November 10:

1969 : Sesame Street debuts

On this day in 1969, Sesame Street, a pioneering TV
show that would teach generations of young children
the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast
debut. Sesame Street, with its memorable theme song
("Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame
Street"), went on to become the most widely viewed
children's program in the world. It has aired in more
than 120 countries.

The show was the brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, a
former documentary producer for public television.
Cooney's goal was to create programming for
preschoolers that was both entertaining and
educational. She also wanted to use TV as a way to
help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for
kindergarten. Sesame Street was set in a fictional New
York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse
characters and positive social messages.

Taking a cue from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, a
popular 1960s variety show, Sesame Street was built
around short, often funny segments featuring puppets,
animation and live actors. This format was hugely
successful, although over the years some critics have
blamed the show and its use of brief segments for
shrinking children's attention spans.

From the show's inception, one of its most-loved
aspects has been a family of puppets known as Muppets.
Joan Ganz Cooney hired puppeteer Jim Henson
(1936-1990) to create a cast of characters that became
Sesame Street institutions, including Bert and Ernie,
Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover and Big Bird.

The subjects tackled by Sesame Street have evolved
with the times. In 2002, the South African version of
the program, Takalani Sesame, introduced a 5-year-old
Muppet character named Kami who is HIV-positive, in
order to help children living with the stigma of a
disease that has reached epidemic proportions. In
2006, a new Muppet, Abby Cadabby, made her debut and
was positioned as the show's first female star
character, in an effort to encourage diversity and
provide a strong role model for girls.

Since its inception, over 74 million Americans have
watched Sesame Street. Today, an estimated 8 million
people tune in to the show each week in the U.S.
alone.

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