TSSR- Season 1 (1969-1970)

 

Oh, hi, everyone! Welcome to The Sesame Street Retrospective! The new series, inspired by the likes of ToughPigs and The Unlucky Tug, where I go over every season of Sesame Street. From season 1 all the way up to season 55, I’ll go over what each season did right and what they did wrong. And at the end of it all, I’ll make a finale post ranking all of them from worst to best.

Logically, the best place for us to start is with season 1. So let’s hop in our time machine and travel back to a period when the world was very very VERY different.

Production History

I think most of us are familiar with how the show started.

The idea for Sesame Street was born during a dinner party during the 1960s, where psychologist Lloyd Morrisett had a talk with TV producer Joan Ganz Cooney about how even though television at the time wasn’t that good, kids were still into it, as they liked certain test patterns and could remember many commercials they saw, which then gave Morrisett and Cooney the idea that they could use the same strategies companies use to market their products to teach the kids of their generation. So one feasibility study, one talent roundup, and eight million dollars later, The Children’s Television Workshop was born, on a mission to make a TV program that would educate and entertain kids at the same time. The only problem was that they didn’t really have a game plan.

That is, until writer Jon Stone suggested they bring in a friend of his named Jim Henson, who captured the hearts and minds of TV with his special brand of puppets known as muppets. Jim had that special hip and hilarious energy that the crew believed would make their show a hit. Jim wasn’t too sure about joining, as he didn’t want his brand to look like it only appealed to kids, but he did do it in the end because he liked the idea of the show so much.

So Jim and his crew got to work creating a pitch reel, where two of his most popular creations, Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog, gave a run-through of what kind of stuff this new program would include, and it was received very well. With the educational and entertaining content taken care of, the crew now had to tackle the meat of their new show -- finding a setting and a name. The show’s target demographic was Black kids who lived in the inner-city. Of course, other kids could watch and learn from the show, but those were the children CTW was primarily focused on. One day, Jon Stone saw a commercial for an Urban Coalition, where kids were seen playing outside on a city street, and he instantly thought, “That’s the kind of setting we need!” As for the name, that situation is a little complicated. The later version of the pitch reel made it seem like something Kermit thought of himself after hearing what Rowlf wanted the show to do.

Kermit: Well, what sort of a title are you looking for?

Rowlf: Something that says we’re gonna open new worlds for these little kids, you know, but not too cute!

Kermit: Well, uh, where’s this show gonna take place?

Rowlf: On a street on the front steps of a house. That’s the main place.

Kermit: Open up new worlds… A street, uh… Hey Rowlf? Why don’t you call your show Sesame Street?

Rowlf: My entire career as a TV educator, nipped in the-... W-What was that?

Kermit: Sesame Street. You know, like “Open Sesame?” It kinda gives the idea of a place where neat stuff happens.

Rowlf: Kermit, why you’re a genius!!! (kisses Kermit on the nose)

Kermit: Yuck!

Rowlf: Sesame Street! I love it! The kids will love it! I can see it! Up there, in lights, “The Children’s Television Workshop presents: Sesame Street!!!”

But in actuality, it was just something that one of the crew members came up with, and something kids responded positively to, so it’s what they went with. I prefer the former anecdote, personally.

With the new street setting, it was decided that a core cast of four human characters would be added, along with a plethora of kids, to populate it. Said four core humans were hand-picked by the crew based on how well they interacted with the kids, and how well they fit their established character roles. The set itself went in a straight line and consisted of some brightly colored doors, a corner store, an outside area with chairs, and a small apartment building with the numbers 1, 2, and 3 engraved on top of the front door.

Before actual shooting began, five test pilots were made in order to see what kids liked and didn’t like about the show. But we’ll talk about the results of those pilots later. Afterward, the crew made the necessary adjustments. And after a promotional special was aired two days prior, on November 10, the world was finally introduced to the little street known as Sesame Street.

Overview

Kids of 2022, allow me to spin you a tale of a time when Elmo and Abby never existed, a time when humans populated the street more than the muppets did, a time when PBS was referred to as NET, and a time where there were multiple letters and numbers of the day, instead of just one. These are all things that started in the first season.

Season 1 of Sesame Street was very unpolished, which makes sense, considering it was still just trying to find its footing. But even with that, it still manages to make a memorable impression on you with how it simultaneously makes you learn and laugh.

Every episode I’ve seen generally starts the same, the characters are out on Sesame Street doing something, they’ll say hi to the audience and tell them about what’s going on for the day, and while they go about their business, many segments will play in between. This type of format works really well for what the show wanted to accomplish and the techniques it utilized. You feel like you’re watching a TV program that has commercials in it, but they actually teach you useful information.

Speaking of useful information, this season had a LOT of stuff they wanted to get across to their audience. The lessons that season 1 of Sesame Street wanted kids to learn consisted of the alphabet, how to count to ten, the four basic shapes, figuring scenarios and problems out, opposites, how to recognize certain noises, body parts, loving yourself, jobs, and family members, cooperation, animals, and industrialization. And all of the 27 episodes I watched for this installment teach at least three of those lessons, if not more. You could watch a song about the number three one minute and then watch a short film about water the next, and the onslaught of educational concepts means that at least one of them will stick with you afterward.

But they also have many funny moments, usually brought out by the muppet characters, and the situations they got into felt real enough to take place alongside the actual humans. In fact, there was one rare instance where a certain scenario felt so real that they had to give a warning not to try it at home. You see, in episode 115, Oscar attempts to dial a grouch hotline with a number that’s just the first nine characters backward, only to find out he dialed a different grouch with a different number that’s just said nine characters forwards this time. Then, at the end of the episode, Gordon comes out to tell the kids not to dial the numbers heard prior.

Gordon: Don’t call, on your phone, don’t call 987-654-321 to get Dial-A-Grouch, and don’t call 123-456-789 to get Melvin Meanie. Because those numbers only work on grouch phones, you see, and you don’t have a grouch phone, like only Oscar has a grouch phone.

I can’t think of any time after this episode where the characters actually told their audience “Don’t try this at home.” But it makes perfect sense why they did it here. The numbers mentioned are easy to dial, and I know if I was a kid in that time period, I would’ve tried calling those numbers to see what would happen.

I think Sesame Street made the impact it did because, much like Thomas and Friends or The Simpsons, it was unlike anything it was up against. Most of the shows in the 60s were fast-paced cartoons with little to no educational value and set in weird and wild settings, like prehistoric times, or the future or even a haunted mansion, but then here’s this show that takes place on a small New York City street with regular people and a few puppets, that exists solely to teach you how to count to ten, and where milk comes from. Also, like the shows I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, it didn’t dumb things down for the kids watching. The characters all felt like real people just going about their everyday lives, and they spoke to the audience like they were friends instead of kids. And sure, it wasn’t really the only of its kind, since Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood came into existence a year prior, but Sesame Street was able to find its own charm that could help it stand out in the eyes of kids more.

If I had any complaints about season 1, it’s that sometimes the characters say something or act a certain way, and not only do I not find it entertaining, but I think it also runs the risk of sending bad messages to kids.

Like, there’s a scene in episode 3, which I’ve talked about before, where Gordon invites Susan to play some football with him and Bob, and she declines, stating that “Football is for boys to play and girls to watch.” Now, I get that 1969 was a different time period than the one we live in today, and there are much more extreme examples than the one I just described, but I still find it a little off that such a progressive show like Sesame Street was telling kids that only certain genders can enjoy certain things. I really wonder how many kids watched that episode and took Susan’s statement to heart.

There’s another scene in episode 14, where Ernie has a collection of letter Rs in a box, of which Bert states that such a collection is stupid and ridiculous and if anyone found out he’d be the laughingstock of Sesame Street, and then, after Ernie sadly gets rid of his Rs, Bert asks if he can have the box for his J collection. Putting aside the blatant hypocrisy, this is actually not a good message to send kids. It’s basically telling them, “If you collect certain things, you’re weird and no one will like you.” Granted, there are certain things that are creepy and no one should collect (Like pubic hair, other people’s underpants or, heaven forbid, other humans) But the letter R is not one of those things. And it’s not at all a good look for Bert, a character who would go on to be proud that he doesn’t like what everyone else likes, to essentially bully his best friend into getting rid of something that he likes collecting that doesn’t hurt anyone else.

And I’ve also already talked about that one segment, where Kermit does a lecture on feelings, and after Cookie Monster eats a styrofoam face he was using, Kermit unloads on him, even going so far as to tell on him to his mom. Most of you know that even though I get why other people find this funny, I find it rather cruel, especially considering what’s to come further down the road. And I know this might be kind of a stretch, but while this segment does teach kids about how people act when they feel a certain way, I think it could also teach some of them that it’s perfectly fine to yell at someone and call them names.

You get what I’m saying, right? This season had blips of mean-spiritedness or labeling that were definitely signs of the time, but not stuff I enjoy, or stuff I think that kids could benefit from.

Another complaint I have is that many segments go on a little too long and as a result feel a little boring. Like the song about milk that the show liked to play quite a bit has a run time of 6 minutes. And it’s a nice song, but I don’t wanna spend that much time on it, especially when there are much more interesting parts of the show I COULD be watching. Don't believe me? Here's the entire segment down below.

Speaking of which, I want to talk about a very important decision the crew made. Probably the best decision they could have ever made: The decision to bring the muppets to the street set.

For those of you who didn’t know, in the test pilots, Jim’s muppet characters were confined to their own segments, while the street scenes focused on just the humans. But the biggest thing the CTW noticed when they showcased said test pilots was that the kids enjoyed the muppet segments WAY more than the humans, and I think that was very important for the crew to witness because I have to agree with the kids. While the humans did prove themselves to be enjoyable parts of the show, they couldn’t carry it all on their own, especially not in the five test pilots.

The muppets were the special sauce that made Sesame Street such a memorable experience. Without them, it was just a show about people doing things, with certain educational cartoons and songs in between. Also, they add to Sesame Street being a place where neat stuff happens, cause come on, if a giant yellow bird, an orange thing that lives in your local garbage can, and small people that you can stick anything on isn’t neat, I don’t know what is. Also, the muppets didn’t just make the street scene cooler, but a lot more inclusive. Sure, you had Black people, white people, and Jewish people, but you also had birds, grouches, monsters, orange-skinned people, yellow-skinned people, pink-skinned people, blue-skinned people, and so on. It takes a village, and Sesame Street gave us one that was worth remembering. Speaking of which, let’s talk about those villagers.

Characters

Like most first seasons, the characters are quite unpolished and very different from what they would go on to be. Some of which are less obvious than you would think.

First, let’s address the canary in the room. Most of us are aware that Big Bird was not the sharpest crayon in the box when he first started out. And when you see him in action, it’s pretty hard to not notice. Everything about this guy, from his dopey voice to the way he walks, to the way he interacts with the other characters, to his pin-headed appearance, makes you realize that Big Bird was originally supposed to be the resident buffoon, and while I do think making him into an actual kid, like the ones at home, was the right call, he still gets some funny moments here and there.

Also, this season is probably the only season that I know of, so far, where we actually get to learn anything about Big Bird’s family, aside from his grandma. We get to see pictures of his mom and his dad, and we even find out he has a little brother. He talks about them frequently, and he gets letters from them, quite a bit. For how little Big Bird mentions any of his family members that aren’t Granny Bird in future installments of the show, it’s quite amazing that the first season spent time building them as figures that just aren’t as present in his life as the adults of Sesame Street are.

Oscar the Grouch is also quite different in this season, and not just because of his fur color. The piece of trivia that most people, non-Muppet fans included, seem to collectively know is that Oscar used to be orange in the first season, but that wasn’t the only thing different about him. I think Oscar was a bit nicer than he was in later seasons. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still a grouch. He still complains about stuff, and he’s still grumpy and standoffish, but whereas in later seasons, Oscar was more of an active misery instigator, here, he’s more of a grumpy guy who mostly keeps to himself but gets along rather well with the other characters. This Oscar has a few pretty civilized conversations with the humans, invites people over to his trash can voluntarily, and actually says “Sorry” and “Thank you”! Two words that most grouches HATE using!

Ernie and Bert also have significant changes to their characters that not a lot of people draw attention to. Their dynamic is more or less the same, but they, as individual personalities are noticeably different. Ernie is a bit more dim and confrontational in the episodes I watched, whereas Bert was really just the grumpy straight man (the person who sets up and reacts to jokes) instead of the excitable nerd we know him as today, and wasn’t above calling Ernie a “meatball” sometimes.

Of the main characters, I’d say Kermit was the one who remained the least unchanged from his future self. He was also a straight man, as every sketch he’s in has him reacting to the weird ways his lectures go wrong, mainly from the many monsters he runs into.

Speaking of which, instead of being friendly faces that you wanted to hug, the monsters of Sesame Street were treated as most monsters are: Scary agents of chaos that should be avoided at all costs. (It still feels so weird hearing Ernie call Cookie Monster a beast.) I definitely think it was for the best that the show decided to ditch that dynamic entirely, as it made the message of accepting others more prevalent. They were also used pretty interchangeably with each other, but you can still notice seeds planted for some of their future characters. Like even though Cookie Monster didn’t have a name, he was still an eating machine, and he did gain his preference for cookies quite early on in this season, and while Grover didn’t have his signature fur color, voice or syntax pattern, he still found his name, his personality, and his relationship with Kermit.

As for the Anything Muppets, they were treated as more of a concept, rather than just bit players, like in future seasons. You constantly hear the characters refer to them as a group, hear them state that they can be anything they want to be, and we even see the humans stick different facial features onto them and dress them up in different clothes. Of the concepts this show created, I kinda wish they stuck with this one because it’s so interesting and could make for some pretty interesting dynamics later on down the road.

Some other fan-favorite muppets debuted in this season as well but in different ways. Guy Smiley and Betty Lou start out as generic AMs, Little Bird is a different character than he would go on to be, and Roosevelt Franklin and Lefty are pretty much set in stone from their first segments.

(UPDATE: Okay, so I was watching a season 1 segment, and apparently Guy Smiley was originally named Sonny Friendly. How weird is that?)

So all in all, even at the start, Sesame Street had a pretty good roster of muppets to work with, and even though they’re not the greatest iterations of these characters, they’re all still memorable enough for you to remember who they are. If I had to pick a favorite it would probably be Oscar, simply because his interactions and banter with the human cast feel so natural and enjoyable.

Speaking of the human cast, they’re just as good as the muppets, and then some. The season 1 cast was made up of four core actors, and each one was built off of a specific character role Joan Ganz Cooney had in mind. Gordon (Played by Matt Robinson) was the fatherly, community leader, and more or less the host of the show, Susan (Played by Loretta Long) was the responsible motherly housewife, Bob (played by Bob McGrath) was the guy next door who always had something new to teach or sing, and Mr. Hooper (Played by Will Lee) was the old, friendly owner of Hooper’s Store.

It’s really no wonder why these characters lasted for so long. Each of them were given strong performances and were able to build great chemistry with each other, and the many kids they shared screen time with. Another factor that made them so great was that they were able to ride the line between being friendly, happy kids show actors and real people you could actually meet or actually knew in your own neighborhood. They mainly hung out with the kids, read stories to us and taught us stuff, sure, but they still had jobs and lives of their own. In at least half of his appearances, Mr. Hooper was always scheming up a new idea or making a new invention for his store, and it’s funny to see how animated he gets about them. Episode 96 revolves around Susan actually deciding to renew her nursing license so she can go back to helping sick people again. The episode in video form isn’t available anywhere, but the whole episode summary is on Muppet Wiki, and I gotta say, it was definitely a step in the right direction for Susan’s character, to have a job where she can put her nurturing skills to good use.

But there were some other humans this season that weren’t quite so lucky.

Buddy and Jim (Played by Brandon Maggart and James Catusi, respectively) were bit characters made for their own segments, and they were essentially two clones of Mr. Noodle before he was a thing. Except they could talk and they were a LOT stupider. Mainly because they didn’t have their own furry red monster and kids to say when they’re doing something wrong, and that’s what makes them so entertaining. Because there was no one telling Buddy and Jim what to do or how to do it, you’re basically watching two idiots fail to do the most basic of tasks. They’re funny, but they also make you question, “How the heck do these guys function as human beings with an apartment? Are we sure they're not just gonna forget how to breathe one day?” It’s quite a shame these guys never came back after this season, because I think they definitely had sticking power.

Inversely, we also have Jennie, (Played by Jada Rowland) who’s someone I DO understand why she didn’t stick around. She was nice, and the segments where she draws something and the kids have to guess what it is, were mildly entertaining but also wasn’t memorable enough to leave a lasting impact.

The MVP human of the season has to be Gordon, since he does take up the role as the host of the program. He’s usually the first one to greet us, the one who tells us what we can see next or comment on something we just saw, and he’s the one who usually tells us to come back again at the end of every show. Side note, I like how all of the season 1 episodes end, with Gordon, or sometimes someone else telling us to come back and see them soon, because they’ll still be there. Granted, Sesame Street DID have its characters say goodbye to the audience, in many seasons going forward, but none of them have the same earnestness to it as this season did.

Bottom line, while not all of the characters that debuted made an impression, the most important ones did, and because of that, they would be the ones to get more defined as the show went on. Now it’s time for me to introduce something different to help this series stand out.

 My Top 5s

So, since each season of Sesame Street has a ton of content to offer, I figured the best way for me to convey my thoughts and opinions on said content would be to make top 5 lists about certain aspects of the show. Going over my top 5 favorites in each category, as well as my least favorite. The lists may vary considering what each season has to offer, but the lists you can be sure to see for every installment will be on street stories, songs, and segments. Speaking of which, let's get started with my top 5 favorite street stories.

My Top 5 Favorite Street Stories

#5: (Episode 9) The One Where A Cat Goes Missing: The one character who makes this episode so entertaining is Big Bird. His humor here all stems from him not knowing what a cat is. He tries to lure the cat out with marshmallows, he’s afraid it might try to eat him (Which isn’t too irrational from a logical standpoint) and when he finally does see a cat, he thinks it’s a bird. Even when the grown-ups correct him, he still thinks they can do bird things. Dopey Big Bird wasn’t the best, but he was funny.

#4: (Episode 6) The One With The Block Party: This is the first time we actually get to witness our street gang preparing for and celebrating an event. And for what it’s worth, it’s actually pretty charming. Seeing stuff like the guys try their best cooking something, Big Bird thinking he’s ugly when he sees his reflection, and the Anything Muppets singing a song together are all wholesome and natural. The only two nitpicks I have with it, is that Oscar is nowhere to be found, he doesn’t even pop up to say he won’t be joining the festivities, which is a bummer, and secondly, I kinda expected more from Susan’s song. They set it up to be a big performance that she has to get dressed up for, but then we actually hear it, and… it’s just a song about drawing a face. It’s not a bad song, by any means, but not really one that fits the hype centered around it.

#3: (Episode 56) The One Where Mr. Hooper Gives Oscar A Baked Bean Sundae: My favorite part of this episode isn’t actually the titular beginning half, though it is rather humorous to see Mr. Hooper’s disgusted reaction to Oscar’s (And to an extent, Big Bird’s) food choices and we also get to spend a majority of the running time with Gordon doing certain activities, the main reason this episode is on the list is because of the Bert and Ernie segment, which is probably the best segment of the whole season, in which Bert tries to play a game where Ernie guesses what will happen next in a few pictures Bert holds up, but instead of doing that, Ernie concocts a new context for each picture, and it’s hilarious. Seeing how passionate Ernie gets about the stories he’s making up and Bert constantly losing patience after each round is what makes their dynamic so enjoyable. I don’t wanna spoil it, so I’d really recommend you watch it on your own time.

#2: (Episode 30) The One Where Granny Bird Visits: I mostly admire this episode for how it attempted to show us that Big Bird has an actual family. Getting to see pictures of his mom, dad, and little brother feels so surreal considering they’re basically non-existent in the future. But also, this episode allows an opportunity for Big Bird to realize he is appreciated and loved. Our four grown-ups help fix the mistakes he made trying to get ready for Granny Bird, and Granny Bird herself gives him endless validation during the end credits. It’s just a very wholesome experience. It also features a nice scene where the grownups gift Oscar with their junk mail.

#1: (Episode 1) The First Episode: Yeah, yeah, I know it’s a predictable choice, but I really couldn’t think of a better one. Despite dragging in certain areas, this episode does a great job of letting us know what things we’re gonna see and what characters we’re gonna follow. It was also geniusly framed with the plot of Gordon giving the new girl a tour of the place. Sally is the POV character for the audience. We’re discovering the wonders of Sesame Street alongside her, and getting a feel of what the show is like. It’s a great window into what Sesame Street started off as and it set the groundwork for everything that came after it.

Honorable Mentions: Episode 5, Episode 7, Episode 33, Episode 54, Episode 77, and episode 96

My Least Favorite Street Story: (Episode 58): This is probably the episode where the least happens. It’s basically just Gordon (And Bob in one scene) doing things with the kids. Not helping is that neither Big Bird nor Oscar is in this episode at all. It just makes it rather boring.

My Top 5 Favorite Songs

#5: The People In Your Neighborhood: Just to be clear, I’m not counting different versions of songs as songs that debuted in certain seasons. If the first iteration of a song debuted in a certain season, that song debuted in that season. So keep that in mind as we continue. Anyway, I’d say People In Your Neighborhood is one of, if not the most versatile song in the Sesame catalog. The basic premise of the song is to teach kids about certain occupations their fellow neighbors might have. So how do they manage to incorporate all of them into one song? Basically, perform it many times over, but just change the verses every time. It’s really quite easy. Just think of a job you can sing about, find a way to make it rhyme, and put it to the theme of this tune. I’ve done it, other people in the fandom have done it, and you can do it, too. No wonder there have been so many versions of it over the years. It’s also versatile in the way it uses the Anything Muppets, by having Bob put clothes on two of the AMs, so they match each profession being sung about.

#4: Bein’ Green: Yeah, this song is as great as people say it is. Bein’ Green not only works as a song to let kids know what things are green in the world, but also as a song about being okay with who you are. People can enjoy it at a base level because it’s a frog singing about being the color that he is, but other people, especially those of minority races, can also enjoy it because they can see themselves in Kermit, as they come to terms with loving their skin color. The other reason I think this song had the impact it did was because it was a side of Kermit that no one had ever seen before. (At least in terms of Sesame Street.) In all the episodes leading up to Bein’ Green, Kermit had been witty, knowledgeable, and short-tempered, but here, he’s shown to be timid and vulnerable, feeling like he’s inadequate to others. It’s the first time in Sesame Street history where Kermit is shown as a humble individual, which makes it all the better when he comes to the conclusion that he does at the end.

#3: Rubber Duckie: This is a long shot here, but I think if Ernie didn’t have his love of bath time or rubber ducks, he wouldn’t be as remembered as he is today. Granted, he’d still have the gig of being Bert’s goofy foil, but I feel that baths and bath toys are Ernie’s thing. That one trait or interest that people, regardless of whether or not they’re a fan will automatically connect it back to them. And this song pretty much cemented bath time as Ernie’s thing. Whenever someone picks up a rubber duck, they are bound to think of this orange goofball singing his little heart out in the tubby. Why else would this song get the #26 spot on Billboard’s Top 100 Singles List and be nominated for a Grammy?

#2: I Love Trash: This song is just so much fun. Granted, Rubber Duckie and PIYN are fun songs, too, but there’s just a certain brand of fun Oscar brings to the table that I feel trumps a lot of other options. Despite being a grouch song, it’s surprisingly upbeat and jovial, and Oscar seems genuinely happy every time he sings it, especially when he’s describing each piece of trash in his collection. But what I really like about this song is how it demonstrates how Oscar’s opinion, while not really shared, is valued. Unlike in a certain Christmas special, no one Oscar sings this song to on the show has ever told him that he’s wrong to feel the way that he does, and sometimes, like in the example above, they congratulate him for giving such a great performance. And I think that really helps cement Oscar’s place in the Sesame Street family.

#1: Sesame Street Theme Song: Once again, I know this choice is predictable as heck, but there really was nothing else I COULD choose for the top spot. Sesame Street’s theme song does such a good job of establishing the tone and vibe of the series, illustrating a place where people of all kinds can come and be together in peace and harmony. And while the one they use for season 1 isn’t my favorite, (That goes to the season 30 version) it still has nice visuals, a great beat, and melody, and still feels like a great way to open the show.

Honorable Mentions: ABC-DEF-GHI, Somebody Come And Play, One Of These Things, Roosevelt Franklin Counts, Lulu's Back In Town, Going For A Ride, and Everybody Likes Ice Cream

My Least Favorite Song: Drawing A Circle: Again, it’s not that this song is bad, it’s just that it was hyped up to be more than it was. That’s really all there is to it.

My Top 5 Favorite Segments

#5: The Jazzy Triangle and the Square: This is just a nice little short story about being proud about who you are. Plus the way the triangle and square are animated is very fluid and fun to watch. The triangle especially.

#4: Dot Bridge: For a sequence where dots appear out of nowhere in six rows, it’s quite entertaining to see, especially when things go wrong.

#3: Worm and Walrus on the letter W: I just love the idea of this worm bragging about how he’s the best thing ever, only for this walrus to jump in and cut his ego down to size.

#2: Round: While this segment is pretty boring on its own, what makes it so enjoyable for me is the music. This song got stuck in my head as soon as I heard it.

#1: Henson Numerosity: This is probably the funnest segment of the entire season, from the way these kids are scream-singing their hearts out, to the different things showcased, to the iconic scene of a baker tripping and dropping all of his baked goods down on the floor.

Honorable Mentions: Jazz Numbers, J story, Claymation S, James Earl Jones Recites The Alphabet, and Wanda the Witch

My Least Favorite Segment: Gloria sings the Alphabet: There’s not really anything to enjoy with this sketch. It’s just a kid reciting the alphabet while a grown-up chews her out every other minute.

Conclusion

I know I’ve used the word “unpolished” a few times during this review, but it really is the best way to describe season 1. It has details and features that can’t be found in any other season, and sometimes, you feel as if you’re watching a completely different show because of it. But it still did a great job of setting the groundwork for everything that came after it. The basic educational concepts are all displayed, there are many moments of humor and great music that would only get better later on, and all of the characters that made an impact are characters that are still here to this day, or at the very least, have been around for a long time.

I think season 1 is the season that works the best as a time capsule. It’s the season you’d show your friends and family while saying, “You know that used to be Sesame Street, right?” And they’d gawk at the fact that Big Bird used to be dumb, that Oscar used to be orange, and that Gordon used to have hair.

The Children’s Television Workshop made this show to give kids a better television experience, and they accomplished just that. While certain parts of it may be boring, it still has enough colors, jokes, and educational concepts to keep kids attention and teach them new things. So, while season 1 of Sesame Street isn’t the season I’d recommend you watch first, it’s one I’d recommend you watch at some point. As it showed the potential for what Sesame Street could be. And the whole world realized said potential, and soon they were begging for more.

Well, that brings us to the end of the first episode in this retrospective, and it’s time to go. But please come back soon, and join me for the next episode, where we take a look at season 2. See ya soon!

*(Images from Tony Whitaker, Muppet Wiki, and Google Images)