Sesame Street

Sesame Street. A production of PBS. Airing weekly nationwide on local PBS stations.

Audience: preschoolers

Annotation:
A production of PBS, Sesame Street has aired high quality children's programming nationwide for over 40 years.

Personal Reaction:

This show has aired on PBS since 1969 with the goal of preparing young children for school with research-based educational television programming.

The show is a mix of segments featuring live actors, puppets, animation, music and a diverse cast of characters (so diverse, in fact, that in 1970 a state commission in Mississippi voted to ban the show because it depicted a highly integrated cast). The show has won a total of 118 Emmy Awards and 8 Grammy Awards.

It is perhaps hard to overstate the important of this show. It continues to be one of the most widely-viewed and most-researched television shows for children. The show teaches virtually all early learning skills, including counting, colors, shapes, math concepts and language; it promotes healthy habits, like exercise and good diet; and it teaches values such as friendship, good manners and self-esteem. Sesame Street has also evolved with the times, adding new characters and addressing the changing issues of the day.