All language subtitles for Street.Gang.How.We.Got.to.Sesame.Street.2021.1080p.WEB.h264-OPUS

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Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:04,337 --> 00:00:08,133 [upbeat music] 2 00:00:08,174 --> 00:00:13,513 ♪ 3 00:00:13,555 --> 00:00:15,807 - ♪ Sunny day 4 00:00:15,849 --> 00:00:20,520 ♪ Sweepin' the clouds away 5 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,981 ♪ On my way 6 00:00:23,023 --> 00:00:27,193 ♪ To where the air is sweet 7 00:00:27,193 --> 00:00:30,155 ♪ Can you tell me how to get 8 00:00:30,196 --> 00:00:33,658 ♪ How to get to Sesame Street ♪ 9 00:00:33,700 --> 00:00:35,493 ♪ Sesame Street 10 00:00:35,535 --> 00:00:38,371 [indistinct chatter] 11 00:00:45,211 --> 00:00:49,007 - Stand by. Here we go. Very quiet. 12 00:00:49,049 --> 00:00:52,886 Five, four, three, two, one, action. 13 00:00:52,927 --> 00:00:55,680 [guitar music playing] 14 00:00:55,722 --> 00:00:59,851 ♪ 15 00:00:59,893 --> 00:01:01,853 [footsteps pattering] 16 00:01:01,895 --> 00:01:03,563 - Buenas noches, señor, 17 00:01:03,605 --> 00:01:06,399 and welcome to La Casa de Comidas. 18 00:01:06,399 --> 00:01:10,570 I'm Grover, you're favorite singing and dancing waiter. 19 00:01:10,612 --> 00:01:12,238 We have four specials. 20 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,908 Número uno, número dos-- 21 00:01:14,908 --> 00:01:16,076 Nu-num-- 22 00:01:16,117 --> 00:01:19,079 [stammers] [dishes clatter] 23 00:01:19,079 --> 00:01:21,581 - Yes, uh? - Ah! 24 00:01:21,623 --> 00:01:23,750 [upbeat music] 25 00:01:23,750 --> 00:01:26,044 [indistinct chatter] 26 00:01:26,086 --> 00:01:29,422 - Okay. So let's do it. Let's do the... 27 00:01:29,422 --> 00:01:32,383 - On an average day, according to the Nielsen ratings, 28 00:01:32,425 --> 00:01:34,928 more than 12 million American children 29 00:01:34,969 --> 00:01:37,597 under six watch what goes on in this room. 30 00:01:39,099 --> 00:01:40,934 - Okay. All set, guys? 31 00:01:40,975 --> 00:01:44,938 - Jon Stone was instrumental in developing "Sesame Street." 32 00:01:44,979 --> 00:01:48,274 He was its first producer, still directs half the shows 33 00:01:48,316 --> 00:01:50,610 and have you ever stopped smiling 34 00:01:50,610 --> 00:01:51,945 as you've worked on all of the-- 35 00:01:51,986 --> 00:01:53,780 - I wouldn't still be doing it if it weren't fun. 36 00:01:53,780 --> 00:01:55,615 I love it. 37 00:01:55,657 --> 00:02:00,120 - Please welcome the creator of "The Muppets," Mr. Jim Henson. 38 00:02:00,161 --> 00:02:02,247 - I suppose when we first did "Sesame Street" 39 00:02:02,288 --> 00:02:05,291 that was the time where the audience got to know us. 40 00:02:05,333 --> 00:02:06,584 - A turning point in everybody's life, 41 00:02:06,626 --> 00:02:07,794 you and "Sesame Street." 42 00:02:07,794 --> 00:02:09,087 - I was there too. 43 00:02:09,129 --> 00:02:11,464 - Kermit. - Sure. Sure. I was there. 44 00:02:11,506 --> 00:02:12,966 - What the original idea? 45 00:02:13,007 --> 00:02:15,093 What were you trying to accomplish in 1969? 46 00:02:15,135 --> 00:02:16,803 - The original idea came from Joan Cooney, 47 00:02:16,845 --> 00:02:19,639 who is the woman behind the whole project. 48 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:20,932 - There is no question, 49 00:02:20,974 --> 00:02:21,975 the people who control 50 00:02:22,016 --> 00:02:23,476 the system read 51 00:02:23,518 --> 00:02:24,477 and the people who make it 52 00:02:24,519 --> 00:02:26,312 in the system read. 53 00:02:26,354 --> 00:02:29,149 - Here is Joan Cooney, who is showing us 54 00:02:29,190 --> 00:02:31,276 what television really could be. 55 00:02:31,317 --> 00:02:35,321 I mean, what she is doing is what television would do 56 00:02:35,321 --> 00:02:39,450 if it loved people instead of trying to sell to people, 57 00:02:39,492 --> 00:02:41,828 and there is all the difference in the world. 58 00:02:41,870 --> 00:02:44,831 [upbeat funky music] 59 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:51,838 ♪ 60 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:28,875 - Oh, you're here. 61 00:03:28,917 --> 00:03:30,335 Well, since you're here, 62 00:03:30,376 --> 00:03:32,378 I might as well answer a set of questions 63 00:03:32,378 --> 00:03:36,341 which have been submitted to me here at the old trash can. 64 00:03:36,382 --> 00:03:38,009 What do you think makes "Sesame Street" 65 00:03:38,051 --> 00:03:40,345 so appealing to kids? 66 00:03:40,386 --> 00:03:43,556 I didn't think they liked it. I hate it myself. 67 00:03:43,556 --> 00:03:46,226 [indistinct chatter] 68 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:47,727 - Stand by. 69 00:03:49,729 --> 00:03:51,397 - Okay. And it's on camera, 70 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:52,899 and action. 71 00:03:52,941 --> 00:03:54,525 - It's hard to talk about "Sesame Street" 72 00:03:54,567 --> 00:03:57,904 without talking about Jon Stone. 73 00:03:57,946 --> 00:04:01,241 I think Jon was probably, in my view at least, 74 00:04:01,241 --> 00:04:05,078 the most critical person to the success of the show. 75 00:04:05,119 --> 00:04:06,579 - Come in and kind of look 76 00:04:06,579 --> 00:04:07,914 at the phone and wonder what it is. 77 00:04:07,956 --> 00:04:09,916 - He was a wonderful writer. 78 00:04:09,958 --> 00:04:11,876 He was an amazing director. 79 00:04:11,918 --> 00:04:14,921 - And bring in the word across the top. 80 00:04:14,963 --> 00:04:16,381 - Will do. 81 00:04:16,422 --> 00:04:18,591 - Oh. - Tele... 82 00:04:18,591 --> 00:04:20,051 - Phone. 83 00:04:20,093 --> 00:04:21,719 [chatter] 84 00:04:21,761 --> 00:04:23,554 - Telephone. - [chatter] 85 00:04:23,596 --> 00:04:25,431 [laughter] 86 00:04:25,473 --> 00:04:29,310 - And he was really the soul of the show. 87 00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:35,441 - Jon was the guy who really created 88 00:04:35,483 --> 00:04:37,944 the whole reality of it, 89 00:04:37,944 --> 00:04:40,905 you know, the style and the vision of the show. 90 00:04:40,947 --> 00:04:42,907 - So the two of you together, when you get about here 91 00:04:42,949 --> 00:04:44,909 I hear a bat going-- [squeaking] 92 00:04:44,951 --> 00:04:46,911 whatever bats do, right? 93 00:04:46,953 --> 00:04:49,122 - Hey, don't worry, Count, we'll help you. 94 00:04:49,163 --> 00:04:51,624 - Oh, we must look everywhere, high, low-- 95 00:04:51,624 --> 00:04:53,126 - You know, there were a lot of shows 96 00:04:53,126 --> 00:04:55,753 that really talked down to kids 97 00:04:55,795 --> 00:04:58,589 and he really didn't want that. 98 00:04:58,631 --> 00:05:01,467 Jon Stone thought that you could have a kid's show 99 00:05:01,509 --> 00:05:04,470 where adults wouldn't run for the door 100 00:05:04,470 --> 00:05:06,014 as soon as it was on. 101 00:05:08,975 --> 00:05:12,437 - Well, I've worked for over 25 years now 102 00:05:12,478 --> 00:05:14,105 in television in New York City, 103 00:05:14,147 --> 00:05:17,275 so I've seen a lot of studios and a lot of shows. 104 00:05:17,317 --> 00:05:19,319 [balloon pops] [children cheer] 105 00:05:19,319 --> 00:05:21,487 And I've sat through so many children's shows, 106 00:05:21,487 --> 00:05:22,822 just terrible stuff. 107 00:05:22,822 --> 00:05:24,282 - Hot Ovaltine at breakfast 108 00:05:24,324 --> 00:05:26,159 gives you the right start in the morning. 109 00:05:26,159 --> 00:05:28,161 - They'd be selling toys and cereals, 110 00:05:28,161 --> 00:05:29,454 all that stuff. 111 00:05:29,495 --> 00:05:30,663 - You tell Mommy or Daddy 112 00:05:30,705 --> 00:05:32,790 that you want Tootsie Rolls. 113 00:05:32,832 --> 00:05:35,460 children: Tootsie Rolls! 114 00:05:35,501 --> 00:05:37,170 - And I hated it. 115 00:05:38,838 --> 00:05:41,507 - Our dad saw the world in black and white, 116 00:05:41,507 --> 00:05:43,009 and so there were good guys. 117 00:05:43,009 --> 00:05:45,011 You were a good guy, 118 00:05:45,011 --> 00:05:47,680 or you were a bad guy, and the good guys, 119 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,516 he loved with all his heart, 120 00:05:50,516 --> 00:05:56,397 and the bad guys, there was no gray. 121 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:02,320 - You know, he took things so much to heart 122 00:06:02,362 --> 00:06:05,656 and Dad came to activism 123 00:06:05,698 --> 00:06:07,200 and feeling strongly about the world 124 00:06:07,241 --> 00:06:08,826 because of the era 125 00:06:08,868 --> 00:06:11,871 that he was kind of becoming an adult in. 126 00:06:11,913 --> 00:06:13,664 [soft dramatic music] 127 00:06:13,706 --> 00:06:15,375 [helicopter whirring] 128 00:06:15,416 --> 00:06:17,877 - The Vietnam War was going full blast. 129 00:06:17,919 --> 00:06:19,545 [bomb whistling] 130 00:06:19,587 --> 00:06:21,923 And the country was very politicized. 131 00:06:23,549 --> 00:06:25,385 Everybody was screaming at everybody else, 132 00:06:25,385 --> 00:06:27,845 and it was impossible 133 00:06:27,887 --> 00:06:29,722 not to feel strongly one way or another. 134 00:06:29,764 --> 00:06:32,392 - Black power. Black power. 135 00:06:32,392 --> 00:06:35,895 - I think Dad wore the pain of the world 136 00:06:35,895 --> 00:06:39,857 in a way that other people can let it go. 137 00:06:39,899 --> 00:06:41,859 - I had really quit the business. 138 00:06:41,901 --> 00:06:43,361 I thought I had done about everything 139 00:06:43,403 --> 00:06:45,571 I was gonna do in television. 140 00:06:47,573 --> 00:06:49,534 - And then he got this call 141 00:06:49,575 --> 00:06:52,745 from a producer saying, you know, 142 00:06:52,745 --> 00:06:55,039 she would like to talk to him about this children's program 143 00:06:55,081 --> 00:06:58,251 that she was starting to create. 144 00:06:58,251 --> 00:07:01,421 - Joan Cooney called me and said she was trying 145 00:07:01,462 --> 00:07:03,589 to put together a staff to do a new children's show, 146 00:07:03,631 --> 00:07:05,550 and would I be interested? 147 00:07:05,591 --> 00:07:09,762 I said no, really, I didn't want to do television anymore, 148 00:07:09,762 --> 00:07:14,225 and she is a very charming and persuasive lady. 149 00:07:14,267 --> 00:07:16,561 - I think what drew Dad in 150 00:07:16,602 --> 00:07:18,604 really had to do with her political vision, 151 00:07:18,604 --> 00:07:20,440 and I think when she started talking 152 00:07:20,481 --> 00:07:23,067 about inner-city children 153 00:07:23,109 --> 00:07:25,403 and the amount of time that kids 154 00:07:25,445 --> 00:07:27,405 are spending watching bad television 155 00:07:27,447 --> 00:07:28,781 with nothing to do 156 00:07:28,781 --> 00:07:31,075 because their parents are working, 157 00:07:31,117 --> 00:07:33,119 that's what pulled him in. 158 00:07:34,954 --> 00:07:37,790 - I had been working at Channel 13 in New York 159 00:07:37,832 --> 00:07:40,751 producing documentaries, and through that work 160 00:07:40,793 --> 00:07:44,964 I had become absolutely involved intellectually 161 00:07:45,006 --> 00:07:48,801 and spiritually with the civil rights movement. 162 00:07:52,138 --> 00:07:55,933 I was not focused on young children though. 163 00:07:55,975 --> 00:07:58,644 That all goes back to Lloyd Morrisett, 164 00:07:58,644 --> 00:08:03,816 who really was the father of "Sesame Street." 165 00:08:03,858 --> 00:08:08,112 - I was a psychologist at the Carnegie Foundation, 166 00:08:08,154 --> 00:08:12,950 and we were heavily influenced by the national dialogue 167 00:08:12,992 --> 00:08:16,829 on the gap that was being created in schools. 168 00:08:16,871 --> 00:08:20,791 - There is a singular lack of equal educational opportunity 169 00:08:20,833 --> 00:08:23,336 in the United States for negroes. 170 00:08:23,377 --> 00:08:24,837 - This is not a racial difference 171 00:08:24,837 --> 00:08:26,797 but a socioeconomic difference. 172 00:08:26,839 --> 00:08:28,299 [children chattering] 173 00:08:28,341 --> 00:08:30,343 - We found that those children 174 00:08:30,384 --> 00:08:33,012 who had entered school three months behind, 175 00:08:33,054 --> 00:08:36,015 and by the end of first grade be a year behind 176 00:08:36,015 --> 00:08:38,476 and get further and further behind. 177 00:08:38,518 --> 00:08:41,646 And I wondered whether there was a possibility 178 00:08:41,687 --> 00:08:45,691 that television could be used to help children with school, 179 00:08:45,733 --> 00:08:48,027 but television was not very popular 180 00:08:48,027 --> 00:08:49,487 with the Carnegie staff. 181 00:08:49,529 --> 00:08:51,697 Academics were not interested in television. 182 00:08:51,697 --> 00:08:54,200 [theme music playing] 183 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:56,160 They didn't have it in their homes. 184 00:08:56,202 --> 00:08:58,371 - Danger, Will Robinson, danger. 185 00:08:58,371 --> 00:09:00,540 - It was the boob tube. 186 00:09:00,540 --> 00:09:03,042 [theme song playing] - ♪ The minnow would be lost 187 00:09:03,042 --> 00:09:07,046 - And then one of my friends, Joan, held a dinner party 188 00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:10,383 and I knew Joan was a television producer. 189 00:09:10,424 --> 00:09:12,343 And so, we were just talking 190 00:09:12,385 --> 00:09:14,011 and I said "Joan, do you think television 191 00:09:14,053 --> 00:09:17,515 could be used to teach young children?" 192 00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:20,726 - I knew the answer. I knew the answer right away. 193 00:09:20,726 --> 00:09:22,728 - ♪ When you say "Bud" 194 00:09:22,728 --> 00:09:26,899 ♪ You've said a lot of things nobody else can say ♪ 195 00:09:26,941 --> 00:09:30,236 - Every child in America was singing beer commercials. 196 00:09:30,278 --> 00:09:31,862 all: ♪ It means you want the beer ♪ 197 00:09:31,904 --> 00:09:34,240 ♪ That's got a taste that's number one ♪ 198 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,201 - Now where had they learned beer commercials? 199 00:09:37,243 --> 00:09:38,744 all: ♪ You tell the world you know ♪ 200 00:09:38,786 --> 00:09:41,706 ♪ What makes it all the way 201 00:09:41,747 --> 00:09:44,041 ♪ When you say "Bud" 202 00:09:44,083 --> 00:09:45,918 ♪ You say you care enough 203 00:09:45,918 --> 00:09:47,420 ♪ To only want the King of Beers ♪ 204 00:09:47,461 --> 00:09:48,921 - A lot of children in America 205 00:09:48,963 --> 00:09:50,590 were walking into supermarkets 206 00:09:50,590 --> 00:09:52,758 and identifying product. 207 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,552 - ♪ Even whiter than it is before ♪ 208 00:09:54,594 --> 00:09:56,929 - By having seen Cheer on the screen 209 00:09:56,929 --> 00:09:58,931 or Wonder Bread, et cetera. 210 00:09:58,973 --> 00:10:01,434 children: ♪ An Oscar Mayer wiener 211 00:10:01,475 --> 00:10:07,106 - So to me it was where kids just adored the medium, 212 00:10:07,106 --> 00:10:10,443 and so why not see if it could educate them? 213 00:10:10,443 --> 00:10:13,237 all: ♪ Budweiser 214 00:10:13,279 --> 00:10:14,655 - ♪ You've said it all 215 00:10:16,282 --> 00:10:19,952 - So we hired Joan to do a feasibility study. 216 00:10:19,994 --> 00:10:22,955 [pensive music] 217 00:10:22,997 --> 00:10:24,624 ♪ 218 00:10:24,624 --> 00:10:27,251 - Television is a reality to young children, 219 00:10:27,293 --> 00:10:29,462 maybe the reality, and certainly 220 00:10:29,462 --> 00:10:31,964 one of the most interesting things to them 221 00:10:31,964 --> 00:10:34,467 in their lives. 222 00:10:34,467 --> 00:10:37,595 - A child between the ages of three and five 223 00:10:37,637 --> 00:10:38,971 watches television 224 00:10:38,971 --> 00:10:42,475 one half of his waking time. 225 00:10:42,475 --> 00:10:45,811 The only thing that exceeds television is sleep. 226 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,150 - Joan had a brilliantly simple notion. 227 00:10:51,150 --> 00:10:52,485 Children were watching 228 00:10:52,485 --> 00:10:53,986 a tremendous amount of television. 229 00:10:54,028 --> 00:10:56,989 If they're going to watch that much television, why not, 230 00:10:56,989 --> 00:11:00,493 one, find out what it is they like to watch, 231 00:11:00,493 --> 00:11:03,954 two, find out what would be good for them to watch, 232 00:11:03,996 --> 00:11:07,500 and then you put the two together, and that's the show. 233 00:11:10,503 --> 00:11:12,838 - We were talking about 130 hours 234 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,840 of television a year, 235 00:11:14,882 --> 00:11:18,010 and so an initial budget was put together. 236 00:11:20,346 --> 00:11:22,306 A budget of $8 million. 237 00:11:22,348 --> 00:11:23,849 [cash register dings] 238 00:11:23,849 --> 00:11:26,686 It was a lot of money. 239 00:11:30,189 --> 00:11:32,692 So the bulk of the original budget 240 00:11:32,733 --> 00:11:35,695 was provided through the Office of Education, 241 00:11:35,695 --> 00:11:37,863 the federal government. 242 00:11:37,905 --> 00:11:40,366 - Someone said it won't be taken seriously 243 00:11:40,366 --> 00:11:42,368 if a woman heads it, 244 00:11:42,368 --> 00:11:47,206 but the problem is, they didn't have a project without me. 245 00:11:47,248 --> 00:11:51,419 Much of it was in my head, which I pointed out to them. 246 00:11:53,879 --> 00:11:57,383 And when "The New York Times" reported on it, 247 00:11:57,383 --> 00:11:58,884 they said she'll be one 248 00:11:58,926 --> 00:12:01,554 of the most powerful women in television. 249 00:12:08,227 --> 00:12:10,229 - I went to Columbia University, 250 00:12:10,229 --> 00:12:14,859 and I got a master's degree in educational psychology, 251 00:12:14,900 --> 00:12:18,028 and my professor told me that there was a group of people 252 00:12:18,070 --> 00:12:20,239 who were developing a television program 253 00:12:20,239 --> 00:12:21,866 for disadvantaged kids, 254 00:12:21,907 --> 00:12:24,034 so I went in and I met with Joan Cooney, 255 00:12:24,076 --> 00:12:25,911 and she said, "You're hired." 256 00:12:25,953 --> 00:12:27,913 And what she wanted to do 257 00:12:27,913 --> 00:12:31,917 was get a group of television writers and producers 258 00:12:31,959 --> 00:12:36,380 and put them together with educators. 259 00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:39,550 This had never been done before. 260 00:12:39,592 --> 00:12:43,554 It was called the Children's Television Workshop originally. 261 00:12:43,596 --> 00:12:45,556 I think there were about ten people 262 00:12:45,598 --> 00:12:47,725 in the workshop when I was hired. 263 00:12:47,767 --> 00:12:50,394 Having educators 264 00:12:50,436 --> 00:12:52,897 and professional television writers 265 00:12:52,938 --> 00:12:54,607 in the same room 266 00:12:54,607 --> 00:12:58,611 working on the same show was a very unique idea. 267 00:13:00,946 --> 00:13:02,907 - They told us that we had to incorporate 268 00:13:02,948 --> 00:13:06,911 all this education into this new show. 269 00:13:06,952 --> 00:13:10,414 I was convinced that it would be impossible to do. 270 00:13:10,456 --> 00:13:12,291 I had never written anything like this before, 271 00:13:12,291 --> 00:13:14,794 but nobody had ever written anything like this before. 272 00:13:14,835 --> 00:13:16,629 [phone ringing] 273 00:13:16,670 --> 00:13:18,464 And all we had was this money 274 00:13:18,506 --> 00:13:20,257 from the government to do this thing, 275 00:13:20,299 --> 00:13:25,638 but we had no format, no title, no set, no nothing. 276 00:13:25,638 --> 00:13:28,265 - I think it was Jon Stone who suggested 277 00:13:28,307 --> 00:13:31,352 that we invite Jim Henson to come to talk to us. 278 00:13:34,313 --> 00:13:37,107 - And here we are sitting in a conference room, 279 00:13:37,149 --> 00:13:39,652 and someone comes in and sits in back 280 00:13:39,693 --> 00:13:43,656 who is bearded with long hair, you know, leather clothes. 281 00:13:43,697 --> 00:13:45,825 And I remember whispering to Dave Connell, 282 00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:47,493 "How do we know that man back there? 283 00:13:47,493 --> 00:13:49,286 He looks like a hippie." 284 00:13:49,328 --> 00:13:52,164 And he said "No, no, that's Jim Henson." 285 00:13:52,206 --> 00:13:55,501 So that was my first experience with Jim. 286 00:13:57,878 --> 00:14:04,176 And he was terrific. 287 00:14:04,176 --> 00:14:05,803 - Put out the fire. 288 00:14:05,845 --> 00:14:08,681 [energetic jazz music playing] 289 00:14:08,722 --> 00:14:12,476 ♪ 290 00:14:12,518 --> 00:14:15,479 - "The Muppets" started as a late-night program 291 00:14:15,521 --> 00:14:18,315 on local television that was, like, 292 00:14:18,357 --> 00:14:20,192 kind of what we would consider today 293 00:14:20,234 --> 00:14:22,695 like, you know, short-form comedy, 294 00:14:22,736 --> 00:14:25,364 and it would just come on quickly after the news, 295 00:14:25,406 --> 00:14:28,158 primarily lip-synching to records. 296 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,328 - ♪ Old black magic has me in its spell ♪ 297 00:14:31,370 --> 00:14:34,331 - ♪ Old black magic that you weave so well ♪ 298 00:14:34,373 --> 00:14:35,833 - It was late-night comedy. 299 00:14:35,875 --> 00:14:37,501 - Yeah, that's right. 300 00:14:37,543 --> 00:14:39,169 - Punsmoke! 301 00:14:39,211 --> 00:14:41,171 - Are you ready? "The Muppets." [applause] 302 00:14:41,213 --> 00:14:43,215 - They did "The Tonight Show." 303 00:14:43,215 --> 00:14:44,717 - The very talented "Muppets." 304 00:14:44,717 --> 00:14:46,343 - Look at that. 305 00:14:46,385 --> 00:14:49,179 - All these adult variety shows. 306 00:14:49,221 --> 00:14:51,015 - I've seen you on television before. 307 00:14:51,056 --> 00:14:54,018 - ♪ In a spin, loving the spin I'm in ♪ 308 00:14:54,059 --> 00:14:55,895 ♪ Under the old black... 309 00:14:55,895 --> 00:14:57,521 - The creator of "The Muppets," Mr. Jim Henson. 310 00:14:57,563 --> 00:14:58,689 [applause] 311 00:14:58,731 --> 00:15:00,357 - ♪ Loving the spin I'm in 312 00:15:00,399 --> 00:15:02,401 ♪ Under the old black magic called love ♪ 313 00:15:02,401 --> 00:15:04,194 - This is Jim Henson. 314 00:15:04,236 --> 00:15:05,571 - He's got a completely different 315 00:15:05,571 --> 00:15:07,364 kind of personality-- 316 00:15:07,406 --> 00:15:08,866 - When I was a little kid, 317 00:15:08,908 --> 00:15:11,702 if I told my friends that my father was a puppeteer, 318 00:15:11,744 --> 00:15:13,537 they would assume that that was somebody 319 00:15:13,579 --> 00:15:17,249 who did birthday parties or church puppets. 320 00:15:18,125 --> 00:15:20,419 You know, they mostly felt sorry for us 321 00:15:20,461 --> 00:15:22,922 when they heard about the puppeteer parents. 322 00:15:22,963 --> 00:15:24,423 [end chords] 323 00:15:24,423 --> 00:15:27,426 [applause] 324 00:15:30,137 --> 00:15:34,600 - My father was a pretty quiet, shy person, 325 00:15:34,642 --> 00:15:40,105 but he wanted to be hip, he wanted to be cool, 326 00:15:40,105 --> 00:15:42,608 and he wanted his whole company, Muppets Inc., 327 00:15:42,650 --> 00:15:45,778 to have this very cool reputation. 328 00:15:45,819 --> 00:15:47,780 - We're about to show you the new specially designed 329 00:15:47,821 --> 00:15:50,282 Wilson's Meat Television campaign. 330 00:15:50,282 --> 00:15:51,575 - You mean all those crummy commercials 331 00:15:51,617 --> 00:15:53,285 we knocked together? 332 00:15:53,327 --> 00:15:55,621 - And he would produce these commercial campaigns 333 00:15:55,621 --> 00:15:57,623 that were great. 334 00:15:57,623 --> 00:15:59,917 - You'll adore Wilson's Certified Salami. 335 00:15:59,959 --> 00:16:01,460 - No, I don't fall for that stuff. 336 00:16:01,502 --> 00:16:03,420 - You will. 337 00:16:03,462 --> 00:16:06,799 Drop down to the store for some Wilson's Certified Cold Cuts. 338 00:16:06,799 --> 00:16:08,425 - You'll be up a tree if you don't. 339 00:16:08,467 --> 00:16:10,761 - They were these weird sophisticated commercials 340 00:16:10,803 --> 00:16:13,263 that were sort of a little bit dark. 341 00:16:13,305 --> 00:16:15,140 - Are you getting on the Wilkins Coffee bandwagon? 342 00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:17,309 - Never. 343 00:16:17,309 --> 00:16:19,603 - You either go with Wilkins, or you just don't go. 344 00:16:19,645 --> 00:16:20,980 People who don't drink Wilkins Coffee 345 00:16:20,980 --> 00:16:22,481 just blow up sometimes. 346 00:16:22,481 --> 00:16:24,775 - Oh, that's a lot of-- 347 00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:26,485 Oof! 348 00:16:26,527 --> 00:16:27,820 I should have saw this coming. 349 00:16:29,154 --> 00:16:31,115 Ooh, that smart! 350 00:16:31,156 --> 00:16:32,658 - They were sort of this beatnik-y, 351 00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:34,827 kind of hip company, you know? 352 00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:38,122 [laughter] 353 00:16:38,163 --> 00:16:40,290 - Are we rolling? - [laughing] Yes. 354 00:16:40,332 --> 00:16:43,002 [laughter] 355 00:16:46,005 --> 00:16:48,132 - It was almost a little too cool for school, you know, 356 00:16:48,173 --> 00:16:50,175 so that they really didn't want to appear 357 00:16:50,175 --> 00:16:51,719 like just a puppet company. 358 00:16:54,346 --> 00:16:56,807 Because, frankly, children's entertainment 359 00:16:56,849 --> 00:16:59,351 wasn't what he had in mind. 360 00:16:59,351 --> 00:17:01,812 [film strip rolls] 361 00:17:01,854 --> 00:17:03,522 - Sound roll 22. 362 00:17:03,564 --> 00:17:05,983 - Jim Henson interview. 363 00:17:06,025 --> 00:17:09,194 - Most of our work was sort of sophisticated, 364 00:17:09,194 --> 00:17:12,698 and it had a slight black humor kind of quality, 365 00:17:12,698 --> 00:17:15,325 and our audience was really college-aged, 366 00:17:15,367 --> 00:17:16,493 - [gasps] 367 00:17:16,535 --> 00:17:18,328 [audience laughter] 368 00:17:18,370 --> 00:17:20,205 - And so this would be the first time 369 00:17:20,205 --> 00:17:22,875 we'd ever worked for children really. 370 00:17:24,084 --> 00:17:25,878 But when I first heard about it from Jon, 371 00:17:25,919 --> 00:17:28,005 I loved the idea of it, 372 00:17:28,047 --> 00:17:31,884 the whole idea of taking commercial techniques 373 00:17:31,925 --> 00:17:34,720 and applying them to a show for kids. 374 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,389 - We're planning to treat them essentially the same way 375 00:17:37,389 --> 00:17:41,018 a commercial enterprise would create a campaign. 376 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:45,064 We're trying to sell the alphabet to preschool children. 377 00:17:46,565 --> 00:17:50,861 - We talked to all sorts of college professors, educators, 378 00:17:50,903 --> 00:17:54,698 parents, authors like Maurice Sendak, 379 00:17:54,740 --> 00:17:58,077 and we tried very hard to assimilate all this knowledge 380 00:17:58,077 --> 00:18:01,538 into children's programming that could be entertaining 381 00:18:01,580 --> 00:18:05,209 and content-filled at the same time. 382 00:18:05,250 --> 00:18:07,711 - [as Ernie] Here's one half of my chicken-salad sandwich. 383 00:18:07,753 --> 00:18:10,214 Where's the other half? It's gone. 384 00:18:10,255 --> 00:18:11,757 - [as Sherlock] Egad, the hunt's afoot. 385 00:18:11,799 --> 00:18:13,217 Show me the clues. 386 00:18:13,258 --> 00:18:15,094 - It was very exciting. - Who are you? 387 00:18:15,094 --> 00:18:17,763 - Sherlock Hemlock, the world's greatest detective. 388 00:18:17,805 --> 00:18:21,100 - This was an experiment, you know? 389 00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:23,602 We would try new things. 390 00:18:23,602 --> 00:18:24,895 - The letter J. 391 00:18:24,937 --> 00:18:26,605 Two boys are sitting there talking, 392 00:18:26,605 --> 00:18:27,606 and kind of casually one of the boy says, 393 00:18:27,648 --> 00:18:29,274 "What's happening, man?" 394 00:18:29,316 --> 00:18:31,735 The other boy says, "I don't know, it looks like fishhook." 395 00:18:31,777 --> 00:18:34,905 And at that point we will animate the J into a fishhook. 396 00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:38,909 - Let's create something that's never been done before. 397 00:18:38,951 --> 00:18:40,911 - I don't know. - What's that? 398 00:18:40,953 --> 00:18:42,287 - It looks like a fishhook. 399 00:18:42,329 --> 00:18:44,081 - It's not a fishhook. 400 00:18:44,123 --> 00:18:47,626 It's a J. - We would show video to kids. 401 00:18:47,626 --> 00:18:49,962 - It looks delicious. What is it you want to know? 402 00:18:50,003 --> 00:18:51,964 - What happened to the other half of my sandwich? 403 00:18:51,964 --> 00:18:55,968 - And we developed something called the distractor. 404 00:18:55,968 --> 00:18:58,929 It was basically a slide projector 405 00:18:58,971 --> 00:19:02,141 that would show slides and make a clicking sound. 406 00:19:02,141 --> 00:19:03,934 If what they were watching on television 407 00:19:03,976 --> 00:19:06,270 wasn't really holding their attention, 408 00:19:06,311 --> 00:19:07,771 they would look at the slide projector 409 00:19:07,813 --> 00:19:10,649 for a longer period of time. 410 00:19:10,691 --> 00:19:14,319 - We studied their reactions, and we quizzed them, 411 00:19:14,319 --> 00:19:16,488 talked to them, 412 00:19:16,530 --> 00:19:19,283 found out what they retained, what they didn't retain. 413 00:19:19,324 --> 00:19:22,161 - Would you like to hear a story about the letter J, boys? 414 00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:23,829 - I think it's a very good idea, 415 00:19:23,871 --> 00:19:26,999 but the words here are very difficult, you know? 416 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:29,459 - We're not arguing for a more didactic turnout? 417 00:19:29,501 --> 00:19:30,794 - No. - So much as saying 418 00:19:30,836 --> 00:19:32,504 that this is a difficult entertainment. 419 00:19:32,504 --> 00:19:33,797 - Yeah. Yeah. Right. 420 00:19:33,839 --> 00:19:36,967 - Egad. That's it. I remember. 421 00:19:37,009 --> 00:19:39,845 I ate the other half of your sandwich. 422 00:19:39,887 --> 00:19:42,139 How clever of me to figure it out. 423 00:19:42,181 --> 00:19:46,810 - Why, gosh, Mr. Hemlock. Thanks a lot. 424 00:19:46,852 --> 00:19:48,145 If you hadn't found all those clues, 425 00:19:48,187 --> 00:19:49,521 I never would have known 426 00:19:49,563 --> 00:19:52,482 what happened to that half of my sandwich. 427 00:19:52,524 --> 00:19:55,194 - Very good. [chatter, laughter] 428 00:19:55,235 --> 00:19:59,364 - Television is such a huge influence on children. 429 00:19:59,364 --> 00:20:03,660 There's family or the church or the school and television. 430 00:20:03,702 --> 00:20:06,997 And as an industry, we don't generally face up 431 00:20:07,039 --> 00:20:08,707 to that responsibility, 432 00:20:08,707 --> 00:20:11,043 and I was delighted to be doing that sort of thing. 433 00:20:13,378 --> 00:20:14,880 - Oh, excuse me. 434 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:17,841 My name is Rowlf, and this is my friend, Kermit. 435 00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:20,177 - Hiya. - And I know a lot about this 436 00:20:20,219 --> 00:20:22,221 Children's Television Workshop show 437 00:20:22,221 --> 00:20:25,390 because us Muppets are gonna be on it every day. 438 00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:28,894 - Oh, yeah. Says who? - What do you mean, "Says who?" 439 00:20:28,894 --> 00:20:30,354 Says everybody. - Yeah! 440 00:20:30,395 --> 00:20:31,897 [overlapping chatter] 441 00:20:31,897 --> 00:20:33,232 - Well, if I'm going to get involved, 442 00:20:33,273 --> 00:20:34,900 I want to know a little more about it, 443 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:37,402 like, what are those guys doing? 444 00:20:37,444 --> 00:20:39,529 - Well, you see, we haven't settled on a title 445 00:20:39,571 --> 00:20:42,241 for the show yet, so the guys are working on it. 446 00:20:42,241 --> 00:20:44,534 - All right. All right, then. All right. 447 00:20:44,576 --> 00:20:47,704 - How's about we call it "The Little Kiddie Show"? 448 00:20:47,746 --> 00:20:50,040 - Maybe the "Nitty-Gritty Little Kiddie Show." 449 00:20:50,082 --> 00:20:52,042 - [sighs] - Hey, 450 00:20:52,084 --> 00:20:54,544 these kids can't read or write, 451 00:20:54,586 --> 00:20:55,921 can they? 452 00:20:55,963 --> 00:20:57,214 - Mm-mm. - No. 453 00:20:57,256 --> 00:21:00,926 - Then how's about we call the show 454 00:21:00,968 --> 00:21:03,053 "Hey, Stupid"? 455 00:21:03,095 --> 00:21:04,721 - "Hey, Stupid"? 456 00:21:04,763 --> 00:21:07,557 Oh, what am I going to do, Kermit? 457 00:21:07,599 --> 00:21:10,102 - You really think you're going to get this show on the air? 458 00:21:10,143 --> 00:21:11,937 [contemplative music] 459 00:21:11,937 --> 00:21:14,773 - Our target audience were inner-city children, 460 00:21:14,815 --> 00:21:17,234 and the bull's-eye of the target audience 461 00:21:17,276 --> 00:21:19,111 were inner-city Black children. 462 00:21:20,988 --> 00:21:23,240 But the traditional children's show setting 463 00:21:23,282 --> 00:21:24,783 was always like a cute little tree house 464 00:21:24,825 --> 00:21:26,576 or a club in the backyard 465 00:21:26,618 --> 00:21:29,579 or something fairyland and fanciful, 466 00:21:29,621 --> 00:21:32,457 and so we had struggled with the idea of the setting, 467 00:21:32,457 --> 00:21:34,418 the home base for this for a long time, 468 00:21:34,459 --> 00:21:37,129 and it came into focus for me 469 00:21:37,129 --> 00:21:40,799 when I saw a commercial for the Urban Coalition. 470 00:21:40,799 --> 00:21:44,428 - Send your kid to the ghetto for the summer. 471 00:21:44,469 --> 00:21:46,138 We got all kind of facilities here. 472 00:21:46,179 --> 00:21:47,931 Want to see the pool? Come on. 473 00:21:47,973 --> 00:21:49,308 - And it was shot on location in Harlem, 474 00:21:49,308 --> 00:21:50,642 out on the sidewalk. 475 00:21:50,642 --> 00:21:53,103 - Open up a hydrant, jump right in. 476 00:21:53,145 --> 00:21:55,439 At least one pool on every block. 477 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:57,941 I'm standing near home plate right now. 478 00:21:57,983 --> 00:21:59,985 Two sewers down is a homer. 479 00:21:59,985 --> 00:22:03,322 It's not Shea Stadium, but it's exciting. 480 00:22:03,322 --> 00:22:04,781 - And as soon as I saw it, 481 00:22:04,823 --> 00:22:07,159 I knew exactly where we ought to be on this. 482 00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:15,000 I wanted to capture that New York energy 483 00:22:15,042 --> 00:22:16,793 because to the three-year-olds 484 00:22:16,835 --> 00:22:19,171 cooped up in the room upstairs, 485 00:22:19,212 --> 00:22:21,340 the action is on the street. 486 00:22:25,677 --> 00:22:28,972 - I remember John said in an interview, 487 00:22:29,014 --> 00:22:31,683 Joan turned several shades of pale. 488 00:22:31,725 --> 00:22:34,353 It did seem odd to me to have an inner city street. 489 00:22:36,355 --> 00:22:41,151 I didn't know how it would play with suburban parents, 490 00:22:41,193 --> 00:22:45,864 but I so trusted his judgment, so I said, "Go ahead. Try it." 491 00:22:47,532 --> 00:22:50,577 - I wanted a realistic set. 492 00:22:55,248 --> 00:22:57,376 Something that would feel like 493 00:22:57,376 --> 00:23:00,045 it's a real street, kind of a real neighborhood. 494 00:23:01,713 --> 00:23:04,508 - Where's this show going to take place? 495 00:23:04,549 --> 00:23:07,886 - On a street, on the front steps of a house. 496 00:23:07,928 --> 00:23:11,556 - On a street? Hey, Rowlf? - Hmm? 497 00:23:11,598 --> 00:23:15,352 - Why don't you call your show "Sesame Street"? 498 00:23:15,394 --> 00:23:18,230 - What--what was that? - "Sesame Street," 499 00:23:18,271 --> 00:23:20,857 you know, like "Open Sesame." It kind of gives the idea 500 00:23:20,899 --> 00:23:24,236 of a street where neat stuff happens. 501 00:23:24,236 --> 00:23:27,531 - Kermit, why you're a genius. Mwah! 502 00:23:27,572 --> 00:23:28,740 - Yuck. 503 00:23:28,740 --> 00:23:30,409 - "Sesame Street." 504 00:23:50,429 --> 00:23:52,222 - I was working here and there, 505 00:23:52,264 --> 00:23:56,059 and then one day, my boss called me up and said, 506 00:23:56,101 --> 00:23:57,894 "Next week, here's your schedule. 507 00:23:57,936 --> 00:23:59,604 You're going to 81st Street. 508 00:23:59,646 --> 00:24:02,899 You're going to shoot this show we just got," and he says, 509 00:24:02,941 --> 00:24:07,070 "I'm sending a whole crew down there. We start Monday." 510 00:24:07,112 --> 00:24:12,117 [indistinct chatter] 511 00:24:12,159 --> 00:24:17,122 - So I go down there and my camera was camera one, 512 00:24:17,164 --> 00:24:20,500 front of the store, Mr. Hooper's Store. 513 00:24:21,460 --> 00:24:23,962 And then we started shooting "Sesame Street." 514 00:24:23,962 --> 00:24:27,299 [indistinct chatter] 515 00:24:32,179 --> 00:24:36,641 - Initially, when my dad had the idea of "Sesame Street" 516 00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:39,644 and having it be like a real neighborhood, 517 00:24:39,644 --> 00:24:42,814 it was going to be just humans on the street. 518 00:24:42,856 --> 00:24:46,318 - And it's on camera, action. 519 00:24:46,318 --> 00:24:48,987 - And then the Muppets would be separate pieces. 520 00:24:51,156 --> 00:24:52,324 - Ah! - Ah! 521 00:24:52,365 --> 00:24:53,492 - Ah! - Ah! 522 00:24:53,533 --> 00:24:54,826 - [laughs] 523 00:24:54,868 --> 00:24:57,787 - Ah! [laughter] 524 00:24:57,829 --> 00:24:59,998 - So the Muppets weren't actually going to 525 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,833 be connected with the street, they were going to be separate. 526 00:25:01,875 --> 00:25:04,169 [tape rewinding] 527 00:25:04,211 --> 00:25:05,629 And then they started to run the show 528 00:25:05,670 --> 00:25:07,964 with the test audiences 529 00:25:08,006 --> 00:25:09,799 and there was absolutely no way 530 00:25:09,841 --> 00:25:12,010 the street could compete with the Muppets. 531 00:25:12,052 --> 00:25:14,346 [chatter] [children laughter] 532 00:25:14,346 --> 00:25:16,681 All the kids wanted were the Muppets, 533 00:25:16,723 --> 00:25:19,351 the street was boring, in comparison. 534 00:25:21,186 --> 00:25:23,480 And that's when they decided to blend the two 535 00:25:23,522 --> 00:25:25,357 and "Sesame Street" became 536 00:25:25,357 --> 00:25:26,983 New York City neighborhood that happens 537 00:25:27,025 --> 00:25:30,654 to have an 8-foot tall yellow bird walking around. 538 00:25:30,695 --> 00:25:33,365 [indistinct chatter] - [humming] 539 00:25:33,406 --> 00:25:35,325 - Hi, Big Bird. - Hey, Big Bird. 540 00:25:35,367 --> 00:25:37,160 - Hi, Susan. - You know what? 541 00:25:37,202 --> 00:25:42,207 - So we're shooting the show, and you see this ugly bird. 542 00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:44,334 - Good morning, Mr. Sooper. 543 00:25:44,376 --> 00:25:47,003 - Uh, Big Bird, Hooper, say Hooper. 544 00:25:47,045 --> 00:25:49,339 - And the first year... - Hooper. 545 00:25:49,381 --> 00:25:53,343 - Big Bird wasn't that good looking, you know? 546 00:25:53,385 --> 00:25:55,887 I remember thinking, "Who's going to watch this shit?" 547 00:25:55,887 --> 00:25:58,265 [laughing] 548 00:26:00,267 --> 00:26:02,936 [dynamic tones] 549 00:26:05,897 --> 00:26:07,732 - Public television in those days 550 00:26:07,774 --> 00:26:11,027 was largely on UHF channels. 551 00:26:11,069 --> 00:26:14,239 You really had to work with the set and move 552 00:26:14,239 --> 00:26:17,576 the antenna around and so on to get a clear picture. 553 00:26:17,617 --> 00:26:20,203 So, many people thought that we would not register 554 00:26:20,245 --> 00:26:22,872 a Nielsen number, 555 00:26:22,914 --> 00:26:25,083 that we would have too small an audience. 556 00:26:27,252 --> 00:26:31,423 Evelyn Davis led the community outreach work. 557 00:26:31,464 --> 00:26:33,425 We weren't so worried about reaching 558 00:26:33,466 --> 00:26:35,760 middle-class children, 559 00:26:35,802 --> 00:26:40,390 but we really, really wanted to reach inner-city kids, badly. 560 00:26:40,432 --> 00:26:47,397 It was hardly worth doing if we didn't reach them. 561 00:26:47,439 --> 00:26:49,899 - We hope that every child in the country watches it, 562 00:26:49,941 --> 00:26:52,068 but we do make a particular effort 563 00:26:52,110 --> 00:26:55,071 to be sure that children from minority communities 564 00:26:55,113 --> 00:26:57,616 and low-income communities watch the program. 565 00:27:01,286 --> 00:27:05,248 - So Evelyn worked to try to reach every parent, 566 00:27:05,290 --> 00:27:09,628 caretaker, YMCA, YWCA, 567 00:27:09,669 --> 00:27:14,257 churches, schools, daycare centers, 568 00:27:14,299 --> 00:27:16,259 any place we could find where we could say, 569 00:27:16,301 --> 00:27:18,762 "This show is coming." 570 00:27:18,803 --> 00:27:21,973 - We had done a lot of work to get the information out. 571 00:27:24,476 --> 00:27:27,437 But obviously we were on pins and needles 572 00:27:27,479 --> 00:27:29,147 before it went on the air. 573 00:27:33,318 --> 00:27:38,323 - There never has been before a nationwide TV program 574 00:27:38,323 --> 00:27:41,993 designed especially to help prepare young children 575 00:27:42,035 --> 00:27:44,329 for school. 576 00:27:44,371 --> 00:27:47,165 This week, there will be. 577 00:27:47,165 --> 00:27:50,126 [dynamic music playing] 578 00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:54,297 ♪ 579 00:27:54,339 --> 00:27:57,175 ["Sesame Street" theme plays] 580 00:27:57,175 --> 00:28:01,179 ♪ 581 00:28:01,221 --> 00:28:03,306 - ♪ Sunny day 582 00:28:03,348 --> 00:28:08,311 ♪ Sweepin' the clouds away 583 00:28:08,353 --> 00:28:13,525 ♪ On my way to where the air is sweet ♪ 584 00:28:13,525 --> 00:28:16,152 ♪ Can you tell me how to get 585 00:28:16,194 --> 00:28:18,988 ♪ How to get to Sesame Street? ♪ 586 00:28:19,030 --> 00:28:20,490 - When it went on the air, 587 00:28:20,532 --> 00:28:24,327 the phone started ringing off the wall. 588 00:28:24,369 --> 00:28:26,996 No one had ever seen anything like it. 589 00:28:27,038 --> 00:28:29,666 [percussive music building] 590 00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:34,212 ♪ 591 00:28:34,254 --> 00:28:36,506 - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 592 00:28:36,548 --> 00:28:38,717 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. 593 00:28:38,717 --> 00:28:42,011 - And there was an immense interest in the show. 594 00:28:42,053 --> 00:28:43,555 - A new children's program 595 00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:45,849 will make use of the commercial technique 596 00:28:45,890 --> 00:28:48,184 to acquaint the youngsters with the alphabet. 597 00:28:48,226 --> 00:28:50,687 The program is called "Sesame Street," 598 00:28:50,729 --> 00:28:55,233 and here is a message from one of its sponsors, the letter X. 599 00:28:55,233 --> 00:28:58,027 - This is an X. 600 00:28:58,069 --> 00:29:00,697 Even upside down, it's still an X. 601 00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:02,866 - This is near. - "Sesame Street" 602 00:29:02,907 --> 00:29:06,745 will be seen on more than 180 educational stations. 603 00:29:06,786 --> 00:29:09,080 - This is far! 604 00:29:09,080 --> 00:29:11,374 ♪ 605 00:29:11,416 --> 00:29:13,752 - The mysterious nose-snatcher. 606 00:29:13,752 --> 00:29:15,295 - No, I don't think so. 607 00:29:16,588 --> 00:29:17,756 - Two! 608 00:29:17,756 --> 00:29:19,424 [pop] 609 00:29:19,466 --> 00:29:22,761 - The mysterious nose-snatcher. 610 00:29:22,761 --> 00:29:27,557 - I remember when it came out. I was in college, 611 00:29:27,599 --> 00:29:29,434 and I walked into the student union 612 00:29:29,434 --> 00:29:32,103 and there on the screen was a very young, 613 00:29:32,145 --> 00:29:35,440 very bold James Earl Jones reciting the alphabet. "A!" 614 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:40,612 - A, B, C. 615 00:29:40,653 --> 00:29:42,781 - You know, he's so deliberate and the letters 616 00:29:42,822 --> 00:29:44,616 were flashing over his head, and I thought, 617 00:29:44,657 --> 00:29:47,076 "What is this weird thing on television?" 618 00:29:47,118 --> 00:29:48,745 - E. 619 00:29:48,787 --> 00:29:50,955 - I thought it was a show that taught lip-reading 620 00:29:50,955 --> 00:29:52,415 because he was being so deliberate. 621 00:29:52,457 --> 00:29:54,083 It was so odd. 622 00:29:54,125 --> 00:29:57,796 - Wanda had a pet weasel. - I'm a weasel. 623 00:29:57,796 --> 00:29:59,923 - Then they cut to an animation. 624 00:29:59,964 --> 00:30:02,300 It was something wild, I think "Wanda the Witch" or-- 625 00:30:02,342 --> 00:30:04,302 - Wanda the Witch lived 626 00:30:04,302 --> 00:30:07,138 somewhere west of Washington. 627 00:30:07,138 --> 00:30:10,141 - And then very slick singing... 628 00:30:10,141 --> 00:30:11,976 - One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... 629 00:30:12,018 --> 00:30:14,145 - About the number 10. 630 00:30:14,187 --> 00:30:16,147 - Seven, eight, nine, ten! 631 00:30:16,189 --> 00:30:18,274 - And college students were watching it. 632 00:30:18,316 --> 00:30:23,112 It was such a weird groundbreaking television show. 633 00:30:23,154 --> 00:30:26,491 - "Sesame Street," a unique experimental series. 634 00:30:28,660 --> 00:30:30,829 It's the first educational television show 635 00:30:30,870 --> 00:30:33,790 to compete with commercial programs for its audience. 636 00:30:33,832 --> 00:30:35,959 - Excuse me, sir. - What? 637 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,670 - What is your job in the neighborhood? 638 00:30:38,670 --> 00:30:41,506 - You're kidding me. - No, really, what's your job? 639 00:30:41,506 --> 00:30:44,843 - An elephant trainer. Look at me. I'm driving a bus. 640 00:30:44,884 --> 00:30:47,637 - Working on "Sesame Street," 641 00:30:47,679 --> 00:30:52,350 it was just a dream come true to fall into this job. 642 00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:55,144 ♪ Because a bus driver is a person in your neighborhood ♪ 643 00:30:55,186 --> 00:30:58,982 - ♪ In your neighborhood both: ♪ In your neighborhood 644 00:30:59,023 --> 00:31:02,819 - ♪ And the dentist is a person in your neighborhood ♪ 645 00:31:02,861 --> 00:31:04,529 - ♪ They're the people that you meet ♪ 646 00:31:04,571 --> 00:31:06,364 - ♪ When you're walking down the street ♪ 647 00:31:06,406 --> 00:31:09,534 - ♪ They're the people that you meet ♪ 648 00:31:09,576 --> 00:31:13,913 ♪ Each day 649 00:31:14,372 --> 00:31:15,999 - Open wide, please. 650 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,335 - Don't talk to the driver. Oh, there goes my bus! 651 00:31:19,377 --> 00:31:21,212 - "Tooth-thirty." 652 00:31:25,758 --> 00:31:27,719 - And the first year we toured 653 00:31:27,719 --> 00:31:30,054 some of the major cities in the country. 654 00:31:30,096 --> 00:31:33,850 [cheers and applause] 655 00:31:33,892 --> 00:31:37,520 And I remember Matt Robinson, who was the first Gordon. 656 00:31:37,562 --> 00:31:39,355 - Do all of you watch "Sesame Street"? 657 00:31:39,397 --> 00:31:40,523 all: Yeah! 658 00:31:40,565 --> 00:31:42,400 - Do all of you? 659 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,695 - He went out and sort of warmed the audience up. 660 00:31:45,737 --> 00:31:48,364 He came back and said "Geez, this is like Woodstock." 661 00:31:48,406 --> 00:31:52,368 [singer vocalizes] 662 00:31:52,410 --> 00:31:54,245 - I said, "Hi." 663 00:31:54,287 --> 00:31:56,539 - One, two, three. 664 00:31:56,581 --> 00:31:58,416 - ♪ "Sesame Street" 665 00:31:58,458 --> 00:32:00,418 - The most talked-about series of the '69 season 666 00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:02,712 has been out on the road checking up on its audience 667 00:32:02,754 --> 00:32:04,589 and has found nothing but love. 668 00:32:04,589 --> 00:32:09,260 - These kids know Susan, Gordon, Bob, 669 00:32:09,260 --> 00:32:11,095 Mr. Hooper and Big Bird 670 00:32:11,137 --> 00:32:13,264 as well as their parents know about Bob Dylan 671 00:32:13,306 --> 00:32:15,934 or Frank Sinatra. 672 00:32:15,934 --> 00:32:17,936 - It was a madhouse, so we got a feeling 673 00:32:17,977 --> 00:32:19,604 that the show was working. 674 00:32:19,604 --> 00:32:22,315 That was our first real connection with the audience. 675 00:32:23,775 --> 00:32:25,568 - Considering the adulation that 676 00:32:25,610 --> 00:32:27,904 the "Sesame Street" players received from the younger set, 677 00:32:27,946 --> 00:32:29,572 it was enough to make a TV newsman 678 00:32:29,614 --> 00:32:30,782 want to change his image. 679 00:32:30,782 --> 00:32:32,575 - One, two, three. 680 00:32:32,617 --> 00:32:34,285 - ♪ "Sesame Street" 681 00:32:34,285 --> 00:32:37,246 - A, B, C and... 682 00:32:37,288 --> 00:32:40,124 - ♪ "Sesame Street" 683 00:32:40,124 --> 00:32:44,629 - And I was stunned at the overwhelming support 684 00:32:44,629 --> 00:32:46,255 for what we were doing. 685 00:32:46,297 --> 00:32:50,134 It was like a swish of a hurricane 686 00:32:50,134 --> 00:32:52,929 coming in through a window. 687 00:32:52,971 --> 00:32:55,974 It was as if the world had been waiting for this. 688 00:32:56,015 --> 00:32:57,934 - I think "Sesame Street" is the greatest thing 689 00:32:57,976 --> 00:32:59,477 that ever happened in television. 690 00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:02,105 - Oh, yes, aren't they great? - You know? 691 00:33:02,146 --> 00:33:04,315 - ♪ Sesame Street 692 00:33:04,357 --> 00:33:06,943 - I'd advise three years old start watching "Sesame Street." 693 00:33:06,985 --> 00:33:08,820 I'd set up and watch it. You really can learn. 694 00:33:08,861 --> 00:33:10,947 It's cute the way they put them things together, 695 00:33:10,989 --> 00:33:12,824 and my little daughter watches it, 696 00:33:12,824 --> 00:33:15,118 and she's getting so smart. She knows everything about it. 697 00:33:15,159 --> 00:33:19,789 - ♪ Sesame--"Sesame Street" - It was amazing. 698 00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:22,792 - What's your feeling about what it does so well? 699 00:33:22,834 --> 00:33:24,961 - Well, I think the public was really ready 700 00:33:25,003 --> 00:33:26,295 for change in television, 701 00:33:26,337 --> 00:33:29,173 and we hit that, the crest of that wave, 702 00:33:29,173 --> 00:33:31,551 and children needed what we're providing. 703 00:33:34,178 --> 00:33:36,806 - Now for the award for children's programming. 704 00:33:36,848 --> 00:33:38,850 Let's see who the winner is: 705 00:33:38,891 --> 00:33:41,686 Jon Stone, Ray Sipherd, Dan Wilcox, Bruce Hart... 706 00:33:41,728 --> 00:33:43,146 [applause] 707 00:33:43,187 --> 00:33:45,523 - It was just one miracle after another. 708 00:33:46,858 --> 00:33:48,484 [cheers and applause] 709 00:33:48,526 --> 00:33:50,028 - Thank you. 710 00:33:50,028 --> 00:33:52,864 ["Sesame Street" theme song playing] 711 00:33:52,864 --> 00:33:55,533 ♪ 712 00:33:55,533 --> 00:33:58,661 - [whistling to the theme song] 713 00:33:58,703 --> 00:34:01,039 [cars honking] 714 00:34:04,542 --> 00:34:07,879 - Hey. Come on over. Glad you could make it. 715 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:11,716 This is a swinging sunny day on Sesame Street. 716 00:34:11,758 --> 00:34:15,845 - "Sesame Street" was just so big, and it was so popular. 717 00:34:15,887 --> 00:34:17,722 You know, back then, you say your dad is Gordon 718 00:34:17,764 --> 00:34:19,348 on "Sesame Street," 719 00:34:19,390 --> 00:34:21,350 you know what I mean, that's a big deal, 720 00:34:21,392 --> 00:34:23,895 right, really big deal 721 00:34:23,936 --> 00:34:27,732 because he was so well-known in this world of children. 722 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,236 - Hi. - Hi. 723 00:34:32,278 --> 00:34:35,573 - We looked in the TV. It still wasn't registering. 724 00:34:35,573 --> 00:34:37,575 Like, how'd he get in that box? 725 00:34:37,575 --> 00:34:39,077 - How did he get in the box? 726 00:34:39,118 --> 00:34:41,037 - You know, what's he doing there, 727 00:34:41,079 --> 00:34:42,872 and how come he's not stopping everything to say hi to us? 728 00:34:42,914 --> 00:34:44,916 - Sally, you've never seen a street like Sesame Street. 729 00:34:44,957 --> 00:34:47,085 Everything happens here. You're going to love it. 730 00:34:47,085 --> 00:34:49,712 - Yeah, and who's that little girl whose hand he's holding? 731 00:34:49,754 --> 00:34:50,922 - That's another problem. 732 00:34:50,963 --> 00:34:52,423 - Who is that little girl? 733 00:34:52,465 --> 00:34:53,758 - Oh, boy. - She's my age. 734 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:55,051 - Oh, boy. 735 00:34:55,093 --> 00:34:56,552 - And why is he holding her hand? 736 00:34:56,594 --> 00:34:58,930 - Breathe deeply. You're going to get through it. 737 00:35:00,932 --> 00:35:03,893 - Gordon! I want you to meet Gordon. 738 00:35:03,935 --> 00:35:06,062 - Oh, all right. All right. - Gordon! 739 00:35:06,104 --> 00:35:07,438 - Somebody say, "Mixed neighborhood"? 740 00:35:07,480 --> 00:35:09,232 - Oh, yeah. How you doing? 741 00:35:09,273 --> 00:35:10,566 It's nice to see you. - Okay. 742 00:35:10,608 --> 00:35:12,443 - Before he was on "Sesame Street," 743 00:35:12,485 --> 00:35:16,447 Matt was basically the Black Johnny Carson 744 00:35:16,447 --> 00:35:18,908 in Philadelphia. 745 00:35:18,950 --> 00:35:21,577 - This is "Black Book." I'm Matt Robinson, 746 00:35:21,619 --> 00:35:24,247 and we're going to continue right after this. 747 00:35:24,288 --> 00:35:26,249 - "Black Book." 748 00:35:26,290 --> 00:35:29,085 - That's how he began his television career. 749 00:35:29,127 --> 00:35:31,629 - "Angelitos negros"... - But that show... 750 00:35:31,629 --> 00:35:33,965 - Is Spanish for Black angels. 751 00:35:34,006 --> 00:35:37,426 - Was all about Black, 752 00:35:37,468 --> 00:35:41,764 and it made him just a little more serious 753 00:35:41,806 --> 00:35:44,767 about what the struggle was all about. 754 00:35:44,809 --> 00:35:47,645 Those were revolutionary times. 755 00:35:49,814 --> 00:35:54,152 And then Matt comes home one night 756 00:35:54,193 --> 00:35:59,824 and says he'd been contacted by Children's Television Workshop, 757 00:35:59,824 --> 00:36:02,952 and they wanted him as a writer. 758 00:36:02,994 --> 00:36:06,831 And then they wanted him to be on camera. 759 00:36:06,873 --> 00:36:12,461 He was going to be interacting with people and Muppets. 760 00:36:12,503 --> 00:36:18,342 But where does Mr. Black fit into this kiddie show? 761 00:36:18,342 --> 00:36:24,307 They sold him on what this show could become, 762 00:36:24,348 --> 00:36:27,143 something revolutionary. 763 00:36:27,185 --> 00:36:30,021 - Hey, Gordon! Come on over! - Yeah. Got my whole gang here. 764 00:36:30,062 --> 00:36:31,856 - Groovy. - Give me something, Odetta. 765 00:36:31,898 --> 00:36:35,026 - ♪ Hammer in the morning - All right. 766 00:36:35,026 --> 00:36:37,195 - ♪ Hammer in the evening - [clapping along] 767 00:36:37,236 --> 00:36:39,155 - ♪ All over this land 768 00:36:39,197 --> 00:36:40,865 - Mm-hmm. 769 00:36:40,865 --> 00:36:44,994 - We felt we could demonstrate things very subtlety 770 00:36:45,036 --> 00:36:46,537 that were really important. 771 00:36:46,579 --> 00:36:49,040 - 13. - 13. 772 00:36:49,081 --> 00:36:51,500 - 14! - 14. 773 00:36:51,542 --> 00:36:54,212 - So, of course, there was the cognitive stuff, 774 00:36:54,253 --> 00:36:57,882 numbers, letters, all those things, 775 00:36:57,924 --> 00:37:01,010 but equally important, maybe even more important, 776 00:37:01,052 --> 00:37:03,721 was the fact that Sesame was a neighborhood 777 00:37:03,721 --> 00:37:09,518 where people of all races, kids and adults and monsters... 778 00:37:09,560 --> 00:37:10,728 - Hi, Mr. Looper. What you doing? 779 00:37:10,770 --> 00:37:12,897 - Hooper, Hooper. - Hooper. 780 00:37:12,897 --> 00:37:14,523 - Live together. 781 00:37:14,565 --> 00:37:16,692 [overlapping chatter] - I love that ice-cream store. 782 00:37:16,734 --> 00:37:19,237 - ♪ If I had a song - If I had a song. 783 00:37:19,278 --> 00:37:21,405 - ♪ I'd sing it in the morning ♪ 784 00:37:21,447 --> 00:37:24,408 - ♪ Sing it in the morning - ♪ Sing it in the evening 785 00:37:24,450 --> 00:37:26,702 - ♪ Sing it in the evening - Jon Stone, now that 786 00:37:26,744 --> 00:37:28,579 "Sesame Street" is into its second season, 787 00:37:28,579 --> 00:37:31,916 what has been the impact of the special things 788 00:37:31,958 --> 00:37:34,418 that you've done, the integrated cast, 789 00:37:34,418 --> 00:37:36,087 as you've seen it? 790 00:37:36,128 --> 00:37:39,090 - It really speaks for itself on the air. 791 00:37:39,131 --> 00:37:42,426 We've never beaten that horse to death by talking about it. 792 00:37:42,468 --> 00:37:44,553 We simply show it. 793 00:37:44,595 --> 00:37:47,598 - ♪ It's the hammer of justice ♪ 794 00:37:47,598 --> 00:37:49,892 ♪ The bell of freedom 795 00:37:49,934 --> 00:37:52,561 ♪ A song about love 796 00:37:52,603 --> 00:37:54,230 ♪ For all of my brothers 797 00:37:54,272 --> 00:37:59,944 ♪ All over the land 798 00:37:59,944 --> 00:38:02,905 [somber music] 799 00:38:02,947 --> 00:38:06,951 ♪ 800 00:38:06,951 --> 00:38:09,954 - This million-dollar public television facility 801 00:38:09,996 --> 00:38:12,957 located in the affluent white suburbs of Jackson 802 00:38:12,957 --> 00:38:16,294 is broadcasting five hours a day, 803 00:38:16,294 --> 00:38:19,338 mostly film and tape programs produced in the North. 804 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:25,970 But "Sesame Street" is not on the air. 805 00:38:25,970 --> 00:38:28,472 Some who saw it apparently disliked the number 806 00:38:28,472 --> 00:38:30,433 of Black performers. 807 00:38:30,474 --> 00:38:32,768 - Mrs. Cooney, what is your reaction? 808 00:38:32,810 --> 00:38:34,270 - There's no question 809 00:38:34,312 --> 00:38:35,646 that we're integrated, 810 00:38:35,688 --> 00:38:37,315 and we reflect to some degree 811 00:38:37,315 --> 00:38:38,983 inner city, I would say, 812 00:38:38,983 --> 00:38:40,985 Black inner city life, 813 00:38:41,027 --> 00:38:43,154 and we're very proud of that. 814 00:38:43,195 --> 00:38:44,447 I mean, if that's our worst sin, 815 00:38:44,488 --> 00:38:47,450 I'm happy to be a sinner. 816 00:38:47,491 --> 00:38:48,993 - Is there anything about "Sesame Street" 817 00:38:48,993 --> 00:38:50,453 which would make it not fit 818 00:38:50,494 --> 00:38:52,330 the needs of people in Mississippi? 819 00:38:53,664 --> 00:38:55,666 - Uh, 820 00:38:55,666 --> 00:38:58,461 "Sesame Street" was considered along with the other ones. 821 00:38:58,502 --> 00:39:00,296 For instance, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" 822 00:39:00,338 --> 00:39:02,006 uses puppets in a different way. 823 00:39:02,048 --> 00:39:03,841 It's a quiet program. 824 00:39:03,883 --> 00:39:06,302 - Give me some help here. Tell me, "Sesame Street," 825 00:39:06,344 --> 00:39:07,803 it is integrated racially, isn't it? 826 00:39:07,845 --> 00:39:09,138 - Yes. 827 00:39:09,180 --> 00:39:10,473 - Do you think that had anything to do 828 00:39:10,514 --> 00:39:12,641 with the tabling, if that's what we can call it 829 00:39:12,683 --> 00:39:13,976 accurately, of "Sesame Street" 830 00:39:14,018 --> 00:39:15,686 for the fact that it heavily integrated 831 00:39:15,728 --> 00:39:20,649 that there is a Black father figure in the program? 832 00:39:20,691 --> 00:39:25,154 - That's an extremely difficult question for me to answer. 833 00:39:25,196 --> 00:39:27,156 If the people want it, they'll let us know. 834 00:39:27,198 --> 00:39:30,159 If they don't, they'll let us know. 835 00:39:30,201 --> 00:39:34,038 - Okay. Jimmy, do you like "Sesame Street"? 836 00:39:34,038 --> 00:39:36,165 - I like it quite a bit. 837 00:39:36,207 --> 00:39:37,833 - Do you like it better than other programs, 838 00:39:37,875 --> 00:39:40,002 or is there something else you like better? 839 00:39:40,044 --> 00:39:42,880 - I like that the best. 840 00:39:42,922 --> 00:39:44,882 - What do you learn there? 841 00:39:44,882 --> 00:39:46,550 - ABCs. 842 00:39:48,094 --> 00:39:50,888 - Mississippi is one of the poorest states. 843 00:39:50,888 --> 00:39:53,682 Many children, Black and white, never see a book 844 00:39:53,724 --> 00:39:56,060 until they start first grade. 845 00:39:56,102 --> 00:39:58,020 - We're making an attempt to persuade 846 00:39:58,062 --> 00:40:00,231 the Educational Television Commission 847 00:40:00,231 --> 00:40:02,233 to consider carrying this program-- 848 00:40:02,233 --> 00:40:05,903 - A man that was running a commercial station in Jackson 849 00:40:05,945 --> 00:40:07,363 put it on. 850 00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:09,240 - If it is not scheduled, 851 00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:10,908 then our station and others in the state 852 00:40:10,950 --> 00:40:12,910 are making plans to do so. 853 00:40:14,412 --> 00:40:15,913 - Good? 854 00:40:18,916 --> 00:40:20,543 - Rolling. 855 00:40:20,584 --> 00:40:22,545 - So while the politicians continue to squabble 856 00:40:22,586 --> 00:40:24,046 over "Sesame Street"... 857 00:40:24,088 --> 00:40:25,256 - Quiet! 858 00:40:27,425 --> 00:40:29,427 - Thousands of Mississippi schoolchildren 859 00:40:29,468 --> 00:40:32,763 are watching the program on commercial stations 860 00:40:32,763 --> 00:40:35,433 whether the officials who control educational TV 861 00:40:35,474 --> 00:40:37,101 here like it or not. 862 00:40:39,103 --> 00:40:42,106 - Eventually Mississippi Public TV 863 00:40:42,148 --> 00:40:43,774 put it back on the air. 864 00:40:43,816 --> 00:40:46,569 [indistinct chatter] 865 00:40:46,610 --> 00:40:50,114 which shows you that all this maybe made a difference. 866 00:40:51,490 --> 00:40:53,284 [device beeps] 867 00:40:53,284 --> 00:40:56,120 - Okay. Anytime. 868 00:40:56,162 --> 00:41:00,082 - I just want you to repeat after me each time, okay? 869 00:41:00,124 --> 00:41:01,417 - Okay. - All right. 870 00:41:01,459 --> 00:41:03,252 Here we go. I am. 871 00:41:03,294 --> 00:41:05,296 children: I am. - Somebody. 872 00:41:05,337 --> 00:41:06,964 children: Somebody. - I am. 873 00:41:07,006 --> 00:41:08,591 children: I am. - Somebody. 874 00:41:08,632 --> 00:41:10,468 children: Somebody. - I may be young. 875 00:41:10,509 --> 00:41:12,428 children: I may be young. - But I am. 876 00:41:12,470 --> 00:41:13,971 - But I am. children: Somebody. 877 00:41:14,013 --> 00:41:15,764 children: Somebody. - I may be small. 878 00:41:15,806 --> 00:41:17,766 children: I may be small. - But I am. 879 00:41:17,808 --> 00:41:19,602 children: But I am. - Somebody. 880 00:41:19,643 --> 00:41:21,812 children: Somebody. - I can change the world. 881 00:41:21,854 --> 00:41:23,481 children: I can change the world. 882 00:41:23,481 --> 00:41:25,149 - I am. children: I am. 883 00:41:25,191 --> 00:41:27,151 - I am! children: I am. 884 00:41:27,193 --> 00:41:28,819 - I am. children: I am. 885 00:41:28,819 --> 00:41:30,279 - Somebody. children: Somebody. 886 00:41:30,321 --> 00:41:31,322 - We are beautiful. 887 00:41:31,363 --> 00:41:32,615 children: We are beautiful. 888 00:41:32,656 --> 00:41:34,492 - Beautiful children will grow up. 889 00:41:34,492 --> 00:41:36,619 children: Beautiful children will grow up. 890 00:41:36,660 --> 00:41:38,454 - And make the whole world beautiful. 891 00:41:38,496 --> 00:41:40,956 children: And make the whole world beautiful. 892 00:41:40,998 --> 00:41:42,833 - Right on. children: Right on. 893 00:41:42,875 --> 00:41:44,001 - [laughs] 894 00:41:46,378 --> 00:41:50,508 - [indistinct] And mark it. 895 00:41:50,549 --> 00:41:52,968 - What? What is it? 896 00:41:53,010 --> 00:41:56,514 Hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm. 897 00:41:56,514 --> 00:41:57,806 - What are those? 898 00:41:57,848 --> 00:41:59,308 - Well, these are questions, Bert, 899 00:41:59,350 --> 00:42:00,976 questions that we're supposed to answer. 900 00:42:01,018 --> 00:42:02,478 - Oh. Oh. 901 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:04,980 - You ready, ready to answer a question, Bert? 902 00:42:05,022 --> 00:42:06,357 - Yeah. Why do we have to answer questions? 903 00:42:06,398 --> 00:42:07,816 - I don't know. 904 00:42:07,858 --> 00:42:09,527 I was given this paper that has questions on it, 905 00:42:09,568 --> 00:42:11,320 and it says, "Answer these questions." 906 00:42:11,362 --> 00:42:13,197 - Okay. - So listen to this. 907 00:42:13,197 --> 00:42:15,741 - Okay. - Are you two best friends? 908 00:42:18,369 --> 00:42:22,331 - Why, yes. We're good buddies until he starts something. 909 00:42:22,373 --> 00:42:24,708 - That's true. Me and my old buddy, Bert, 910 00:42:24,750 --> 00:42:26,710 we are close friends, Bert and I. 911 00:42:26,752 --> 00:42:28,337 - We are. We're the best of friends. 912 00:42:28,379 --> 00:42:29,880 - Yes. - What was that? 913 00:42:29,922 --> 00:42:31,215 - What was what? 914 00:42:31,257 --> 00:42:33,509 - You just-- Your hand went like that. 915 00:42:33,551 --> 00:42:35,553 - Oh, I-- - See. That's what I mean. 916 00:42:35,594 --> 00:42:37,179 We're good friends until he starts something. 917 00:42:37,221 --> 00:42:38,389 - I didn't start anything, Bert. 918 00:42:38,430 --> 00:42:41,559 - Yeah. - Didn't start anything. 919 00:42:41,600 --> 00:42:45,104 Okay. Next question, do you all ever argue? 920 00:42:48,732 --> 00:42:53,237 - Jim Henson, Frank Oz are super puppeteers, 921 00:42:53,237 --> 00:42:54,738 and the Muppets are unquestionably 922 00:42:54,738 --> 00:42:56,532 the stars of the show, 923 00:42:56,574 --> 00:42:59,076 and Bert's my all-time favorite. 924 00:42:59,118 --> 00:43:01,704 - What are some advantages of having a roommate? 925 00:43:01,745 --> 00:43:04,081 - I suppose the main advantage is if you wanted 926 00:43:04,081 --> 00:43:06,041 to mess up the place, you wouldn't have to do it 927 00:43:06,083 --> 00:43:08,252 because your roommate always does it. 928 00:43:08,252 --> 00:43:10,254 - Frank throws himself into the characters 929 00:43:10,254 --> 00:43:12,214 so thoroughly that you just... 930 00:43:12,256 --> 00:43:15,968 You believe Bert as much as if he were Sir Laurence Olivier. 931 00:43:17,261 --> 00:43:18,387 - [sighs] 932 00:43:18,429 --> 00:43:19,722 Are we finished? 933 00:43:19,763 --> 00:43:21,599 - Yeah, that's the last question. 934 00:43:21,599 --> 00:43:22,933 - Okay. - Matter of fact, 935 00:43:22,933 --> 00:43:25,060 there's nothing written on this anyhow. 936 00:43:25,102 --> 00:43:27,271 I made those up, Bert. 937 00:43:29,940 --> 00:43:31,775 - You what? - [laughs] 938 00:43:31,817 --> 00:43:34,570 - You're supposed to go-- [laughter] 939 00:43:34,612 --> 00:43:37,114 - Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, 940 00:43:37,114 --> 00:43:41,785 Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, these are just comedy teams, 941 00:43:41,827 --> 00:43:44,121 and Jim and Frank were a comedy team. 942 00:43:44,163 --> 00:43:47,124 [upbeat music] 943 00:43:47,166 --> 00:43:50,127 - We've worked together as a pair for 12, 13 years now. 944 00:43:50,127 --> 00:43:52,588 - Too long. - Too long. 945 00:43:52,630 --> 00:43:54,131 - We dislike each other tensely, 946 00:43:54,173 --> 00:43:56,634 which is why we can work so well together. 947 00:43:56,675 --> 00:43:58,469 - There's kind of a little bit of love/hate there. 948 00:43:58,469 --> 00:43:59,970 [laughter] 949 00:44:00,012 --> 00:44:01,138 - And you two really don't 950 00:44:01,180 --> 00:44:02,598 agree with each other on anything. 951 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:03,974 - Oh, on some things, yes. - Oh. 952 00:44:03,974 --> 00:44:05,309 Not on all things. - No. 953 00:44:05,309 --> 00:44:06,644 - Well, not on many things. - Or was. 954 00:44:06,644 --> 00:44:09,647 - Two things. [laughter] 955 00:44:09,647 --> 00:44:12,107 - They weren't even what I would call best friends 956 00:44:12,149 --> 00:44:14,151 away from the set. 957 00:44:14,151 --> 00:44:15,986 You know, Jim had five children, 958 00:44:16,028 --> 00:44:17,488 and Frank was single 959 00:44:17,529 --> 00:44:20,658 and, you know, completely different lives. 960 00:44:20,699 --> 00:44:22,618 - Bert, why don't you loan him your scarf? 961 00:44:22,660 --> 00:44:24,620 - Be nice of you if you pulled the scarf. 962 00:44:24,662 --> 00:44:26,955 - But there was incredible chemistry. 963 00:44:26,997 --> 00:44:28,707 - [silly whoosh noise] 964 00:44:29,667 --> 00:44:31,126 - Maybe you'd loan him your scarf. 965 00:44:31,168 --> 00:44:32,503 - Ah! 966 00:44:32,503 --> 00:44:34,129 Ernie. 967 00:44:34,171 --> 00:44:37,800 - Honestly, to be on the set watching this dynamic 968 00:44:37,841 --> 00:44:40,177 between this two guys, it was magic. 969 00:44:42,721 --> 00:44:44,640 [squeaking] - Ah! Ah! Ah! 970 00:44:44,682 --> 00:44:46,850 - [snickering] Hi, Bert. 971 00:44:46,892 --> 00:44:49,520 - Ernie. [laughter] 972 00:44:49,561 --> 00:44:51,146 - What a drive. 973 00:44:51,188 --> 00:44:55,025 - Before I became a puppeteer, 974 00:44:55,025 --> 00:44:57,695 I was an unemployed actress in New York. 975 00:44:59,196 --> 00:45:02,032 There was an ad in Backstage 976 00:45:02,032 --> 00:45:05,536 saying that Jim Henson was looking to train puppeteers. 977 00:45:07,246 --> 00:45:10,207 The guys had been doing female characters, 978 00:45:10,249 --> 00:45:11,875 and it was hysterical 979 00:45:11,875 --> 00:45:13,711 because they were doing them in falsetto. 980 00:45:13,752 --> 00:45:15,504 - Sky. - It's not? 981 00:45:15,546 --> 00:45:18,173 - No, that's Wanda the Witch. 982 00:45:18,215 --> 00:45:22,886 - And I think they started feeling a little pressure 983 00:45:22,928 --> 00:45:25,347 about how they should hire a real female 984 00:45:25,389 --> 00:45:27,224 to do these characters. 985 00:45:27,224 --> 00:45:30,894 I mean, I'd never played with a puppet in my life, 986 00:45:30,894 --> 00:45:33,897 but it was better than modeling bras at Lady Marlene, 987 00:45:33,939 --> 00:45:35,858 which was one of my other jobs. 988 00:45:35,899 --> 00:45:38,026 - Stand by, rehearsal. 989 00:45:38,068 --> 00:45:43,073 - Okay and theme. 990 00:45:43,115 --> 00:45:49,079 - So the whole idea is to make this piece of felt and fuzz 991 00:45:49,079 --> 00:45:51,915 react and move 992 00:45:51,957 --> 00:45:57,546 and look like a person, like a real thing. 993 00:45:57,588 --> 00:45:59,423 - ♪ Exercise, we just gonna work it out ♪ 994 00:45:59,465 --> 00:46:02,593 - And it's so, so hard to do. 995 00:46:02,593 --> 00:46:05,929 Not only are you keeping the character alive, 996 00:46:05,929 --> 00:46:10,058 but you are looking at a monitor that's on the floor 997 00:46:10,100 --> 00:46:11,769 - All right, hold on. 998 00:46:11,810 --> 00:46:13,729 - Because that's how you see what you're doing. 999 00:46:13,771 --> 00:46:16,565 You're not watching the camera. You're looking down here, 1000 00:46:16,607 --> 00:46:21,612 so it's multitasking like you wouldn't believe. 1001 00:46:21,612 --> 00:46:22,905 - Okay. Then we'll... 1002 00:46:22,946 --> 00:46:24,740 - Using the television monitor, 1003 00:46:24,782 --> 00:46:26,950 you can perform 1004 00:46:26,992 --> 00:46:31,455 and see your performance exactly as the audience does. 1005 00:46:31,497 --> 00:46:33,457 - Right, Bert? Bert? 1006 00:46:33,499 --> 00:46:35,959 - This is unique in the performance field. 1007 00:46:36,001 --> 00:46:38,253 I mean, no other actor can ever see their performance 1008 00:46:38,295 --> 00:46:39,755 at the same time they're doing it. 1009 00:46:39,797 --> 00:46:42,132 - Bert? He's sleeping. 1010 00:46:42,174 --> 00:46:43,801 Well, I don't mind if he's sleeping. 1011 00:46:43,801 --> 00:46:46,595 - As we're performing, we're also framing the shots 1012 00:46:46,637 --> 00:46:48,639 in such a way that it feels 1013 00:46:48,639 --> 00:46:51,141 like these things are totally dimensional. 1014 00:46:51,183 --> 00:46:53,310 - Now where is he this time? 1015 00:46:53,310 --> 00:46:56,146 He knew he was supposed to be here. 1016 00:46:56,146 --> 00:46:59,983 Roosevelt Franklin. Roosevelt Franklin. 1017 00:46:59,983 --> 00:47:02,653 - Roosevelt Franklin is whom-- is who--who is he? 1018 00:47:02,694 --> 00:47:05,823 - He is a Black Muppet created 1019 00:47:05,823 --> 00:47:09,326 by the man who plays Gordon, Matt Robinson. 1020 00:47:09,368 --> 00:47:12,830 - ♪ Roosevelt Franklin, what you say? ♪ 1021 00:47:12,830 --> 00:47:17,125 - ♪ You know the very first letter is the letter A ♪ 1022 00:47:17,167 --> 00:47:20,128 - ♪ What more can you tell me 1023 00:47:20,170 --> 00:47:21,797 - ♪ I know the very next letter is... ♪ 1024 00:47:21,839 --> 00:47:23,465 - Roosevelt was very specific. 1025 00:47:23,507 --> 00:47:24,967 - Roosevelt was a Black kid. 1026 00:47:25,008 --> 00:47:27,678 - He was a Black kid in a classroom telling you 1027 00:47:27,678 --> 00:47:30,472 that learning was cool, and if you weren't down 1028 00:47:30,514 --> 00:47:32,683 with that, couldn't hang out with him. 1029 00:47:32,683 --> 00:47:34,184 - Yeah, 'cause you wanted-- 1030 00:47:34,184 --> 00:47:35,477 everyone wanted to hang with Roosevelt Franklin 1031 00:47:35,519 --> 00:47:37,688 because he had the flavor, you know. 1032 00:47:39,565 --> 00:47:43,318 [overlapping chatter] 1033 00:47:43,360 --> 00:47:46,655 - I don't know what's wrong with everybody, 1034 00:47:46,697 --> 00:47:50,158 but when I come in, I want some action. 1035 00:47:50,200 --> 00:47:51,702 - Action? 1036 00:47:51,702 --> 00:47:55,163 - I think Matt created Roosevelt Franklin 1037 00:47:55,205 --> 00:47:57,332 because he was tired of pretending 1038 00:47:57,374 --> 00:48:00,711 that everybody blended in together. 1039 00:48:00,711 --> 00:48:03,839 He loved the message of "Sesame Street," 1040 00:48:03,881 --> 00:48:07,509 but he wanted children of color 1041 00:48:07,551 --> 00:48:10,053 to be recognized as children of color 1042 00:48:10,053 --> 00:48:12,180 because in real life 1043 00:48:12,222 --> 00:48:15,893 those children knew they were different. 1044 00:48:15,934 --> 00:48:19,229 They knew they were brown, so why couldn't they be brown? 1045 00:48:19,271 --> 00:48:22,566 Why couldn't their difference be recognized? 1046 00:48:22,566 --> 00:48:25,402 - You are free when you are walking and talking, 1047 00:48:25,444 --> 00:48:29,364 and tell everybody I am great when the sun comes up. 1048 00:48:29,406 --> 00:48:30,699 - Yeah! 1049 00:48:30,741 --> 00:48:33,035 - I am great when the sun go down. 1050 00:48:33,076 --> 00:48:34,411 - All right, Roosevelt! - Sun up. 1051 00:48:34,453 --> 00:48:35,704 - Yeah! - Sun down. 1052 00:48:35,746 --> 00:48:37,039 - Yeah! 1053 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:38,749 - Nobody's ever going to put me down. 1054 00:48:38,749 --> 00:48:41,084 - All right, Roosevelt! 1055 00:48:42,753 --> 00:48:46,089 - But there were a lot of Black parents 1056 00:48:46,089 --> 00:48:48,383 that really complained to "Sesame Street" 1057 00:48:48,425 --> 00:48:49,760 that they didn't like Roosevelt. 1058 00:48:49,801 --> 00:48:51,887 - Letter-writing campaign, they went after him. 1059 00:48:51,929 --> 00:48:53,805 - Yeah, yeah, they did go after Roosevelt. 1060 00:48:56,099 --> 00:49:00,896 - They did not want to be reminded of this character 1061 00:49:00,938 --> 00:49:05,901 who sang in dialect and talked Black. 1062 00:49:05,943 --> 00:49:08,111 - Uh-oh. Check out, Roosevelt. 1063 00:49:08,153 --> 00:49:10,614 - Something must be up. - Yeah. 1064 00:49:12,824 --> 00:49:15,953 - And then Roosevelt disappeared. 1065 00:49:15,953 --> 00:49:18,288 He just disappeared. 1066 00:49:18,330 --> 00:49:23,001 For Matt, Roosevelt Franklin represented truth. 1067 00:49:24,628 --> 00:49:26,296 He knew they meant well, 1068 00:49:26,296 --> 00:49:28,799 but it was the beginning of the end for him. 1069 00:49:30,842 --> 00:49:34,471 And then he left "Sesame Street." 1070 00:49:42,187 --> 00:49:45,107 ["Sesame Street" theme song playing] 1071 00:49:45,148 --> 00:49:48,485 ♪ 1072 00:49:48,485 --> 00:49:49,653 - Morning. - [yawns] 1073 00:49:49,695 --> 00:49:51,154 Hi, morning, Zoe. How are you? 1074 00:49:52,489 --> 00:49:53,657 - Oh, hey, Gordon. - Hey, Bob. 1075 00:49:53,699 --> 00:49:55,158 - Hey. How you doing? - How you doing? 1076 00:49:55,158 --> 00:49:56,326 - Hey, that was a great time at your place last night. 1077 00:49:56,326 --> 00:49:57,661 - Yeah, wasn't it? 1078 00:49:57,703 --> 00:49:59,329 - I took over the role of Gordon, 1079 00:49:59,329 --> 00:50:01,957 and working on the show was wonderful. 1080 00:50:01,999 --> 00:50:06,003 It had that sense of, you know, 1081 00:50:06,003 --> 00:50:10,507 both serious intent and joy. 1082 00:50:10,549 --> 00:50:13,301 - Yes. - Hi, Forgetful. 1083 00:50:13,343 --> 00:50:16,346 - Oh, hi, Bertram. - Gordon. 1084 00:50:16,388 --> 00:50:17,848 - Gordon? - Gordon. 1085 00:50:17,848 --> 00:50:21,018 - Oh, yeah, Bertram is your wife's name. 1086 00:50:21,059 --> 00:50:22,853 - No, no, no. Her name is Susan. 1087 00:50:22,853 --> 00:50:25,647 - Spontaneity and fun and zany. 1088 00:50:25,689 --> 00:50:27,315 - No. No. Yeah, Susan, of course. 1089 00:50:27,357 --> 00:50:31,194 - And it always respected the children. 1090 00:50:31,194 --> 00:50:35,699 Children were never talked down to on "Sesame Street." 1091 00:50:35,699 --> 00:50:37,701 - Hey. You know something? I'm tired now. 1092 00:50:37,701 --> 00:50:40,203 I think I'm going to go on a coffee break. 1093 00:50:40,203 --> 00:50:41,705 Will you do me a favor? 1094 00:50:41,747 --> 00:50:43,665 Answer the teléfono for me? 1095 00:50:43,707 --> 00:50:45,042 And if they don't speak English, 1096 00:50:45,083 --> 00:50:46,710 you know, [speaks Spanish]. 1097 00:50:46,710 --> 00:50:48,712 - It was very difficult at that time 1098 00:50:48,754 --> 00:50:50,547 to find meaningful work 1099 00:50:50,589 --> 00:50:53,383 as Latino actors, you know? 1100 00:50:53,425 --> 00:50:55,886 I don't remember ever reading for any kind 1101 00:50:55,886 --> 00:50:58,055 of a positive character. 1102 00:50:58,055 --> 00:50:59,723 The only roles that I could find 1103 00:50:59,723 --> 00:51:03,518 were gang members or drug addicts. 1104 00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:06,688 I realized I had gotten a role on television 1105 00:51:06,730 --> 00:51:10,734 that was a role of a Latino, Mexican-American, 1106 00:51:10,734 --> 00:51:13,403 who was like a regular person. 1107 00:51:13,445 --> 00:51:14,738 - Hey, Mack. - Luis. 1108 00:51:14,738 --> 00:51:16,364 - You got a mango? - Have I got a mango? 1109 00:51:16,406 --> 00:51:18,241 - He was part of the neighborhood. 1110 00:51:18,241 --> 00:51:21,078 He had his own business. 1111 00:51:21,119 --> 00:51:23,038 - Maria. - What is it? 1112 00:51:23,080 --> 00:51:24,581 - I got to go out for a few minutes. 1113 00:51:24,623 --> 00:51:27,417 - It was a role that hadn't been shown before. 1114 00:51:27,417 --> 00:51:28,919 [phone ringing] 1115 00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:32,923 - It was Jon Stone who cast me as Maria. 1116 00:51:32,923 --> 00:51:34,382 Hello, Fix-it Shop. 1117 00:51:34,424 --> 00:51:36,259 And I think he was looking for someone 1118 00:51:36,301 --> 00:51:38,220 who was unpolished and raw, 1119 00:51:38,261 --> 00:51:42,099 and, boy, was I unpolished and raw. 1120 00:51:42,099 --> 00:51:44,392 - You can't take a pretty picture with a shiny nose. 1121 00:51:44,434 --> 00:51:47,062 - I remember one day I was all made up, 1122 00:51:47,104 --> 00:51:49,064 and Jon grabbed me off the set 1123 00:51:49,106 --> 00:51:51,566 and dragged me into the makeup room, 1124 00:51:51,608 --> 00:51:53,110 and he says to the makeup artist, 1125 00:51:53,151 --> 00:51:56,905 "I go through all the trouble of hiring a real person, 1126 00:51:56,947 --> 00:52:00,951 and you make her up to look like a Kewpie doll?" 1127 00:52:03,787 --> 00:52:06,289 And I saw it as a political show 1128 00:52:06,289 --> 00:52:10,085 because of the diversity of the cast that was unheard of 1129 00:52:10,127 --> 00:52:13,255 and because we would have seminars with activists, 1130 00:52:13,296 --> 00:52:15,924 and they would say, "You people are doing this, 1131 00:52:15,966 --> 00:52:18,760 and you're not showing us like we really are," 1132 00:52:18,802 --> 00:52:20,637 and La Leche League, you know, 1133 00:52:20,679 --> 00:52:24,099 "Why aren't you showing nursing on 'Sesame Street'?" 1134 00:52:24,141 --> 00:52:27,144 - What you doing, Buffy? - I'm feeding the baby. 1135 00:52:27,144 --> 00:52:29,146 See, he's drinking milk from my breast. 1136 00:52:29,146 --> 00:52:30,772 - It was fantastic, 1137 00:52:30,814 --> 00:52:33,650 and we would, you know, cultivate that. 1138 00:52:33,650 --> 00:52:35,277 - When you're growing up and you don't see yourself 1139 00:52:35,318 --> 00:52:36,945 in the media, 1140 00:52:36,987 --> 00:52:39,156 then you get the feeling that you don't exist, see, 1141 00:52:39,197 --> 00:52:41,491 and that's when you start feeling that you're not part 1142 00:52:41,533 --> 00:52:44,161 of this society, of this culture. 1143 00:52:44,161 --> 00:52:47,831 Television has so much power of doing that. 1144 00:52:47,831 --> 00:52:50,125 - I had a great deal of influence 1145 00:52:50,167 --> 00:52:52,335 in the creation of Maria. 1146 00:52:52,377 --> 00:52:55,463 [both speaking Spanish] 1147 00:52:55,505 --> 00:53:00,468 - And Jon let me know that by rehearsing a script with me 1148 00:53:00,510 --> 00:53:03,138 and then saying, "Would you really talk like that?" 1149 00:53:03,180 --> 00:53:06,183 And I'd say, "Well, no, actually I'd say it like this." 1150 00:53:06,183 --> 00:53:09,019 Of course, the writer is pulling his hair out but-- 1151 00:53:09,019 --> 00:53:11,313 - Do I carry the letter? - You don't have to. 1152 00:53:11,354 --> 00:53:12,355 No, she will carry it. 1153 00:53:14,691 --> 00:53:17,527 - Say, Big Bird, somebody wants to take your picture. 1154 00:53:17,569 --> 00:53:19,196 - Oh, boy. 1155 00:53:19,237 --> 00:53:24,492 Well, which side, my left side or my right side? 1156 00:53:24,534 --> 00:53:26,870 You're it. Tag. 1157 00:53:26,912 --> 00:53:28,705 - Big Bird could walk on 1158 00:53:28,705 --> 00:53:31,374 without a puppeteer being seen, 1159 00:53:31,416 --> 00:53:34,211 and that's because I'm inside. 1160 00:53:34,211 --> 00:53:35,837 And the puppet would be lowered down over me 1161 00:53:35,879 --> 00:53:37,839 and I'd go in through the bottom 1162 00:53:37,881 --> 00:53:42,010 and put my hand up in the head and operate the head like that. 1163 00:53:42,052 --> 00:53:43,386 - Oh, well, then where will I live? 1164 00:53:43,428 --> 00:53:44,888 - Oh, don't worry about that. 1165 00:53:44,888 --> 00:53:46,681 You'll have a house all your own. 1166 00:53:46,723 --> 00:53:48,058 Here's a lovely... 1167 00:53:48,099 --> 00:53:50,060 - His head was very elaborate. 1168 00:53:52,062 --> 00:53:54,397 The thumb was in the bottom part of the beak. 1169 00:53:54,439 --> 00:53:58,026 When they say, "Action," I come alive. 1170 00:53:58,068 --> 00:54:01,363 And there were all kinds of little gears inside his eyes 1171 00:54:01,404 --> 00:54:03,531 that I could move with my little finger. 1172 00:54:03,573 --> 00:54:05,909 That's the only finger I could spare. 1173 00:54:05,909 --> 00:54:07,535 - Ooh, ah, ooh, oh, 1174 00:54:07,577 --> 00:54:11,373 you silly door, right in my way. Hmm. 1175 00:54:11,414 --> 00:54:13,750 - Originally, Big Bird was supposed to be kind of 1176 00:54:13,792 --> 00:54:16,419 a big dumb, goofy guy. 1177 00:54:16,419 --> 00:54:17,754 - Whoa. 1178 00:54:17,754 --> 00:54:20,924 Big Bird, Bird. 1179 00:54:20,966 --> 00:54:23,718 - So I think it was about a month or two in, 1180 00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:25,428 I said, "You know, 1181 00:54:25,470 --> 00:54:28,890 "I don't think I should be playing him as a goofy guy. 1182 00:54:28,932 --> 00:54:32,143 "He has so much more depth. He's a very complex character. 1183 00:54:34,271 --> 00:54:37,399 "I think I should play him as a child who's just learning, 1184 00:54:37,440 --> 00:54:40,277 and he doesn't know a lot of things yet." 1185 00:54:40,277 --> 00:54:42,570 - Oh, I didn't do my share, and that wasn't fair. 1186 00:54:42,612 --> 00:54:44,447 - We needed a peer for the audience. 1187 00:54:44,489 --> 00:54:46,908 - I've got a great idea. I could take all the toys out 1188 00:54:46,950 --> 00:54:49,244 and then put them back in again, and that way-- 1189 00:54:49,286 --> 00:54:51,413 - No, no, Big Bird. 1190 00:54:51,454 --> 00:54:53,123 - A character that was young enough 1191 00:54:53,123 --> 00:54:55,125 to make the same mistakes 1192 00:54:55,125 --> 00:54:56,918 and have the same problems 1193 00:54:56,960 --> 00:54:58,628 that a four-year-old would have. 1194 00:54:58,628 --> 00:54:59,754 - I think you're right. - Yeah. 1195 00:54:59,796 --> 00:55:01,464 - Yay! 1196 00:55:01,464 --> 00:55:03,425 - And no one else could play Big Bird, I don't think, 1197 00:55:03,466 --> 00:55:04,968 certainly not the way Caroll plays it. 1198 00:55:05,010 --> 00:55:06,845 He is Big Bird. 1199 00:55:08,805 --> 00:55:11,141 - This is Mr. Caroll Spinney. 1200 00:55:11,141 --> 00:55:12,600 Do you have any trouble 1201 00:55:12,642 --> 00:55:15,312 separating your personality from Big Bird? 1202 00:55:16,479 --> 00:55:18,106 - I-- One of the things 1203 00:55:18,148 --> 00:55:19,774 we've played up or I've played up with the bird 1204 00:55:19,816 --> 00:55:22,277 is that he's very insecure because I think actually 1205 00:55:22,319 --> 00:55:23,945 a lot of children will have this problem. 1206 00:55:23,987 --> 00:55:27,324 I know I never will lose it, I'm afraid, 1207 00:55:27,324 --> 00:55:31,661 and so I use my insecurities to understand the bird, 1208 00:55:31,703 --> 00:55:33,621 but Oscar has no such insecurities at all. 1209 00:55:33,663 --> 00:55:35,332 [laughter] 1210 00:55:35,373 --> 00:55:39,627 - The further you stay away from my can, the better. 1211 00:55:39,669 --> 00:55:41,296 Keep moving there. 1212 00:55:41,338 --> 00:55:44,299 - Over here, Oscar? - Yeah. Just keep walking, 1213 00:55:44,341 --> 00:55:45,675 Bright Eyes. 1214 00:55:45,675 --> 00:55:48,636 - I also play Oscar the Grouch. 1215 00:55:48,678 --> 00:55:50,347 - Do I get paid? 1216 00:55:50,388 --> 00:55:54,684 - Well, no. I get the money. - You bastard. 1217 00:55:54,726 --> 00:55:58,855 [laughter] 1218 00:55:58,855 --> 00:56:04,861 - With Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, 1219 00:56:04,903 --> 00:56:08,365 I think Carroll Spinney saved a lot of money in therapy 1220 00:56:08,406 --> 00:56:12,827 by being able to play those two disparate characters. 1221 00:56:12,869 --> 00:56:15,163 - You know I hate you? - I do. 1222 00:56:15,205 --> 00:56:16,664 You've told me that before. 1223 00:56:16,706 --> 00:56:18,833 - Well, I have to tell somebody. 1224 00:56:18,875 --> 00:56:20,710 - He says things as Oscar 1225 00:56:20,710 --> 00:56:23,213 that he would never say as himself. 1226 00:56:23,213 --> 00:56:27,884 - Oh, yes. Any changes I'd like to see on the show? 1227 00:56:27,926 --> 00:56:30,053 Yeah, well, we don't really have very much sex. 1228 00:56:30,053 --> 00:56:33,056 [laughter] 1229 00:56:33,056 --> 00:56:35,016 - Stand by. Okay. 1230 00:56:35,058 --> 00:56:37,018 - Caroll, give him a little dialogue. 1231 00:56:37,060 --> 00:56:39,729 - Yes, here's a little dialogue. 1232 00:56:39,771 --> 00:56:42,023 Your mother wears Army boots. 1233 00:56:42,065 --> 00:56:43,733 [laughter] 1234 00:56:43,775 --> 00:56:46,069 [indistinct chatter] 1235 00:56:46,111 --> 00:56:48,905 - Dad felt very strongly that kids need to see 1236 00:56:48,905 --> 00:56:50,407 that not everybody is nice, 1237 00:56:50,448 --> 00:56:52,242 and not everybody is easy, and this is how you deal 1238 00:56:52,283 --> 00:56:54,577 with the grouch who's in your neighborhood. 1239 00:56:54,577 --> 00:56:56,079 - Hey, Bob. What is this? 1240 00:56:56,121 --> 00:56:57,914 - I think Oscar is really going to do it this time. 1241 00:56:57,956 --> 00:56:59,416 - Oscar is really going to do-- 1242 00:56:59,416 --> 00:57:01,251 - Yep, you guys have guessed right. 1243 00:57:01,251 --> 00:57:02,585 I'm moving away forever. 1244 00:57:02,627 --> 00:57:05,922 - Oscar is the dark side of everybody. 1245 00:57:05,922 --> 00:57:08,049 - No ifs, ands or buts, fellas. 1246 00:57:08,091 --> 00:57:10,427 Nothing you can say will change my mind. 1247 00:57:10,427 --> 00:57:12,429 - He's what children are constantly told 1248 00:57:12,470 --> 00:57:14,431 they must not do. Don't say that. 1249 00:57:14,472 --> 00:57:16,558 It's bad. Don't do that. Don't talk back. 1250 00:57:16,599 --> 00:57:19,060 - Too much noise and playing and kids 1251 00:57:19,102 --> 00:57:20,395 and too much laughing... - Come on, man. 1252 00:57:20,437 --> 00:57:21,563 - Come on now. - And too much everything 1253 00:57:21,604 --> 00:57:22,730 that bothers me. 1254 00:57:22,772 --> 00:57:25,442 - Oscar the Grouch was created 1255 00:57:25,442 --> 00:57:27,277 very much to show that 1256 00:57:27,318 --> 00:57:30,113 even somebody with a completely different point of view 1257 00:57:30,113 --> 00:57:33,616 than yours could be your friend. 1258 00:57:33,616 --> 00:57:37,245 - Why do you like rain, Oscar? - Oh, the rain is beautiful. 1259 00:57:37,287 --> 00:57:39,080 I'll tell you. 1260 00:57:39,122 --> 00:57:44,127 The rain is so nice. It's all wet and soggy. 1261 00:57:44,169 --> 00:57:47,589 [upbeat music playing] 1262 00:57:47,630 --> 00:57:52,093 ♪ Rain falls, puddles on the street ♪ 1263 00:57:52,135 --> 00:57:54,971 ♪ No one can go out and play ♪ 1264 00:57:54,971 --> 00:57:56,598 [laughs] 1265 00:57:56,639 --> 00:58:00,435 ♪ Rain falls, people soak from head to feet ♪ 1266 00:58:00,477 --> 00:58:03,313 ♪ Gee, I like a rainy day 1267 00:58:03,313 --> 00:58:05,148 [laughs] 1268 00:58:05,148 --> 00:58:07,317 ♪ Trucks roll by splashing mud on everyone ♪ 1269 00:58:07,358 --> 00:58:11,279 - Joe Raposo was hired to do the music for "Sesame." 1270 00:58:11,321 --> 00:58:13,615 He did all the arranging, 1271 00:58:13,656 --> 00:58:16,701 and he had so much heart and so much knowledge. 1272 00:58:18,495 --> 00:58:20,663 - ♪ Sing 1273 00:58:20,663 --> 00:58:23,333 - ♪ Sing - ♪ Sing a song 1274 00:58:23,333 --> 00:58:26,961 - ♪ Sing a song - ♪ Sing out loud 1275 00:58:27,003 --> 00:58:29,339 - ♪ Sing out loud - That's good. 1276 00:58:29,339 --> 00:58:30,632 ♪ Sing out strong 1277 00:58:30,673 --> 00:58:32,509 - Joe Raposo I call the music man. 1278 00:58:32,550 --> 00:58:36,137 He was the music man, you know, in every respect. 1279 00:58:36,179 --> 00:58:39,516 [singing in Spanish] 1280 00:58:39,516 --> 00:58:43,144 This guy was like a Muppet himself, you know? 1281 00:58:43,186 --> 00:58:45,313 His personality was just so big that 1282 00:58:45,355 --> 00:58:46,648 when he walked into a room, 1283 00:58:46,689 --> 00:58:49,859 you couldn't not notice Joe Raposo. 1284 00:58:49,859 --> 00:58:52,195 ♪ 1285 00:58:52,237 --> 00:58:53,988 - Don't ask me what makes me write these things. 1286 00:58:54,030 --> 00:58:55,365 I don't-- 1287 00:58:55,406 --> 00:58:57,700 ♪ Around, around 1288 00:58:57,700 --> 00:59:03,498 ♪ Around, around over, under, through ♪ 1289 00:59:03,540 --> 00:59:07,043 - [breathing heavily] ♪ Around, around, around 1290 00:59:07,085 --> 00:59:10,713 ♪ Over and under and through 1291 00:59:10,713 --> 00:59:12,173 Oh, boy. 1292 00:59:12,215 --> 00:59:14,717 ♪ Over, see, and under 1293 00:59:14,717 --> 00:59:16,886 ♪ And through and through and through ♪ 1294 00:59:16,928 --> 00:59:18,346 And through! 1295 00:59:18,388 --> 00:59:21,057 I did it. [sighs] 1296 00:59:21,057 --> 00:59:25,562 - And of course, you know, his talent was just so amazing 1297 00:59:25,562 --> 00:59:29,899 that he could come up with all of these songs. 1298 00:59:29,941 --> 00:59:33,528 - ♪ I'm an aardvark, and I'm proud ♪ 1299 00:59:33,570 --> 00:59:36,698 ♪ I'm an aardvark, and I'm happy ♪ 1300 00:59:36,739 --> 00:59:40,034 ♪ Two is my favorite number ♪ 1301 00:59:40,076 --> 00:59:43,204 ♪ Two is neat 1302 00:59:43,246 --> 00:59:46,708 ♪ Two is being together 1303 00:59:46,749 --> 00:59:49,544 ♪ Two is sweet 1304 00:59:49,586 --> 00:59:52,046 ♪ If I could only paddle like a doggy on a paddle ♪ 1305 00:59:52,088 --> 00:59:54,716 ♪ I would paddle my way to you ♪ 1306 00:59:54,757 --> 00:59:56,092 ♪ No river too wide 1307 00:59:56,134 --> 00:59:58,595 - It was like somebody was working on the show, 1308 00:59:58,595 --> 01:00:00,888 and they had an idea for something, say, 1309 01:00:00,930 --> 01:00:02,932 "We need a song about something here," 1310 01:00:02,932 --> 01:00:05,560 and he'd go off and, like, five minutes later come back 1311 01:00:05,602 --> 01:00:07,937 and show them the music for a new song. 1312 01:00:09,439 --> 01:00:11,274 - Hmm. 1313 01:00:11,316 --> 01:00:14,944 - It was 1970 in the middle of the first taping season 1314 01:00:14,986 --> 01:00:16,738 that Jon Stone came to me, 1315 01:00:16,779 --> 01:00:18,281 and he said, "You know, we got this character, 1316 01:00:18,323 --> 01:00:21,743 this Kermit the Frog," and Jon said to me, 1317 01:00:21,784 --> 01:00:25,413 "What does Kermit think about when he's alone? 1318 01:00:25,455 --> 01:00:28,625 Does he ever have a quiet moment? 1319 01:00:28,625 --> 01:00:30,418 What would you think about doing a song 1320 01:00:30,460 --> 01:00:32,420 that's quiet for him?" 1321 01:00:32,462 --> 01:00:35,423 [soft piano music] 1322 01:00:35,465 --> 01:00:37,759 ♪ 1323 01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:40,428 I was at my desk, 1324 01:00:40,470 --> 01:00:42,263 and I was thinking about the frog 1325 01:00:42,305 --> 01:00:44,307 and about the swamp and the log. 1326 01:00:47,310 --> 01:00:49,437 And what his life was like alone, 1327 01:00:49,479 --> 01:00:51,606 and what did he actually think of himself? 1328 01:00:51,648 --> 01:00:56,653 And, I mean, like a shot, I mean, without thinking twice, 1329 01:00:56,653 --> 01:00:59,947 I put my hands down on a B-flat chord. 1330 01:00:59,989 --> 01:01:02,617 This whole song just unfolded by itself. 1331 01:01:02,659 --> 01:01:07,789 ♪ 1332 01:01:07,830 --> 01:01:11,334 - ♪ It's not that easy being green ♪ 1333 01:01:12,502 --> 01:01:16,839 ♪ Having to spend each day the color of the leaves ♪ 1334 01:01:19,008 --> 01:01:21,511 ♪ When I think it could be nicer ♪ 1335 01:01:21,552 --> 01:01:24,138 ♪ Being red or yellow or gold ♪ 1336 01:01:24,180 --> 01:01:27,350 ♪ Or something much more colorful like that ♪ 1337 01:01:30,853 --> 01:01:34,023 - ♪ It's not easy being green 1338 01:01:34,065 --> 01:01:37,860 ♪ It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things ♪ 1339 01:01:38,861 --> 01:01:41,030 ♪ And people tend to pass you over ♪ 1340 01:01:41,072 --> 01:01:42,699 - ♪ Because you're not 1341 01:01:42,699 --> 01:01:45,702 ♪ Standing out like flashy sparkles in the water ♪ 1342 01:01:45,702 --> 01:01:48,705 ♪ Or stars in the sky 1343 01:01:48,705 --> 01:01:51,332 - "It's Not Easy Being Green" with Kermit the Frog. 1344 01:01:51,374 --> 01:01:54,711 - ♪ But green is the color of spring ♪ 1345 01:01:54,711 --> 01:01:58,005 - So many things in this one song. 1346 01:01:58,047 --> 01:02:01,884 I mean, this was a profound song. 1347 01:02:01,884 --> 01:02:06,556 - ♪ And green could be big like an ocean ♪ 1348 01:02:06,556 --> 01:02:09,559 ♪ Or important like a mountain ♪ 1349 01:02:09,600 --> 01:02:11,686 ♪ Or tall like a tree 1350 01:02:11,728 --> 01:02:13,563 - And I remember thinking, 1351 01:02:13,563 --> 01:02:16,023 "Are they singing about what I think they're singing about?" 1352 01:02:16,065 --> 01:02:18,401 Of course, they were singing about race, 1353 01:02:18,401 --> 01:02:21,195 but they were also singing about being down in the dumps 1354 01:02:21,237 --> 01:02:23,573 because you're a little green frog. 1355 01:02:23,614 --> 01:02:27,076 Some kids just thought it was about a little green puppet 1356 01:02:27,076 --> 01:02:31,247 and other kids thought about, "Maybe it was something else." 1357 01:02:32,749 --> 01:02:34,250 - My father's belief 1358 01:02:34,292 --> 01:02:36,711 that children should never be spoken down 1359 01:02:36,753 --> 01:02:39,422 to specifically in the world of music 1360 01:02:39,464 --> 01:02:41,924 made the music as sophisticated as he could. 1361 01:02:41,966 --> 01:02:44,886 [upbeat music] 1362 01:02:44,927 --> 01:02:47,889 - P. 1363 01:02:47,930 --> 01:02:49,390 Q. 1364 01:02:49,432 --> 01:02:51,934 - The American musical scene 1365 01:02:51,976 --> 01:02:55,563 is a fantastic smorgasbord of fabulous styles. 1366 01:02:55,605 --> 01:02:58,399 - ♪ You can count on me 1367 01:02:58,441 --> 01:03:00,443 ♪ Count on me 1368 01:03:00,443 --> 01:03:03,070 - If you're familiar with them, 1369 01:03:03,112 --> 01:03:05,948 you take, "Hey, kids. Here's an olive." 1370 01:03:05,948 --> 01:03:09,410 - ♪ Oh, whenever I see your grouchy face ♪ 1371 01:03:09,452 --> 01:03:14,290 ♪ It makes me want to smile because I like you ♪ 1372 01:03:14,332 --> 01:03:15,625 ♪ Just a little bit 1373 01:03:15,625 --> 01:03:17,460 - "Hey, kids. Here's a piece of pastrami. 1374 01:03:17,460 --> 01:03:18,753 "Hey, kids. Here's some black-eyed peas. 1375 01:03:18,795 --> 01:03:20,588 Hey, kids." 1376 01:03:20,630 --> 01:03:24,926 - ♪ Now, Nasty Dan was a nasty man the whole day long ♪ 1377 01:03:24,967 --> 01:03:26,969 - Good for him. - ♪ He'd go where he could 1378 01:03:27,011 --> 01:03:29,639 ♪ And he would try real good to make things go wrong ♪ 1379 01:03:29,680 --> 01:03:31,140 - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. 1380 01:03:31,140 --> 01:03:33,476 - ♪ He'd jump for joy when a little boy ♪ 1381 01:03:33,518 --> 01:03:34,769 ♪ Would trip and fall 1382 01:03:34,811 --> 01:03:36,145 - Really mean, huh? 1383 01:03:36,187 --> 01:03:38,940 - ♪ And the only words that he ever said ♪ 1384 01:03:38,981 --> 01:03:40,608 ♪ Were, "I don't like you at all" ♪ 1385 01:03:40,650 --> 01:03:43,444 - Yeah! Right on. 1386 01:03:43,486 --> 01:03:44,987 - And every once in a while, 1387 01:03:45,029 --> 01:03:46,489 "How about a little filet mignon?" 1388 01:03:46,531 --> 01:03:52,286 ♪ 1389 01:03:52,328 --> 01:03:54,831 Are you kidding? Wow! 1390 01:03:54,872 --> 01:04:01,838 ♪ 1391 01:04:08,511 --> 01:04:10,972 - So my father and a few other people were tasked 1392 01:04:11,013 --> 01:04:12,849 with creating all of the music for the show, 1393 01:04:12,890 --> 01:04:18,187 so you're talking about 100 or more episodes each season. 1394 01:04:18,229 --> 01:04:20,231 That's a lot of music to produce. 1395 01:04:23,192 --> 01:04:25,319 They would make it every week for the show. 1396 01:04:25,361 --> 01:04:26,654 - Stand by. 1397 01:04:26,696 --> 01:04:29,156 This is a direct cue. Quiet, please! 1398 01:04:29,198 --> 01:04:31,492 - The production sessions, they would go into 3:00 1399 01:04:31,534 --> 01:04:34,370 in the morning, 4:00 in the morning. 1400 01:04:34,370 --> 01:04:37,164 And I would sleep there. 1401 01:04:37,206 --> 01:04:38,708 My father would be stuck in the session. 1402 01:04:38,749 --> 01:04:41,043 My mother would have gone home, 1403 01:04:41,043 --> 01:04:42,336 and he would say, "Oh, I'll bring the kids home 1404 01:04:42,378 --> 01:04:44,005 when we're done." 1405 01:04:44,046 --> 01:04:45,882 He never went home. 1406 01:04:45,882 --> 01:04:49,218 [solemn music] 1407 01:04:49,260 --> 01:04:51,220 - My father didn't even have an apartment 1408 01:04:51,262 --> 01:04:53,723 in New York City or anything. 1409 01:04:53,723 --> 01:04:55,850 And he would go to work and come back four days later, 1410 01:04:55,892 --> 01:04:57,518 that sort of thing, 1411 01:04:57,560 --> 01:05:01,063 and I just thought, "Well, that's what fathers do." 1412 01:05:01,063 --> 01:05:02,732 [bright music] 1413 01:05:02,773 --> 01:05:09,405 - ♪ Oh, me know it true that me so blue ♪ 1414 01:05:09,405 --> 01:05:15,578 ♪ When you far away and you not stay in view ♪ 1415 01:05:15,620 --> 01:05:20,374 - There were no hours to the day. 1416 01:05:20,416 --> 01:05:23,252 We worked from morning deep into the night. 1417 01:05:23,294 --> 01:05:26,213 No one ever kept track of when we were going to have lunch, 1418 01:05:26,255 --> 01:05:27,423 when we were going to have dinner. 1419 01:05:27,423 --> 01:05:29,592 It was getting the show up. 1420 01:05:29,592 --> 01:05:34,096 - ♪ Me got to be blue, me got to be blue ♪ 1421 01:05:34,138 --> 01:05:35,890 - How do you manage a life like that? 1422 01:05:35,932 --> 01:05:38,392 - ♪ What else can me do? 1423 01:05:38,434 --> 01:05:43,105 - It seems unreasonable to me, but that was what they did. 1424 01:05:43,147 --> 01:05:47,443 And Jon Stone rode herd over that group better 1425 01:05:47,443 --> 01:05:49,737 than anybody could have possibly. 1426 01:05:49,779 --> 01:05:53,074 ♪ 1427 01:05:53,115 --> 01:05:55,618 - ♪ Now you know it not you 1428 01:05:55,618 --> 01:05:58,079 - Now he would say that he had three children. 1429 01:05:58,120 --> 01:06:00,957 He had Polly. He had Kate, and he had "Sesame Street," 1430 01:06:00,957 --> 01:06:06,963 and that he felt really passionate about all of us, 1431 01:06:07,004 --> 01:06:08,965 but as his daughters, 1432 01:06:09,006 --> 01:06:10,800 you know, we could grow up and be anything, 1433 01:06:10,841 --> 01:06:13,970 and he would support us and celebrate us, 1434 01:06:13,970 --> 01:06:17,473 but "Sesame Street" had to maintain an integrity, 1435 01:06:17,515 --> 01:06:20,309 and I think he felt the weight of holding onto that 1436 01:06:20,351 --> 01:06:22,812 and being responsible for it. 1437 01:06:22,812 --> 01:06:26,482 - ♪ Just got to be blue 1438 01:06:28,317 --> 01:06:30,486 ♪ Once more, with feeling! 1439 01:06:32,488 --> 01:06:34,490 - All right. Okay. 1440 01:06:34,490 --> 01:06:37,660 Three and two, you want to come to the front. 1441 01:06:37,660 --> 01:06:40,788 - What we mostly saw was the funny side of our dad, 1442 01:06:40,830 --> 01:06:42,832 the entertainer. 1443 01:06:42,873 --> 01:06:48,170 But Dad had a dark side, dealt with depression, 1444 01:06:48,212 --> 01:06:51,841 and he felt hurt when things didn't go his way. 1445 01:06:51,841 --> 01:06:53,467 - Stand by! - Take two. 1446 01:06:53,509 --> 01:06:54,969 - Say, "Big Bird!" 1447 01:06:55,011 --> 01:06:57,471 Somebody wants to take your-- 1448 01:06:57,513 --> 01:07:00,808 - Not that camera. - Where do you want cameras? 1449 01:07:00,850 --> 01:07:02,518 - Frankie, you're not on a five. 1450 01:07:05,062 --> 01:07:08,315 Okay, I need to do it? Chopped. 1451 01:07:08,357 --> 01:07:11,861 - I don't know if he wanted love, 1452 01:07:11,861 --> 01:07:18,159 but he was a very sensitive, difficult man. 1453 01:07:18,200 --> 01:07:21,328 - You know, I never had deep conversations with Jon 1454 01:07:21,370 --> 01:07:24,165 about his feelings about things. 1455 01:07:24,206 --> 01:07:28,878 He held his feelings close to his chest, 1456 01:07:28,878 --> 01:07:31,505 but for some reason, 1457 01:07:31,547 --> 01:07:35,384 publicly he was never given the credit that he deserved. 1458 01:07:37,094 --> 01:07:40,389 - He certainly wanted credit for the things 1459 01:07:40,389 --> 01:07:43,017 he had accomplished on the show, 1460 01:07:43,059 --> 01:07:45,853 but it was very hard to get the press 1461 01:07:45,895 --> 01:07:48,189 trained on anyone but me, 1462 01:07:48,230 --> 01:07:52,860 so it was awkward at times. 1463 01:07:52,902 --> 01:07:55,029 ♪ 1464 01:07:55,071 --> 01:07:56,864 - ♪ When someone socks me in the eye ♪ 1465 01:07:56,906 --> 01:07:57,907 ♪ And they don't even tell me why ♪ 1466 01:07:57,948 --> 01:07:59,408 ♪ That makes me mad 1467 01:07:59,408 --> 01:08:01,744 - ♪ Yeah, we're angry, very, very angry ♪ 1468 01:08:01,786 --> 01:08:04,413 - Jon did not have much taste for bureaucracy. 1469 01:08:04,455 --> 01:08:06,040 He was an iconoclast in a way. 1470 01:08:06,082 --> 01:08:09,543 I mean, if there was anything nonsensical about the way 1471 01:08:09,585 --> 01:08:12,379 the workshop was being run, 1472 01:08:12,421 --> 01:08:16,217 he would try to express it on the show or off. 1473 01:08:16,258 --> 01:08:19,595 A funny little story that tells you a lot about him, 1474 01:08:19,637 --> 01:08:21,097 when "Sesame" started, 1475 01:08:21,097 --> 01:08:22,598 we had one of those little signs 1476 01:08:22,640 --> 01:08:26,393 where you put little white letters into grooves, 1477 01:08:26,435 --> 01:08:29,939 and it said Children's Television Workshop. 1478 01:08:29,939 --> 01:08:31,607 Every morning when Jon came in, 1479 01:08:31,607 --> 01:08:33,734 he would change that 1480 01:08:33,776 --> 01:08:35,736 to Children's Television Porkshow. 1481 01:08:35,778 --> 01:08:37,279 [laughs] 1482 01:08:37,279 --> 01:08:40,449 Just by changing the P and the W. 1483 01:08:40,449 --> 01:08:42,785 He was just irreverent. 1484 01:08:42,827 --> 01:08:46,122 - Technical term. We like to call it "waiting around." 1485 01:08:50,000 --> 01:08:55,131 - My dad was very close with Jon Stone and Joe Raposo. 1486 01:08:55,172 --> 01:08:59,426 I think he loved the energy of them and the boldness 1487 01:08:59,468 --> 01:09:02,471 of what they were trying to do, and he got caught up in that, 1488 01:09:02,513 --> 01:09:06,142 and it was very inspiring for him. 1489 01:09:06,142 --> 01:09:09,478 - Take one, rolling. - One, two, three, four! 1490 01:09:09,478 --> 01:09:11,647 [upbeat music] 1491 01:09:11,647 --> 01:09:14,483 - Fat. - Fat. 1492 01:09:14,483 --> 01:09:15,776 - Fat. 1493 01:09:15,818 --> 01:09:16,986 - Fat. - Cat. 1494 01:09:16,986 --> 01:09:18,612 - Cat. - Cat. 1495 01:09:18,654 --> 01:09:21,157 - I remember Jim Henson, Frank Oz 1496 01:09:21,198 --> 01:09:23,659 doing a puppet bit, everybody hysterical. 1497 01:09:23,701 --> 01:09:26,120 Jim Henson saying, "What are we teaching?" 1498 01:09:26,162 --> 01:09:29,456 Jon Stone saying, "Happiness." 1499 01:09:29,498 --> 01:09:33,294 "That's the ticket. That's the joy." 1500 01:09:33,335 --> 01:09:35,462 - ♪ A fat cat sat on a hat 1501 01:09:35,504 --> 01:09:37,173 ♪ So I ran on a mat, pat-a-pat ♪ 1502 01:09:37,173 --> 01:09:38,632 ♪ Had a chat with a gnat 1503 01:09:38,674 --> 01:09:40,134 ♪ That he pat in a vat that was flat ♪ 1504 01:09:40,176 --> 01:09:42,136 Oh, yeah! 1505 01:09:42,178 --> 01:09:45,973 Oh, fat, cat, sat, hat, and that's that! 1506 01:09:46,015 --> 01:09:47,558 - Scat! 1507 01:09:48,851 --> 01:09:51,145 - One thing that I will credit Joan Ganz Cooney with 1508 01:09:51,187 --> 01:09:54,690 was that she let these guys do what they could do. 1509 01:09:54,690 --> 01:09:57,151 They had ideas and concepts and behaviors 1510 01:09:57,193 --> 01:10:00,863 that were just off-the-wall, 1511 01:10:00,863 --> 01:10:02,156 and they were allowed to do it, 1512 01:10:02,198 --> 01:10:04,366 and that's what people loved. 1513 01:10:04,408 --> 01:10:08,871 They felt the lunacy on the screen, the contained madness. 1514 01:10:08,871 --> 01:10:13,542 - Train rhyme with rain! Me win cookie. 1515 01:10:14,877 --> 01:10:17,171 - So these wildly creative people 1516 01:10:17,213 --> 01:10:19,548 were allowed to just try stuff. 1517 01:10:19,590 --> 01:10:22,009 ♪ 1518 01:10:22,051 --> 01:10:25,846 - It was chaos, but it was the chaos of people 1519 01:10:25,888 --> 01:10:29,350 dedicated to a real ideal. 1520 01:10:29,391 --> 01:10:31,018 Believing something could be done 1521 01:10:31,060 --> 01:10:33,854 and having the will to do it, 1522 01:10:33,896 --> 01:10:37,858 and it was the most exciting period of our lives. 1523 01:10:37,900 --> 01:10:44,740 ♪ 1524 01:10:48,452 --> 01:10:51,080 - Those first years of "Sesame Street," 1525 01:10:51,080 --> 01:10:55,251 it was just shocking how much they did. 1526 01:10:56,752 --> 01:10:58,254 - ♪ I'm the King of Eight 1527 01:10:58,254 --> 01:10:59,755 ♪ And I'm here to state 1528 01:10:59,755 --> 01:11:01,257 ♪ That everything here has to total eight ♪ 1529 01:11:01,257 --> 01:11:03,092 ♪ 1530 01:11:03,133 --> 01:11:07,596 - ♪ One wedding cake! Oop 1531 01:11:13,769 --> 01:11:15,437 - I think it's overstimulating. 1532 01:11:15,479 --> 01:11:17,731 I think it's kind of staggering to a young child's brain 1533 01:11:17,773 --> 01:11:20,734 to have that much excitement and noise, 1534 01:11:20,776 --> 01:11:24,613 sound and all kinds of figures bombarded at them really. 1535 01:11:24,613 --> 01:11:28,117 - I want cookie. I want cookie! Give me cookie. 1536 01:11:28,117 --> 01:11:30,828 Oh, oh, the cookie! Oh, thank you. Oh! 1537 01:11:34,456 --> 01:11:40,963 - Noony, noony, noo, noo, noony, noony, noo. Mm-mmm. 1538 01:11:40,963 --> 01:11:43,590 - P. P! 1539 01:11:43,632 --> 01:11:46,093 Huh? Oh... 1540 01:11:46,135 --> 01:11:48,804 Argh. Ah. 1541 01:11:49,638 --> 01:11:51,307 - Pencil! 1542 01:11:51,348 --> 01:11:54,101 - I had very little experience as a writer, 1543 01:11:54,143 --> 01:11:56,812 and I had no job. 1544 01:11:56,812 --> 01:11:58,314 - Aw. 1545 01:11:58,355 --> 01:12:02,151 - I was basically just writing jokes, 1546 01:12:02,151 --> 01:12:06,488 and I was watching TV, and I saw "Sesame Street." 1547 01:12:06,488 --> 01:12:08,157 - And, matter of fact, there it is! 1548 01:12:08,198 --> 01:12:10,492 They've got Mr. Humpty Dumpty back together again. 1549 01:12:10,492 --> 01:12:12,286 For all the egg lovers of the country, I want you 1550 01:12:12,328 --> 01:12:16,498 to know it's very nice to have you back. 1551 01:12:16,540 --> 01:12:19,335 Uh. Uh, horses? [sirens wail] 1552 01:12:19,335 --> 01:12:21,462 - I was--wow, that's great. 1553 01:12:21,503 --> 01:12:23,005 - [snickering] 1554 01:12:23,005 --> 01:12:24,340 - It was funny. 1555 01:12:24,381 --> 01:12:26,633 - Ooh. Yeah. 1556 01:12:26,675 --> 01:12:28,677 - And it was the only other show 1557 01:12:28,719 --> 01:12:31,680 besides "The Tonight Show" in New York 1558 01:12:31,680 --> 01:12:35,976 that really had comedy writers working for them, 1559 01:12:36,018 --> 01:12:37,686 and I didn't think I had a chance in hell 1560 01:12:37,686 --> 01:12:39,688 at getting a job at "The Johnny Carson Show." 1561 01:12:39,730 --> 01:12:42,024 - You can forget that immediately. 1562 01:12:42,024 --> 01:12:45,194 - And I needed a job. 1563 01:12:45,194 --> 01:12:48,530 But "Sesame Street" has a curriculum, 1564 01:12:48,572 --> 01:12:53,369 so everything that was written taught something. 1565 01:12:54,536 --> 01:12:57,706 And the idea that it was more than just telling jokes 1566 01:12:57,748 --> 01:13:01,043 appealed to me. It had to be entertaining, 1567 01:13:01,043 --> 01:13:02,836 and it was going to teach at the same time, 1568 01:13:02,878 --> 01:13:05,506 and that's hard to do. 1569 01:13:05,547 --> 01:13:06,882 - And I think, you know, 1570 01:13:06,882 --> 01:13:08,884 she may have a personal sensitivity to it 1571 01:13:08,884 --> 01:13:11,345 because that's the first time I've heard that particular one. 1572 01:13:11,387 --> 01:13:16,225 - The writers didn't always understand educational terms. 1573 01:13:17,893 --> 01:13:22,856 So we came up with this big tome, the Writers' Notebook. 1574 01:13:22,898 --> 01:13:28,028 It has all the rules of the show tabbed 1575 01:13:28,070 --> 01:13:30,239 that the writers could thumb through 1576 01:13:30,280 --> 01:13:32,074 to help them understand 1577 01:13:32,074 --> 01:13:37,871 how to translate educational terms into production terms. 1578 01:13:37,913 --> 01:13:40,249 And it was helpful to the educators 1579 01:13:40,249 --> 01:13:43,419 because they could communicate with the writers 1580 01:13:43,460 --> 01:13:46,755 in a nonthreatening way. 1581 01:13:46,755 --> 01:13:49,216 So instead of saying, you know, 1582 01:13:49,258 --> 01:13:52,886 "cognitive development learning letters," 1583 01:13:52,928 --> 01:13:56,056 what you said is, "After watching the segment, 1584 01:13:56,098 --> 01:13:59,059 the child should be able to identify..." 1585 01:13:59,101 --> 01:14:00,769 - Frog. - "The letter Y," 1586 01:14:00,769 --> 01:14:02,729 for example. 1587 01:14:02,771 --> 01:14:06,733 - What's the first letter in the word "yellow"? 1588 01:14:06,775 --> 01:14:08,235 - Y. 1589 01:14:08,277 --> 01:14:10,070 - Because I can't remember. 1590 01:14:10,112 --> 01:14:13,240 - When the curriculum and the entertainment worked together, 1591 01:14:13,282 --> 01:14:16,452 you know, it was like magic! 1592 01:14:16,493 --> 01:14:18,579 - Action! - Come, my lovelies! 1593 01:14:18,620 --> 01:14:20,122 Breathe deeply. 1594 01:14:20,164 --> 01:14:23,459 Enjoy the fresh air, ah, ah, ah. 1595 01:14:23,459 --> 01:14:25,627 - When I came up with the Count, 1596 01:14:25,627 --> 01:14:27,796 I was talking with Sharon. 1597 01:14:27,796 --> 01:14:30,924 I said, "I have this idea for Count von Count," 1598 01:14:30,966 --> 01:14:33,135 and she said, "Well, enumeration, 1599 01:14:33,177 --> 01:14:35,471 that's what you're teaching." 1600 01:14:35,512 --> 01:14:36,763 Well, what is enumeration? 1601 01:14:36,805 --> 01:14:38,640 - Did you say seven? - Yes. 1602 01:14:38,682 --> 01:14:40,976 - I think there's only six, Count. 1603 01:14:40,976 --> 01:14:44,480 - That's funny. I had seven when I left the castle. 1604 01:14:44,521 --> 01:14:46,607 I will count them. 1605 01:14:46,648 --> 01:14:50,444 One, one beautiful bat. Two terrific bats. Three ... 1606 01:14:50,486 --> 01:14:52,946 - When you count, one, two, three, four, five, 1607 01:14:52,988 --> 01:14:56,992 you're just counting, but if you count fingers, 1608 01:14:57,034 --> 01:14:58,785 it's one, two, three, four, five. 1609 01:14:58,827 --> 01:15:01,121 When you get to the fifth, you know you have five fingers. 1610 01:15:01,163 --> 01:15:03,624 - Five fingers. 1611 01:15:03,665 --> 01:15:06,668 - That's enumeration, all right? 1612 01:15:06,710 --> 01:15:10,297 [phone ringing] 1613 01:15:10,339 --> 01:15:16,470 One ring! Two, two rings. Three, three rings! 1614 01:15:16,512 --> 01:15:18,472 [laughs] 1615 01:15:18,514 --> 01:15:21,850 Is that mine? Oh, it must be mine. 1616 01:15:21,892 --> 01:15:26,313 - I think what amazes me most looking back at "Sesame" 1617 01:15:26,355 --> 01:15:30,692 is that there was an underlying humor in everything. 1618 01:15:30,692 --> 01:15:33,320 - Ah, listen, Jack. If you want to work in a world-famous 1619 01:15:33,362 --> 01:15:35,197 nursery rhyme, you got to do it right. 1620 01:15:35,239 --> 01:15:37,533 - I mean, we were all comedy freaks, 1621 01:15:37,533 --> 01:15:39,826 and all of us loved parody, satire. 1622 01:15:39,868 --> 01:15:42,496 - Now jump over means you jump up into the air, 1623 01:15:42,538 --> 01:15:44,164 and you leap, and you sail gracefully 1624 01:15:44,206 --> 01:15:45,874 over the candlestick, 1625 01:15:45,874 --> 01:15:48,210 and you land on the other side. 1626 01:15:49,586 --> 01:15:53,549 - And we would try to appeal to adults as well as to kids. 1627 01:15:53,549 --> 01:15:54,841 - He did it! He did it, folks. 1628 01:15:54,883 --> 01:15:57,219 Jack jumped over the candlestick. 1629 01:15:57,261 --> 01:16:00,681 - Ooh, yeah. Jack also broke every bone in his body, frog. 1630 01:16:00,722 --> 01:16:02,182 - Oh, I'm sorry about that. 1631 01:16:02,224 --> 01:16:03,559 - Yeah, I'm going to sue Mother Goose for that. 1632 01:16:03,600 --> 01:16:05,561 That's some heavy action. 1633 01:16:05,602 --> 01:16:07,854 - Boy, these nursery rhymes get weirder all the time. 1634 01:16:07,896 --> 01:16:09,064 Weird. 1635 01:16:09,106 --> 01:16:11,024 - We found out that if adults 1636 01:16:11,066 --> 01:16:13,735 watched the show with kids, 1637 01:16:13,777 --> 01:16:15,571 that the kids really learned more. 1638 01:16:15,571 --> 01:16:18,574 - Now three plus one equals four! 1639 01:16:18,615 --> 01:16:21,868 - Three plus one equals four? 1640 01:16:21,910 --> 01:16:23,579 - Yes, always. 1641 01:16:23,579 --> 01:16:25,872 - The conversation that the adult had with the child 1642 01:16:25,914 --> 01:16:28,417 while the show was on the air and after the show 1643 01:16:28,417 --> 01:16:31,545 was on the air really enhanced the learning, 1644 01:16:31,587 --> 01:16:35,424 so there was a real conscious effort to attract adults. 1645 01:16:35,465 --> 01:16:37,217 - I am the Count! 1646 01:16:37,259 --> 01:16:40,262 They call me the Count because I love to count things! 1647 01:16:40,262 --> 01:16:42,264 - Wonderful! Well, I am Guy Smiley. 1648 01:16:42,306 --> 01:16:43,765 They call me Guy Smiley 1649 01:16:43,807 --> 01:16:46,602 because I changed my name from Bernie Liederkranz. 1650 01:16:46,602 --> 01:16:48,895 [cheers and applause] - Yes, thank you. 1651 01:16:48,937 --> 01:16:51,398 Yes, I did. I did. 1652 01:16:51,440 --> 01:16:54,067 - So things like "Monsterpiece Theater," 1653 01:16:54,109 --> 01:16:57,738 the parody element wasn't for the kids. 1654 01:16:57,779 --> 01:17:00,741 They didn't have to know "Masterpiece Theater." 1655 01:17:00,782 --> 01:17:02,784 "Monsterpiece Theater" is a funny thing anyway. 1656 01:17:02,826 --> 01:17:07,289 - Good evening, and welcome to "Monsterpiece Theater." 1657 01:17:07,289 --> 01:17:12,753 Me Alistair Cookie. Tonight, me proud to present 1658 01:17:12,794 --> 01:17:16,131 "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." 1659 01:17:16,173 --> 01:17:22,095 - Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo. 1660 01:17:22,137 --> 01:17:23,639 Cuckoo? 1661 01:17:23,680 --> 01:17:25,807 - We wrote something that we knew we would like. 1662 01:17:25,807 --> 01:17:28,769 I think that was the key, and the show 1663 01:17:28,810 --> 01:17:31,605 would not have worked if that weren't the case. 1664 01:17:31,647 --> 01:17:35,150 - One of Chris' incredible talents is his ability 1665 01:17:35,150 --> 01:17:36,943 to write a song 1666 01:17:36,985 --> 01:17:40,989 that sounds like the original but isn't the original. 1667 01:17:41,031 --> 01:17:42,616 - I think I remember how to do it. 1668 01:17:42,658 --> 01:17:44,951 I might start in the wrong key, but. 1669 01:17:44,993 --> 01:17:51,625 ♪ 1670 01:17:51,667 --> 01:17:54,836 ♪ When I find I can't remember ♪ 1671 01:17:54,836 --> 01:17:59,132 ♪ What comes after A and before C ♪ 1672 01:17:59,174 --> 01:18:02,844 ♪ My mother always whispers "Letter B" ♪ 1673 01:18:05,222 --> 01:18:08,642 ♪ She told me B starts "big" and "bird" ♪ 1674 01:18:08,684 --> 01:18:11,812 ♪ And "ball" and "bat" and "battery" ♪ 1675 01:18:11,853 --> 01:18:16,024 ♪ Yes, buh-buh-buh-buh-buh means letter B ♪ 1676 01:18:18,026 --> 01:18:21,530 - ♪ Letter B, letter B 1677 01:18:21,530 --> 01:18:26,368 ♪ Letter B, letter B 1678 01:18:26,410 --> 01:18:33,208 ♪ My mother whispers B words, letter B ♪ 1679 01:18:33,250 --> 01:18:36,211 [cheers and applause] 1680 01:18:36,211 --> 01:18:43,218 ♪ 1681 01:18:51,893 --> 01:18:53,687 - That was a $5 million lawsuit. 1682 01:18:53,729 --> 01:18:56,898 - [laughs] 1683 01:18:56,898 --> 01:19:01,069 - ♪ My mother whispers B words, letter B ♪ 1684 01:19:01,111 --> 01:19:04,573 - It was all of us having the time of our lives 1685 01:19:04,573 --> 01:19:08,034 writing silly things but always with this message 1686 01:19:08,076 --> 01:19:10,871 that television could be socially valuable. 1687 01:19:10,912 --> 01:19:12,748 - Yeah. 1688 01:19:12,748 --> 01:19:16,209 [soft music] 1689 01:19:16,251 --> 01:19:19,045 ♪ 1690 01:19:19,087 --> 01:19:22,924 - Big Bird, that's me. [chuckles] 1691 01:19:22,924 --> 01:19:29,931 ♪ 1692 01:19:35,270 --> 01:19:39,566 - Well, I just drew pictures of all of my grown-up friends 1693 01:19:39,608 --> 01:19:40,901 on "Sesame Street." 1694 01:19:40,942 --> 01:19:43,403 - Look at me! - That's you, Luis. 1695 01:19:43,445 --> 01:19:44,946 [chatter] - Yeah. 1696 01:19:44,946 --> 01:19:46,782 - I know that's got to be me. - There's Susan. 1697 01:19:46,782 --> 01:19:48,617 - Yeah, that's ... You're always smiling, Susan. 1698 01:19:48,617 --> 01:19:50,118 - How's that? - That looks great. 1699 01:19:50,118 --> 01:19:52,454 - Does that look like you? - That's good. 1700 01:19:52,496 --> 01:19:58,084 - And this is Mr. Hooper, who was played by Will Lee. 1701 01:19:58,126 --> 01:20:01,129 He was our grandfather figure, such a kindly man. 1702 01:20:01,171 --> 01:20:03,256 He was always so sweet. 1703 01:20:03,298 --> 01:20:05,258 ♪ 1704 01:20:05,300 --> 01:20:07,636 And he died in 1982. 1705 01:20:07,636 --> 01:20:10,764 ♪ 1706 01:20:10,806 --> 01:20:14,309 - Take two! - We had lost a friend. 1707 01:20:14,351 --> 01:20:17,145 He was part of our family. 1708 01:20:17,145 --> 01:20:22,317 - It was a huge, huge loss. - Can I see Mr. Hooper? 1709 01:20:22,317 --> 01:20:24,986 - You want to see the store? Okay, come on in. 1710 01:20:27,197 --> 01:20:31,159 - Yeah. I still miss him. Yeah. 1711 01:20:32,661 --> 01:20:34,955 - So we had a decision to make. 1712 01:20:34,996 --> 01:20:37,791 - We had to describe his absence 1713 01:20:37,833 --> 01:20:40,335 from the show or explain it, 1714 01:20:40,377 --> 01:20:42,671 and believe me, everybody said, 1715 01:20:42,671 --> 01:20:46,132 "Let's just say he retired and went to Florida." 1716 01:20:46,174 --> 01:20:47,843 - But people said, "Well, maybe it's... 1717 01:20:47,843 --> 01:20:50,470 That would be a missed opportunity." 1718 01:20:50,512 --> 01:20:53,640 - If we've been trying to be truthful all along, 1719 01:20:53,682 --> 01:20:56,852 why should we shortchange kids now? 1720 01:20:58,895 --> 01:21:01,982 - Jon, you know, when they speak our language... 1721 01:21:02,023 --> 01:21:05,694 - We talked for a while about how to deal with his death, 1722 01:21:05,735 --> 01:21:08,655 and we decided, "Well, we'd really like to have his death 1723 01:21:08,697 --> 01:21:11,825 "used in a educational way 1724 01:21:11,867 --> 01:21:14,703 that might help children deal with that." 1725 01:21:14,703 --> 01:21:16,204 - And so the question was asked 1726 01:21:16,246 --> 01:21:18,540 of our research department, 1727 01:21:18,540 --> 01:21:20,709 "What do three- to five-year-olds need to know 1728 01:21:20,709 --> 01:21:22,210 about death?" 1729 01:21:22,252 --> 01:21:25,547 So it came down to some very, very simple things. 1730 01:21:25,589 --> 01:21:28,216 They need to know that when somebody dies, 1731 01:21:28,216 --> 01:21:29,926 they don't come back. 1732 01:21:31,887 --> 01:21:35,682 And that whatever you're feeling is okay. 1733 01:21:35,724 --> 01:21:37,225 You can be angry. You can be sad. 1734 01:21:37,267 --> 01:21:39,060 You know, it can be all of them. 1735 01:21:39,102 --> 01:21:42,230 Whatever you feel is fine. 1736 01:21:42,230 --> 01:21:46,067 - TV is make-believe, but life is real. 1737 01:21:46,109 --> 01:21:50,071 In real life, Will Lee died, 1738 01:21:50,071 --> 01:21:52,574 and tomorrow on "Sesame Street," 1739 01:21:52,574 --> 01:21:54,743 Mr. Hooper will die too. 1740 01:21:56,620 --> 01:21:58,246 - When I wrote the scene, 1741 01:21:58,246 --> 01:22:01,750 I didn't want it to be that it just happened. 1742 01:22:03,919 --> 01:22:06,963 It seemed that that would be too jarring. 1743 01:22:08,590 --> 01:22:11,718 I thought it was better if Big Bird 1744 01:22:11,760 --> 01:22:14,095 just hasn't processed it. 1745 01:22:14,095 --> 01:22:16,056 You know, they might have told him that he died, 1746 01:22:16,097 --> 01:22:18,558 but he didn't know what "died" meant, 1747 01:22:18,600 --> 01:22:20,602 and now he's just going to first find out. 1748 01:22:20,602 --> 01:22:23,563 - And last but not least 1749 01:22:23,605 --> 01:22:26,274 ta-da! - Oh, look at that one. 1750 01:22:26,274 --> 01:22:27,442 - Big Bird, that's so beautiful. 1751 01:22:27,442 --> 01:22:28,944 - That's nice. 1752 01:22:28,985 --> 01:22:30,612 - It really looks like him. - Yeah, you captured him. 1753 01:22:30,654 --> 01:22:32,572 - Wow, that's beautiful, Big Bird. 1754 01:22:32,614 --> 01:22:34,074 - Oh, thank you. 1755 01:22:34,115 --> 01:22:36,242 Well, I can't wait until he sees it! 1756 01:22:36,284 --> 01:22:38,244 Hmm. 1757 01:22:38,286 --> 01:22:43,291 Say, where is he? I want to give it to him. 1758 01:22:43,333 --> 01:22:45,293 I know. He's in the store. 1759 01:22:45,335 --> 01:22:49,631 - Big Bird, he's--he's not in there. 1760 01:22:49,631 --> 01:22:52,634 - Oh, then where is he? 1761 01:22:52,676 --> 01:22:55,595 - We carefully and thoroughly researched 1762 01:22:55,637 --> 01:22:58,807 what children's normal reactions to a death are, 1763 01:22:58,848 --> 01:23:01,101 and we tried to deal with those in the form 1764 01:23:01,142 --> 01:23:03,311 of Big Bird's reaction to Mr. Hooper's death. 1765 01:23:03,311 --> 01:23:07,816 - Big Bird, don't you remember we told you? 1766 01:23:07,857 --> 01:23:11,820 Mr. Hooper died. He's dead. 1767 01:23:11,820 --> 01:23:14,155 - Oh, yeah. I remember. 1768 01:23:14,155 --> 01:23:17,450 Well, I'll give it to him when he comes back. 1769 01:23:17,492 --> 01:23:21,496 - Big Bird, Mr. Hooper is not coming back. 1770 01:23:21,496 --> 01:23:26,001 - It's hard to watch. It was a difficult show to do. 1771 01:23:26,042 --> 01:23:29,170 ♪ 1772 01:23:29,212 --> 01:23:34,843 - Big Bird, when people die, they don't come back. 1773 01:23:34,843 --> 01:23:38,346 - Ever? - No, never. 1774 01:23:40,682 --> 01:23:42,684 - Hmm. 1775 01:23:43,518 --> 01:23:46,187 - It was about the fictional person 1776 01:23:46,187 --> 01:23:48,023 and the real person. 1777 01:23:48,023 --> 01:23:49,649 They were going to be talking about Mr. Hooper, 1778 01:23:49,691 --> 01:23:51,317 but as human beings, 1779 01:23:51,359 --> 01:23:54,988 they were going to be talking about their friend Will. 1780 01:23:55,030 --> 01:23:58,992 - But I don't like it. It makes me sad. 1781 01:23:59,034 --> 01:24:00,869 - We all feel sad, Big Bird. 1782 01:24:02,537 --> 01:24:07,042 - He's never coming back? - Never. 1783 01:24:07,083 --> 01:24:09,335 - No. - Well, I don't understand! 1784 01:24:09,377 --> 01:24:11,838 Why does it have to be this way? 1785 01:24:11,880 --> 01:24:13,923 Give me one good reason. 1786 01:24:15,383 --> 01:24:18,386 - Big Bird, 1787 01:24:18,428 --> 01:24:22,557 it has to be this way because. 1788 01:24:23,892 --> 01:24:25,393 - Just because? 1789 01:24:25,393 --> 01:24:27,771 - Just because. 1790 01:24:29,397 --> 01:24:31,107 - Oh. 1791 01:24:34,903 --> 01:24:39,574 You know, I'm going to miss you, Mr. Looper. 1792 01:24:39,616 --> 01:24:43,536 - That's Hooper, Big Bird, Hooper. 1793 01:24:43,578 --> 01:24:46,539 - Those are real tears, you know. 1794 01:24:46,581 --> 01:24:49,042 There was no acting. 1795 01:24:49,084 --> 01:24:50,710 - Right. 1796 01:24:50,752 --> 01:24:57,592 ♪ 1797 01:25:02,597 --> 01:25:05,433 - In five, four, three, two, one! 1798 01:25:05,433 --> 01:25:07,977 - I wonder if I got any mail yet today. 1799 01:25:09,437 --> 01:25:11,314 Oh, there's something. 1800 01:25:14,609 --> 01:25:16,903 Where the hell did it go? 1801 01:25:16,945 --> 01:25:19,280 - One of the great things about being part of "Sesame" 1802 01:25:19,322 --> 01:25:22,283 was seeing what happened when a take went wrong. 1803 01:25:22,283 --> 01:25:26,246 - I have paint on my nose? - Yes, right! [laughing] 1804 01:25:26,287 --> 01:25:27,747 - There, is that better? - No! 1805 01:25:27,789 --> 01:25:30,917 [laughter] 1806 01:25:30,959 --> 01:25:33,253 You're permanently scarred for life. 1807 01:25:33,294 --> 01:25:35,421 - The puppeteers would just keep going, 1808 01:25:35,463 --> 01:25:36,923 and they would do all the things 1809 01:25:36,965 --> 01:25:39,801 that we could never possibly do on television. 1810 01:25:39,843 --> 01:25:41,803 - Oh, say, frog. - What? 1811 01:25:41,845 --> 01:25:44,305 - Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be... 1812 01:25:44,305 --> 01:25:47,267 [choking noises] 1813 01:25:47,308 --> 01:25:48,643 - Gladys? 1814 01:25:48,685 --> 01:25:50,603 Oh, thank goodness she died. 1815 01:25:50,645 --> 01:25:52,814 [laughter] 1816 01:25:52,814 --> 01:25:55,483 [indistinct chatter] 1817 01:25:55,525 --> 01:25:57,944 - Jim Henson, Frank Oz, 1818 01:25:57,986 --> 01:25:59,279 they were really professional. 1819 01:25:59,320 --> 01:26:00,613 You know, if they were serious, 1820 01:26:00,655 --> 01:26:03,783 and Jim maybe had to go somewhere to get out, 1821 01:26:03,825 --> 01:26:05,785 then it was serious, you know? 1822 01:26:05,827 --> 01:26:07,495 [doorbell rings] 1823 01:26:09,372 --> 01:26:11,291 - But if they were on kidding around... 1824 01:26:11,332 --> 01:26:14,335 - Oh, hello there! Greetings, froggy, baby ... 1825 01:26:14,377 --> 01:26:16,504 - You had a good day. They were hysterical. 1826 01:26:16,504 --> 01:26:17,964 - Go away, Grover. 1827 01:26:18,006 --> 01:26:19,632 Whatever it is, we do not want any. 1828 01:26:19,674 --> 01:26:22,677 - Whoa! [indistinct speech] 1829 01:26:22,719 --> 01:26:24,637 Open, please. - What? 1830 01:26:24,679 --> 01:26:27,682 - Please, did you open? Open the damn door! 1831 01:26:27,682 --> 01:26:30,518 [laughter] 1832 01:26:31,561 --> 01:26:33,688 - You... I 1833 01:26:33,730 --> 01:26:35,648 - You know, it's too bad you couldn't come to the park 1834 01:26:35,690 --> 01:26:38,318 and play with me today, Bert. 1835 01:26:38,359 --> 01:26:41,029 - Mmm. Yeah, me too, Ernie, 1836 01:26:41,070 --> 01:26:44,157 but I had a lot of stuff to do around here, you know. 1837 01:26:44,199 --> 01:26:45,700 - Hey, Bert. - Mmm? 1838 01:26:45,742 --> 01:26:47,160 - You said, "Me too." 1839 01:26:47,202 --> 01:26:49,829 That didn't follow what I said, Bert. 1840 01:26:49,871 --> 01:26:51,664 [laughter] - I'm sorry. 1841 01:26:51,706 --> 01:26:53,374 - I thought maybe somebody could... 1842 01:26:53,374 --> 01:26:55,668 a friend could save it. 1843 01:26:55,710 --> 01:26:59,172 - Jim and I, we are unrelenting in our cruelty 1844 01:26:59,214 --> 01:27:02,008 towards each other because you can't see our faces, 1845 01:27:02,050 --> 01:27:06,846 but if one of us screws up, instead of pinching in to help, 1846 01:27:06,888 --> 01:27:09,224 the other just kind of smiles at him. 1847 01:27:09,224 --> 01:27:10,600 [laughter] 1848 01:27:12,560 --> 01:27:15,563 - Night, Ernie. - Me too, Bert. 1849 01:27:15,605 --> 01:27:19,359 - Oh, that's cute. Oh, that's funny. 1850 01:27:19,400 --> 01:27:22,070 Lost 17 seconds of our life just then. 1851 01:27:22,070 --> 01:27:25,531 - We were all so silly together. 1852 01:27:25,573 --> 01:27:28,243 - We added tats. That's Tuesday. 1853 01:27:28,284 --> 01:27:33,081 - And the most wonderful thing was to hear Jim Henson laugh, 1854 01:27:33,122 --> 01:27:37,710 let alone make him laugh. That was, like, fantastic. 1855 01:27:37,752 --> 01:27:39,212 - Wait a minute, that's last Tuesday. 1856 01:27:39,254 --> 01:27:40,713 - No, tats. I said we had tats. I said tats. 1857 01:27:40,755 --> 01:27:42,048 - I thought that was weird. 1858 01:27:42,090 --> 01:27:44,425 - We added tats last ... Oh, Your Majesty. 1859 01:27:44,467 --> 01:27:46,052 It's been so hard. 1860 01:27:46,094 --> 01:27:48,554 - How many lines do you have? 1861 01:27:48,596 --> 01:27:49,931 - Let me see. Um... 1862 01:27:49,931 --> 01:27:51,557 Well, the first one ... 1863 01:27:51,599 --> 01:27:53,601 - Let me see. Well... - Three. 1864 01:27:53,643 --> 01:27:56,896 - Three. Well, try to get the first one better! 1865 01:27:56,938 --> 01:28:01,234 - Yes, Your Majesty. [laughter] 1866 01:28:01,276 --> 01:28:03,403 - Jim was such a genius in terms of, you know, 1867 01:28:03,444 --> 01:28:07,907 how to create the imagery with the puppets 1868 01:28:07,949 --> 01:28:11,119 and make it all kind of work, you know, in a magical way. 1869 01:28:11,160 --> 01:28:15,081 I mean, it was like these were real people. 1870 01:28:15,123 --> 01:28:16,958 - Hey, listen, we thought we would talk to you 1871 01:28:16,958 --> 01:28:22,130 a little bit about the concept of being next to. You see? 1872 01:28:22,130 --> 01:28:25,925 Now then, right there you see Charla is next to Frannie. 1873 01:28:25,967 --> 01:28:27,927 - The kids accepted them as being real. 1874 01:28:27,969 --> 01:28:29,804 - What is that over here? 1875 01:28:29,846 --> 01:28:31,597 - Arrow. - A what? 1876 01:28:31,639 --> 01:28:33,099 - Arrow. 1877 01:28:33,141 --> 01:28:34,600 - An arrow? 1878 01:28:34,642 --> 01:28:36,436 - Those one-on-one bits with the Muppets. 1879 01:28:36,477 --> 01:28:37,770 - Let's hear you sing the alphabet. 1880 01:28:37,812 --> 01:28:41,482 - A, B, C, D, E, F, Cookie Monster. 1881 01:28:41,524 --> 01:28:45,320 - It wasn't rehearsed, and it wasn't professional children 1882 01:28:45,320 --> 01:28:50,450 with professional smiles. It was a pretty low-key, 1883 01:28:50,491 --> 01:28:51,826 fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants-- 1884 01:28:51,826 --> 01:28:53,119 I mean, that was part of the charm of it 1885 01:28:53,161 --> 01:28:54,829 was that everybody was real. 1886 01:28:54,829 --> 01:28:56,789 - You're not singing the alphabet. 1887 01:28:56,831 --> 01:29:03,629 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, 1888 01:29:03,671 --> 01:29:08,843 O, P, Q, R, S... - Cookie Monster! 1889 01:29:08,843 --> 01:29:10,678 - I go this way. 1890 01:29:12,180 --> 01:29:14,307 - That way! - That way? 1891 01:29:14,349 --> 01:29:15,683 - Yes. 1892 01:29:15,683 --> 01:29:17,477 - But the arrow was pointing the other way! 1893 01:29:17,518 --> 01:29:19,979 - No, that way. - Okay, it's pointing that way. 1894 01:29:20,021 --> 01:29:22,648 I'll go that way. 1895 01:29:22,690 --> 01:29:25,485 - This way. - That way. 1896 01:29:25,526 --> 01:29:27,820 - Frank Oz is sitting there with Grover, 1897 01:29:27,862 --> 01:29:30,198 and you have a little child, 1898 01:29:30,198 --> 01:29:32,867 and the child is interacting with Grover. 1899 01:29:34,369 --> 01:29:36,662 - Oh, hello, Polly. 1900 01:29:36,704 --> 01:29:38,831 - Frank Oz doesn't exist for that child. 1901 01:29:38,873 --> 01:29:41,042 - It's nice to see you. - It's Grover. 1902 01:29:42,251 --> 01:29:43,544 - Polly? - What? 1903 01:29:43,544 --> 01:29:45,671 - Can you count up to five? - Yes. 1904 01:29:45,713 --> 01:29:47,715 - Can you tell me how? 1905 01:29:49,717 --> 01:29:51,719 One hand, just hold up one hand. 1906 01:29:51,761 --> 01:29:54,555 Now count how many fingers there are on that hand. 1907 01:29:54,597 --> 01:29:59,352 - One, two, three, four, five. - Boy, are you lucky! 1908 01:29:59,394 --> 01:30:01,020 Five fingers. 1909 01:30:01,062 --> 01:30:03,356 - My famous moment with Grover. 1910 01:30:03,398 --> 01:30:06,192 You know, this superstar on television. 1911 01:30:06,234 --> 01:30:10,029 It was a wonderful way to grow up where, you know, 1912 01:30:10,071 --> 01:30:14,742 I had all these friends that were blue and fuzzy. 1913 01:30:14,742 --> 01:30:18,413 - Polly, I am so proud of you. 1914 01:30:21,249 --> 01:30:22,917 Aw! 1915 01:30:24,252 --> 01:30:25,753 - They were close together, you see? 1916 01:30:25,795 --> 01:30:27,755 So they are next to each other. 1917 01:30:27,797 --> 01:30:31,592 Now, Kermit the Frog is next to Charla. 1918 01:30:33,136 --> 01:30:35,930 - I know that. - Oh. Thank you. 1919 01:30:35,972 --> 01:30:37,557 That's lovely. - [giggling] 1920 01:30:37,598 --> 01:30:41,102 - It's that way. - [panting] 1921 01:30:41,144 --> 01:30:44,772 [sighs] - [laughing] 1922 01:30:46,941 --> 01:30:49,444 What happened, arrow? 1923 01:30:49,444 --> 01:30:52,447 - ♪ W, X, Y and Z 1924 01:30:52,488 --> 01:30:54,449 - ♪ Now I know - ♪ Now I've sung 1925 01:30:54,490 --> 01:30:56,075 - ♪ My ABCs, won't you 1926 01:30:56,117 --> 01:30:58,119 - Next time, Cookie Monster is-- 1927 01:30:58,161 --> 01:31:00,455 - Next time Cookie Monster can do it with you. 1928 01:31:00,455 --> 01:31:02,623 I'm leaving. 1929 01:31:02,665 --> 01:31:06,085 - I love you. - I love you too. 1930 01:31:06,127 --> 01:31:07,462 - Thanks. 1931 01:31:11,132 --> 01:31:14,594 - I remember once where a lawyer said to me, 1932 01:31:14,635 --> 01:31:16,637 "I often negotiate with Henson," 1933 01:31:16,637 --> 01:31:18,598 and I said, "Give him anything he wants." 1934 01:31:18,639 --> 01:31:20,808 [laughs] 1935 01:31:20,808 --> 01:31:22,602 And the lawyer said, 1936 01:31:22,643 --> 01:31:27,356 "Oh, that's the worst attitude I ever saw from any client." 1937 01:31:28,983 --> 01:31:32,111 I said, "He is precious to me." 1938 01:31:32,153 --> 01:31:33,654 - Tell me, Joan, did you ever think 1939 01:31:33,654 --> 01:31:36,324 when you started this show 20 years ago 1940 01:31:36,365 --> 01:31:38,451 that we would be sitting here now talking about it? 1941 01:31:38,493 --> 01:31:40,161 - Jim, I didn't think you'd be here. 1942 01:31:40,161 --> 01:31:41,829 - Oh, really? 1943 01:31:41,829 --> 01:31:43,289 - I would have thought you would have flown the coop. 1944 01:31:43,331 --> 01:31:44,999 - Oh, I see. 1945 01:31:44,999 --> 01:31:47,293 - What's interesting about it from the viewpoint-- 1946 01:31:47,335 --> 01:31:48,794 Well, from both of our viewpoints 1947 01:31:48,836 --> 01:31:51,464 is it's sort a form of immortality 1948 01:31:51,506 --> 01:31:54,634 because if you think about it, Ernie will live forever. 1949 01:31:54,675 --> 01:31:56,844 We've now built this huge library 1950 01:31:56,844 --> 01:32:00,139 of fabulous "Muppet" pieces 1951 01:32:00,181 --> 01:32:02,850 as well as other kinds of things so that-- 1952 01:32:02,850 --> 01:32:04,810 - Does this mean I can really stop doing Ernie? 1953 01:32:04,852 --> 01:32:09,315 - No, it doesn't, but it means that 200 years from now, 1954 01:32:09,357 --> 01:32:10,858 people will look-- 1955 01:32:10,900 --> 01:32:12,693 be looking at Bert and Ernie and Kermit the Frog. 1956 01:32:12,693 --> 01:32:14,153 It's interesting. 1957 01:32:14,195 --> 01:32:15,988 - Yeah. Frank-- I was talking with Frank Oz. 1958 01:32:16,030 --> 01:32:18,991 You know, he and I imagined when we're in our 80s 1959 01:32:19,033 --> 01:32:20,535 doing Ernie and Bert, 1960 01:32:20,535 --> 01:32:23,037 you know, in rocking chairs and still doing it. 1961 01:32:23,037 --> 01:32:25,498 - Oh, I hope so. - I can imagine that. 1962 01:32:25,540 --> 01:32:27,542 - I may not there with you. 1963 01:32:27,583 --> 01:32:29,877 [both laughing] 1964 01:32:33,089 --> 01:32:36,384 - For millions of people, a little of the magic is gone. 1965 01:32:36,384 --> 01:32:38,553 Jim Henson, the man who created The Muppets, 1966 01:32:38,553 --> 01:32:41,556 the man who made complex characters out of cloth, 1967 01:32:41,556 --> 01:32:44,392 has died at the age of only 53. 1968 01:32:46,894 --> 01:32:50,064 - My name is Jon Stone. I'm a writer and director. 1969 01:32:51,732 --> 01:32:55,695 I don't remember exactly how Jim and I met. 1970 01:32:55,736 --> 01:33:01,701 I know it was 1963 or '64, but from the moment we met, 1971 01:33:01,742 --> 01:33:04,704 we were never very far apart. 1972 01:33:04,745 --> 01:33:07,373 That happened to a lot of people. 1973 01:33:07,415 --> 01:33:08,874 More and more of us 1974 01:33:08,916 --> 01:33:12,712 joined Jim's extended family over the years. 1975 01:33:12,753 --> 01:33:17,091 All the designers and builders and writers and puppeteers, 1976 01:33:17,133 --> 01:33:21,262 one by one, all of us heard the unhearable, 1977 01:33:21,304 --> 01:33:24,223 and my phone rang all that day and that night 1978 01:33:24,265 --> 01:33:29,103 and all the next day. The calls were from you. 1979 01:33:29,103 --> 01:33:32,898 Each of you hurting so much and knowing 1980 01:33:32,940 --> 01:33:36,110 that I must be hurting that much too. 1981 01:33:36,152 --> 01:33:39,780 So you called just to see if I was all right. 1982 01:33:39,780 --> 01:33:45,620 It is no accident that you loving, talented, 1983 01:33:45,620 --> 01:33:51,083 caring people wound up in Jim Henson's family. 1984 01:33:51,125 --> 01:33:56,756 I loved Jim very much, and I love you very much too. 1985 01:33:56,797 --> 01:33:59,759 [piano music] 1986 01:33:59,800 --> 01:34:06,641 ♪ 1987 01:34:08,142 --> 01:34:14,273 - ♪ It's not that easy being green ♪ 1988 01:34:14,315 --> 01:34:20,112 ♪ Having to spend the day the color of the leaves ♪ 1989 01:34:20,154 --> 01:34:23,282 ♪ When I think it could be nicer ♪ 1990 01:34:23,324 --> 01:34:25,660 ♪ Being red or yellow or gold ♪ 1991 01:34:25,660 --> 01:34:29,497 ♪ Or something much more colorful like that ♪ 1992 01:34:30,539 --> 01:34:33,000 - That song was a point of departure for the series 1993 01:34:33,000 --> 01:34:35,628 and for me. 1994 01:34:35,670 --> 01:34:37,338 - ♪ Being green 1995 01:34:37,338 --> 01:34:39,507 - The song addresses that one thing that's 1996 01:34:39,507 --> 01:34:42,009 at the kernel of our being. 1997 01:34:42,009 --> 01:34:44,303 We're not sure what we are or what we can be. 1998 01:34:44,345 --> 01:34:45,680 We know there's potential, 1999 01:34:45,680 --> 01:34:48,015 and the realization to accept ourselves. 2000 01:34:48,057 --> 01:34:49,517 - ♪ I am green 2001 01:34:49,558 --> 01:34:51,477 ♪ And it'll do fine 2002 01:34:51,519 --> 01:34:53,354 ♪ It's beautiful 2003 01:34:53,396 --> 01:34:57,358 ♪ And I think it's what I want to be ♪ 2004 01:34:59,694 --> 01:35:01,320 - To know that we can become something 2005 01:35:01,362 --> 01:35:04,240 that we perhaps never dreamed we could be... 2006 01:35:08,035 --> 01:35:10,204 That's what "Sesame Street" is about. 2007 01:35:16,544 --> 01:35:20,339 [indistinct chatter] 2008 01:35:20,381 --> 01:35:21,716 - Stand by. - Okay. 2009 01:35:21,716 --> 01:35:23,342 - Switching over. 2010 01:35:23,384 --> 01:35:25,386 - P. 2011 01:35:25,428 --> 01:35:27,722 [gibberish] 2012 01:35:31,058 --> 01:35:34,395 - R. - No, no, no, no, no. 2013 01:35:38,566 --> 01:35:41,736 - P. - No! [growls] 2014 01:35:51,620 --> 01:35:55,374 But if you say the name first and then the sound shot. 2015 01:35:55,416 --> 01:35:56,876 - Wait, we're teaching something here? 2016 01:35:56,917 --> 01:35:57,960 - Yeah! 2017 01:36:00,588 --> 01:36:03,716 - The happiest time of his life 2018 01:36:03,758 --> 01:36:06,719 were those early years in "Sesame Street" 2019 01:36:06,761 --> 01:36:11,599 when Dad suddenly had this family around him. 2020 01:36:22,318 --> 01:36:24,820 That was all he could ever have wished for. 2021 01:36:28,115 --> 01:36:29,950 You know, he battled depression 2022 01:36:29,992 --> 01:36:32,244 for a good part of his life, 2023 01:36:32,286 --> 01:36:36,582 but on set with the Muppets he was so happy. 2024 01:36:36,624 --> 01:36:38,167 - All right. Quiet please. Here we go. 2025 01:36:44,840 --> 01:36:46,967 [laughter] 2026 01:36:50,971 --> 01:36:52,431 - Cookie Monster? 2027 01:36:52,473 --> 01:36:54,016 - Hmm, what? - That's just so disgusting. 2028 01:36:55,851 --> 01:36:57,144 - Sorry, Jon. 2029 01:36:57,186 --> 01:36:58,813 - Don't worry, Jon, keep rolling. 2030 01:36:58,854 --> 01:37:00,773 - So sorry, Jon. - Sorry, Jon. 2031 01:37:00,815 --> 01:37:04,777 - I bet Jon would like to do those shots one more time! 2032 01:37:04,819 --> 01:37:06,821 - Of course-- - Please don't hurt me. 2033 01:37:06,862 --> 01:37:10,825 Don't yell at me, Jonny. Please! Fade to black! 2034 01:37:12,868 --> 01:37:16,163 [indistinct chatter, laughter] 2035 01:37:17,832 --> 01:37:20,960 - "Sesame Street" truly was the love of his life, 2036 01:37:21,001 --> 01:37:26,340 and that's the thing that he stuck with longer than anybody, 2037 01:37:26,340 --> 01:37:28,342 right up until the end. 2038 01:37:28,384 --> 01:37:30,344 - There must be something to life besides big balloons 2039 01:37:30,386 --> 01:37:32,638 and little balloons. I like little sized balloons. 2040 01:37:32,680 --> 01:37:35,683 - Years ago I tried to persuade Joan Cooney 2041 01:37:35,683 --> 01:37:39,478 to do a special entitled "Backstage at Sesame Street" 2042 01:37:39,520 --> 01:37:44,149 because I wanted to capture the family aura 2043 01:37:44,191 --> 01:37:47,486 that we had in the studio and still have, 2044 01:37:47,528 --> 01:37:52,157 but we never did the show. Maybe we're doing it now. 2045 01:37:52,199 --> 01:37:53,576 [chuckles] 2046 01:38:02,543 --> 01:38:06,714 - It was a family, is a family, 2047 01:38:06,755 --> 01:38:10,509 and really all of us loved each other, 2048 01:38:10,551 --> 01:38:12,428 and it shows in the work. 2049 01:38:14,221 --> 01:38:16,557 - The most amazing part of "Sesame Street" 2050 01:38:16,557 --> 01:38:19,226 was how everybody was in the right place 2051 01:38:19,268 --> 01:38:21,353 at the right time, 2052 01:38:21,395 --> 01:38:23,564 and that's the thing that made the show. 2053 01:38:27,276 --> 01:38:31,071 - Thinking about in the very beginning of the show 2054 01:38:31,113 --> 01:38:34,575 and all of the people that worked on it. 2055 01:38:34,617 --> 01:38:37,077 It's hard for me to talk about it. 2056 01:38:37,077 --> 01:38:38,913 It's very emotional. 2057 01:38:42,458 --> 01:38:44,919 It can't be reproduced. 2058 01:38:46,795 --> 01:38:50,382 - It's still to this day is very difficult for me 2059 01:38:50,424 --> 01:38:52,384 to wrap my mind around 2060 01:38:52,426 --> 01:38:55,930 how big this thing is, how big it became. 2061 01:38:55,971 --> 01:38:59,725 - I don't know that there is a show 2062 01:38:59,767 --> 01:39:02,895 that is as universally loved from childhood 2063 01:39:02,937 --> 01:39:06,273 through adulthood as "Sesame Street" is. 2064 01:39:06,273 --> 01:39:09,568 - "Sesame Street" wanted to give kids tools 2065 01:39:09,610 --> 01:39:13,572 to create the world they wanted to live in. 2066 01:39:13,614 --> 01:39:15,908 - You know, in the beginning, 2067 01:39:15,950 --> 01:39:19,578 we thought we were helping education, 2068 01:39:19,620 --> 01:39:22,790 maybe changing children's television, 2069 01:39:22,790 --> 01:39:27,127 but I don't think any of us sat there thinking, 2070 01:39:27,127 --> 01:39:30,464 "Oh, my God. We're changing the world." 2071 01:39:30,506 --> 01:39:32,591 - There was just a magic moment in time 2072 01:39:32,633 --> 01:39:34,802 where we all worked on an idea 2073 01:39:34,843 --> 01:39:36,845 that we understood was bigger than ourselves. 2074 01:39:38,305 --> 01:39:42,434 - It was an amazing experience. 2075 01:39:42,476 --> 01:39:44,144 - This is why it's still loved. 2076 01:39:44,186 --> 01:39:46,146 The people who do it love it. 2077 01:39:47,815 --> 01:39:49,650 They're genuine, and they believed in 2078 01:39:49,692 --> 01:39:51,318 what they're doing, 2079 01:39:51,360 --> 01:39:53,320 and from the very beginning, 2080 01:39:53,320 --> 01:39:55,823 the joy that those guys put into the show, 2081 01:39:55,864 --> 01:39:57,992 the joy that they all felt... 2082 01:39:59,994 --> 01:40:02,663 It shows on every frame of the show 2083 01:40:02,663 --> 01:40:04,790 throughout its history. 2084 01:40:04,832 --> 01:40:06,667 - Wind. 2085 01:40:06,709 --> 01:40:12,464 ♪ 2086 01:40:12,506 --> 01:40:15,300 - Ah! 2087 01:40:15,342 --> 01:40:19,013 - "Sesame Street" is immortal. 2088 01:40:19,054 --> 01:40:21,140 - Shake your head. Shake your head. 2089 01:40:21,181 --> 01:40:22,641 Shake your head. 2090 01:40:22,683 --> 01:40:24,476 - Oh, boy, is this fun! - Shake your head. 2091 01:40:24,518 --> 01:40:26,854 Shake your head. Shake your head. 2092 01:40:28,689 --> 01:40:31,483 - Is it--aren't you glad you're playing, everybody? 2093 01:40:31,525 --> 01:40:34,319 ["Sesame Street" theme song ends] 2094 01:40:34,361 --> 01:40:41,201 ♪ 2095 01:40:56,383 --> 01:40:58,844 - ♪ Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance ♪ 2096 01:40:58,886 --> 01:41:00,387 All right! 2097 01:41:00,429 --> 01:41:02,222 ♪ Dance, dance, dance 2098 01:41:02,222 --> 01:41:04,349 ♪ Everybody dance 2099 01:41:04,391 --> 01:41:06,351 ♪ Everybody dance ♪ 2100 01:41:06,393 --> 01:41:08,395 ♪ You can dance with me 2101 01:41:08,437 --> 01:41:10,689 ♪ You can dance with me ♪ 2102 01:41:10,731 --> 01:41:12,357 ♪ Dance, dance, dance 2103 01:41:12,399 --> 01:41:13,734 ♪ Dance, dance, dance ♪ 2104 01:41:13,776 --> 01:41:15,027 All right! 2105 01:41:15,069 --> 01:41:16,236 ♪ Dance, dance, dance 2106 01:41:16,236 --> 01:41:17,863 All right! ♪ Everybody dance 2107 01:41:17,905 --> 01:41:19,531 ♪ You can dance 2108 01:41:19,573 --> 01:41:21,366 - ♪ The mama pajama rolled out of bed ♪ 2109 01:41:21,408 --> 01:41:23,869 ♪ She ran to the police station ♪ 2110 01:41:23,911 --> 01:41:25,871 ♪ When the papa found out he began to shout ♪ 2111 01:41:25,913 --> 01:41:28,415 ♪ And he started the investigation ♪ 2112 01:41:28,457 --> 01:41:30,209 ♪ It's against the law 2113 01:41:30,250 --> 01:41:32,711 ♪ It was against the law 2114 01:41:32,753 --> 01:41:34,713 ♪ What the mama saw 2115 01:41:34,755 --> 01:41:36,381 ♪ It was against the law 2116 01:41:36,423 --> 01:41:38,092 - ♪ It's against the law 2117 01:41:38,092 --> 01:41:39,551 - ♪ The mama looked down and spit on the ground ♪ 2118 01:41:39,593 --> 01:41:42,387 ♪ Every time my name gets mentioned ♪ 2119 01:41:42,429 --> 01:41:45,099 ♪ The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy ♪ 2120 01:41:45,099 --> 01:41:47,267 ♪ I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention" ♪ 2121 01:41:47,267 --> 01:41:49,603 ♪ Well I'm on my way 2122 01:41:49,603 --> 01:41:51,438 ♪ I don't know where I'm going ♪ 2123 01:41:51,480 --> 01:41:53,107 ♪ But I'm on my way 2124 01:41:53,148 --> 01:41:54,608 ♪ I'm taking my time 2125 01:41:54,650 --> 01:41:56,068 ♪ But I don't know where 2126 01:41:56,110 --> 01:42:00,114 ♪ Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona ♪ 2127 01:42:00,155 --> 01:42:01,740 ♪ Seeing me and Julio 2128 01:42:01,782 --> 01:42:04,284 ♪ Down by the schoolyard 2129 01:42:04,284 --> 01:42:05,577 ♪ Seeing me and Julio 2130 01:42:05,619 --> 01:42:07,121 ♪ Down by the schoolyard 2131 01:42:07,162 --> 01:42:08,789 - ♪ Dance, dance, dance 2132 01:42:08,831 --> 01:42:10,582 ♪ Everybody dance 2133 01:42:10,624 --> 01:42:15,462 ♪ Everybody 2134 01:42:15,462 --> 01:42:16,964 - Whoo! 2135 01:42:17,005 --> 01:42:20,425 [cheers and applause] 2136 01:42:20,467 --> 01:42:25,097 [upbeat jazz music] 2137 01:42:25,139 --> 01:42:27,641 - ♪ Excuse me, Mr. Hoots I hate to bug a busy bird ♪ 2138 01:42:27,683 --> 01:42:29,101 ♪ But I want to learn the sax 2139 01:42:29,143 --> 01:42:30,602 ♪ And I need a helpful word 2140 01:42:30,644 --> 01:42:32,479 ♪ I always get a silly squeak 2141 01:42:32,479 --> 01:42:34,314 ♪ When I play the blues 2142 01:42:36,024 --> 01:42:37,317 - ♪ Ernie, keep your cool 2143 01:42:37,317 --> 01:42:38,944 ♪ I'll teach you how to blow the sax ♪ 2144 01:42:38,986 --> 01:42:40,279 ♪ I think I dig your problem 2145 01:42:40,320 --> 01:42:41,655 ♪ It's rubber, and it quacks 2146 01:42:41,655 --> 01:42:43,323 ♪ You'll never find the skill you seek ♪ 2147 01:42:43,365 --> 01:42:45,325 ♪ Till you pay your dues 2148 01:42:46,827 --> 01:42:49,955 ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2149 01:42:49,997 --> 01:42:52,624 ♪ Put down the duckie 2150 01:42:52,666 --> 01:42:54,126 ♪ Put down the duckie yeah 2151 01:42:54,168 --> 01:42:56,170 ♪ You've got to leave the duck alone ♪ 2152 01:42:58,046 --> 01:43:01,008 all: ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2153 01:43:01,008 --> 01:43:03,802 ♪ Put down the duckie 2154 01:43:03,844 --> 01:43:07,848 ♪ Put down the duckie if you wanna play the saxophone ♪ 2155 01:43:07,848 --> 01:43:10,184 - Whoo! 2156 01:43:10,225 --> 01:43:13,020 - You didn't hear a word I said. 2157 01:43:13,061 --> 01:43:16,023 ♪ You got to get it through your head ♪ 2158 01:43:16,064 --> 01:43:18,650 ♪ Don't be a stubborn cluck 2159 01:43:18,692 --> 01:43:20,194 ♪ Ernie, lay aside the duck 2160 01:43:20,235 --> 01:43:21,486 ♪ I've learned a thing or two 2161 01:43:21,528 --> 01:43:23,197 ♪ From years of playing in a band ♪ 2162 01:43:23,238 --> 01:43:25,699 ♪ It's hard to play a saxophone with something in your hand ♪ 2163 01:43:25,741 --> 01:43:27,201 ♪ To be a fine musician 2164 01:43:27,201 --> 01:43:31,038 ♪ You're going to have to face the facts ♪ 2165 01:43:31,038 --> 01:43:34,208 all: ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2166 01:43:34,208 --> 01:43:37,169 ♪ Put down the duckie 2167 01:43:37,211 --> 01:43:38,378 ♪ Put down the duckie ♪ 2168 01:43:38,378 --> 01:43:41,882 ♪ You've got to leave the duck alone ♪ 2169 01:43:41,882 --> 01:43:45,344 ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2170 01:43:45,385 --> 01:43:48,013 ♪ Put down the duckie 2171 01:43:48,055 --> 01:43:51,225 ♪ Put the duckie if you want to play the saxophone ♪ 2172 01:43:51,225 --> 01:43:52,851 - Yeah! 2173 01:43:52,893 --> 01:43:54,228 - ♪ Though you're blessed with flying fingers ♪ 2174 01:43:54,269 --> 01:43:56,021 ♪ When you want to wail, you're stuck ♪ 2175 01:43:56,063 --> 01:43:57,356 ♪ What good are flying fingers ♪ 2176 01:43:57,397 --> 01:43:59,024 ♪ If they're wrapped around a duck ♪ 2177 01:43:59,066 --> 01:44:02,527 ♪ Change the toy's position if you wanna ace the sax ♪ 2178 01:44:02,569 --> 01:44:04,071 ♪ Yeah! 2179 01:44:04,071 --> 01:44:06,573 all: ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2180 01:44:06,615 --> 01:44:09,368 ♪ Put down the duckie 2181 01:44:09,409 --> 01:44:10,702 ♪ Put down the duckie ♪ 2182 01:44:10,744 --> 01:44:12,871 ♪ You've got to leave the duck alone ♪ 2183 01:44:12,913 --> 01:44:14,206 ♪ Don't mess with me 2184 01:44:14,248 --> 01:44:17,376 ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2185 01:44:17,417 --> 01:44:18,710 ♪ Put down the duckie 2186 01:44:18,752 --> 01:44:21,255 ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2187 01:44:21,255 --> 01:44:23,465 ♪If you want to play the saxophone ♪ 2188 01:44:26,760 --> 01:44:29,429 - ♪ Don't have to put it on a train ♪ 2189 01:44:29,471 --> 01:44:32,391 ♪ Don't have to wash it down the drain ♪ 2190 01:44:32,432 --> 01:44:35,060 ♪ Don't have to lock it in a drawer ♪ 2191 01:44:35,102 --> 01:44:37,896 ♪ Don't have to shove it out the door ♪ 2192 01:44:37,938 --> 01:44:40,607 ♪ Don't have to stuff it in your pocket ♪ 2193 01:44:40,607 --> 01:44:43,235 ♪ Or send it flying in a rocket ♪ 2194 01:44:43,277 --> 01:44:46,071 ♪ Don't have to get it out of town ♪ 2195 01:44:46,113 --> 01:44:48,115 ♪ Ernie put the quacker down 2196 01:44:48,156 --> 01:44:49,783 - Oh, gee, Hoots, you know 2197 01:44:49,825 --> 01:44:51,743 I really love my duckie. I can't bear to part with him. 2198 01:44:51,785 --> 01:44:54,288 - Oh, you don't have to lose your duck. 2199 01:44:54,329 --> 01:44:57,082 all: ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2200 01:44:57,124 --> 01:44:59,918 ♪ Put down the duckie 2201 01:44:59,960 --> 01:45:01,253 ♪ Put down the duckie ♪ 2202 01:45:01,295 --> 01:45:02,963 ♪ You've got leave the duck alone ♪ 2203 01:45:04,965 --> 01:45:07,968 ♪ You've got to put down the duckie ♪ 2204 01:45:08,010 --> 01:45:10,804 ♪ Put down the duckie 2205 01:45:10,846 --> 01:45:12,139 ♪ Put down the duckie ♪ 2206 01:45:12,139 --> 01:45:14,641 ♪ If you want to play the saxophone ♪ 2207 01:45:15,809 --> 01:45:17,936 - Gee, Hoots, you know I really love my duckie. 2208 01:45:17,978 --> 01:45:19,604 I can't part with him. 2209 01:45:19,646 --> 01:45:21,315 - Well, you don't have to lose your duck. 2210 01:45:21,315 --> 01:45:22,983 You can pick it up when you're finished. 2211 01:45:23,025 --> 01:45:24,276 - I can? - Yeah! 2212 01:45:24,318 --> 01:45:25,986 - Oh, wow! 2213 01:45:26,028 --> 01:45:32,993 ♪ 2214 01:45:36,663 --> 01:45:38,957 ♪ You've got put down the duckie ♪ 2215 01:45:38,999 --> 01:45:41,126 - ♪ Put down the duckie - ♪ Put down the duckie 2216 01:45:41,168 --> 01:45:43,628 - ♪ Put that down - ♪ Put down the duckie 2217 01:45:43,670 --> 01:45:45,839 ♪ Yeah, you've got to leave the duck alone ♪ 2218 01:45:47,883 --> 01:45:49,343 ♪ Put down the duckie 2219 01:45:49,343 --> 01:45:50,635 - ♪ Put down the duckie ♪ 2220 01:45:50,677 --> 01:45:52,012 - ♪ Put down that duckie 2221 01:45:52,012 --> 01:45:53,347 - ♪ Put down 2222 01:45:53,388 --> 01:45:54,681 - ♪ Put down the duckie 2223 01:45:54,723 --> 01:45:56,641 ♪ If you want to play the saxophone ♪ 2224 01:45:56,683 --> 01:45:58,643 ♪ One more time 2225 01:45:58,685 --> 01:46:01,646 all: ♪ You've got put down the duckie ♪ 2226 01:46:01,688 --> 01:46:04,483 ♪ Put down the duckie 2227 01:46:04,524 --> 01:46:05,817 ♪ Put down the duckie ♪ 2228 01:46:05,859 --> 01:46:09,696 ♪ You've got to leave the duck alone ♪ 2229 01:46:09,696 --> 01:46:12,699 ♪ You've got put down the duckie ♪ 2230 01:46:12,699 --> 01:46:15,369 ♪ Put down the duckie 2231 01:46:15,410 --> 01:46:16,703 ♪ Put down the duckie 2232 01:46:16,745 --> 01:46:20,832 ♪ If you want to play the saxophone ♪ 2233 01:46:20,874 --> 01:46:23,502 - Whoo. Can I pick up my duckie? 2234 01:46:23,543 --> 01:46:26,213 - By all means! - Oh, thank you. 2235 01:46:26,254 --> 01:46:28,673 Oh, duckie, I missed you so much. 2236 01:46:28,715 --> 01:46:30,217 Yes, me too. 2237 01:46:30,258 --> 01:46:32,219 - Take care, Ernie, my man! 2238 01:46:34,596 --> 01:46:36,681 - Well, I want you to know how truly unpleasant 2239 01:46:36,723 --> 01:46:38,517 it has been having to talk to you. 2240 01:46:38,558 --> 01:46:41,395 So I'm going to leave now so ta-ta. 2241 01:46:41,436 --> 01:46:43,730 Oh, that sounded as though I might have cared too. 2242 01:46:43,772 --> 01:46:46,191 How about scram, get out of here, 2243 01:46:46,233 --> 01:46:48,527 and I can't stand you? [laughs] 2244 01:46:48,568 --> 01:46:50,570 Ow, why don't you watch that? 169027

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