Sesame Street

Context & Trivia

Sesame Street was conceived in 1966 by television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and Carnegie Foundation vice president Lloyd Morrisett, with the goal of creating a children's television show that would use the addictive qualities of television to educate preschool-aged children. Jim Henson and his Muppet team were instrumental in shaping the show's characters and presentation, making the educational content engaging and entertaining. Henson established a dedicated Muppet production space in New York City in 1969 to create and perform the show's signature characters, including his portrayals of Ernie and Kermit the Frog. The puppets on Sesame Street are operated using various techniques, including rod puppets (like Elmo), live-hand puppets (like Cookie Monster), and full-body puppets worn as costumes (like Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus). Kermit Love, a renowned puppet maker and costume designer, is credited alongside Jim Henson with creating iconic characters such as Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird. Louis Henry Mitchell, Creative Director of Character Design for Sesame Workshop since 2000, has designed and co-designed new Muppets, including Julia, the first Sesame Street character on the autism spectrum.