Entertainment
Sesame Street Celebrating 55 Years of Educating and Entertaining Kids
One of my favorite shows of all time debuted 55 years ago today (11/10), and it’s one that I absolutely loved as a child. Sesame Street played a huge role in my childhood; it was where I learned so many things while being entertained by the most beloved Muppet characters. I don’t remember them being called Muppets then, but it didn’t matter, I love the show and still love it. After watching with my now adult children, I’ll watch some highlights from some of the Sesame Street episodes. The older ones, of course, are the most nostalgic for me. It came on the air on PBS today in 1969 and has been entertaining and educating kids of all ages ever since the first note of its theme song began to play on televisions across the country. It was first tested with preschool kids in my hometown of Philadelphia and in New York earlier that year. The must-see TV for me every day was Sesame Street, followed by Mr. Rogers, and the Electric Company, which featured Morgan Freeman. On Sesame Street, some human actors played such characters as Mr. Hooper, Bob, Maria, Gordon, and Susan. I had the Sesame Street toys, the vinyl records (and still do), and the stuffed animals. This artwork hung in my room as a kid and is still displayed in my home office. The stars of the show were the furry monsters and Muppets. Elmo hadn’t been born at the time, but as you can see Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Oscar, Cookie Monster, and Grover were all there from the beginning. That’s an early version of Herry Monster at the top of the photo. You’ll notice that Grover isn’t blue in the artwork. If you’re a fan of Sesame Street then you probably have a favorite character. For me, it was Grover. He was so fun and crazy when he was on the screen as himself or his alter ego, Super Grover. On November 10th, 1969 this longest-running, most-viewed children's show aired for the very first time. To celebrate the Sesame Street anniversary this weekend, Coventry Direct found the most popular Muppet in every state throughout the country. New Jersey’s Favorite Sesame Street Muppet The study found that the most popular Sesame Street Muppet in the country is Cookie Monster. Cookie was chosen by 36 states as their favorite overall. However, New Jersey is one of those states that’s not like the others (See what I did there?). New Jersey’s most beloved furry friend is Elmo. The only other to choose Elmo is Washington D.C. As you can see below, the favorites by state are Oscar, Big Bird, The Count, and a few others. Check out the full map and study here, and here… It’s so nice to know that these characters and Sesame Street will continue to entertain and educate forever. I’m hoping to be around for their 100th anniversary!