#10: It's extremely successful
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| This toy was so popular there were reports of shoppers beating each other up to get them! |
You may not know it, but this is one of the most successful shows on this planet we humans call home. Since its debut in 1969, its garnered millions of dollars in merchandise sales and aired over 4500 episodes. To put that into perspective, that's more than The Simpsons, Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants, Teen Titans Go, South Park and Arthur combined!
#9: Snuffleupagus was originally terrifying
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| Still not as frightening as Clanker. |
The current Snuffleupagus might be one of the cutest things this side of kitties and puppies, but the first incarnation of him was another story. He originally had large, kinda angry looking yellow eyes and spoke in a slow, almost depressed tone.
#8: Some of the sections are lost
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| Where are you, episode starring the Wicked Witch of the West? |
Given it's absolutely massive library, it was probably inevitable that some of the sections would be lost media. Some missing sketches include a whole episode featuring the Wicked Witch of the West, a scientist muppet who's lectures were so boring that he himself would fall asleep in the middle of them and the infamous section where Snuffy's parents get divorced.
#7: It's on both PBS and HBO
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| Elmo knows what's up! |
Episodes of the show nowadays air first on HBO and then appear on PBS 9 months later. This is because back in 2015 PBS had difficulty paying for the show's licensing fees and HBO's much bigger net worth rectified this problem. This show also used to air on Noggin, but the time Viacom sued YouTube put an end to that partnership.
#6: Rubber Duckie hit the billboards
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| Somebody has talent! |
Turns out this classic song was a hit with more than just the young viewers. It was popular enough to reach no. 16 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. Now that's an iconic kid's show song!
#5: Oscar the Grouch was originally orange
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| Talk about skin change! |
The grumpy, trashcan dwelling Oscar used to have orange skin in the show's first season. According to the monster himself, he turned green after a vacation to Swamp Mushy Muddy, which was so damp that he became covered in mold and slime.
#4: Arnold appeared here before he got his own show
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| Arnold goes way back! |
Long before Hey Arnold became one of the best known shows on Nickelodeon, the titular character appeared in several claymation shorts on Sesame Street: Arnold Escapes Sunday School, The Arnold Waltz and Arnold Uses His Imagination. In these shorts, Arnold was portrayed as a constant daydreamer rather than the helpful, kindhearted boy he'd become in his own show.
#3: Cookie monster's many quirks
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| Turns out there was more to Cookie Monster than his love of cookies! |
We all know Cookie Monster, the blue, lovable monster whose love of cookies is so great he'll smash a safe to pieces to get some. What you might not have known, however, is that he's the only puppet on the show to have 5 fingers, while the others either had only 4 or didn't have any fingers at all. Speaking of which, he is also one of 2 characters who is left handed, the other being Ernie. Finally, the "cookies" he ate on the show were actually rice cakes with brown spots painted on them.
#2: Big Bird's costume is somewhat unique
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| Who knew Big Bird was a camera head? |
For Caroll Spinney, being Big Bird isn't as easy as just putting on the costume and acting like an innocent child. Whenever he's in character, he wears a video harness so he can see what's going on.
#1: They'll cover nearly any topic
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| We still miss you, Mr. Hooper. |
One of the most well known and well liked aspects of Sesame Street is its willingness to cover even the hardest topics to discuss with kids. In the past they've talked about bullying, drug use and even death. This trend even continues to this day, as more modern times have seen the show introduce a character who was autistic and shown Elmo's family grieving over the death of one of it's members.
I hope I enlightened you today. If you know of any other facts about Sesame Street, do us a favor and share them in the comments section down below. I'll see you later. Have a good day or night depending on what time it is.
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