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[[Image:Apprentice_Martha_Stewart.jpg|thumb|''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart'' logo]]
<!--[[Image:tv_sesame_street_if_i_was_a_letter_b.jpg|right|200px|thumb|If I Was a Letter B, season 35 parody of ''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]''.]]-->
'''''The Apprentice: Martha Stewart''''' is the first [[spin-off]] from the [[United States|American]] [[reality television]] series ''[[The Apprentice]]''. The series premiered on [[September 21]], [[2005]]. The show is broadcast on [[NBC]] and is hosted by business tycoon [[Martha Stewart]]. The format of the show is tailored to suit Stewart's personality and brand identity. The tasks are centered around Stewart's areas of expertise: media, culinary arts, entertaining, decorating, crafts, design, merchandising, and style. Stewart brings her own sensibilities and creativity to the elimination process. Sometimes, but not always, she uses her catchphrase: "Good-bye." This is her equivalent to [[Donald Trump]]'s catchphrase: "You're fired."
[[Image:70sesame.jpg|200px|right|thumb|The [[United States Postal Service]] considered the show one of the 1970s greatest influences on culture; the show was thus honored with a millenium series stamp of Big Bird.]]
Earlier reports however frequently reported incorrectly that her phrase was "You just don't fit in" but this turned out to only be a commentary on the first eliminated contestant. She also writes a cordial letter to the candidate who is fired. Although the letter is designed to give comfort, many times she takes subtle jabs at the fired candidate and gives frank reasons for why the candidate did not succeed on the show.
'''''Sesame Street''''' is an educational [[television program]] designed for preschoolers, and is recognized as a pioneer of the contemporary standard which combines [[edutainment|education and entertainment]] in [[children's television]] shows. ''Sesame Street'' is well known for the inclusion of the [[Muppet]] characters created by the legendary [[puppeteer]] [[Jim Henson]]. More than 4,000 episodes of the show have been produced in 36 seasons, which distinguishes it as one of the longest-running shows in television history.
[[Donald Trump]] and [[Mark Burnett]] are executive producers for the show. Businessman [[Charles Koppelman]] and Stewart's daughter, [[Alexis Stewart]], are Martha Stewart's eyes and ears. They closely watch the two teams throught the week and report their observations to Stewart.
''Sesame Street'' is produced in the [[United States]] by [[Sesame Workshop]], formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW). It premiered on [[November 10]], [[1969]] on the [[National Educational Television]] network, and later that year it was moved to NET's successor, the [[Public Broadcasting Service]].
[[Image:Trumpmartha.jpg|thumb|Martha Stewart with Donald Trump]]
Because of its positive influence, ''Sesame Street'' has earned the distinction of being the foremost and most highly regarded educator of young people in the world. {{ref|numberone}} No television series can claim as high a level of recognition and success on the international stage. The original series has been televised in 120 countries, and more than 20 international versions have been produced. In its long and illustrious history, ''Sesame Street'' has received more [[Emmy Award]]s than any other program, and has captured the allegiance, esteem, and affections of millions of viewers worldwide.
The two teams are called Matchstick and Primarius.
==Overview==
<gallery>
Image:Video_A_Celebration_of_Me,_Grover_cast.jpg|From ''[[A Celebration of Me, Grover]]'', showing much of the main cast of ''Sesame Street''. Left to right, a penguin, [[Elmo]], [[Zoe (Sesame Street)|Zoe]], [[Big Bird]], [[Grover]], [[Bert]], [[Ernie]], [[Cookie Monster]].
Image:Bob with Sesame Street sign.jpg|Characters on the show, like Bob, have great longevity compared to like series. This still is from the closing sequence of an early season.
Image:Tv_sesame_street_grover_and_a_boy.jpg|Some of the show's most authentic and memorable moments were unscripted conversations between Muppets, such as Grover (above) or Kermit, with real children.
Image:Tv_Sesame_Street_Telly_Monster_and_a_triangle.jpg|''Sesame Street'' was one of the first kids television series devoted to promoting the arts. The art of [[Keith Haring]], filmmaking of [[William Wegman (photographer)|William Wegman]] and his [[Weimaraner]] dogs, Big Bird conducting the [[Boston Pops]], or simply Telly Monster playing a triangle.
</gallery>
''Sesame Street'' uses a combination of puppets, animation, and live actors to teach young children the fundamentals of reading (letter and word recognition), arithmetic (numbers, addition and subtraction), colors, and the concept of time (clocks and days of the week). Included are segments which focus on basic life skills, such as how to cross the road safely and the importance of proper [[hygiene]] and healthy [[eating]] habits. Skits and segments are sometimes [[parody|parodies]] of popular or well-known television productions.
The show's theme song is "[[Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)]]" by the [[Eurythmics]].
There is also a subtle sense of humor on the show that has appealed to older viewers since it first premiered. A number of spoofs and parodies of popular culture appear, especially ones aimed at the [[Public Broadcasting Service]], the network that hosts the show. For example, during the "Me Claudius" segment, the children viewing the show might enjoy watching [[Cookie Monster]] and the [[Muppet]]s, while adults watching the same sequence may enjoy the spoof of the [[Masterpiece Theatre]] production of ''[[I, Claudius]]''; this series of segments is known as "[[Monsterpiece Theater]]."
Despite the fairly big initial hype, ratings for this spinoff have been nothing short of weak. This show averages only 7 million viewers, and garners a mediocre 2.5 average in the very important demographic of 18-49 year old viewers. However, it should be noted that this program airs against very tough competition, including ABC's massive hit ''[[Lost (TV series)|Lost]]''. There have been numerous reasons thrown out as to why this show isn't doing as well as expected, including: "too much" Martha (daytime program and primetime), confusion between this version and Trump's version which airs the day after (on Thursday nights), and weak casting. Due to these factors, it is unlikely that this program will make it back for a second season, although NBC does have the option of bringing it back to air for Season #2 during the relatively slow summer TV season.
Several of the characters on the program were conceived to attract an older audience, such as the characters Flo Bear ([[Gustave Flaubert|Flaubert]]), [[Sherlock Hemlock]] (a [[Sherlock Holmes]] parody), and H. Ross Parrot (based on [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] founder [[Ross Perot]]). Well over two hundred notable personalities, from celebrities like [[James Brown (musician)|James Brown]] to political figures such as [[Kofi Annan]], have made [[List of celebrity guest stars on Sesame Street|guest appearances on the show]]. Wikipedia's list includes 179 different individual/group appearances, and does not include multiple appearances. The inclusion of sophisticated humor is purposely intended to encourage parents to watch with their children. By making the show something that not only educates and entertains kids, but also keeps parents entertained and involved in the educational process, the producers hope that more discussion about the concepts on the show will occur.
==Candidates==
==History of the show==
:''Main articleSee: [[HistoryThe Apprentice: ofMartha SesameStewart StreetCandidates]]''
==Episodes==
The show's original format called for the humans to be shown in plots on the street, intermixed with the segments of animation, live-action shorts and [[Muppet]]s. These segments were created to be like commercials—quick, catchy and memorable—and made the learning experience much more like fun. The format became a model for what is known today as [[edutainment]]-based programs.
{{spoiler}}
===Week 1: Once Upon a Time===
*'''Airdate:''' [[September 21]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Random House]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to design and write a [[children's book]] and read it to a group of first graders.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Dawna
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Jeff
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' A Japanese dinner with Martha
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Jeff, Dawn, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Jeff, for taking over the entire project and not listening to his teammates. (Martha to Jeff: "You just don't fit in.")
===Week 2: Business is Blooming===
CTW aired the program for test groups to determine if the revolutionary new format was likely to succeed. Results showed that test watchers were entranced when the ad-like segments aired, especially those with the jovial puppets, but were remarkably less interested in the street scenes. It was a quick and easy choice for the producers to add Muppets to the street scenes, although psychologists had warned against a mixture of fantasy and reality elements. A simple dose of cartoon-like characters let the humans deliver messages without causing such viewer uninterest.
*'''Airdate:''' [[September 28]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to sell flowers in high-end floral shops.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Carrie
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Chuck
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' Building a garden for a Community Center in the Chelsea neighborhood
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Chuck, Dawn, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Chuck, for poor leadership.
===Week 3: Bake It 'Til You Make It===
''Sesame Street'', along with several other [[Sesame Workshop]]–produced shows (such as [[The Electric Company]], produced when the company was still CTW) are all taped in [[New York, New York|New York City]]. Originally they were taped at the Teletape Studios at 81st and Broadway in Manhattan, but the bankruptcy of Teletape's parent company, Reeves Entertainment, forced these productions to move and they remain to this day at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in neighboring [[Queens]].
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 5]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Michael C. Fina]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to design and sell a wedding cake.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Howie
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' David
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' Dinner at Jean-George with [[Donald Trump|Donald]] and [[Melania Knauss|Melania Trump]]
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' David, Marcela, Dawn (Bethenny, Shawn and Jim recalled to the boardroom by Martha)
*'''Dismissed:''' Shawn, for off-handed remarks (First Woman Dismissed, also the first person to be fired and not having even been chosen for the boardroom).
*'''Special Note:''' Jim's wife has a baby.
===Week 4: Sweet Suite===
The brownstone architecture of Sesame Street, as well as the concept of neighbors from different backgrounds living in the same area, sharing their life experiences, is based on a neighborhood in Brooklyn called [[Brooklyn Heights]], where the creators lived when they first started the show.
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 12]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Westin Hotels]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create a fantasy suite in a Westin Hotel.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Amanda
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Leslie
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' Enjoying the hotel suite that they had finished.
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Leslie, Bethenny, Dawn
*'''Dismissed:''' Dawn, for being completely dysfunctional.
*'''Special Note:''' Leslie is transferred to Matchstick from Primarius and becomes the project mananger.
===Week 5: Mixed Greens===
==Broadcast history==
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 19]], [[2005]]
:''Main article: [[List of characters from international versions of Sesame Street|Major characters in international versions]]''
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Wishbone]]
The show is broadcast worldwide; in addition to the U.S. version, many countries have locally produced versions adapted to local needs, some with their own characters, and in a variety of different languages. Broadcasts in [[Australia]] began in [[1971]]. In [[Canada]], beginning in [[1970]], 15-minute shows called ''Canada's Sesame Street'' were broadcast, and by [[1972]] an edited version of the one-hour American program was airing featuring specially filmed Canadian segments. In [[1995]], the American version was replaced by a half-hour, all-Canadian version of the series entitled ''[[Sesame Park]]''. Since the original ''Sesame Street'' was still accessible to Canadians, and more familiar, the format change didn't interest with audiences, and was cancelled in [[2002]]. One hundred and twenty countries have aired the show, many of which partnered with Sesame Workshop to create local versions.
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create and sell a Salad Dressing.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Jennifer
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Ryan
*'''Winning Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Matchstick's Special Commendation:''' A trip on a [[Schooner]] around [[New York City]].
*'''Losing Team:''' Primarius
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Jennifer, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Jennifer, for not taking Jim off the task when he behaved badly.
*'''Special Notes:'''
**Bethenny, Howie, Sarah, Carrie, Jim and Jennifer become the new Primarius, Ryan, Amanda, Leslie, Dawna, David and Marcela become the new Matchstick.
**Officially Ryan, Amanda and Dawna are transferred to Matchstick. Jim and Bethenny are transferred to Primarius.
**Matchstick finally wins for the first time in the series.
**This is the first time a two-person boardroom takes place and it is the first time Martha choses the boardroom candidates instead of the project manager.
===Week 6: Every Dog Has His Day===
In recent years, ''Sesame Street'' has made what area educators consider to be critical advances in its international versions. In the late 1990s, versions popped up in [[China]] and [[Russia]], as these countries shifted away from communism. There is also a joint [[Israel]]i-[[Palestinian]]-[[Jordan]]ian project, called ''Sesame Stories'', which was created with the goal of promoting greater cultural understanding.
*'''Airdate:''' [[October 26]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Purina|Purina Beneful]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create an auction package with various celebrities and then raise the most money during the auction.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Jim
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Marcela
*'''Winning Team:''' Primarius
*'''Primarius' Special Commendation:''' No reward, as this was a charity event.
*'''Losing Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Marcela, David
*'''Dismissed:''' David, for not contributing that much on the task and for being young and inexperienced.
*'''Special Notes:'''
**Matchstick's celebrities featured [[Chad Pennington]], [[Fran Drescher]], [[Bruce Vilanch]] & [[Jordan Allard]] and [[Merv Griffin]].
**Primarius' celebrities included [[Paul Sorvino|Paul]] & [[Amanda Sorvino]], [[Susan Lucci]], [[John Lithgow]] & [[Joanna Gleason]] and [[Todd Oldham]].
**Martha once again chooses the boardroom candidates.
===Week 7: Swimming Against the Tide===
The show has also spawned the spin-off series ''[[Play with Me Sesame]]'', the "classics" show ''[[Sesame Street Unpaved]]'', and the segment-only series ''[[Open Sesame]]''. ''[[Elmo's World]]'' and ''[[Global Grover]]'', both segments on ''Sesame Street'', have been distributed as individual series.
*'''Airdate:''' [[November 2]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[Tide]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to create a live/performing billboard showcasing the new Tide to Go pen.
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Sarah
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Dawna
*'''Winning Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Matchstick's Special Commendation:''' Breakfast at [[Martha Stewart]]'s home in Bedford with [[Peter Arnell]].
*'''Losing Team:''' Primarius
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Sarah, Carrie, Bethenny, Howie
*'''Dismissed:''' Sarah, for having no leadership ability, along with Carrie, for being Sarah's assistant for a poorly managed event and doing next to nothing on the task.
*'''Special Notes:'''
**Martha dismisses two people for the first time in the history of the show.
** This is the third occurence of one person or more being fired/dismissed on the Apprentice series. The first was Maria & Wes in the 2nd Season of Donald Trump's Apprentice. The second had ironically occured the previous week when Josh, Jennifer M., James and Mark were oddly enough all fired for mass incompetence in the worst managed task in the history of the show.
**Martha uses the phrase: "You both don't fit in." in the form "Neither of you fit in", for the first time since the first episode.
===Week 8: Don't Touch That Dial===
Funding for season 35 of Sesame Street is provided for the [[Ready To Learn]] The No Child Left Behind Act and the U.S. Department of Education, The [[Public Broadcasting Service]], [[Chuck E. Cheese's]], and [[McDonald's]]. Major funding for Sesame Street is provided by [[The Corporation for Public Broadcasting]] and by contributions to your PBS station from "Viewers Like You."
*'''Airdate:''' [[November 9]], [[2005]]
*'''Hosting Company:''' [[QVC]]
*'''Project:''' Teams had to sell items on QVC. Matchstick sold a Self-Retracting Hose and Primarius sold the Bonnaire cordless self inflater
*'''Primarius Project Manager:''' Bethenny
*'''Matchstick Project Manager:''' Ryan
*'''Winning Team:''' Matchstick
*'''Matchstick's Special Commendation:''' A helicopter ride to [[East Hampton (town), New York|East Hampton]] and a tour of one of Martha Stewart's homes with [[Kevin Sharkey]].
*'''Losing Team:''' Primarius
*'''Final Boardroom:''' Bethenny, Howie, Jim
*'''Dismissed:''' Howie, for refusing to pitch the product.
*'''Special Notes:'''
*Dawna is transferred back to Primarius
==Week by Week Results==
===Ratings===
As a result of its success in revolutionizing the standards of children's television, ''Sesame Street'' has inadvertently diminished its own audience share. According to PBS Research, the show has gone from a 2.0 average on [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen Media Research's]] "people meters" in 1995–96 to a 1.3 average in 2000–01. Even with this decrease, ''Sesame Street'''s viewership in an average week comes from roughly 5.6 million households with 7.5 million viewers.
{| {{prettytable-center2}}
This places ''Sesame'' at 8th place in the overall kids' charts, as of 2002. It is actually the second most-watched children's television series for mothers aged 18–49 who have children under the age of 3.
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Candidate
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Original Team
A format change has recently helped the show's ratings, boosting them up 31% in February 2002 among children aged 2 to 5, in comparison to its ratings in 2001.
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Episode 4 Team
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Episode 5 Team
==Characters==
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Episode 8 Team
<gallery>
!bgcolor="gray"|<font color = "white">Finish
Image:Tv_sesame_street_grover_fat_blue.jpg|[[Fat Blue]] (left) with Grover, in ''[[A Celebration of Me, Grover]]''
|-
Image:Tv_sesame_street_oscar.jpg|[[Oscar the Grouch]], peering out of his can.
|[[Jeff Rudell]]
Image:TV_sesame_street_kitten-bird-cow.jpg|Gabby, [[Elmo]], and some kids sing the Kitten-Bird-Cow song, in front of 123 Sesame Street.
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
Image:Nader-sesame01.jpg|Bob singing "People in Your Neighborhood" with [[Ralph Nader]].
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</gallery>
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{{Main|List of Sesame Street characters}}
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|1st fired - Week 1
''Sesame Street'' is known for its [[Multiculturalism|multicultural]] element and is inclusive in its casting, incorporating roles for disabled people, young people, senior citizens, Hispanic actors, Black actors, and others. While some of the puppets look like people, others are animal or "monster" puppets of different sizes and colors. This encourages children to believe that people come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors, and that no particular physical "type" is any better than another.
|-
[[Image:rosita.jpg|200px|thumb|Rosita poses.]]
|[[Chuck Soldano]]
Tying in with its multiculturalist perspective, the show pioneered the idea of occasionally inserting very basic Spanish words and phrases to acquaint young children to the notion of a foreign language, doing so almost three decades before [[Dora the Explorer]] debuted on [[Nickelodeon (TV channel)|Nickelodeon]]. Perhaps in response to the popularity of Dora, the recently revamped format gives [[Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas|Rosita]], the bilingual muppet who "immigrated" in 1993 from the Mexican version of the show, more time in front of viewers, and also introduced the more formalized "Spanish Word of the Day" in every episode.
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
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Each of the puppet characters has been designed to represent a specific stage or element of early childhood, and the scripts are written so that the character reflects the development level of children of that age. This helps the show address not only the learning objectives of various age groups, but also the concerns, fears, and interests of children of different age levels.
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===The Muppets===
|2nd fired - Week 2
[[Image:Tv_sesame_street_door.jpg|thumb|right|200px|From top: [[Guy Smiley]], Elmo, [[Oscar the Grouch]], [[Kermit the Frog]], [[Sully and Biff|Sully]], and [[Telly Monster]].]]
|-
[[Big Bird]], an eight-foot-tall yellow [[canary]], lives in a large nest on an abandoned lot near 123 Sesame Street, located behind the building's garbage heap. A regular visitor to Big Bird is [[Aloysius Snuffleupagus]], known simply as Snuffy. [[Oscar the Grouch]] and his pet worm [[Slimey]] live in a garbage can in the heap. Friends [[Ernie and Bert]] room together at the apartment of 123 Sesame Street, where they regularly engage in comedic banter. Ernie's flowerbox was once a hotspot for [[Twiddlebugs]], a colorful family of insects.
|[[Shawn Killinger]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
[[The Bear family]] of ''[[Goldilocks and the Three Bears]]'' resides in ''Sesame Street''. The Jewish family headed by [[Papa Bear (Sesame Street)|Papa Bear]] and [[Mama Bear (Sesame Street)|Mama Bear]] welcomed [[Curly Bear (Sesame Street)|Curly Bear]], a second child. [[Baby Bear (Sesame Street)|Baby Bear]] meanwhile is a good friend with monsters [[Telly Monster|Telly]], [[Zoe (Sesame Street)|Zoe]], Mexico-born [[Rosita, la Monstrua de las Cuevas|Rosita]] and [[Elmo]]. Elmo has his own segment near the end of each episode, in which viewers explore topics in ''[[Elmo's World]]'', an imaginary version of his house.
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[[Grover]]'s regular segment, ''[[Global Grover]]'', follows the self-described "cute, furry monster" around the world, exploring local cultures and traditions. [[Cookie Monster]] fights with his conscience daily during [[Letter of the Day]], as he tries to control his urges to eat the letters, shown as icing on cookies. [[Prairie Dawn]] often attempts to help Cookie refrain from eating the letters, but always leaves frazzled. [[Count von Count]] has fewer problems during the [[Number of the Day]] segment, where he indulges in counting until the mystery number is revealed by his pipe organ.
|
|3rd fired - Week 3
[[Humphrey and Ingrid]] ran ''[[The Furry Arms]]'' with baby [[Natasha (Sesame Street)|Natasha]] in tow, while bellhop [[Benny Rabbit]] begrudgingly helped out.
|-
|[[Dawn Silvia]]
[[Kermit the Frog]] hosted the segment ''[[Sesame Street News Flash]]''. The [[Two-Headed Monster]] sounded out words coming together, and the [[Yip-Yips|Yip-Yip]] aliens discovered telephones and typewriters. For two seasons, [[Googel]], [[Narf]], [[Mel]] and [[Phoebe]] hung out in the ''[[Monster's Clubhouse]]''.
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|
Incidental characters include television personality [[Guy Smiley]], construction workers [[Sully and Biff]], the large [[Herry Monster]] (who does not know his own strength), and [[The Big Bad Wolf]], who is not a terror to the Street. [[Forgetful Jones]], a cowboy with a short-term memory disorder, rode his trusty Buster the Horse with his girlfriend Clementine, and [[Rodeo Rosie]] was an early cowgirl.
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===The humans===
|4th fired - Week 4
:''Main article: [[Human characters on Sesame Street]]''
|-
|[[Jennifer Le]]
A slate of human regulars pull the zaniness of the Muppets back to reality. They were not always meant to serve this purpose. The show lost test viewers' attention during the Street Scenes, meaning Muppets needed to be added, like sugar into medicine.
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
Music teacher Bob has been on ''Sesame Street'' since its inception. He dated Linda the local [[New York Library]] librarian, who was the first regular deaf character on television. Linda owns [[Barkley]], a Muppet dog. The Robinsons are an African-American family that includes schoolteacher Gordon, nurse Susan, and adopted son Miles. The Puerto Rican Rodriguezes include Maria and Luis, who ran the [[Fix-It Shop]], which was turned into the [[Mail-It Shop]]; Maria gave birth to daughter Gabby in the 1980s, and her [[pregnancy]] was covered on the show.
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|
Candy store operator Harold Hooper was a mainstay, at [[Mr. Hooper's Store]]. When he died in the early 1980s (an event discussed in a landmark episode of ''Sesame Street''), his apprentice David took over, followed by later owners Gina, Mr. Handford, and Alan. Gina stopped running the store in the 1990s, to earn a PhD and became a vet.
|5th fired - Week 5
|-
The Noodles on ''[[Elmo's World]]'' are meant to provide a vaudevillian perspective on subjects, contrary to most of the show's human characters.
|[[David Karandish]]
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
[[List of celebrity guest stars on Sesame Street|Famous guest stars]] and various children from New York schools and day-care centers are a constantly changing part of the cast.
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
:''See also: Characters that are [[List of Sesame Street characters, in spin-offs|Exclusive to books or movies]], [[List of Sesame Street Grouch characters|Grouches]], [[List of Sesame Street Monster characters|Monsters]], [[List of celebrity guest stars on Sesame Street|celebrities]], [[List of characters from international versions of Sesame Street|from international versions]]. Also [[List of Sesame Street characters, by order of debut|Characters ordered by date of debut]], [[List of Sesame Street characters by last known appearance|Characters ordered by last known appearance]]''
|
|6th fired - Week 6
==Regional variations of the show==
|-
[[Image:Tv sesame park basil the bear.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Basil the Bear from Canada's [[Sesame Park]], in a knight's armour.]]
|[[Sarah Brennan]]
Some countries have actually created their own completely unique versions of ''Sesame Street'', in which the characters and segments represent their country's cultures. Other countries simply air a dubbed version of ''Sesame Street'', or a dubbed version of ''[[Open Sesame]]''. Among various other countries, the [[United Kingdom|UK]] simply broadcast the American show, on [[Channel 4]].
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
[[Sesame Street internationally|Locally produced adaptations]] of ''Sesame Street'', include:
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1972: ''[[Vila Sésamo]]'', Brazil
|
* 1972: ''[[Plaza Sésamo]]'', Mexico
|7th fired - Week 7
* 1973: ''[[Sesamstraße]]'', Germany
|-
* 1973: ''Canadian Sesame Street'', Canada (reformatted as ''[[Sesame Park]]'' in the 1990s)
|[[Carrie Gugger]]
* 1976: ''[[Sesamstraat]]'', Netherlands
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1978: ''[[1, rue Sesame]]'', France
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1979: ''[[Iftah Ya Simsim]]'', Kuwait
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1979: ''[[Barrio Sésamo]]'', Spain
|
* 1981: ''[[Svenska Sesam]]'', Sweden
|8th fired - Week 7
* 1983: ''[[Rechov Sumsum]]'', Israel
|-
* 1984: ''[[Sesame!]]'' (''Batibot''), Philippines
|[[Howie Greenspan]]
* 1989: ''[[Susam Sokagi]]'', Turkey
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1989: ''[[Rua Sésamo]]'', Portugal
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1991: ''[[Sesam Stasjon]]'', Norway
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1996: ''[[Ulitsa Sezam]]'', Russia
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 1996: ''[[Ulica Sezamkowa]]'', Poland
|9th fired - Week 8
* 1998: ''[[Rechov Sumsum]]'' and ''[[Shara's Simsim]]'', Israel and Palestinian Territories
|
* 1998: ''[[Zhima Jie]]'', China
|-
* 2000: ''[[Takalani Sesame]]'', South Africa
|[[Amanda Hill]]
* 2000: ''[[Alam Simsim]]'', Egypt
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 2004: ''[[Koche Sesame]]'', Afghanistan
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
* 2004: ''Sesame Street'', Japan
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
* 2005: ''[[Sisimpur]]'', Bangladesh
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
* 2005: ''[[5, Rue Sésame]]'', France
|
* 2006?: ''[[Sesame India]]'', with radio program
|-
|[[Bethenny Frankel]]
Other countries include [[Greece]] (on ERT, later on a private network), [[Poland]] and [[Mexico]]. In 2004, one Japanese network cancelled the dubbed American ''Sesame'', while another created a local version. ''Sesame Street'' was discontinued recently in Britain.
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
|bgcolor="purple"|Matchstick
==Research==
|bgcolor="green"|Primarius
''Sesame Street'' has maintained a rigourous research standard since its foundation, to ensure that the programming is addressing the needs of its viewers. The Education and Research (E&R) department of Sesame Workshop is currently headed by [[Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.]] and [[Jeanette Betancourt, Ed.D.]]. Truglio states that the level of interaction between E&R, Content, and Production is "[i]ntimately·hand-in-hand. They are not creating anything without our knowledge, our guidance and our review. We are involved in content development across all media platforms." This close-knit organizational structure has been an integral part of Sesame Workshop since it began.
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Writers create plots for ''Sesame Street'' scenes and segments, and the content is reviewed by the E&R team. They have authority to reject a script and force rewrites if the content is not acceptable. When a script is factually correct, but includes gray areas that may not be comprehensible to children, the writers and E&R work together to tweak everything. "A balance between content and humor"[http://www.sesameworkshop.org/press_kit/pdf/Q_&_A_Susan_and_Rosemarie.pdf] is always maintained, according to Truglio.
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|[[Dawna Stone]]
Since 1988 Sesame Workshop has provided great volumes of content on its website [http://www.sesameworkshop.org/parents/] and others such as [[Random House]] [http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/sesamebeginnings/intro.html]. Content ranges from birth to school-age, and includes information on dozens of topics, such as appropriate parenting techniques, dealing with children's fears, development of literacy, and maintenance a good health.
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Research is funded by government grants, corporate and private donations (including, recently, The Prudential Foundation for the Sesame Beginnings program), and the profits gained from the sale of Sesame Workshop merchandise.
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===Healthy Habits for Life===
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In 2005, ''Sesame Street'' launched its Healthy Habits for Life programming, to encourage young viewers to lead more active and nutritious lifestyles. A major catalyst for this was data published by the US [[Centers for Disease Control]] regarding [[obesity]] in children.
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|[[Jim Bozzini]]
Health content has existed on ''Sesame Street'' for years, but to a limited extent. In one instance press kits for a project were made available, news wires latched onto the story, and literally hundreds of newspapers touted that Cookie Monster was "going on a diet". In actuality there was no change to Cookie's character. The new season featured a new segment with rapper [[Wyclef Jean]] singing the praises of fruits and vegetables, similar to segments in the 1990s which featured Cookie doing nearly the same.
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According to people from Sesame Workshop, "Health has always been a part of our Sesame Street curriculum, therefore we will always be committed to ensuring kids are given information and messages that will help them become healthy and happy in their development. For season 36, we have turned up the dial in health, but it will always be part of our curriculum."
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The Workshop formed an Advisory Board consisting of experts like [[Woodie Kessel]], M.D., M.P.H., the Assistant [[Surgeon General]] of the United States. This board examines the research of other organizations, and also conducts pilot studies to determine which areas of research should be expanded, based on social, ethnic and socio-economic sections of the population.
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==Elmo's effect on the series==
|[[Leslie Sanchez]]
See [[Elmo]]
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==Merchandising==
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[[Image:Book_Brought_to_You_by_._._._Sesame_Street|right|200px|thumb|The cover of the book ''[[Brought to You by . . . Sesame Street #1!]]'' shows several of Sesame Street's muppet characters.]]
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''Sesame Street'' is known for its extensive merchandising, which includes many books, magazines, video/audio media, toys, and the "[[Tickle Me Elmo]]" craze.
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Its fiction books, published primarily by [[Random House]], always display a notice stating that money received from the sale of the publications is used to fund Sesame Workshop, and often mention that children do not have to watch the show to benefit from its publications.
|[[Marcela Valladolid]]
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Today there is a live touring show, ''[[Sesame Street Live]]'', which has toured since 1980. There is also the ''[[Sesame Place]]'' theme park in [[Langhorne, Pennsylvania]], near [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]] (USA), and a ''[[Plaza Sésamo]]'' theme park in [[Monterrey]], [[Nuevo Leon]], Mexico. In addition, there is a three-dimensional movie based on the show, at [[Universal Studios Japan]].
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Current licensors include [[Nakajima USA]], [[Build-A-Bear Workshop]] (Build-An-Elmo), [[Hasbro]] ([[Monopoly (game)|Sesame Street Monopoly]]), [[Wooly Willy]], and [[Children’s Apparel Network]]. For Sesamstaat, [[Rubotoys]] is a licensor since February 2005. In recent years adults have been encouraged to remember their childhood through retro-targetted products, like action figures from [[Palisades]]. Figures include (order of release) [[Super Grover]], [[Ernie]], [[Guy Smiley]], [[Oscar the Grouch]], and the [[Two-Headed Monster]].
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The [[Sesame Beginnings]] line, launched in mid-2005, consists of apparel, health and body, home, and seasonal products. The line is targeted towards infants and their parents, and products are designed to increase interactivity. Most of the line is exclusive to a family of Canadian retailers that includes [[Loblaws]], [[Fortinos]], and [[Zehrs]].{{ref|Beginnings}}
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|[[Ryan Danz]]
Creative Wonders (a partnership between [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and [[Electronic Arts]]) produced Sesame Street software for the [[Personal computer|PC]].
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; Internationally: In 2004, [[Copyright Promotions Licensing Group]] (CPLG) became Sesame Workshop's licensing representative for [[The Benelux]].
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==Movies, videos, and specials==
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This list is incomplete, but highlights the most important specials.
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===Television specials and telefilms===
* ''[[Julie on Sesame Street]]'' (1974, starring [[Julie Andrews]])
[[Image:Tv_movie_christmas_eve_oscar_legs_86th_street.jpg|right|250px|thumb|''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]'' scene with [[Oscar the Grouch|Oscar]] (in garbage can) and [[Big Bird]] at the 86th Street [[New York City Subway]] station.]]
* ''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]'' (1978)
* ''[[A Special Sesame Street Christmas]]'' (1978)
* ''[[Big Bird in China]]'' (1983)
* ''[[Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art]]'' (1983)
* ''[[The Adventures of Super Grover]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Big Bird Brings Spring to Sesame Street]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Shalom Sesame]]'' (1987, 1992)
* ''[[Big Bird in Japan]]'' (1988)
* ''[[Sesame Street: 20 And Still Counting]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Sesame Street Special]]'' (1988, released to DVD as ''Put Down The Duckie: A Sesame Street Special'')
* ''[[Big Bird's Birthday Celebration]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Sesame Street Stays Up Late!]]'' (1993)
* ''[[All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever]]'' (1994)
* ''[[CinderElmo]]'' (1999)
* ''[[The Street We Live On]]''(2004)
===Feature films===
[[Image:Tv_sesame_street_dvd_follow_that_bird.jpg|thumb|200px|''Follow that Bird'' feature film DVD cover.]]
[[Image:Tv_sesame_street_the_street_we_live_on.jpg|thumb|200px|right|''The Street We Live On'' DVD cover depicts (counter-clockwise from left) Elmo, Zoe, Grover, and Ernie.]]
* ''[[Follow That Bird|Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird]]'' (1985, co-produced by [[Warner Bros.]])
* ''[[Elmo in Grouchland]]'' (1999, co-produced by [[Columbia Pictures]])
===Videos===
During the 1980s videos were distributed by Random House. Since the early 1990s their tapes (and now DVDs) have been distributed by Sony Wonder, as has their music. Many of the TV specials have been released on tape and/or DVD.
* ''[[Sesame Street - Learning About Letters]]'' (1986, DVD on June 8, 2004)
* ''[[Sesame Street's 25th Anniversary: A Musical Celebration]]'' (1993, DVD on August 31, 1999)
* ''[[Elmo Saves Christmas]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Sesame Street - Do the Alphabet]]'' (1996, DVD on November 9, 1999)
* ''[[Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo]]'' (1996, DVD on November 20, 2001)
* ''[[Sesame Street - 123 Count With Me]]'' (1997, DVD on December 7, 1999)
* ''[[Elmopalooza]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Sesame Street - Elmo's World - Happy Holidays]]'' (2000, DVD on September 16, 2003)
* ''[[Sesame Street - Kids' Favorite Songs]]'' (DVD on November 20, 2001)
* ''[[Three Bears and a New Baby]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Sesame Street Songs - Dance Along!]]'' (DVD on March 11, 2003)
* ''[[Sesame Street - What's the Name of That Song]]'' (DVD on April 6, 2004)
* ''[[Sesame Street - The Street We Live On]]'' (DVD in 2004)
==Criticism==
Some educators criticized the show when it debuted, feeling that it would only worsen children's attention spans. This concern still exists today, although there is no conclusive proof of this being the case, even after more than 35 seasons of televised shows.
In a letter to the Boston Globe, Boston University professor of education Frank Garfunkel commented "If what people want is for their children to memorize numbers and letters without regard to their meaning or use -- without regard to the differences between children, then Sesame Street is truly responsive. To give a child thirty seconds of one thing and then to switch it and give him thirty seconds of another is to nurture irrelevance."{{ref|criticism}}
In the magazine ''[[Childhood Education]]'', Minnie P. Berson of [[State University College at Fredonia]] called "Why debase the art form of teaching with phony pedagogy, vulgar sideshows, bad acting, and layers of smoke and fog to clog the eager minds of small children?" The "vulgar sideshows" have since won a record 101 [[Emmys]], suggesting a measure of disagreement from the [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]].{{ref|criticism}}
For an animation on the letter "J", the writers included "a day in jail" at a time when words beginning with "J" were sparse. This drew criticism from ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' columnist [[Terrence O'Flaherty]], despite Executive Producer David Connell's assertion that kids are familar with the word through shows like ''[[Batman]]'' and ''[[Superman]]''.{{ref|criticism}}
Even with its attempts to help the underpriviledged, the series received criticism. Educator Sister Mary Mel O'Dowd worried that the show might start to replace "personalized experiences". "If Sesame Street is the only thing ghetto kids have, I don't think it's going to do much good. It never hurts a child to be able to count to ten or recognize the letters of the alphabet. But without the guidance of a teacher, he'll be like one of our preschoolers who was able to write "CAUTION" on the blackboard after seeing it on the back of so many buses, and told me 'That says STOP.'"{{ref|criticism}}
==Rumors==
[[Urban legend]] has it that [[Bert and Ernie]] are engaged in a homosexual relationship, as they are apparently adult human males portrayed sharing a bedroom (though with separate beds). The producers constantly deny this, however, insisting that the characters are "merely lifeless, hand-operated puppets."{{ref|deny}} The pair's relationship bears similarity to that of [[Laurel and Hardy]], who were also occasionally shown sleeping together; this became such a comedy staple as to be adopted by [[Morecambe and Wise]] in the 1970s, all of whom were similarly asexual. ''[[The Odd Couple]]'' is another contemporary comparison.
In 1990, puppeteer [[Jim Henson]]'s death spurred rumors that Ernie would be "killed off" the show, much the way the character of Mr. Hooper was after actor [[Will Lee]]'s passing some years earlier. Rumor said that he would be either killed by a vehicle, [[AIDS]], or [[cancer]]. There is no legitimacy to this rumor, but as producers took their time recasting a puppeteer for Ernie, this delay allowed the claims to burgeon.
In [[2002]], Sesame Workshop announced that a [[HIV]]-positive character would be introduced to ''[[Takalani Sesame]]'', the [[South Africa]]n version of the show. Many conservatives and religious groups wrongly presumed that the American version would be getting a "gay Muppet", but the HIV-positive character is only present on this international version of the show.
==Trivia==
* The ''Sesame Street'' theme song is "(Can you tell me how to get, how to get to) Sesame Street". Harmonica legend [[Toots Thielemans]] plays the song as a solo in some versions of the sequence.
* ''[[Jack's Big Music Show]]'' on [[Noggin]] is produced by [[David Rudman]] and [[Adam Rudman]], with puppeting by David, [[Alice Dinnean]], and [[John Kennedy]], all ''Sesame'' employees or alumni.
* In 2005, Sesame Workshop had sent a [http://www.i-mockery.com/romhacks/sesamestreet/desist.gif Letter] the satrical website, I-Mockery, that was a response to their review of the pornographic ROM Hack, [http://www.i-mockery.com/romhacks/sesamestreet/default.php/ Ernie and the Muppets Take It All Off]. They had told them not to show anything Sesame Street related in the future. While the review to the Hack was kept, the download to the ROM Hack was removed. The reviewer then responded "Getting a letter like that from Sesame Street was like watching a part of my childhood die".
* Although [[rubber duckies]] existed before ''[[Sesame Street]]'', their pop culture icon status was mostly spurred on by Ernie's "Rubber Ducky" song, and subsequent appearances of Ernie's bath toy.
==Notes==
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#{{note|numberone}} Karen Barss et al., "[http://enhancinged.wgbh.org/kids/cases/sesame/ Enhancing Education: A Children's Producer's Guide: Sesame Street: Case Study]", Corporation for Public Broadcasting (accessed June 29, 2005)
#{{note|deny}} {{Citenewsauthor | surname=San Vicente | given=Romeo | title=Bert and Ernie outed from film festival | date=March 27, 2002 | org=PlanetOut | url=http://www.planetout.com/pno/entertainment/news/splash.html?sernum=154}}
#{{note|Beginnings}} {{Citenewsauthor | surname=Moreau | given=Nicholas | title=Sesame Beginnings are new infant products | date=May 5, 2005 | org=Suite101 | url=http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/childrens_television/115814}}
#{{note|criticism}} {{Citenewsauthor | surname=Feinstein | given=Phylis | title=All About Sesame Street | date=1971 | org=unknown | url=http://members.tripod.com/~hooperfan/chap12.html}}
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==See also==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Wikinews|Sesame Street to promote healthy lifestyles}}
* [[Sesame Street, Season 35]]
* [[The Annual Sesame Street Cookie Baking Contest]]
'''Direct and indirect parodies:'''
* ''[[Avenue Q]]'', a Broadway musical that mirror various elements of the show.
'''Lists:'''
* [[List of Sesame Street animators]]
* [[Sesame Street fiction bibliography|Bibliography of fictional works based on the show]]
* [[Sesame Street discography]]
* [[List of Sesame Street puppeteers]]
* [[List of songs from Sesame Street]]
* [[List of celebrity guest stars on Sesame Street]]
==References==
* David Borgenicht, ''Sesame Street Unpaved: Scripts, Stories, Secrets, and Songs'', 1998 and 2002 reprint, ISBN 1402893272
* Caroll Spinney, J. Milligan, ''The Wisdom of Big Bird: (And the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers'', 2003, ISBN 0375507817
* Christopher Finch, ''Jim Henson: The Works - The Art, the Magic, the Imagination'', 1993, ISBN 0679412034
* Shalom M. Fisch, Rosemarie T. Truglio, ''"G" Is for Growing: 30 Years of Research on Children and Sesame Street'', 2000, ISBN 0805833951
==External links==
*[http://www.nbc.com/The_Apprentice:_Martha_Stewart/ ''The Apprentice:Martha Stewart'' show website (NBC)]
* {{imdb title|id=0063951|title=Sesame Street}}
* [http://www.sesameworkshopmarthastewart.org/sesamestreetcom/ SesameMartha Stewart's Workshopwebsite]
* [http://www.sesame-encyclopediamarthastewart.com/static_html/television/release_020205.html SesamePress EncyclopediaRelease]
*[http://www.apprentice-martha.com/ ''The Apprentice:Martha Stewart'' information]
* {{Google Video Search1|Sesame+Street|Sesame Street}}
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