The last thing writers wanted was kids thinking that they couldn’t come to their parents with important or difficult information in the fear that they wouldn’t be believed. The issue of child abuse became particularly prominent. In the early 1980s, an episode of 60 Minutes gave the showrunners a reason to think twice about the portrayal of Snuffy as Big Bird’s imaginary friend. This tricky friendship raised an eyebrow or two after some disturbing storylines started hitting the front page. Big Bird insisted that Snuffy was real, but no one ever believed him. In fact, when other characters appeared on-screen, Snuffy shuffled off or totally missed everyone’s arrival each and every time. The two became extremely close during this time. He was introduced to the show as an imaginary friend that only Big Bird could see. Snuffleupagus, was a totally ambiguous character. From 1971 to 1985, the shaggy brown monster, Mr. So Big Bird continued his residency on Sesame Street with all of his friends-real, and once imaginary. As we know today, the tragic mission of The Challenger would have resulted in the devasting loss of our yellow friend, and Sesame Street as we know it would never be the same. Let’s be real, an 8-foot, 4000-feathered bird is not quite an essential when it comes to compact space travel. While the exact reasoning is not quite defined, it’s safe to say that the puppet’s towering heights were the main contributing factor. Luckily, Big Bird and his puppeteer, Caroll Spinney were unable to join the Challenger mission. The Challenger mission was sure to be one for the books, and what better way to get young children excited about space than by sending their good friend, Big Bird, up into the galaxy. As space travel was still new and uncertain, the NASA team was eager to gain some public attention and affection for their newly developed space shuttle. In the early 1980s, NASA reached out to the creators of Sesame Street with an interesting proposal. But, should he be a few inches shorter, this happy-go-lucky friend may not be around today. Your friend and mine, Big Bird is one of the original puppets on the Street and still graces our television screens with love, compassion, and happiness. Ĭlick through to read about milestone moments from 52 years of "Sesame Street" history.Perhaps one of the most iconic characters on the Street, aside from our red puppet friend Elmo, is the 8-foot 2-inch, yellow giant we lovingly call Big Bird. Stacker compiled milestone moments from more than 50 years of "Sesame Street" history that have contributed to its enduring legacy.
(Children's Television Workshop) 52 years of 'Sesame Street' history Researchers have found a positive correlation between children who watched "Sesame Street" during their preschool years and improved performance in elementary school.Ĭlick through to read about milestone moments from 52 years of "Sesame Street" history.
Whether a child is counting to 20 or watching a segment about cooperation, "Sesame Street" places just as much importance on empathy and cultural competency as it does on mathematical literacy or vocabulary.
The show established itself as a revolutionary force in children’s education and entertainment by thoughtfully developing a curriculum for each season that promotes cognitive, social, and emotional development. "Sesame Street" showed the world that the things we may perceive as obstacles such as disabilities, insecurities, or differences are worthy of representation and conversation both on- and off-screen. "Sesame Street" began as an attempt to answer one question: Could television be used as a tool to educate all children? Could it transcend socioeconomic barriers, cultural differences, and regional distinctions to become an effective scholastic medium for all? The show proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the answer to those questions was a resounding yes-and that much more was possible. Its legacy is measured as much by the lessons it taught in kindness and love and grief as it is in the sheer volume of accolades and content it amassed. That's because "Sesame Street" can’t just be measured quantitatively (sorry, Count von Count). And yet none of these things-all remarkable accomplishments in their own right-begin to convey the true and vast legacy of the show. 52 years of 'Sesame Street' history | "Sesame Street" is undeniably prolific, with more than 4,500 episodes, 150 countries reached in 70 languages, and 52 years of production.