Episode 4067**. As a child, Gordon used to play the flute. He is seen with the instrument again in **Episode 1666** and was seen playing it.
* **Susan -** A resident of **Sesame Street**, the wife of **Gordon**, and the mother of her adopted son, **Miles**. She works as a nurse, having been a housewife before she was married. In the latter half of the first season, she returned to nursing (in **Episode 0096**) so that the character might serve as a better role model for young girls in the viewing audience. Among her projects was offering a **Measles Vaccination Clinic** in **Episode 0343**. Susan also worked as a mechanic on the street, commonly fixing cars and even the bus when Big Bird went to camp in **Episode 1706**. Her parents are **Dorothy** and **Lee**. In Episode 0879, she mentions that her middle name is **Gloria**. She first debuted in 1969.
* **Miles -** The adopted son of Gordon and Susan. His adoption was a major event in the series. Subsequent episodes dealt with the infant Miles' adjustment to his new family, and he would gradually become one of the familiar kids on the street. His birthday is December 4th. In a dream sequence in **Episode 2313** (1987), Gordon and Susan imagine what Miles would be like as an adult. In this version of the future, the adult Miles played by **Kevin Clash**. As a teenager, Miles formed his own band (first seen in **Episode 4079**). In Episode 4112, he graduated high school alongside Gabi (**despite the fact that the characters' respective debuts on the show as babies occurred four years apart**). A flashback in this episode shows that Miles was shy on his first day of kindergarten. He debuted in 1985.
* **David -** The second African-American male resident of **Sesame Street**. David is a hip, upbeat individual who's fond of eccentric hats and singing. He initially worked part-time at Hooper's Store while studying law (beginning in **Episode 0409**), and lived in an apartment across the street from **123 Sesame Street** (he has a view of Oscar's trash can as seen in **Episode 1779**). For several years, he and Maria had a romantic relationship. However, in later seasons, Maria fell in love with, and eventually married, **Luis**. After Hooper's death in 1983, David inherited Hooper's Store and operated it with help from **Piri** and later **Gina**. David's family includes his sassy grandmother **Grace** and his niece, **Akim**, who assisted him in the store from time to time. In **Episode 0889**, it's mentioned that he also has a brother named **Gregory**. He debuted in 1971.
* **Tom -** A resident on **Sesame Street** who worked at **Hooper's Store**. He was friendly, and enjoyed with the neighborhood kids. He debuted in 1971.
* **Gabriela "Gabi" Rodriguez -** The daughter of Maria and Luis. Her character was created as part of the show's curriculum about love, marriage, and childbirth. She was born on April 8, 1988.
* **Alan -** A genial Japanese-American owner of **Hooper's Store**. Alan took over the reins from **Mr. Handford** in **Episode 3786** and soon became particularly close friends with **Baby Bear** and **Telly Monster**. Alan later hired Gabi and Miles as his assistants. Alan's current assistant is **Chris Robinson,** the nephew of Gordon and Susan. In Alan's first appearance on the show, Big Bird holds a **Birdketeer** meeting in the arbor, and the new owner of Hooper's finds himself as an overworked caterer for the meeting. As the day goes on, Alan is tempted to ask them to take their meeting somewhere else, but the Birdketeers then give Alan a big welcome to the Street. They praise him for his help in providing snacks and other things to eat for the meeting, thus marking the beginning of yet another beautiful relationship with the residents of Sesame Street. Alan is held in high esteem by residents of Sesame Street, as evidenced by Big Bird's distress when Alan went on vacation in **Episode 4060**. He made his first debut in 1998.
* **Chris Robinson -** Alan's assistant and the nephew of Susan and Gordon. He first debuted in 2007. Whether or not he's managing Hooper's, Chris can sometimes find himself on the unfavorable end of the Muppet characters' adventures and hijinks. Chris moves to **Sesame Street** in **Episode 4136** and seeks a job to buy textbooks for school. He answers newspaper ads from Count von Count, Cookie Monster, and Horatio the Elephant, but none of the jobs they offer work out for him. Just as Chris is about to give up for the day, he sees Alan put a "**Help Wanted**" sign outside the window of Hooper's Store, and is hired as Alan's newest assistant. He also has a fraternal twin sister named **Christy**.
* **Bob Johnson -** A music teacher who lives on **Sesame Street**. Bob is more of a surrogate teacher, seldom assuming a disciplinary role. Bob has a close, romantic relationship with Linda. An affable and low-key fellow, Bob was introduced as Gordon and Susan's neighbor. Bob's family consists of a sister named **Jane** who lives in the mountains and has written to Bob on occasion (as in Episode 2129). His brother is **Minneapolis Johnson**, an archaeologist who comes to visit in **Episode 2687**. Other relatives include **Uncle Wally** and his deaf niece, **Samara**. His birthday is August 15. He first debuted in 1969.
* **Angela -** Gordon's cousin. She ran the **Day Care Center** on **Sesame Street**. Her husband was **Jamal**, a park ranger, and they had a baby named **Kayla**.
* **Sally -** A young girl who lived on **Sesame Street**. She appeared in **Episode 0001** of 1969, as she moved to the neighborhood and **Gordon** introduced her to Sesame Sesame and the residents that live there.
* **Gina Jefferson -** A human character who lives on **Sesame Street**. She once worked at **Hooper's Store** and developed a romantic relationship with Jesse. She graduated high school and continued to work at Hooper's Store while figuring out what career path she should follow. In **Episode 3397** (Season 27), she revealed that she wished to work in child care and had taken night classes, earning her teaching certificate and working part-time at a day care center. From season 27 to season 29, she ran the day care center located at **Around The Corner**. In season 30, she began studying to become a veterinarian. In season 32, she opened her own vet clinic in the building that used to serve as a garage in the courtyard. In season 37, she travelled to **Guatemala** with **Maria** to adopt **Marco**. She debuted in 1986.
* **Carlo -** A young teenager who worked at **Hooper's Store**. He was a student in Gordon's science class, according to **Episode 3156**. In season 27, he became employed at Hooper's Store. He debuted in 1993.
* **Leela -** A young Indian-American woman who runs the local laundromat on **Sesame Street**. She has an unseen, but often alluded to brother named **Snuil**. As mentioned in **Episode 4264**, she also has a sister and a baby niece, the latter of whom appeared in **Episode 4308**.
* **Molly -** A mail carrier who appeared on **Sesame Street** in Season 3. In her first episode, **Episode 0276**, Molly delivered a letter to Bob, inviting him to a party. Her coy manner indicated that she may have had a crush on Bob, although she later spoke in a similar way about a gentleman named Melvin during a presentation about the letter M. In **Episode 0287**, she shares a friendship with **Oscar The Grouch**, as he intently listens when she complains about how much mail people send and walking around all day to deliver it. She debuted in 1971.
* **Larry And Phyllis -** A comedy duo who appeared in recurring sketches in season 2 of **Sesame Street**. Sometimes referred to as "**The Cooperation Couple**," they replaced **Buddy** and **Jim**. They debuted in 1970.
* **Buddy And Jim -** A human comedy duo who appeared on the first season of **Sesame Street** in 1969. The recurring theme for the bungling pair was a failure to complete such tasks as hanging a picture and making a sandwich. While usually only appearing in their own sketches, they are often mentioned by the adults before their segments start. In **Episode 0050**, the pair appeared in a street scene with Gordon in a routine to demonstrate "**here**" and "**there**." In its first series, Sesame Street used two clowns, **Buddy** and **Jim**, to illustrate problem solving. They were a walking Polish joke, one lifting and turning the other to screw in a light bulb, refusing a nail because it was turned the wrong way.
* **Nina -** A bike store owner who lives on Sesame Street. She is described as "**a young bilingual Hispanic woman**" who uses her "wit, compassion and charisma to help the furry residents of Sesame Street solve their daily dilemmas. In an interview, Lopez has suggested she's also Elmo's nanny. In **Episode 5132**, she introduced her brother **Dave**, his husband **Frank** and their daughter **Mia**.
* **Ruthie -** A former affable owner of the **Finders Keepers** second-hand store, which was located "**Around The Corner**" on **Sesame Street**. When the "**Around The Corner**" area was removed from the show, Ruthie continued to appear in inserts through Season 32, usually in costume as other characters.
* **Charlie -** Eight year-old **Charlotte**, nicknamed “**Charlie**,” moved to **Sesame Street** after her parents retired from the military. Her mother is played by Muppet performer **Jennifer Barnhart**.
* **Mando -** A **Puerto Rican** resident of **Sesame Street** who appeared in seasons 44 and 45. He makes his profession as a writer.
* **Buffy -** A resident of **Sesame Street** who debuted in 1975. **Sainte-Marie** played a fictionalized version of herself most often referred to simply as Buffy, but also acknowledging her full name within the context of Sesame Street's fictional setting. Her real life husband **Sheldon** and son **Cody** were later added to the recurring cast in Season 8, also playing versions of themselves. Her real life as a famous singer was occasionally recognized, such as her concert tour referenced in **Episode 1027**, and when her songs were played on the radio in **Episode 1560**. Her full name is **Buffy Sainte-Marie**.
* **Rafael -** A Puerto Rican man who appeared on **Sesame Street** during the third season. He enjoyed playing with the neighborhood children, and often taught them Spanish words. He worked with **Luis** at the **Fix-It Shop** (then called the "**The L and R Fix-It Shop**"), which first opened in **Episode 0330**. He debuted in 1971.
* **Tarah -** A young girl who appeared on **Sesame Street** from 1993 to 2001. She used a wheelchair. Tarah was cheerful and energetic, and an active participant in sports and dance. In one episode, she performed a wheelchair ballet. Tarah served as a positive role model for disabled children.
* **Wally And Ralph -** A human comedy duo who appeared on **Sesame Street**. They debuted in 1971. Many of their sketches were similar in style to the Buddy and Jim sketches; so much so, in fact, that several are remakes of **Buddy** and **Jim** skits. Unlike the previous comedy duos, Wally and Ralph would continue for more than one season, appearing until season 5.

A number of **guest stars** and **celebrities** have appeared throughout the entire series.

## Reception

**Ratings**

When **Sesame Street** premiered on November 10, 1969, it aired on only 67.6% of American televisions, but it earned a 3.3 Nielsen rating, which totaled 1.9 million households. By the show's tenth anniversary in 1979, nine million American children under the age of 6 were watching **Sesame Street** daily. According to a 1993 survey conducted by the **U.S. Department of Education**, out of the show's 6.6 million viewers, 2.4 million kindergartners regularly watched it. 77% of preschoolers watched it once a week, and 86% of kindergartners and first- and second-grade students had watched it once a week before starting school. The show reached most young children in almost all demographic groups.

The show's ratings significantly decreased in the early 1990s, due to changes in children's viewing habits and in the television marketplace. The producers responded by making large-scale structural changes to the show. By 2006, **Sesame Street** had become "**the most widely viewed children's television show in the world**," with 20 international independent versions and broadcasts in over 120 countries. A 1996 survey found that 95% of all American preschoolers had watched the show by the time they were three years old. In 2008, it was estimated that 77 million Americans had watched the series as children. By the show's 40th anniversary in 2009, it was ranked the fifteenth-most-popular children's show on television, and by its 50th anniversary in 2019, the show had 100% brand awareness globally. In 2018, the show was the second-highest-rated program on **PBS Kids**. In 2021, however, the **Sesame Street documentary** “**50 Years of Sunny Days**,” which was broadcast nationally on **ABC**, didn't fare well in the ratings, scoring only approximately 2.3 million viewers.

**Influence**

As of 2001, there were over 1,000 research studies regarding **Sesame Street's** efficacy, impact, and effect on American culture. The **CTW** solicited the **Educational Testing Service** (**ETS**) to conduct summative research on the show. ETS's two "**landmark**" summative evaluations, conducted in 1970 and 1971, demonstrated that the show had a significant educational impact on its viewers. These studies have been cited in other studies of the effects of television on young children. Additional studies conducted throughout **Sesame Street's** history demonstrated that the show continued to have a positive effect on its young viewers.

Lesser believed that **Sesame Street** research "**may have conferred a new respectability upon the studies of the effects of visual media upon children**." He also believed that the show had the same effect on the prestige of producing shows for children in the television industry. Historian Robert Morrow, in his book **Sesame Street And The Reform of Children's Television**, which chronicled the show's influence on children's television and on the television industry as a whole, reported that many critics of commercial television saw **Sesame Street** as a "**straightforward illustration for reform**." **Les Brown**, a writer for **Variety**, saw in Sesame Street "**a hope for a more substantial future**" for television.

Morrow reported that the networks responded by creating more high-quality television programs, but that many critics saw them as "**appeasement gestures**." According to Morrow, despite the **CTW** Model's effectiveness in creating a popular show, commercial television "**made only a limited effort to emulate CTW's methods,**" and did not use a curriculum or evaluate what children learned from them. By the mid-1970s commercial television had abandoned their experiments with creating better children's programming. Other critics hoped that **Sesame Street**, with its depiction of a functioning, multicultural community, would nurture racial tolerance in its young viewers. It was not until the mid-1990s that another children's television educational program, **Blue's Clues**, used the CTW's methods to create and modify their content. The creators of **Blue's Clues** were influenced by Sesame Street, but wanted to use research conducted in the 30 years since its debut. **Angela Santomero**, one of its producers, said, "**We wanted to learn from Sesame Street and take it one step further**."

Critic **Richard Roeper** said that perhaps one of the strongest indicators of the influence of Sesame Street has been the **enduring rumors and urban legends** surrounding the show and its characters, especially speculation concerning the sexuality of **Bert** and **Ernie**.

**Critical Reception**

**Sesame Street** was praised from its debut in 1969. **Newsday** reported that several newspapers and magazines had written "**glowing**" reports about the **CTW** and **Cooney**. The press overwhelmingly praised the new show; several popular magazines and niche magazines lauded it. In 1970, **Sesame Street** won twenty awards, including a **Peabody Award**, three **Emmys**, an award from the **Public Relations Society Of America**, a **Clio**, and a **Prix Jeunesse**. By 1995, the show had won two **Peabody Awards** and four **Parents' Choice Awards**. It was the subject of a traveling exhibition by the **Smithsonian Institution**, and a film exhibition at the **Museum Of Modern Art**.

Sesame Street was not without its detractors, however. The state commission in Mississippi, where Henson was from, operated the state's **PBS** member station; in May 1970 it voted to not air Sesame Street because of its "**highly racially integrated cast of children**" which "**the commission members felt ... Mississippi was not yet ready for.**" According to **Children And Television**, Lesser's account of the development and early years of Sesame Street, there was little criticism of the show in the months following its premiere, but it increased at the end of its first season and beginning of the second season. Historian Robert W. Morrow speculated that much of the early criticism, which he called "**surprisingly intense**," stemmed from cultural and historical reasons in regards to, as he put it, "**the place of children in American society and the controversies about television's effects on them**."

According to Morrow, the "**most important**" studies finding negative effects of **Sesame Street** were conducted by educator **Herbert A. Sprigle** and psychologist **Thomas D. Cook** during its first two seasons. Social scientist and **Head Start** founder **Urie Bronfenbrenner** criticized the show for being too wholesome. Psychologist **Leon Eisenberg** saw Sesame Street's urban setting as "**superficial**" and having little to do with the problems confronted by the inner-city child. Head Start director **Edward Zigler** was probably Sesame Street's most vocal critic in the show's early years.

In spite of their commitment to multiculturalism, the **CTW** experienced conflicts with the leadership of minority groups, especially Latino groups and feminists, who objected to Sesame Street's depiction of Latinos and women. The CTW took steps to address their objections. By 1971, the CTW hired Hispanic actors, production staff, and researchers, and by the mid-1970s, **Morrow** reported that "**the show included Chicano and Puerto Rican cast members, films about Mexican holidays and foods, and cartoons that taught Spanish words**." As **The New York Times** has stated, creating strong female characters "**that make kids laugh, but not...as female stereotypes**" has been a challenge for the producers of Sesame Street. According to **Morrow**, change regarding how women and girls were depicted on Sesame Street occurred slowly. As more female Muppet performers like **Camille Bonora**, **Fran Brill**, **Pam Arciero**, **Carmen Osbahr**, **Stephanie D'Abruzzo**, **Jennifer Barnhart**, and **Leslie Carrara-Rudolph** were hired and trained, stronger female characters like **Rosita** and **Abby Cadabby** were created.

In 2002, **Sesame Street** was ranked number 27 on **TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time**. **Sesame Workshop** won a **Peabody Award** in 2009 for its website, **sesamestreet.org**, and the show was given **Peabody's Institutional Award** in 2019 for 50 years of educating and entertaining children globally. In 2013, **TV Guide** ranked the show number 30 on its list of the **60 Best TV series**. As of 2021, Sesame Street has received 205 **Emmy Awards**, more than any other television series.

## Home Media

Home media releases of **Sesame Street.** There have been many **Sesame Street** videos over the years, usually featuring a mix of newly-produced material and segments from the series. Many video releases have also come with such bonus materials as activity booklets and song lyric posters. Many Sesame Street videos revolved around a certain theme, from such learning concepts as letters and numbers, to "**best of**" videos focusing on certain characters, to music-themed videos. Nearly every direct-to-video Sesame Street production began with a voice-over reading the title as it appeared on-screen.

**1985 - 1986**

* **Sesame Street Stories - VHS**
* **Follow That Bird - VHS**

**1986 - 1994 (Random House Home Video)**

* **Learning About Letters - VHS**
* **Learning About Numbers - VHS**
* **Getting Ready To Read - VHS**
* **I'm Glad I'm Me - VHS**
* **Play-Along Games & Songs - VHS**
* **Bedtime Stories & Songs - VHS**
* **Getting Ready To School - VHS**
* **Learning To Add And Subtract - VHS**
* **Sing-Along - VHS**
* **Big Bird's Story Time - VHS**
* **Big Bird In China - VHS**
* **Christmas Eve On Sesame Street - VHS**
* **Don't Eat The Pictures - VHS & DVD**
* **Ernie's Big Mess - VHS**
* **I Want To Go Home! VHS**
* **The Alphabet Game - VHS**
* **Count It Higher: Great Music Videos From Sesame Street - VHS**
* **The Best Of Ernie And Bert - VHS**
* **Big Bird's Favorite Party Games - VHS**
* **Monster Hits! VHS**
* **Sing Yourself Silly! VHS**
* **Rock & Roll! VHS**
* **Dance Along! VHS**
* **Sesame Street Home Video Visits The Firehouse - VHS**
* **Sesame Street Home Video Visits The Hospital - VHS**
* **Big Bird In Japan - VHS**
* **Don't Cry, Big Bird - VHS**
* **Sing, Hoot & Wow! With The Sesame Street Animals - VHS**
* **Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game - VHS**
* **Ernie's Little Lie - VHS**
* **Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years - VHS**
* **We All Sing Together - VHS**
* **Sing-Along Earth Songs - VHS**
* **A New Baby In My House - VHS**
* **The Best Of Elmo - VHS**
* **Put Down The Duckie - VHS**
* **Sesame Street Celebrates Around The World - VHS**

**1995 - 2007 (Sony Wonder)**

* **Big Bird Sings! VHS & DVD**
* **Cookie Monster's Best Bites - VHS & DVD**
* **Do The Alphabet - VHS & DVD**
* **Learning To Share - VHS & DVD**
* **Imagine That! VHS & DVD**
* **Elmocize - VHS & DVD**
* **Slimey's World Games - VHS**
* **Elmo Saves Christmas - VHS & DVD**
* **Get Up And Dance - VHS & DVD**
* **Telling The Truth - VHS & DVD**
* **Quiet Time - VHS & DVD**
* **Sing Yourself Sillier At The Movies - VHS & DVD**
* **1 2 3, Count With Me - VHS & DVD**
* **Elmo Says Boo! VHS & DVD**
* **William Wegman's Mother Goose - VHS**
* **Big Bird Gets Lost - VHS & DVD**
* **Fiesta! VHS & DVD**
* **Elmopalooza - VHS & DVD**
* **The Alphabet Jungle Game - VHS & DVD**
* **The Great Numbers Game - VHS & DVD**
* **The Best Of Kermit On Sesame Street - VHS**
* **Let's Eat: Funny Food Songs - VHS & DVD**
* **Kids' Favorite Songs - VHS & DVD**
* **The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland: Sing And Play - VHS & DVD**
* **The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland - VHS & DVD**
* **CinderElmo - VHS & DVD**
* **Let's Make Music - VHS & DVD**
* **Elmo's Musical Adventure: Peter And The Wolf - VHS & DVD**
* **Elmo's Magic Cookbook - VHS & DVD**
* **Kids' Favorite Songs 2 - VHS & DVD**
* **Computer Caper - VHS & DVD**
* **Bert & Ernie's Word Play - VHS & DVD**
* **Elmo Visits The Firehouse - VHS & DVD**
* **Zoe's Dance Moves - VHS & DVD**
* **Sesame Street Karaoke - VHS & DVD**
* **Three Bears And A New Baby - VHS & DVD**
* **What's The Name Of That Song? VHS & DVD**
* **The Street We Live On - DVD**
* **A Magical Halloween Adventure - DVD**
* **A Celebration Of Me, Grover - VHS & DVD**
* **Happy Healthy Monsters - VHS & DVD**
* **Friends To The Rescue - VHS & DVD**
* **All-Star Alphabet - VHS & DVD**
* **Elmo Visits The Doctor - VHS & DVD**
* **Beginning Together - DVD**
* **Elmo And Zoe's Scientific Exploration - DVD**
* **Guess That Shape And Color - DVD**
* **Elmo's Potty Time - DVD**
* **Exploring Together - DVD**
* **The Furry Red Monster Parade - DVD**
* **The Letter Of The Month Club - DVD**
* **Make Music Together - DVD**
* **Old School: Volume 1 - DVD**
* **A Sesame Street Christmas Carol - DVD**
* **Moving Together - DVD**

**2007 - 2009 (Genius Entertainment)**

* **Kids' Favorite Country Songs - DVD**
* **Ready For School! DVD**
* **Old School: Volume 2 - DVD**
* **TV Episode Fun Pack Volume 1 - DVD**
* **TV Episode Fun Pack Volume 2 - DVD**
* **Abby In Wonderland - DVD**
* **Count On Sports - DVD**
* **Dinosaurs! DVD**
* **Elmo And Friends: Tales Of Adventures - DVD**
* **Elmo's Christmas Countdown - DVD**
* **Love The Earth! DVD**
* **Bedtime With Elmo - DVD**
* **Being Green - DVD**
* **Elmo And Abby's Birthday Fun! DVD**
* **Elmo Loves You! DVD**
* **Elmo's Animal Adventures - DVD**
* **Pirates: Elmo And The Bookaneers - DVD**
* **40 Years Of Sunny Days - DVD**
* **Elmo And Friends: The Letter Quest And Other Magical Tales - DVD**

**2010 - 2018 (Warner Home Video)**

* **Elmo's Rainbow And Other Springtime Stories - DVD**
* **Bert And Ernie's Great Adventures - DVD**
* **The Best Of Elmo 2 - DVD**
* **Firefly Fun And Buggy Buddies - DVD**
* **ABC's With Elmo - DVD**
* **P Is For Princess - DVD**
* **Counting With Elmo - DVD**
* **Iron Monster And Sesame Heroes - DVD**
* **C Is For Cookie Monster - DVD**
* **Silly Storytime - DVD**
* **Wild Words And Outdoor Adventures - DVD**
* **Elmo's Travel Songs And Games - DVD**
* **Best Of Sesame Street Spoofs - DVD**
* **Learning Letters With Elmo - DVD**
* **Elmo's Music Magic - DVD**
* **Elmo's Shape Adventure - DVD**
* **Bye-Bye Pacifier! Big Kid Stories With Elmo - DVD**
* **Singing With The Stars - DVD**
* **Big Elmo Fun - DVD**
* **Elmo's Magic Numbers - DVD**
* **Elmo's Alphabet Challenge - DVD**
* **Best Of Friends - DVD**
* **Making Friends - DVD**
* **Old School: Volume 3 - DVD**
* **Elmo The Musical - DVD**
* **Arts And Crafts Playdate - DVD**
* **C Is For Cooking - DVD**
* **Being Brave - DVD**
* **Fairytale Fun - DVD**
* **Be A Good Sport - DVD**
* **Elmo And Friends - DVD**
* **Alphabet Songs - DVD**
* **Cookie Monsters And Friends - DVD**
* **Big Bird And Friends - DVD**
* **Monster Manners - DVD**
* **Learning Rocks - DVD**
* **Elmo The Musical: Volume 2: Learn And Imagine - DVD**
* **M Is For Mystery - DVD**
* **Elmo's Super Numbers - DVD**
* **The Best Of Elmo 3 - DVD**
* **Count On Elmo - DVD**
* **Play All Day With Elmo - DVD**
* **Elmo Can Do It! DVD**
* **The Cookie Thief - DVD**
* **Sing It, Elmo! DVD**
* **Elmo's Favorite Stories - DVD**
* **Love To Learn - DVD**
* **Monster Magic - DVD**
* **Singing With The Stars 2 - DVD**
* **Elmo And Cookie Monster Supersized Fun - DVD**
* **Elmo Loves Animals - DVD**
* **Trick Or Treat On Sesame Street - DVD**
* **Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas - DVD**
* **The Best Of Elmo 4 - DVD**
* **Love To Learn Vol. 2 - DVD**

**2018 - 2022 (Shout! Factory)**

* **The Magical Wand Chase - DVD**
* **Celebrate Family - DVD**
* **Awesome Alphabet Collection - DVD**
* **Dance Party! DVD**
* **50 Years And Counting - DVD**
* **Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration - DVD**
* **Wish You Wish Upon A Pickle - DVD**
* **Monster Hits: Rock & Rhyme With Elmo - DVD**
* **Cool Counting Collection - DVD**
* **Wonderful World Of Friends! DVD**
* **Potty Time Plus! Getting Ready With Elmo - DVD**

**Other Distributors**

* **20 Years And Still Counting - DVD**
* **A Special Sesame Street Christmas - DVD**

**Sesame Street videography**

## Books

Over 1,400 **Sesame Street** books have been published since 1969.

**Sesame Street Books**

## Games

**Sesame Street** video games for computers, consoles, handheld and mobile devices, as well as video game accessories.

**Sesame Street Games**

**Online Flash Games**

* **Abby's Magical Letter Garden**
* **Letter Dance Party**
* **Cookie Kart Racing**
* **Train Track Engineers**
* **Oscar's Rotten Ride**
* **Super Elmo's ABC Jump**
* **Big Bird's Basketball**
* **The Cookie Games**
* **Go Green**
* **Mecha Maker**
* **Jigsaw Puzzle: Mecha Builders**
* **Dress Up Time!**
* **Abby And Rosita's Wand Chase**
* **Elmo's World Games**
* **Seasons Spinner**
* **Super Salad Diner**
* **Abby's Sandbox Search**
* **The Monster At The End Of The Game**
* **Rhyme Time!**
* **Ready, Set, Grow!**
* **Grover's Story Circle**
* **Elmo And Rosita's Playdate**
* **Reuse And Reinvent**
* **Ramp Racers**
* **Elmo's School Friends**
* **Connect The Dots: Furry Friends Forever**
* **Spot The Difference: Furry Friends Forever**
* **Elmo's World: Baby Animals**
* **Elmo And The Beanstalk**
* **Ernie's Dinosaur Day Care**
* **Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck**
* **Monster Music**
* **Abby's Smoothie Maker**
* **Elmo's Brain Games**
* **Reading Adventures**
* **A Job For Me**
* **Cooking With Cookie**
* **Bumper Cars**
* **Potty Plan**
* **Ernie's Bathtime Fun**
* **Count Me To Sheep**
* **Brush Those Teeth**
* **Underwater Sink Or Float**
* **Cookie's Cookies**
* **Show Me The Cookies**
* **Elmo And Grover's Lemonade Stand**
* **Grover's Winter Games**
* **Grover's Motorcycle Mayhem Holiday**
* **Snow Monster Maker**
* **Oscar's Junk My Jacket**
* **Story Book Builder**
* **Zoe's Pet Shelter**
* **Let's Build It**
* **Alphabet Soup**
* **Search And Find: Elmo**
* **Picture Shapes: Letter B Things**
* **Spot The Animals**
* **Pinball Number Count**
* **Oh Say, Can You See The Shapes?**
* **Grover's Motorcycle Mayhem**
* **Nursery Rhyme Puzzles**
* **Sesame Street Blockbuster**
* **Shape Voyage**
* **Bouncy Elmo's Castle**
* **Connect The Dots: Animals**
* **Detective Elmo: The Cookie Case**
* **Grow Your Colors**
* **Bert's Bottle Caps**
* **Murray Cleans Up**
* **Word Play**
* **Bubble Letters**
* **Checkout Cookie**
* **Egg-Counting Elmo**
* **Spot The Numbers**
* **Oscar's Trash Launch**
* **Words Are Everywhere**
* **I Spy Instruments**
* **Bert's Pigeon Path**
* **Snuffy's Letter Car**
* **Party Time**
* **Twiddlebug Toss**
* **Find The Foods**
* **Count's Number Ride**
* **Spot The Difference: Rudy**
* **Spot The Difference: Halloween**
* **Valentine's Day Puzzles**
* **Elmo's World Puzzle**
* **ABC Hungry**
* **Big Bird's Alphabet Track**
* **Grover's Diner Dash**
* **Cookie's Color Burst**
* **Cookie Monster Chase**
* **Cookie Monster Hop**
* **Nature Puzzles**
* **Telly's Shape Coaster**
* **Alphabet Hunt**
* **Spot The Difference: Animals**
* **Measure That Foot**
* **Number Popper**
* **Shape Pop**
* **Cookie Thief Puzzles**
* **ABC Puzzles**
* **Spot The Difference: Bert And Ernie**
* **Zoe's Sandbox Adventure**
* **Cookie's Animal Crackers**
* **Spot The Difference: Elmo**

**2005 Flash Games**

* **Check Out Cookie**
* **Close Up Game**
* **Dress Grover Party**
* **Elmo Chicken Dance Game**
* **Elmo Fire Safety**
* **Elmo's Silly Mix-Up Farm**
* **Elmo's Clouds Game**
* **Footprints**
* **Let's Grovercise**
* **Letters to Big Bird**
* **Make a Hat for Elmo**
* **Make a Monster**
* **Oscars Trash Collection**
* **Peekaboo**
* **Snuffy's Magic Garden**
* **Snuffys Safari**
* **Sounds Around Town**
* **Super Grover Nick of Rhyme**
* **Walking The Dogs**
* **Your Amazing Body**
* **Zoe's Halloween Game**
* **Zoe's Pet Shelter**
* **Zoe's Silly Seasons**

## Discography & Music

From its earliest planning stages, **Sesame Street** was designed to be a show that would use music and singing as a part of the material being taught. So it was only natural to release the musical content on records, not only to reinforce the curriculum lessons for children when they weren't watching the show, but also so that **Sesame Street** music could be enjoyed just for its own sake.

These are the discography / album releases of **Sesame Street** throughout the years.

**1970 - 1973**

* **The Sesame Street Book & Record**
* **The Year Of Roosevelt Franklin**
* **The Muppet Alphabet Album**
* **The Official Sesame Street 2: Book-And-Record Album**
* **Havin' Fun With Ernie & Bert**
* **Sesame Street LIVE**

**Other 1970's Albums**

* **Bob McGrath From Sesame Street**
* **Susan Sings Songs From Sesame Street**
* **25 Greatest Hits**

**Sesame Street Records (1974 - 1984)**

* **Bert's Blockbusters**
* **Big Bird Sings!**
* **C Is For Cookie**
* **Ernie's Hits**
* **Grover Sings The Blues**
* **Let A Frown Be Your Umbrella**
* **Letters...And Numbers, Too!**
* **My Name Is Roosevelt Franklin**
* **Pete Seeger & Brother Kirk Visit Sesame Street**
* **Sesame Street 1 (reissue)**
* **Sesame Mucho!**
* **Sing The Hit Songs Of Sesame Street**
* **Somebody Come And Play**
* **Bert & Ernie Sing-Along**
* **The Count Counts**
* **Merry Christmas From Sesame Street**
* **The Sesame Street Monsters!**
* **Sesame Street 2**
* **60 Favorite Songs From Sesame Street**
* **The Muppet Alphabet Album (reissue)**
* **Aren't You Glad You're You?**
* **Big Bird Leads The Band**
* **Bob Sings!**
* **Concert: On Stage - Live!**
* **Happy Birthday From Sesame Street**
* **Let Your Feelings Show!**
* **Letters, Numbers And Signs**
* **Numbers!**
* **The Sesame Street Fairy Tale Album**
* **Sesame Street Gold!**
* **Signs!**
* **Sleepytime Bird**
* **What Time Is It On Sesame Street?**
* **10th Anniversary Album**
* **David, Daydreamin' On A Rainy Day**
* **Fair Is Fair**
* **Muppet Masquerade**
* **On The Street Where We Live - Block Party!**
* **Sesame Street Fever**
* **Sesame Street Story Time**
* **Sing, Sang, Song Singalong**
* **Anne Murray Sings For The Sesame Street Generation**
* **At Home With Ernie And Bert**
* **Dinah! I've Got A Song**
* **Every Body's Record**
* **Sesame Disco!**
* **Somebody Come And Play On A Rainy Day**
* **The Stars Come Out On Sesame Street**
* **Welcome!**
* **Big Bird's Bedtime Stories**
* **Christmas Eve On Sesame Street**
* **Love**
* **The People In Your Neighborhood**
* **Bert & Ernie: Side By Side**
* **Big Bird Discovers The Orchestra**
* **The Count Presents Numbers**
* **Getting Ready For School**
* **Grin & Giggle With Big Bird**
* **Sesame Country**
* **Big Bird Presents Hans Christian Andersen**
* **Exercise!**
* **For The First Time**
* **Just Friends**
* **Just The Two Of Us**
* **Sesame Street Sing-Along!**
* **Surprise!**
* **The Gang's All Here!**
* **My Record**
* **Born To Add**
* **The Best Of Bert**
* **The Best Of Big Bird**
* **The Best Of Cookie Monster**
* **The Best Of The Count**
* **The Best Of Ernie**
* **The Best Of Grover**
* **The Best Of Oscar The Grouch**
* **Sesame Street Christmas Sing-Along**

**Other 1980's Albums**

* **In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record**
* **Sesame Street Treasury**
* **Camping In Canada**
* **Follow That Bird**
* **Christmas On Sesame Street**
* **Favorite Songs From Jim Henson's Muppets**

**Other 1990's Albums**

* **Bob's Favorite Street Songs**
* **Sesame Street Best**

**Sony Wonder (1995 - 2004)**

* **The Bird Is The Word! Big Bird's Favorite Songs**
* **Born To Add**
* **C Is For Cookie: Cookie's Favorite Songs**
* **Numbers**
* **Elmo's Favorite Sing-Alongs**
* **Platinum All-Time Favorites**
* **Sesame Road**
* **A Sesame Street Christmas**
* **Splish Splash: Bath Time Fun**
* **Bert And Ernie's Greatest Hits**
* **Dreamytime Songs**
* **Monster Melodies**
* **Silly Songs**
* **Sing The Alphabet**
* **Sing-Along Travel Songs**
* **The Best Of Elmo**
* **The Count's Countdown**
* **Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs**
* **Kids' Favorite Songs**
* **Oscar's Trashy Songs**
* **Platinum Too**
* **Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites**
* **Elmo Says Boo!**
* **Elmopalooza!**
* **Elmo's Lowdown Hoedown**
* **Fiesta Songs!**
* **The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland**
* **CinderElmo**
* **Elmo And The Orchestra**
* **Kids' Favorite Songs 2**
* **Songs From The Street: 35 Years Of Music**
* **A Celebration Of Me, Grover**
* **Happy Birthday From Sesame Street**

**Other 2000's Albums**

* **Are We There Yet?**

**Koch Records (2008 - 2010)**

* **The Best Of Elmo**
* **Elmo Saves Christmas: Holiday Favorites**
* **Elmopalooza!**
* **Hot! Hot! Hot! Dance Songs**
* **Kids' Favorite Songs**
* **Platinum All-Time Favorites**
* **A Sesame Street Christmas**
* **Sing The Alphabet**
* **Silly Songs**
* **Old School: Volume 1**
* **Old School: Volume 2**

**Download-Only Albums**

* **Sesame Street Music: Amazon Sampler**
* **Christmas Collection**
* **Valentine's Collection**
* **Elmo's Dance Party**
* **Sunny Days Collection**
* **Travel Songs**
* **Summer Games Collection**
* **Back To School Collection**
* **Halloween Collection**
* **Giving Thanks Collection**
* **Holiday Classics**
* **V Is For Valentine**
* **Lyrical Letters**

**Arts Music (2018 - 2021)**

* **All-Time Favorites 1**
* **All-Time Favorites 2**
* **B Is For Boo!**
* **C es Para Canta!**
* **C Is For Cookie!**
* **E Is For Elmo!**
* **F Is For Fun!**
* **G Is For Grover!**
* **It's Christmas Time!**
* **N Is For Numbers!**
* **Big Bird's Best!**
* **Cookie Monster Mix!**
* **D Is For Dance!**
* **F Is For Friend!**
* **Grover's Greatest**
* **L Is For Love!**
* **M Is For Me!**
* **O Is For Oscar!**
* **Q Is For Quiet!**
* **S Is For Sing!**
* **Sing Silly Songs!**
* **What's The Number?**
* **The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo Songs**
* **It's Time To Rock & Rhyme**
* **Coming Together**
* **Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets A Puppy**
* **See Us Coming Together**

**Other 2010-20's Albums**

* **A Special Sesame Street Christmas**
* **A Swingin' Sesame Street Celebration**

* **Sesame Street discography**
* **Sesame Street Songs**

## Episode 0847

On February 10, 1976, **Sesame Street** aired an episode (**Episode 0847**) starring **Margaret Hamilton**, reprising her role as the "**The Wicked Witch Of The West**". She wreaks havoc on Sesame Street, after losing her flying broomstick. The stated curriculum goals of the episode were to demonstrate fear and "**the value of planning by creating and implementing methods of retrieving the broom".**

**Response**

After the episode premiered, it prompted a large amount of mail responses from parents, almost all are entirely negative, within a short time frame. Typical responses included parents concerned that their children were afraid and now refused to watch the show. Many letters spoke of their children leaving the room, crying, and suffering subsequent nightmares coupled with refusal to sleep at night.

Due to the overwhelming reaction, additional test screenings were held from March 1 through the 5th, **"to assess children's reactions to the Wicked Witch of the West**." However, due to the parents' reactions, the letter content, and testing observations, it was ultimately suggested that the episode was not to be aired again.

Since then, the episode was lost for almost 40 years.

One recurring comment referenced Hamilton's appearance on **Mister Rogers' Neighborhood** from May 14, 1975 in which the actor spoke with **Fred Rogers** on camera in detail about the work that went into the make-believe of the character using costuming and make-up. Despite the explanatory nature of that episode, viewers felt the depictions were representative of taboo subjects, some comparing it to a third **PBS** series too frightening for children: **The Electric Company**.

Other viewers wrote in less out of concern for young viewers, but in regards to their own fears concerning what they claimed was a threat to society from real witches.

In contrast, at least one woman wrote in objecting to the negative stereotypes of witches portrayed in the episode, and offered her services to help develop a Wiccan character on the show with redeeming qualities. Another viewer suggested bringing the **Wicked Witch** back to give the show's cast of characters the opportunity to "**win her over**."

The response to viewer mail led to a case study and subsequent **memo issued internally within CTW**.

**Memorandum**

On April 4, 1976 — less than eight weeks after the show aired, **CTW** researcher **Ana Herrera** issued a memo to the writers and producers of **Sesame Street** consisting of a case study in which twenty-six children were observed viewing the episode, and their reactions.

The tests showed that children were "**exceptionally attentive during the Margaret Hamilton segments**," and those who watched the episode in color were fascinated by her green face. The issue of fear was difficult to fully judge, due to confusing answers and the fact that the children were surrounded by their peers and adults, and not alone watching.

The memo's recommendation reads:

"**Due to the parents' reactions, the contents of their letters, and our impressions from group observation data, we suggest that the Margaret Hamilton show not be re-run**".

The following addendum includes a collection of comments made by children while watching the episode, and their answers to a series of questions following its conclusion.

## Snuffy's Parents Get A Divorce (Episode 2985)

In 1992, the subject of divorce was the big project of the season, resulting in an unaired episode in which the mother and father of **Mr. Snuffleupagus** (and his sister **Alice**) get a divorce.

**Tackling Divorce**

The decision to tackle the issue of divorce was a weighty one for the **Children's Television Workshop**, and the idea had a long gestation period. As early as 1989, writer/director **Jon Stone** announced that he was attempting to examine the issue.

"**We make a conscious decision on what to look at. My two projects for this year are drugs and divorce. Divorce is a difficult one. Perhaps we could do it with puppets. I am also writing a script on drugs and peer pressure**".

Other crew and cast members expressed mixed feelings on the topic, however, even before the script was written. In fact, in 1990, executive producer **Dulcy Singer** initially vetoed it. Singer was concerned with tackling more complex social matters, but also wanted to primarily emphasize issues affecting lower socio-economic groups, returning to the show's original target audience of inner city and financially disadvantaged families. She opposed the idea, claiming that "**Divorce is a middle-class thing**," instead preferring a story illustrating a single-parent family, with the child born out of wedlock with an absent father. To some extent, this may have been fulfilled in a **Sesame Street News Flash** about a bird, whose parents live in different trees.

**Choosing An Approach**

The topic of divorce would not be ignored, however, and it was discussed again the following year. The decision was affected by **Census Bureau** statistics, revealing that 40 percent of all children in the United States, not just the middle classes, would soon live in divorced households. Even so, it still required adjustment, for writers and performers alike. **Jerry Nelson** noted that "**Now we delve into things like divorce that are likely to affect small children very heavily. We didn't touch those things before"**.

The first obstacle was determining how to address the issue in a narrative, and whether to use the Muppet characters or the human cast. Producer-director **Lisa Simon** publicly reported on the difficulties;

"**We hope to get to it by the end of the season. It always takes us a while to figure out how to do an issue appropriately, from a child's point of view... With puppets, it's slightly less frightening...The kids have somebody to identify with. They see the puppet characters have feelings and work through a difficult issue many of them will have to face**".

According to **Bob McGrath**, a decision was finally made to use Muppets, and specifically, the family of **Mr. Snuffleupagus;**

"**They once tried to deal with the subject of divorce. They knew they couldn't do it with either of our married couples; Gordon and Susan or Maria and Luis - so they tried it with Snuffleupagus, writing a show about his parents getting divorced. They wrote a whole show and taped it, and it was just devastating for test groups of kids. So they just threw the whole thing in the garbage and never tried it again. It was just too difficult a concept for a 3-year-old**".

**The Test Results**

The tentatively scheduled airdate for the broadcast was April 10, 1992. The episode, intended as **#2985**, "**Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce**," was written by **Norman Stiles**, and the script was subject to scrutiny by the advisory board and developmental psychologists. The board suggested that the script more heavily emphasize the fact that arguments do not automatically mean divorce. The script was revised, the story was taped, and the completed episode screened before a test audience of sixty children. **Dulcy Singer** still had her doubts.

"**We were really nervous about the show, and we didn't think it was a shoo-in. When you're dealing with something like death, the approach can be universal. But with divorce, it's so personal. People react differently**".

he final episode addressed the advisors' concerns via a conversation in which Gordon reassures Elmo, Big Bird, and Telly that "**Just because parents have an argument, or get upset with each other, doesn't mean they're getting a divorce... Or that they don't love each other anymore." He also reassured Snuffy and his sister Alice that it's not their fault, "No, not even if you spill something**."

The reassurances had little effect on the test viewers, however, especially taken in conjunction with the rest of the episode. While Mommy Snuffleupagus had been a recurring character on the series for several years, Snuffy's father had been a more elusive figure; like so many Muppet parents, his appearances were generally limited to storybooks. When he does appear in the episode, arriving for a weekend visit, Alice attempts to bring him inside, but he reminds her that "**I don't live here anymore.**" Children were unclear on where Snuffy's parents lived, especially the father, and believed that Daddy "**ran away and Snuffy and Alice would never see their father again**."

The realistic depiction of the **Snuffleupagus** children struggling emotionally with the issue also proved troubling. In one scene, as Alice overhears her parents arguing in the next cave, she pounds and kicks her teddy bear out of frustration. Singer weighed in on the reactions, which, despite the care taken, revealed both emotional responses and misunderstandings of the very points which the script attempted to clarify:

"**The kids came away with negative messages... The kids said she stabbed the teddy bear with a knife. The kids misunderstood arguments. They said arguments did mean divorce. Some thought Snuffy's parents were moving away even though we said just the opposite. A number said the parents would no longer be in love with them**".

With the testing results in, research director **Valeria Lovelace** recommended scrapping the episode and going "**back to the drawing board**," and the idea was abandoned, at least for the season. Initially, there was some talk of attempting to broach the divorce issue later on, perhaps in multiple parts. However, as producer **Michael Loman** recalled, "**We ate the cost and never aired it. We feel there are a range of issues that we can deal with in the family that do not go to the extreme of divorce**."

A single screenshot from the episode can be seen in **40 Years Of Life on the Street**, depicting the scene immediately following **Daddy Snuffle** dropping the kids off at their mom's house. **Noel MacNeal** voiced **Daddy Snuffle** for the show. While **MacNeal** normally performed Mommy **Snuffleupagus** as well, this time he only did the suit performance while **Eureeka's Castle** puppeteer **Lynn Hippen** supplied vocals for a "**clear female voice**."

The subject of divorce was revisited nearly 20 years later, with the production of an educational resource video, **Little Children, Big Challenges: Divorce,** which debuted in December 2012. The episode focused on **Elmo** and **Abby Cadabby** drawing pictures. Abby shares a story of her divorced parents and that they will still be the same, whether she visits her mother or father.

In November 2019, a scene from the unaired episode was screened publicly for the first time at the **Jim Henson Legacy's** "**Sesame Street** **'Lost and Found**'" event at the **Museum Of The Moving Image**. Footage was later used in the 2021 documentary **50 Years Of Sunny Days**.

## TV Specials & Films

Sesame Street **television specials and films...**

* Follow That Bird
* Christmas Eve On Sesame Street
* A Special Sesame Street Christmas
* Big Bird In China
* Sesame Street: Don't Eat The Pictures
* Sesame Street, Special
* Big Bird In Japan
* Sesame Street...20 Years & Still Counting
* Big Bird's Birthday Or Let Me Eat Cake
* Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
* Sesame Street: 25 Wonderful Years
* Sesame Street Stays Up Late
* Sesame Street: Stars And Street Forever
* Elmo Saves Christmas
* Elmopalooza
* The Adventures Of Elmo In Grouchland
* CinderElmo
* Sesame Street: The Street We Live On
* Elmo's Christmas Countdown
* Sesame Street: The Cookie Thief
* Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas
* Sesame Street: The Magical Wand Chase
* Sesame Street: When You Wish Upon A Pickle
* Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration
* Elmo's Playdate
* Elmo's World News
* Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt
* Sesame Street: The Power Of We
* Sesame Street: The Monster At The End Of This Story
* Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets A Puppy
* Sesame Street: See Us Coming Together

## Segments

* Elmo's World
* Bert And Ernie's Great Adventures
* Abby's Flying Fairy School
* Murray Had A Little Lamb
* Elmo The Musical

## Gallery

Sesame Street - 2nd TV PosterSesame Street - 3rd TV PosterSesame Street (CTW) - Classic LogoSesame Street - Present Logo