Big Bird at 40

Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.

When it first launched in 1969, “Sesame Street” was an innovative attempt to improve children’s television. The show, using animation and skits designed to teach children, featured a big yellow bird and a cast of fuzzy Muppets who lived alongside humans on a city block.

Today “Sesame Street” is a cultural icon. Its characters are beloved by a generation of parents — who were raised with Bert and Ernie — and their children, who have come to love Elmo. On Tuesday the PBS mainstay marks its 40th anniversary, becoming the longest running children’s show on television.

The show’s staying power has been remarkable and it is due, in no small part, to the fact that parents have found it a useful supplemental teaching tool for their children. Characters, such as Count Von Count, help children learn numbers. The alphabet and phonics also are taught through the show, which is “sponsored” by the letter and number of the day.

“Sesame Street” has not shied away from heavier and more difficult topics. Its episode in 1983 explaining the death of storekeeper Mr. Hooper, who was played by actor Will Lee, won an Emmy Award, one of 122 it has earned.

The show has also set an example for viewers with its inclusive casting. From the beginning, the show has prominently featured women, minorities and people with disabilities living and working side-by-side. Segregationists in Mississippi tried to have the show banned in 1970 because of the integration.

Over the years “Sesame Street” has stayed current and fresh. Parents are attracted by parodies of popular TV shows with skits such as “Law and Order Special Letters Unit” and “RSI: Rhyme Scene Investigators.” There have also been send-ups of CNN with GNN, the Grouch News Network, and “Masterpiece Theater,” which morphed into “Monsterpiece Theater.”

It is no wonder viewers across the nation — and around the world — continue to watch. “Sesame Street” has remained true to its roots — it focuses on educating children. That has made it a rarity on television and a worthy success.