“Sesame Street” has become a core part of many people’s childhoods. Over its 56 years on air, the show has created many notable characters, including Elmo, Big Bird and Cookie Monster. However, by using childlike puppets with their vast young audience, they have been at the forefront of progress since its premiere.
“Sesame Street” first premiered in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement in Nov. 1969. Producer Joan Ganz Cooney sought to use the show as an attempt to close the literacy gap for inner-city Black children.
Using both actors and puppeteers, each episode would feature a variety of topics, from the alphabet with Kermit to more in-depth storylines between adult actors. What made “Sesame Street” unique among any other children’s programming was its willingness to push the boundaries of what people expected out of a children’s TV program.
From day one, “Sesame Street” featured a diverse cast of both adult and child actors, breaking barriers of how different races were depicted in both film and TV of this time. Unlike children’s TV of today, “Sesame Street” made a point not to speak at the level of a child but to speak in regular conversational language. This approach offers children the opportunity to adopt these conversational skills indirectly and to learn new words and concepts on their own.
Sesame Street is not only unique because of its content but also its execution. The writers and actors knew how to take a simple concept and mold it into something with enough intrigue to keep even a parent watching. Outside the main plot of each episode, they would feature montages of farm animals, animation or claymation and experimental music. It was exemplified by their first guest appearance.
James Earl Jones was invited to appear on “Sesame Street’s” second episode. In the episode, he recited the ABCs in a unique manner. Slowly and methodically, Jones recited each letter of the alphabet while keeping continuous eye contact with the audience. He does not leave his performance at this; he interprets the alphabet into his facial expressions. Even for audience members above the age of the show’s intended audience, it easily holds the attention of any viewer and creates an environment for deeper thinking.
“Sesame Street” shines for the quality of education it brings to the screen. However, they one-up themselves in the age-appropriate way they address social issues.
A few months after the 9/11 attacks, in “Sesame Street’s” 33rd season, there was an episode titled “Elmo Visits the Firehouse.” The episode is meant to address what should be done in an emergency situation. Elmo is with two other adults in a building, and suddenly, the room begins to fill with smoke. The writers for the show made sure to clearly display what should be done in the situation, as one adult took care of the flames with a fire extinguisher and the other swiftly left the building with Elmo, and once outside, called 911 with the details of where they were located.
The story naturally weaves into the social and environmental issues it addresses, regardless of whether there was a specific topic the writers wanted to address. Every skit and every storyline was meant to teach young children who may be less fortunate what it means to be a good community member by making them a part of their community along the way.
