Sesame Street’s Emotional Answer To A Sad Backstage Event
The makers of Sesame Street were faced with an emotional dilemma. They had experienced a tragic backstage loss and, unfortunately, it couldn’t be ignored in the show itself. The decision on how to proceed wasn’t necessarily a popular one at the network, but it turned out to be 100 percent correct. It also definitively enhanced the show’s reputation, providing a transcendent example of what can be accomplished on kids’ TV.
Timeless values
Sesame Street is a children’s TV institution. It’s also the one show that nearly everyone in the U.S. can agree on — an HBO survey from 2018 found that almost two-thirds of those surveyed felt that the show demonstrated “timeless values.” These same people, from both sides of the political divide, believed the show stood for “the best of America.”
Cultural landscape
The characters who have graced screens over the years — who include Big Bird, Elmo, Bert and Ernie, and Cookie Monster — are beloved parts of the cultural landscape. They also mean everything to kids. Speaking in 2019 Abby Cadabby puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph told magazine The Hollywood Reporter, “When kids see us, they soul-hug us. You don’t realize the impact you’re having with this show until that happens to you.”
So many Emmys
PBS’ crown jewel has been on the air for over 50 years, and today the show is viewed by 150 million kids all over the world. It has been rewarded with more Emmy awards than any other show in history and a merchandising empire has grown up around it over the years. Oh, and one time Robert De Niro came onto the show to take Elmo to acting school. Pretty cool, huh?
Learning and fun
From its inception, the show has combined entertainment with education. It features human characters interacting with puppets, with fast-paced humor, colorful visuals, and catchy music. Sesame Street doesn’t simply exist to capture kids’ imaginations and teach them their ABC’s, though — it also helps them understand difficult societal topics such as loss.
