"Can you tell me how to get/how to get to Sesame Street?" Since 1969, those words have beckoned children into the imaginary world of Sesame Street on public television (see entry under 1940s—TV and Radio in volume 3). The hour-long educational program combines music, fast-paced sketches and cartoons, and the interaction of humans and "muppets" (see entry under 1970s—TV and Radio in volume 4) to teach numbers, the alphabet, and values. It has won numerous awards and is broadcast in more than 140 countries around the world.

Sesame Street was first developed by educator Joan Ganz Cooney (1929–) and others at the Children's Television Workshop (CTW). The goal of the show was to use the techniques of TV advertising to teach basic skills to children. The first episode was broadcast in November 1969. Set on a fictional New York City street, the show featured a cast of "neighbors" of...