sesame street: aging gracefully

Where were you November 10, 1969? November 10, 1969 the first episode of strange new children’s program aired featuring singing puppets, the alphabet, an orange Oscar the Grouch and a really big bird named “Big Bird.” The concept had already been turned down by CBS and NBC but PBS gambled on the program and the rest is, as they say, history. Tuesday will mark the 40th anniversary of the television show, cultural icon and program produced by a vibrant nonprofit. 4,187 episodes later, Sesame Street is going strong. Here’s an interesting list of other facts you may not know about Sesame Street’s 40 years.

Sesame Street did many things right but we think their secret to longevity is great research, focus on their audience and the ability to adapt to the times. Not every nonprofit or ministry that’s 40 years old has managed to age so gracefully.

So today’s Good Job Monday shout out goes to Sesame Street. Good job to Oscar, Big Bird, Kermit, Grover, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, and the whole gang! It has been a joy to watch you grow up and we truly look forward to the next 40 years!

While there are thousands of clips to choose from, this clip from 1987 of Kermit doing the Alphabet Song is among our very favorites. We hope you enjoy it as we still do.

So what about you, what’s your favorite Sesame Street memory, character or song? Why do you think they’ve been so successful for all of these years. Tell us what you think.

Hoots and Thomas