“Forgotten Hollywood”- It Takes a Street…
Manny P. here… 
“`Fifty years ago, Carol Burnett appeared on the initial broadcast of a quirky television program that featured a bunch of furry puppets. This first episode aired in the fall of 1969. That show was Sesame Street and a lot of kids were instantly hooked. Big Bird, The Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch are now part of a year-long celebration of this time-honored program.
“`Sesame Street‘s producers Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett worked with Harvard University developmental psychologist Gerald Lesser to design the show’s pioneering approach to schooling. Iconic puppeteer Jim Henson supplied the critters. Other kid’s programming included basic programs as Captain Kangaroo and Romper Room. Only Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was teaching simple social skills.
“`The show was designed to help low-income and minority students to prepare for pre-school. The diverse show was set on an urban street with a multicultural cast. Monsters, humans and animals all resided together peacefully. Over the decades, Sesame Street became the initial children’s program to feature an individual with Down syndrome. They have had Muppets with HIV, autism, and in foster care, invited youngsters in wheelchairs, and discussed the topics of jailed parents, homelessness, women’s rights and military families. It introduced the bilingual Rosita — the first Latina Muppet. A vegan Muppet is in the works.
“`Some shows have lasted longer — Meet the Press and The Tonight Show among them; but few have had as big a cultural impact. Over six hundred celebrities have appeared on the program. Rubber Duckie and Sing are hit tunes that have actually charted. Not everyone has adored the show; especially those who complain about federal funds going to nonprofits that earn millions on licensing for a variety of items, such as lunch boxes, toys, diapers and most recently, commercials for Farmer’s Insurance.
“`One more item… The man who has given voice and life to Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for five decades is hanging up his large orange legs. At eighty-four, Caroll Spinney has performed the roles since the show’s first episode. His retirement ends an era for this tireless puppeteer.
“`Sesame Street is due to take home a well-deserved Kennedy Center honor for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in December, the first time a television program will receive the award.
“`Here’s to another fifty!
Until next time> “never forget”
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 12th, 2019 at 12:55 am and is filed under Blog by Manny Pacheco. You can follow any comments to this post through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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