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Arts & Culture

Sesame Street: 50 Years & Still Sunny!

Mr. Hooper with Bert and Ernie.
Courtesy of Sesame Workshop
Mr. Hooper with Bert and Ernie.

Airs Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020 at 6 p.m. on KPBS TV

Join Gloria Estefan to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Iconic Children’s Series With Favorite Memories and Special Guests

"Sesame Street: 50 Years & Still Sunny!" is a lively, entertaining and emotionally engaging new documentary special brimming over with music, laughter, tears, celebrity appearances and locally generated viewer content that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the iconic PBS KIDS children’s series.

Featuring interviews with Jodie Foster, Itzhak Perlman, LL Cool J, filmmaker Ken Burns, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger and Jeffrey D. Dunn, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop, the program also includes interviews with many of the award-winning writers and puppeteers who brought the beloved characters from the series to life.

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“PBS is thrilled to present this Sesame Street documentary special,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, Children’s Media and Education, PBS. “For 50 years, SESAME STREET has been imparting invaluable lessons as a shining example of high-quality, educational children’s television. 'Sesame Street: 50 Years & Still Sunny!' is a warm and welcome reminder of how the series has touched the lives of viewers of all ages for decades.”

Filled with video clips of SESAME STREET’s most unforgettable moments, the program explores how the groundbreaking children’s series captured lightning in a bottle and examines its significant and lasting impact on families across America.

The program also features heartfelt testimonials from viewers, captured by PBS member stations, about the influence of SESAME STREET on their lives.

When it premiered on Nov. 10, 1969, SESAME STREET provided educational programming and entertainment unlike any other children’s television show.

SESAME STREET Season 1 cast
Courtesy of Robert Fuhring
SESAME STREET Season 1 cast

Initially broadcast on more than 180 public television stations, the program introduced audiences to human characters, often children themselves, who interacted with Jim Henson’s Muppets.

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Characters like Maria and Gordon, Mr. Hooper, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie were soon watched by viewers worldwide.

Throughout the years, the award-winning and critically acclaimed series has remained experimental, each year researching what issues are impacting kids and adapting to the various cultural and social trends of the time.

SESAME STREET Season 49 cast at holiday table.
Courtesy of Richard Termine
SESAME STREET Season 49 cast at holiday table.

Join The Community:

Sesame Street is on Facebook, Instagram. Follow @sesamestreet on Twitter.

Credits:

Director/Producer: Bob Marty. Producer: Inky Dinky Worldwide. SESAME STREET is produced by Sesame Workshop, a separate, independent, nonprofit educational organization.