Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series that combines live action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) until June 2000) and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The program is known for its images communicated through the use of Jim Henson's Muppets, and includes short films, with humor and cultural references. The series premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership; it has aired on the U.S.'s national public television provider 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.
Introduction
Sesame Street
Sesame Street | Introduction
Yes. Yes Yes Yes, it combines live action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry.
when did the first episode of sesame street air
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10 November 1969.
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is it a series?
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Yes, an educational children's television series.
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is the series still running?
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Yes, it is on its second run.
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when was the pilot episode done?
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July 1969.
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is it a puppet show?
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(The production officially disclaims any connection with either Sesame Workshop or The Jim Henson Company.) All of the characters (puppet and human) are young adults who face real-world problems with uncertain solutions, as opposed to the simplistic problems and invariably happy resolutions encountered by characters on children's television programming. Much of the show's ironic humor emerges from its contrasts with "Sesame Street", including the differences between innocent childhood experiences and complex adulthood. The storyline presupposes the existence of "monsters" and talking animals, and human actors sing, dance and interact with puppets, both human and non-human, as if they were sentient beings, in a light-hearted, quasi-fantasy environment.
Avenue Q | Background
In 1969, television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and her staff at the Children's Television Workshop were impressed by the quality and creativity of the Henson-led team, so they asked Henson and staff to work full-time on "Sesame Street", a children's program for public television that premiered on National Educational Television on November 10, 1969. Part of the show was set aside for a series of funny, colorful puppet characters living on Sesame Street, including Grover, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Big Bird. Henson performed the characters of Ernie, game-show host Guy Smiley, and Kermit, who appeared as a roving television news reporter.
Jim Henson | "Sesame Street": 1969
Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series that combines live action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) until June 2000) and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The program is known for its images communicated through the use of Jim Henson's Muppets, and includes short films, with humor and cultural references. The series premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership; it has aired on the U.S.'s national public television provider 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 | Introduction
In 1977, a German street set was built at Studio Hamburg for German framing stories. Samson, a bear (1978–2009, and since 2013) and Tiffy the bird (1978–2005) replaced Big Bird (Bibo) and Oscar the Grouch (Oskar der Griesgram) as main characters, and the new version debuted on January 2, 1978. The early puppets were built by Kermit Love; nowadays, Sesame Workshop builds the puppets for Sesamstraße. Each episode featured the new puppets interacting with a pair of human characters; consistently one male, one female. The individual sketches of Sesame Street's original American inhabitants remained the dubbed main part of the show, but some were edited to omit intros that displayed words in English (such as The Adventures of Super Grover or the Sesame Street News Flash skits).
Sesamstraße | The Co-production Era: 1977-onwards
Conversely, the so-called "live-hands" puppets (see Puppets) require two puppeteers – again, in full view of the audience. The show draws inspiration from and imitates the format of children's educational television shows "Sesame Street" and "The Muppets". Marx interned at the program early in his career, and all four of the original cast's principal puppeteers—John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Jennifer Barnhart and Rick Lyon—were "Sesame Street" performers (D'Abruzzo returned to "Sesame Street" after leaving "Avenue Q"). Three of the puppet characters are direct recognizable parodies of "Sesame Street" puppets: Roommates Rod and Nicky are a riff on Bert and Ernie, while Trekkie Monster bears the distinctive voice and disposition of Cookie Monster, though not his obsession with baked goods.
Avenue Q | Background
"Kermit, Prince of Denmark" was pitched to, but was ultimately turned down by, the Henson family. The duo then decided to create a new show, with original puppet characters, which was a parody of "Sesame Street". Lyon created the puppets. "Avenue Q" was originally conceived as a show for television, but following a public reading presented for potential producers/investors in 2000, Broadway producers Robyn Goodman and Jeffrey Seller expressed interest in developing it into a theatrical property.
Avenue Q | History
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson, many for the purpose of appearing on the children's television program "Sesame Street". Henson's involvement in "Sesame Street" began when he and Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the creators of the show, met in the summer of 1968, at one of the show's five three-day curriculum planning seminars in Boston. Author Christopher Finch reported that director Jon 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 agreed to join "Sesame Street" in support of its social goals.
List of Sesame Street Muppets | Introduction
A wide variety of characters have appeared on the American children's television series "Sesame Street". Many of the characters are Muppets, which are puppets made in Jim Henson's distinctive puppet-creation style. Most of the non-Muppet characters are human characters, but there are many characters that are animated.
Sesame Street characters | Introduction
Jim Henson created many Muppet characters for the purpose of appearing on "Sesame Street". His involvement with the show began when he and one of the creators, Joan Ganz Cooney, met in the summer of 1968 at one of the show's five three-day curriculum planning seminars in Boston. Author Christopher Finch reported that director Jon 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" for 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 Children's Television Workshop, the series' non-profit producer.
Sesame Street characters | General information
It then transferred to the off-Broadway New World Stages, where it played until 2019. International tours have been conducted in Germany, England, and Hong Kong. A school-friendly script has been produced. The principal cast includes four puppeteers and three human actors. The puppets, Princeton, Kate, Nicky, and others, are played by unconcealed puppeteers alongside costumed human actors. The show's format is a parody of PBS Kids' "Sesame Street".
Avenue Q | Introduction
The final phase started in 1975, but lasted only until 1977. More characters and actors were added during the show's final seasons. All of the puppets were created by local Brazilian designers, with no known involvement from the Muppet Workshop. All original Sesame Street material was dropped, except for the Bert and Ernie sketches.
Vila Sésamo | The Co-production Era: 1972-1977, 2007-2019
The show premiered in 1972, broadcast by TV Cultura and TV Globo. In this phase, they fulfilled all the norms of the American Sesame Street. Also most of the material was dubbed, and the presentation of thematic charts in repetitive order. The puppet characters in the series, created within Brazil, included the following: Garibaldo, a seven-foot tall blue bird equivalent to Big Bird; Gugu, a hairy green, yellow (plus other colors) Grouch. They lived in the street with Gabriela, Juca, Ana Maria and Seu Almeida. At the time, there was no color television in Brazil, so the show was broadcast in black and white.
Vila Sésamo | The Co-production Era: 1972-1977, 2007-2019
Bert, Ernie & Cookie Monster tell everybody on Sesame Street that they'll be sad because they don't like to watch "Sesame Street" anymore. Then, we cut to Kermit the Frog in his "Sesame Street News" attire asking people (all of which are Grover) how to get to Sesame Street, occasionally running into people who were on the show when they were kids. The show ends with the characters all singing "Sing". The program was dedicated to the memory of Joe Raposo.
Sesame Street... 20 Years &amp; Still Counting | Introduction
PBS premiered Sesame Street in November 1969. The show proved to be successful and gained high ratings. The show’s success gained attention from Michael Eisner, ABC’s Vice President. He asked Jones to create a series to rival its success, to which he agreed. Kellogg’s signed on to be the show’s sponsor. Jones and Eisner tapped puppeteer Bob Baker (cofounder of the Bob Baker Children’s Marionette Theater) to create the show’s puppets and its setting, but Baker was reluctant at first and agreed. Henry Mancini, an recent Academy Award-winning composer, composed the theme music of the program for its animated title sequence, which was animated by Jones and set to a bossa-nova theme.
Curiosity Shop | Talent
"Avenue Q"'s cast consists of three human characters and eleven puppet characters who interact as if human, "Sesame Street"-style. The puppets are animated and voiced by puppeteers who are on stage, unconcealed. The puppet and human characters ignore the puppeteers, creating the illusion that the puppets are alive. To assist with the illusion, the puppeteers wear plain gray clothing in contrast to the human characters' colorful costumes. The same puppet may be operated by different puppeteers in different scenes, and the actor voicing the puppet may not be the one animating it. One puppeteer sometimes voices two or more puppets simultaneously.
Avenue Q | Background
During the production of "Sesame Street's" first season, producers created five one-hour episodes to test the show's appeal to children and examine their comprehension of the material. Not intended for broadcast, they were presented to preschoolers in 60 homes throughout Philadelphia and in day care centers in New York City in July 1969. The results were "generally very positive"; children learned from the shows, their appeal was high, and their attention was sustained over the full hour. However, the researchers found that although children's attention was high during the Muppet segments, their interest wavered during the "Street" segments, when no Muppets were on screen.
History of Sesame Street | July 1969 test episodes
The "Sesame Street" episode (#1839) in which the death of Mr. Hooper was discussed was structured as all episodes were structured at the time, with individual segments that took place on the main brownstone set and interrupted by inserts, or puppet skits, short films, and animations. The episode begins with a scene between Gordon (Roscoe Orman) and the Muppet Forgetful Jones (Richard Hunt). Gordon helps Forgetful remember something that had made him happy; as Davis states, "Later, Big Bird forgets something that makes him sad". After several inserts, Big Bird walks backward with his head between his legs; when Gordon asks him why, he answers, "Just because".
Mr. Hooper | Synopsis
Starting season 25 (episode 3136, [1993-1994]) Sesame Street expands their street to Around the Corner. This expansion brought a boatload of new locations and human and Muppet characters to Sesame Street including but not limited to: the newsstand, The Park, the Daycare Center, the Furry Arms Hotel, Zoe, Ruthie, Celina, Jamal, and Angela. According to Martin P. Robinson (Puppeteer who performed on Sesame Street since 1981) said:"In Season 25, we opened up the whole "Around the Corner" set filled with new humans and dozens of new puppets. Remember The Furry Arms Hotel? It was a great cast and the plot lines were hilarious, but research discovered that kids couldn't keep track of all these people and puppets, making the shows visually exciting and entertaining for adults, but confusing for kids." By the end of season 29 (1997-1998) the Around the Corner expansion was removed.
Sesame Street (Around the Corner Book/Era) | Television show
Current shows featuring a costumed character puppet include Big Bird of "Sesame Street", Barney from "Barney and Friends", and Bear of "Bear in the Big Blue House". Less complicated characters include "Hip Hop Harry", "Yo Gabba Gabba!" and "TVO English Kindergarten". Older examples include "New Zoo Revue", "H.R. Pufnstuf", "Banana Splits", and British series "Gophers!".
Costumed character | On television
During "Sesame Street"s development in 1968, the producers followed the recommendation of child psychologists, who advised them to not allow the direct interaction of the human actors and Muppets because the experts were concerned it would confuse and mislead young children. Shortly before the show's premiere, the producers created five one-hour episodes so that they could test if children found them comprehensible and appealing. They were never intended for broadcast, but were presented to preschoolers in 60 homes throughout Philadelphia in July 1969. The producers found that the results were "generally very positive". However, children attended to the shows during the Muppet segments, but their interest was lost during the street scenes, which featured only humans and were considered "the glue" that "pulled the show together".
Format of Sesame Street | "Street scenes"
This was because the producers had followed the advice of child psychologists who were concerned that children would be confused if human actors and Muppets were shown together. As a result of this decision, the appeal of the test episodes was lower than the target. The Street scenes, as Palmer described them, were "the glue" that "pulled the show together", so producers knew they needed to make significant changes. On the basis of their experience on "Captain Kangaroo", Cannell, Stone, and Gibbon thought the experts' opinions were "nonsense"; Cooney agreed. Lesser called their decision to defy the recommendations of their advisers "a turning point in the history of "Sesame Street"".
History of Sesame Street | July 1969 test episodes
Spinney first met Jim Henson in 1962 at a puppeteering festival, where Henson asked if he would like to "talk about the Muppets". As Spinney failed to realize the question was an employment offer, the conversation never came to pass. In 1969, Spinney performed at a Puppeteers of America festival in Utah. His show was a mixture of live actors and puppets but was ruined by an errant spotlight that washed out the animated backgrounds. Henson was once again in attendance and noticed Spinney's performance. "I liked what you were trying to do," Henson said, and he asked once more if they could "talk about the Muppets".
Caroll Spinney | As a "Sesame Street" puppeteer
From its first episode, "Sesame Street" has structured its format by using "a strong visual style, fast-moving action, humor, and music," as well as animation and live-action short films. When "Sesame Street" premiered, most researchers believed that young children did not have long attention spans; therefore, the new show's producers were concerned that an hour-long show would not hold their audience's attention. At first, the show's "street scenes"—the action taking place on its set—consisted of character-driven interactions and were not written as ongoing stories. Instead, they consisted of individual, curriculum-based segments which were interrupted by "inserts" consisting of puppet sketches, short films, and animations.
Sesame Street | Format
He developed the idea for "Oobi" while watching bare-handed puppeteers audition for the Polish version of "Sesame Street". Roles on "Oobi" were offered to veteran puppeteers from related Sesame Workshop shows. The Jim Henson Company, which designed the puppets on "Sesame Street", held a stake in Noggin when "Oobi" was produced. The show was filmed at Kaufman Astoria Studios, where "Sesame Street" is also taped. The show features Muppet performers Tim Lagasse, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Noel MacNeal, and Tyler Bunch as the main characters. "Oobi"s concept is based on a technique used by puppeteers learning to lip-sync, in which they use their bare hands and a pair of ping pong balls in place of a puppet.
Oobi (TV series) | Introduction
The preschool educational television program "Sesame Street" was first aired on public television stations on November 10, 1969, and reached its 50th season in 2019. The history of "Sesame Street" has reflected changing attitudes to developmental psychology, early childhood education, and cultural diversity. Featuring Jim Henson's Muppets, animation, live shorts, humor and celebrity appearances, it was the first television program of its kind to base its content and production values on laboratory and formative research, and the first to include a curriculum "detailed or stated in terms of measurable outcomes". Initial responses to the show included adulatory reviews, some controversy and high ratings.
History of Sesame Street | Introduction
The Muppets were a crucial part of the show's popularity and it brought Henson national attention. In early research, the Muppet segments of the show scored high, and more Muppets were added during the first few seasons. The Muppets were effective teaching tools because children easily recognized them, they were predictable, and they appealed to adults and older siblings. During the production of "Sesame Street"s first season, producers created five one-hour episodes to test the show's appeal to children and examine their comprehension of the material. Not intended for broadcast, they were presented to preschoolers in 60 homes throughout Philadelphia and in daycare centers in New York City in July 1969.
Sesame Street characters | General information
The producers reshot the Street segments; Henson and his coworkers created Muppets that could interact with the human actors, specifically Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird, who became two of the show's most enduring characters. In addition, the producers found Saunders' role as Gordon not to be as likable by children watching the show, resulting in the character being recast by Matt Robinson, who was initially the show's filmed segments producer. These test episodes were directly responsible for what Gladwell called "the essence of "Sesame Street"—the artful blend of fluffy monsters and earnest adults".
History of Sesame Street | July 1969 test episodes
Sesame Street is a nationally syndicated comic strip inspired by "Sesame Street". Written and drawn by veteran Sesame animator Cliff Roberts, the earliest concept art was created in 1970, and by 1971, a promotional booklet was created as the comic entered the market, courtesy of King Features. The strip debuted on November 15, 1971, in more than 175 newspapers, and ran until 1975. The strip, which ran both daily and on Sundays, was conceptually similar to the series in its pedagogical goals, but, in the first year of the strip, conspicuous by the absence of the Muppets. Instead, the strip featured several new characters created by Roberts, such as Jasper and Julius, Christopher Clumsy, and Miss Fortune; in 1972, all of these characters appeared in animated inserts on "Sesame Street" itself.
Sesame Street (comic strip) | Introduction
The show is a musical that takes place at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, featuring performances from guests Jon Stewart, David Alan Grier, Rosie O'Donnell, Gloria Estefan, En Vogue, the Fugees, Kenny Loggins, Shawn Colvin, Jimmy Buffett and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to celebrate Sesame Street's 30th anniversary. At the beginning of the show, Elmo accidentally traps Jon Stewart, the producer Prairie Dawn, and the crew for the show in a dressing room when he closes the broken door, locking them inside. The Muppets decide to produce the show themselves, with Elmo hosting. Meanwhile, Grover, Susan, Gordon, Gina, Linda, Bob, and Mr.
Elmopalooza | About the show
In 1996, the show changed its name to "Sesame Park", and was cancelled in 2002. As of 2014, many of the show's Muppet characters were displayed in the CBC Museum in Toronto. In 1973, West Germany, one of the first countries to approach CTW, began airing "Sesamstraße". It has been continually produced since. At first, this co-production incorporated original German animation and live action segments into the U.S. version. Starting in 1978, its producers began using puppets filmed in their own studio in Germany. The Netherlands' version, "Sesamstraat", began in 1976. This show has aired in both Dutch and Flemish.
Sesame Street international co-productions | 1970s
The format of "Sesame Street" consisted of a combination of commercial television production elements and educational techniques. It was the first time a more realistic setting, an inner city street and neighborhood, was used for a children's program. At first, each episode was structured like a magazine, but in 1998, as a result of changes in their audience and its viewing habits, the producers researched the reasons for its lower ratings, and changed the show's structure to a more narrative format. The popular, fifteen-minute long segment, "Elmo's World", hosted by the Muppet Elmo, was added in 1998 to make the show more accessible to a younger audience.
Format of Sesame Street | Introduction
Prologue: A description of the funeral of Muppet creator Jim Henson in New York City in 1990, from the viewpoint of Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the creators of "Sesame Street." Chapters 1—12: The origins and development of the show and the creation of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW). "Sesame Street" was created after a dinner party hosted by Cooney and her husband in early 1966, attended by Carnegie Foundation vice-president Lloyd Morrisett and Cooney's boss at New York City educational television station WNDT, Lewis Freedman. The discussion inspired them to create a children's television program, different than what was offered at the time, that could "master the addictive qualities of television" and help young children, especially from low-income families, learn and prepare for school.
Street Gang | Summary
"Sesame Street" is an American children's television program that is known for its use of format and structure to convey educational concepts to its preschool audience, and to help them prepare for school. It utilizes the conventions of television such as music, humor, sustained action, and a strong visual style, and combines Jim Henson's Muppets, animation, short films, humor, and cultural references. The show, which premiered in 1969, was the first to base its contents, format, and production values on laboratory and formative research. According to researchers, it was also the first to include a curriculum "detailed or stated in terms of measurable outcomes".
Format of Sesame Street | Introduction
Since its debut in 1969, "Sesame Street" had given Jim Henson's Muppet characters exposure; however, Henson began to perceive that he was becoming typecast as a children's entertainer. Subsequently, he began conceiving a programme for a more adult demographic. Two television specials, "The Muppets Valentine Show" (1974) and "" (1975), were produced for ABC and are considered pilots for "The Muppet Show". Neither of the two specials was ordered to series. However, the prime-time access rule was recently enacted, shifting the 7:30 to 8 pm ET slot from the networks to their affiliates. CBS became interested in Henson's series proposals and expressed intent to broadcast it weekly on its owned and operated stations.
The Muppet Show | History
The hit Broadway musical "Avenue Q" is a parody of "Sesame Street". Four members of the original cast (John Tartaglia, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Rick Lyon, and Jennifer Barnhart) are all former puppeteers for the Jim Henson Company. The following disclaimer appears in all promotional material, advertising and merchandise for the show: ""Avenue Q" has not been authorized or approved in any manner by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content."
Pop culture influenced by Sesame Street | "Avenue Q"
The first international co-production of "Sesame Street" was Brazil's "Vila Sésamo", which first aired in 1972 and had an initial run of two years. Its set consisted of an open plaza. The Muppet Garibaldo was "the centerpiece" of the Brazil co-production and remained popular with viewers when the show was revived in 2007. Garibaldo's performer in the revival, Fernando Gomes, became a puppeteer because of the original Brazilian show's influence. It was broadcast in Portuguese. "Plaza Sésamo" was also produced in 1972, in Mexico. This co-production has also been broadcast in Puerto Rico and in Spanish-speaking Latin America since 1973, and has aired on Spanish television stations in the U.S.
Sesame Street international co-productions | 1970s
To accommodate this, "Sesame Street" puppeteers Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr, and Matt Vogel were brought in to do the Muppet versions of Jack, Liz, and Tracy Jordan. This angle would later be used again in the show's fourth season episode "Dealbreakers Talk Show" in which Kenneth appears as a muppet while walking by a high-definition camera. In addition, the program was parodied by "Sesame Street", in the show's 39th season, entitled "30 Rocks".
Apollo, Apollo | Production
Crash & Bernstein is an American live action television comedy series with puppetry which premiered on October 8, 2012, and ended on August 11, 2014, on Disney XD. Created by Eric Friedman, the series centered on a boy with three sisters who wishes to have a brother. His wishes come true when he builds his own puppet brother. Production for the series began in October 2012. Disney XD renewed the series for a second season on April 15, 2013, which premiered on October 7, 2013. "Sesame Street" and "Muppets" performer Tim Lagasse stars as the voice and puppeteer for Crash.
Crash &amp; Bernstein | Introduction
Many of the puppet characters were recycled from characters in various other Henson productions.
That Puppet Game Show | Characters
A prototype version of Grover appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Christmas Eve in 1967. This puppet had greenish-brown fur and a red nose. He also had a raspier voice and was played a bit more unkempt than Grover would later behave. The monster was referred to as "Gleep", a monster in Santa's workshop. He later made a cameo appearance in "The Muppets on Puppets" in 1968 with the Rock and Roll Monster. In 1969, clad in a necktie, he appeared in the "Sesame Street Pitch Reel" in the board-room sequences. During the first season of "Sesame Street", the character was nicknamed "Fuzzyface" or "The Hairy One", though neither would be used for his actual name.
Grover | Origins
The producers 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 both broadcast weekday afternoons and streamed on the Internet.
Sesame Street | Format
A few months after the 1969 debut of "Sesame Street" on PBS in the US, producers from several countries all around the world approached the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, later the Sesame Workshop, or "the Workshop"), the organization responsible for the show's production, to create and produce versions of "Sesame Street" in their countries. Co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney was approached by German public television officials about a year after the US version debuted. Many years later, Cooney recalled, "To be frank, I was really surprised, because we thought we were creating the quintessential American show. We thought the Muppets were quintessentially American, and it turns out they're the most international characters ever created".
Iftah Ya Simsim | Background
Also regularly seen was Professor Drummond Bugle, a lecturer, similar to more generic characters used in Roberts' animated segments. Roberts fleshed out the strip's cast with a vast menagerie of newly minted animal characters. Amongst them were Lotta Elephant, Richard Bird, Hedda the frog, Balderdash the mouse, Titus the snake, Thomas Turtle, Crawley the worm, and an errant spider. A pair of nameless, Muppet-esque monsters also skulked through on occasion. Though the earlier version of the strip avoided the Muppets, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster joined the cast in December 1972, and appeared through the end of the strip's run in 1975.
Sesame Street (comic strip) | Introduction
Play with Me Sesame is an American children's television series, created by Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon for their former joint venture Noggin. It is a spin-off of "Sesame Street" hosted by Bert, Ernie, Grover, and Prairie Dawn. The series' backgrounds and animated elements were made by Nickelodeon Digital in New York City. Nickelodeon and Sesame developed the show to expand on "Sesame Street" by directly encouraging young viewers to interact with the characters. To do this, they combined classic "Sesame Street" footage with new segments, where the hosts invite preschoolers to join them in games. The show was in development since 1999, when the Jim Henson Company still co-owned the rights to the "Sesame" characters.
Play with Me Sesame | Introduction
On November 10, 1969, "Sesame Street" — starring Jim Henson’s Muppets — debuted. “Lloyd underplays his role in the development of "Sesame Street",” said John Gardner, former president Carnegie Corporation of New York. “He’s modest, but people who saw the beginnings of "Sesame Street" agree that he played a very significant contributing role as a member of that very small group.” As of 2008, the series has received 118 Emmy Awards — more than any other television series. An estimated 77 million Americans watched the series as children. In addition to "Sesame Street", at least seventeen indigenous, locally produced versions of the show are seen in countries around the world.
Lloyd Morrisett | "Sesame Street"
The producers decided to reject the advisers' advice and reshot the Street segments; Henson and his coworkers created Muppets that could interact with the human actors. These test episodes were directly responsible for what writer Malcolm Gladwell called "the essence of "Sesame Street"—the artful blend of fluffy monsters and earnest adults". Since 2001, the full rights for the "Sesame Street" Muppets have been owned by Sesame Workshop, as the CTW was renamed in 2000.
Sesame Street characters | General information
TBS later adapted "Puppet Up" as a web series with different sketches performed on shows during different locations. Episodes 1 - 15 were taped before a live audience at The Improv in Hollywood on June 24, 2006. Episodes 16 - 26 were taped before a live audience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2006. Episode 27 was taped before a live audience at The Grove in Anaheim on March 4, 2007.
Puppet Up! | Web series
Director Jim Martin called "Sesame Street" "an urban show kids could relate to" and "a reality show with a sprinkling of fantasy". When "Sesame Street" was developed, most researchers assumed that young children did not have long attention spans, so the new show's producers were concerned that an hour-long show would not hold their audience's attention. As a result, each episode was structured like a magazine, which made it possible for the producers to create a mixture of styles, paces, and characters. The structure allowed them to have flexibility, meaning that segments were dropped, modified, or added without affecting the rest of the show.
Format of Sesame Street | Original format
Puppet Up! – Uncensored is a live show produced by The Jim Henson Company combining puppetry and improvisational comedy created by Brian Henson and Groundlings performer Patrick Bristow. The show is advertised for "adults only" and as "uncensored". However, one rare and "exclusive" set of shows "for children" were held in Edinburgh in 2006. The sketches in the live show are not pre-planned and the shows contain all true improv. The puppeteers in the Henson improv troupe trained with Patrick Bristow for nine months to perfect their improv skills prior to their first show. Just like the Groundlings, the Henson improv sketches are performed based on audience suggestions.
Puppet Up! | Introduction
Due to this, the character's dialogue was usually pre-recorded so that Henson could do multiple takes without straining his throat. The character was mostly discontinued upon Henson's death in 1990. He appeared as a background character in a street scene in 1998. He also appeared in the CD-ROMs "Let's Make a Word" (a spoof of "Let's Make a Deal") and "Get Set to Learn", where his voice was credited to Don Reardon. More recently the character has been performed by Eric Jacobson, starting with video inserts in the touring exhibit "Sesame Street Presents: The Body". He officially returned to the show in its 39th season.
Guy Smiley | Introduction
The puppet was pulled from the show because a negative perception of the character among African-Americans began to grow. This resulted from Franklin's frequently unruly behavior at the fictional elementary school, which was deemed a bad example for the audience. Additional arguments for the character's departure were rooted in its overly excessive black image, or lack thereof. Dolores Robinson has stated that Roosevelt Franklin became a televised vehicle for her then-husband's anger with racism and pride in black people. Robinson recorded and released the first Sesame Street album to be focused on a single character, "The Year of Roosevelt Franklin (Gordon's Friend from Sesame Street)." Released in 1971, and then re-released in 1974 under the name "My Name is Roosevelt Franklin", the album dealt with many appropriate behaviors for children; aside from basic topics such as numbers and letters, it also touched on traffic safety, sharing and getting along with others.
Matt Robinson (actor) | Roosevelt Franklin
A few months after the 1969 debut of "Sesame Street" on PBS in the US, producers from several countries all around the world approached the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, later Sesame Workshop, or "the Workshop"), the organization responsible for the show's production, to create and produce versions of "Sesame Street" in their countries. Co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney was approached by German public television officials about a year after the US version debuted. Many years later, Cooney recalled, "To be frank, I was really surprised, because we thought we were creating the quintessential American show. We thought the Muppets were quintessentially American, and it turns out they're the most international characters ever created".
Sésamo | Background
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.
Sesame Street | Writing
The appeal of the test episodes was lower than they preferred, so the producers re-shot the street segments. Henson and his team created Muppets that could interact with the human actors; specifically, as the show's researchers put it, "two of "Sesame Street"s most enduring Muppets: Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird". The test episodes were responsible for what writer Malcolm Gladwell called "the essence of "Sesame Street"—the artful blend of fluffy monsters and earnest adults". CTW researcher Gerald Lesser called the producers' decision to defy the recommendations of their advisers "a turning point in the history of "Sesame Street"".
Format of Sesame Street | "Street scenes"
Oobi is an American children's television series created by Josh Selig for Nickelodeon and its sister channel Noggin. The show follows the everyday adventures of four bare hand puppet characters with eyes and accessories. It began in 2000 as a series of two-minute interstitial shorts commissioned by Noggin, which was jointly owned by Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop at the time. It was later developed into a long-form series, with 13-minute episodes airing from April 2003 to February 2005. The show has three seasons: the first season of shorts and two later seasons of long-form episodes. Selig created the series shortly after leaving "Sesame Street", which he had worked on since its first season.
Oobi (TV series) | Introduction
Davis includes the biographies of key players in the show's development: Cooney, Morrisett, Jon Stone, Sam Gibbon, Tom Whedon, Evelyn Payne Davis, Jim Henson, Caroll Spinney, Gerald S. Lesser, Edward Palmer, Joe Raposo, Loretta Long, Bob McGrath, Will Lee, and Matt Robinson. There is also a discussion of the history of early children's television; specifically, "Captain Kangaroo" and "The Howdy Doody Show". Davis emphasizes the coincidence that many involved with the show had first names that started with the letter "J:" Joan Cooney, Jon Stone, Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, and Joe Raposo. Chapter 13 ("Intermission"): A description of the first episode of "Sesame Street," which debuted on PBS on November 10, 1969.
Street Gang | Summary
The Puppet-Show (1848–1849) was a British humorous and satirical weekly magazine, a short-lived imitator of "Punch", edited by John Bridgeman from offices at 11 Wellington Street North in London. The first issue was published on 18 March 1848. The primary targets of its political satire were Lord Russell's Whig ministry, Chartists, Irish nationalists, and the French.
The Puppet-Show | Introduction
In his book "The Tipping Point", author Malcolm Gladwell notes that the character "was used in promotional films for IBM". The puppet first received the name "Grover" on May 1, 1970. In an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on May 31, 1970, the character acquired his present appearance with blue fur and a pink nose. In this appearance, Kermit the Frog tried to sing "What Kind of Fool Am I?" (accompanying himself on piano), but Grover repeatedly interrupted him. The true Grover "officially" debuted in the second season of "Sesame Street".
Grover | Origins
Richard Lyon (born February 25, 1958) is an American puppeteer, actor, puppet designer and builder. He has worked for The Jim Henson Company as one of the operators of Big Bird. He appeared on Broadway originating the roles of Trekkie Monster, Nicky, the blue Bad Idea Bear, and other characters in the Tony Award-winning musical "Avenue Q", a musical for which he designed and created all of the puppets. In the fall of 2005 he reprised his roles in the production of the show in Las Vegas for eight months before returning to the Broadway cast. Rick was a puppeteer on Sesame Street for 15 seasons, from 1987 to 2002.
Rick Lyon | Introduction
The producers of "Sesame Street, "which premiered in 1969", "used elements of commercial television such as music, humor, sustained action, and a strong visual style, in structuring the format of the show. They also used animation and live-action short films. The show's staff produced segments filmed in-studio with their human and Muppet cast and they contracted out the animations and short films to independent producers. Co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney was the first to suggest that they use commercial-like 12–90-second shorts that consistently repeated several key concepts throughout an episode. The studio segments were written to concentrate on the African-American child, a key component of the show's audience.
Format of Sesame Street | Original format
Three distinct types of puppets are used in the show:
Avenue Q | Puppet development
This era in the show's history was 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 the CTW's fiscal year. As a result, the CTW decided to depend upon licensing arrangements, publishing, and international sales for its funding. Henson owned the trademarks to the Muppet characters: he was reluctant to market them at first, but agreed when the CTW promised that the profits from toys, books, and other products were to be used exclusively to fund the CTW. The producers demanded complete control over all products and product decisions; any product line associated with the show had to be educational, inexpensive, and not advertised during its airings.
History of Sesame Street | 1970s
Many of the puppeteers continue to perform with both The Muppets and "Sesame Street" franchises. While no longer owning the "Sesame Street" characters, Henson continues to design them. This list excludes pre-2001 "Sesame Street" co-productions outside the United States.
The Jim Henson Company | Television
This structure allowed the producers to use a mixture of styles and characters, and to vary the show's pace. By season 20, research had shown that children were able to follow a story, and the street scenes, while still interspersed with other segments, became evolving storylines. Upon 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 the CTW tested the appeal of the new show, they found that although children paid attention to the shows during the Muppet segments, their interest was lost during the "Street" segments.
Sesame Street | Format
The Muppet Show is a comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring The Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975, respectively. While neither episode was moved forward as a series and other networks in the United States rejected Henson's proposals, British producer Lew Grade expressed interest in the project and agreed to co-produce "The Muppet Show" for ATV. Five seasons, totalling 120 episodes, were broadcast on ATV and other ITV franchises in the United Kingdom and in first-run syndication in the US from 1976 to 1981. The programme was filmed at Elstree Studios, England.
The Muppet Show | Introduction
He also worked on a variety of inserts for the numbers 2 through 12, including the films "Dollhouse"; "Number Three Ball Film"; the stop-motions "King of Eight" and "Queen of Six"; the cut-out animation "Eleven Cheer"; and the computer animation "Nobody Counts To 10." He also directed the original "C Is For Cookie" and "Tales from Muppetland", a short series of TV movie specials that were comic retellings of classic fairy tales aimed at a young audience and hosted by Kermit the Frog. The series included "Hey, Cinderella!", "The Frog Prince", and "The Muppet Musicians of Bremen".
Jim Henson | "Sesame Street": 1969
The producers had followed the advice of child psychologists who were concerned that children would be confused, and had recommended that human actors and Muppets not be shown together. As a result of this decision, the appeal of the test episodes was lower than they would have liked, so the show's producers knew they needed to make significant changes, including defying the recommendations of their advisers and show the human and Muppet characters together. Lesser called this decision "a turning point in the history of "Sesame Street"". Muppet creator Jim Henson and his coworkers created Muppets for "Sesame Street" that could interact with the human actors, and many segments were re-shot.
List of human Sesame Street characters | Introduction
In the special, comedian Bill Cosby details the history of the show while interacting with various Muppet characters. Among the subjects featured are the curriculum, the show's adult humor and even the foreign co-productions from around the world (e.g. "Plaza Sésamo"—now "Sésamo"—and "Rechov Sumsum"). There are also guest appearances; opera singer Plácido Domingo sings with Placido Flamingo, and Ray Charles sings Kermit's version of the song "It's Not Easy Bein' Green". Meanwhile, Bert and Ernie are taping the street with their video camera so they can watch "Sesame Street" on television, but Cookie Monster appears and eats both the video camera and the video tape.
Sesame Street... 20 Years &amp; Still Counting | Introduction
Not intended for broadcast, they were presented to preschoolers in 60 homes throughout Philadelphia and in day care centers in New York City in July 1969. The results were "generally very positive"; children learned from the shows, their appeal was high, and children's attention was sustained over the full hour. However, the researchers found that although children's attention was high during the Muppet segments, their interest wavered during the "Street" segments, when no Muppets were on screen. This was because the producers had followed the advice of child psychologists who were concerned that children would be confused if human actors and Muppets were shown together.
List of Sesame Street Muppets | Introduction
From 1969 to 2001, Henson was contracted to design and create Muppet characters for "Sesame Street". With the exception of occasional appearances in the Muppets franchise, the characters were used exclusively for "Sesame Street", but Henson legally owned these characters prior to their acquisition by Sesame Workshop. The only exception was Kermit the Frog, who was featured in other projects prior to "Sesame Street". Sesame Workshop retains the rights to use any "Sesame Street" footage featuring the character. The sale ended any direct affiliation between The Muppets and "Sesame Street", although the series retains use of the term "Muppet" under license from Disney.
The Jim Henson Company | Television
The raunchy TV show "Damn! Show" featured a segment called "Clay Porn", which consisted of parodies of the "Sesame Street" Muppets (and one of Miss Piggy) as people constantly having sex, and it also included Bert and Ernie as a gay couple.
Pop culture influenced by Sesame Street | "Damn! Show"
During the second season of "Sesame Street", to capitalize on the momentum the Workshop was enjoying and the attention it received from the press, the Workshop created its second series, "The Electric Company", in 1971. Morrisett used the same fund-acquisition techniques as he had used for "Sesame Street". "The Electric Company" stopped production in 1977, but continued in reruns until 1985; it eventually became one of the most widely used TV shows in American classrooms and was revived in 2009. Starting in the early 1970s, the Workshop ventured into adult programming, but found that it was difficult to make their programs accessible to all socio-economic groups.
Sesame Workshop | Early years
Jim Henson originally conceived of his Muppets as characters aimed at an adult audience. He was disappointed that the popularity of the characters that appeared in "Sesame Street", including Big Bird and Bert and Ernie, had solidified a public perception his puppetry was solely intended for educating children. Henson worried he would be stuck forever working on children's television series. He felt his Muppet characters should be able to be appreciated by individuals of any maturity level. Henson told "The Saturday Evening Post" he had constantly dealt with others looking down upon the idea of puppet performers. He envied ventriloquist Edgar Bergen for his ability to appeal to a mature audience.
The Land of Gorch | Conception
Puppet People was a TV series produced from 1973 to 1975 at CFCF-TV Montreal and telecast on most CTV affiliates throughout Canada. It was hosted by ventriloquist Jerry Layne who worked with his "friends" Lester and Herbie, puppets created for the show. The puppets were created by Don Keller, who was a CFCF staff member who designed sets but originally was a ventriloquist in Montreal area. These puppets featured a movable lip as opposed to moveable chin as in classical puppet design. "Puppet People" combined pre-taped comedy sketches featuring a cast of full size figures. These sketches were played into a game show featuring children answering questions based on the sketches.
Puppet People | Introduction
Mixing human actors—both youth and adult counsellors—with puppets in a "Sesame Street"-like manner, the series was set at a Circle Square Hotel library. Each episode taught a lesson in moral values.
Circle Square | Overview
That Puppet Game Show is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between 10 August 2013 and 5 January 2014. The show was made by the BBC in conjunction with The Jim Henson Company and featured the Miskreant Puppets from "Puppet Up!" in their first family-related appearance. The show was hosted by a puppet character "Dougie Colon" and featured celebrities playing games alongside puppet characters. On 25 October 2013, it was announced that the show had been axed after the show had attracted largely negative press reviews and struggled in the ratings.
That Puppet Game Show | Introduction
The characters became a household name after their appearance in the children's television program "Sesame Street". Henson was initially reluctant to become involved with "Sesame Street" because he feared being pigeon-holed as a children's performer, but agreed to work on the show to further his social goals. The characters created for that series are now owned by the Sesame Workshop, the producers of "Sesame Street", and are now considered a separate franchise. These characters have been owned by The Muppets Studio, a division of The Walt Disney Company, since 2004 when Disney acquired the characters from The Jim Henson Company.
List of Muppets | Introduction
"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$8 million ($ million in 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.
Sesame Street | History
At first, the show's "street scenes", which referred to the action taking place on the brownstone set, were not story-based. Instead, they consisted of individual segments connected to the curriculum and interrupted by inserts, or puppet skits, short films, and animations. By 1990, research had shown that children were able to follow a story, so the street scenes were changed to depict storylines. The writers presented a story, separated by several inserts, dispersed throughout the hour-long show. Although the stories were usually about 10–12 minutes in length, it would take 45 minutes to tell them. According to writer Tony Geiss, the addition of storylines changed the nature of the show.
Format of Sesame Street | "Street scenes"
In the early 1970s, the Muppets continued their presence in television, primarily appearing in "The Land of Gorch" segments during the first season of "Saturday Night Live". As his involvement with "Sesame Street" continued, Henson began developing a network television series focusing on the Muppets; as opposed to "Sesame Street", however, this series would be aimed at a more adult audience and focus largely on sketch comedy. Two television pilots, "The Muppets Valentine Show" and "", aired on ABC in 1974 and 1975, respectively. After ABC passed on the pilots and other networks in the United States expressed little interest in the project, British producer Lew Grade approached Henson and agreed to co-produce the series for Associated Television.
The Muppets | 1970s: "The Muppet Show" and foray into film
The Muppets on Puppets is a 1970 TV special created by Jim Henson. The special was produced in June 1968 at public television station WITF-TV in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for National Educational Television (now PBS). It aired on New York's WNET on January 5, 1970, as part of the station's "Adventure in the Arts" anthology series. Henson and company made three additional specials in color as part of the series at WITF-TV. The special is included as a bonus feature on the DVD set "The Muppet Show: Season Three". This release includes a few audio drop-outs due to the video source.
The Muppets on Puppets | Introduction
As Davis states, "To see that first episode today—and the four succeeding ones in "Sesame's" first week—is to be transported back to 1969". The first show was sponsored by the letters "W", "S", and "E" and by the numbers "2" and "3".
Street Gang | Summary
Sesame Workshop’s other shows have included "The Electric Company" and "Pinky Dinky Doo".
Lloyd Morrisett | "Sesame Street"
Over the years, when viewers would ask Coombs whether Casey was a boy or a girl, he would ask, "What do you think?" However the questioner responded, he would say, "You're right!" Later in the series, when the show's principal puppeteer, Judith Lawrence, retired, Casey and Finnegan were replaced by a small cast of anthropomorphic animal puppets. Coombs believed in gentle, wholesome children's programming that encouraged kids to use their creativity and imagination. In each episode, Mr. Dressup would dress up in a costume from his Tickle Trunk, and lead children in an imagination game. Many times his puppets would appear in costume as well.
Ernie Coombs | Television performances
Brian Henson, producer of the show, recalled the genesis of the show in a 2006 interview stating, "we began doing puppet improv workshops to hone our comedy skills and realized that we were having so much fun that audiences might enjoy watching too." In the fall of 2005 a show was performed in the sound stage of the Jim Henson Studios for friends and invited industry guests. The two shows were so successful that the group was invited to the 2006 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, where it made its public debut. "Jim Henson's Puppet Improv" was performed at two shows featuring Henson, Bill Barretta, Julianne Buescher, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Drew Massey, Paul Rugg, Allan Trautman and Victor Yerrid.
Puppet Up! | History
The producers of "Sesame Street" expanded the new format to the entire show in 2002. The format changed as the target audience did; by 2002 its main viewers were around two years old, while back in the 1960s the intended audiences were aged three through five.
Format of Sesame Street | Introduction
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration is a "Sesame Street" television special which was first broadcast on PBS on March 6, 1994 to celebrate "Sesame Street" 25th anniversary. Its home-video version, "" was released on October 29, 1993. Caroll Spinney plays Big Bird (around whom the story revolves), reading the title card in a voice-over. Celebrity guests and the Muppets sing songs together. Songs (excerpted from previous shows) include "Adventure" with En Vogue, "C Is For Cookie" with Marilyn Horne (and Cookie Monster at the end of the song), "Rubber Duckie" with Little Richard, "The Letter O" with Queen Latifah and Prairie Dawn), "I Don't Want To Live On The Moon" with Aaron Neville, "My Name" with Maya Angelou, "New Way To Walk" with the Oinker Sisters, "Elmo And The Lavender Moon" with Los Lobos, "Monster in the Mirror" with Grover and his friends and "Sing" with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration | Introduction
Initially, the puppet characters on "Sesame Street" did not actually appear on Sesame Street itself, but were relegated to the intermediary segments. Muppets creator Jim Henson wanted them to be integrated into the series, suggesting a giant bird and creature living in the neighborhood's trash can. The character was developed by "Sesame Street" head writer Jon Stone and Henson, based on the personality of a “magnificently rude” restaurant owner. Puppeteer Caroll Spinney found inspiration for the voice in the driver of a New York City taxi he took to the studio. His first line was "Where to Mac?". Henson credits the character's name to the owner and namesake of Oscar's Salt of the Sea.
Oscar the Grouch | Origins
Although "Sesame Street" characters occasionally endorse non-educational products, they rarely appear in their puppet form, to limit the suggestion to children that the characters are formally endorsing the product. The Muppets do appear in puppet form to endorse select causes. Big Bird has promoted safe seating practices and the wearing of seatbelts, for the Ford Motor Company, while Grover promoted a new course on children's informal learning, created by Harvard University with Sesame Workshop. Elmo has appeared before the US Education Appropriations Subcommittee to urge more spending on music in schools.
Sesame Street licensing | Non-educational products
Original name: Sesame Street Origin: United States Date started: 1969 Creators: Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett First network to broadcast: National Educational Television First country to adapt: Brazil
List of television show franchises | "<a href="Sesame%20Street">Sesame Street</a>"
According to puppeteer Marty Robinson in 2019, longevity was common among the show's cast and crew.
Sesame Street | Cast, crew and characters
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 Children's Television Workshop (renamed to the Sesame Workshop in 2000), the series' non-profit producer. The Muppets were a crucial part of the show's popularity and it brought Henson national attention. The Muppet segments of the show were popular since its premiere, and more Muppets were added during the first few seasons. The Muppets were effective teaching tools because children easily recognized them, they were predictable, and they appealed to adults and older siblings. During the production of "Sesame Street"s first season, producers created five one-hour episodes to test the show's appeal to children and examine their comprehension of the material.
List of Sesame Street Muppets | Introduction
The series had its genesis in 1953, when Rogers and Josie Carey joined the newly formed public television station WQED. On April 5, 1954, WQED debuted "The Children's Corner", a program featuring Rogers as puppeteer and composer with Carey as host and lyricist, in an unscripted weekday afternoon live television program. It was this program where many of the puppets, characters and music used in the later series were developed, such as King Friday XIII, Daniel Tiger, and X the Owl. It was also the time when Rogers began wearing his famous sneakers, as he found them to be quieter than his work shoes while he was moving about behind the set.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood | History
He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics. As a freshman, he created "Sam and Friends", a five-minute puppet show for WRC-TV. The characters on "Sam and Friends" were forerunners of the Muppets, and the show included a prototype of Henson's most famous character Kermit the Frog. He remained at WRC from 1954 to 1961. In the show, Henson began experimenting with techniques that changed the way in which puppetry was used on television, including using the frame defined by the camera shot to allow the puppet performer to work from off-camera. He believed that television puppets needed to have "life and sensitivity" and began making characters from flexible, fabric-covered foam rubber, allowing them to express a wider array of emotions at a time when many puppets were made of carved wood.
Jim Henson | Early life: 1936–1960
Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting is a 1989 American television special to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of "Sesame Street". Hosted by Bill Cosby, the special aired on Friday, April 7, 1989 on NBC. This special was originally produced by Children's Television Workshop, in association with The Jim Henson Company. (one of the few "Sesame Street" productions they directly produced, though an "Executive Producer for CTW" credit was included in the end credits) and was meant to air as part of "The Jim Henson Hour", but ended up airing as a solo special the week before the premiere episode aired.
Sesame Street... 20 Years &amp; Still Counting | Introduction
A puppet show is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. Puppet show may also refer to:
Puppet show (disambiguation) | Introduction
Some of Jim Henson's Muppets, such as the Muppet character Fozzie Bear and the "Sesame Street" characters Ernie and Count von Count, are live-hand puppets. A variation of this puppet, called a "sack-body" puppet, is built with the puppet's arms directly connected to its base. Popular examples include the "Sesame Street" characters Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch, and the Muppet character Rowlf the Dog. The Swedish Chef, another Muppet character, is operated in a unique way; both of his hands are actual human hands, supplied by the second performer. The technique of the main puppeteer performing a character's head with an assistant performing both arms is also used for Rowlf playing the piano.
Puppet | Human-arm puppet
During the 1960s, the characters—in particular, Kermit and Rowlf the Dog—appeared in skits on several late-night talk shows and on television commercials, including "The Ed Sullivan Show." Rowlf became the first Muppet character to appear regularly on network television when he began appearing with Jimmy Dean on "The Jimmy Dean Show". In 1966, Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett began developing a children's educational television program and approached Henson to design a cast of Muppet characters during this stage. Produced by the Children's Television Workshop, the program debuted as "Sesame Street" in 1969. Henson and his creative team became closely involved with "Sesame Street" during the years that followed; Henson waived his performance fee in exchange for retaining ownership rights to the Muppet characters created for the program.
The Muppets | 1950s–1960s: Beginnings
Fisch, children's television programs of the 1950s and 1960s duplicated "prior media forms". For example, they tended to show simple shots of a camera's-eye view of a location filled with children, or they recreated storybooks with shots of book covers and motionless illustrated pages. The hosts of these programs were "insufferably condescending", though one exception was "Captain Kangaroo", created and hosted by Bob Keeshan, which author Michael Davis described as having a "slower pace and idealism" that most other children's shows lacked. Early childhood educational research had shown that when children were prepared to succeed in school, they earned higher grades and learned more effectively.
History of Sesame Street | Background
In the "Angel" season 5 episode "Smile Time", the title character Angel is turned into a puppet. The episode is a direct parody of "Sesame Street", in which the Muppets were featured to teach kids on their long running and popular show "Smile Time", only to be revealed as demons as the episode progresses.
Pop culture influenced by Sesame Street | "Angel"