The Creative Minds Behind Sesame Street

How Did We Get to Sesame Street

I’ve always wondered – just how do you get to Sesame Street? Google Maps has several suggestions, but somehow I don’t think you’ll wind up on Big Bird’s doorstep if you take them. One person who may be able to tell you is Joan Ganz Cooney, co-creator of Sesame Street along with Lloyd Morrisett. Before Cooney came along, no television programs had ever made educating young children a goal. No one even knew if it was possible. Despite her background in education, preschool-aged children weren’t Cooney’s forte. What drew her to the project and motivated her to make it successful was her desire to use television “in a constructive way.” Cooney’s creative approach to the medium led to her being named executive director of CTW (Children’s Television Workshop) and becoming one of the first female executives in American television.

Another person who may be able to show you the way to Sesame Street is Joseph Raposo, who wrote the theme song and other popular songs for the show. He also sang, performed several uncredited characters, and did voice-overs for animated segments. He was the first puppeteer to operate Cookie Monster on TV, and shared a love of cookies with his furry blue counterpart. His diversity made him the perfect composer for Sesame Street – he did everything from country ballads to blues, funk, and musicals. His trademark was the antique ragtime sound he coaxed from the grand and upright pianos on the show, which perfectly captured the saloon-like quality of an old player piano. Fun fact: Muppet character Don Music kept a portrait of Raposo on his wall.

Of course, no mention of Sesame Street would be complete without Jim Henson. He was producing TV commercials when Cooney asked him to work on the show. Henson’s Muppet characters – including Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, and of course Kermit the Frog – rescued him from that career path. In addition to the Muppet characters, Henson produced various animated segments for the first two seasons of the show. Although Henson died in 1990, his characters live on. If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can visit one of his last projects, a show at Disneyland called Muppet*Vision 3D, or check out his stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Henson is honored with two stars, one bearing his name and the other with Kermit the Frog. He is one of only three people to hold this honor (along with Mel Blanc and Bugs Bunny, and Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse). And maybe while you’re there, if you use your imagination, you’ll find the way to Sesame Street.