And Many Happy Returns!
It was 40 years ago today that a TV show was introduced to viewing audiences, although that show was more than three years in the making. It was an ambitious project. It had never been done. Television producers worked with educators and researchers to create this show. Story meetings gave way to curriculum meetings, and show segments were judged not only on their writing and humor, but on their teaching value. This show changed the way we watch television. This show was Sesame Street.
Today we honor that show. So, happy birthday to all the Sesame Street gang. Happy birthday to Big Bird and Ernie and Bert, to Grover and Oscar, to the Count and Cookie Monster. Happy birthday to Elmo and Zoe and Abby, the relatively new Muppets, and to Prairie Dawn and Herry Monster, the older ones. Happy birthday to Kermit the Frog and happy birthday to Bob, and Susan, and Luis, and Maria, and Gordon, and Linda, and Buffy, the grown-ups.
Happy birthday to those who will be missed: Will Lee, Richard Hunt, Northern Calloway, Michael Jeter, and of course Jim Henson.
Happy birthday to Kevin Clash, and Caroll Spinney, and Frank Oz, and Jerry Nelson, and Marty Robinson, and Brian Muehl, and Fran Brill, and Michael Earl, and Eric Jacobson, and Steve Whitmire, who labor all day hidden behind foam and feathers, sometimes in bird legs.
Happy birthday to Bob McGrath, and Loretta Long, and Matt Robinson, and Emilio Delgado, and Sonia Manzano, and Linda Bove, and Buffy Saint-Marie, and Roscoe Orman, and Hal Miller.
Happy birthday to Mr. Noodle and his brother, and to Miss Noodle. Happy birthday to Bill Irwin, and to Micahel Jeter, and to Kristin Chenoweth.
Happy birthday to the poor baker who couldn’t seem to hold onto those cakes as he came down the stairs, to the counting pinball machine, and the King of Eight. Happy birthday to water skiing hippos, and ladybugs on a picnic. Happy birthday to worms in space, imaginary Snuffulupuguses (and real ones), and Grouchkateers.
Happy birthday to John John, and Erik, and Hunter, and Maya, and all the kids who grew up on the street, or who live there now.
Happy birthday to Amazing Mumford and his magic, to Don Music and his piano, and to those aliens who like the sound of a telephone ringing.
Happy birthday to Joan Ganz Cooney, and Edward Palmer, and Gerald S. Lesser, who started it all.
Happy birthday to anyone I missed. We all have our favorite memories, and there were so many people involved in the show, it’s impossible to remember them all by name. We appreciate them all the same.
Most importantly, happy birthday to all of us; the viewers who grew up on Sesame Street and who now share it with our children, and our children’s children.
It’s been 40 wonderful years, Sesame Street. We’ll help you count out 40 more, and 40 more after that. We can, you know…You taught us how!
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Diane began performing as a puppeteer when she was only six years old. Her first marionette, Clippo the Clown, a gift from her Grandmother, accompanied Diane to school every year through college. As an adult, Diane began making and performing hand puppets. She writes the shows, fabricates the puppets and props, performs all of the puppetry, and even serves as her own lighting and sound engineer!
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:09 pm
All I’m gonna say is “I did not see some of that coming” !!