“C” is for celebration.
Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch and their fuzzy and feathered Muppet friends from “Sesame Street” are turning 50 this fall — and the beloved kids show will celebrate with an anniversary special Saturday.
“As we mark our 50th season, we want to remind families everywhere of the timeless lessons ‘Sesame Street’ has always taught,” Steve Youngwood, president of media and education, and chief operating officer of Sesame Workshop, said in announcing the special last month. “Everyone, no matter where they are from, is equally deserving of respect, opportunity, and joy.”
“Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration” will air Saturday on HBO, and on Sunday, Nov. 17 on PBS stations and the PBS Kids 24/7 channel. The first regular episode of the 50th season will premiere Saturday, Nov. 16 on HBO.
The program became best known for its quirky characters created by puppeteer Jim Henson after its first episode ran in 1969 featuring entertainer Carol Burnett as ‘Wanda the Witch.
“I was a big fan. I would have done anything they wanted me to do,” said Burnett — who would also be the first of 650 celebrity appearances on “Sesame Street.”
“I loved being exposed to all that goodness and humor,” she said.
The show’s creators, Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, worked with Harvard University developmental psychologist Gerald Lesser to build the program’s unique approach to teaching preschool children.
“If they could harness that power to teach them the alphabet and their numbers as opposed to the words to beer commercials, you may be able to make a really big difference,” Youngwood said.
But “Sesame Street” has gone well beyond the ABCs.
There was Julia, a 4-year-old Muppet with autism in 2017. There was actor Jason Kingsley, the first child born with Down syndrome to appear on a children’s program. And there was Rosita — the first Latina Muppet who made her show debut in 1991.
“I was raised without seeing people of color on television. So, when I was given the opportunity to be a person of color on television, I jumped at it,” said actress Sonia Manzano, who is of Latin descent and wrote for the show from 1971 to 2015. “I think I was successful as Maria because I never forgot that there could be a little kid like me watching television and forming ideas about the world.”RELATED GALLERY
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The show also did not shy away from trauma. When actor Will Lee, who played the grocer Mr. Hooper died in 1982, it tackled the topic head on. When Big Bird lost his nest in a hurricane, the “Sesame Street” community rebuilt his home. When Elmo was traumatized by a fire at Hooper’s store during 9/11, firefighters lent a helping hand.
“We are a mirror to society here even though we’re dealing with birds and chickens and monsters,” said Matt Vogel, the puppeteer who portrays Big Bird and the Count and who grew up watching the program.
While the show has sparked some controversy over the years — including its move from its long-time home on PBS to HBO in 2015 — the cast of “Sesame Street” still hopes to bring home some old-time television magic this fall.
“We can’t wait to share this season with families and fans of all ages,” said Ben Lehmann, executive producer. “Even as we take time to look back and honor our history, we keep innovating to bring today’s preschool kids something that’s tailored just for them – holding on to all the fundamentals that make ‘Sesame Street’ so magical.”
