A South African version of the show even features an HIV-positive Muppet, a fact that made a handful of American politicians sweat last year over the possibility that the character would appear in the U.S. Hooper, Will Lee, died in 1982, instead of using another actor or pretending the character had moved away, the show used it as an opportunity to teach kids about accepting death. Unlike the dorky songs and dances of that cloyingly sweet curse, "Barney and Friends," "Sesame Street" manages to tackle challenging issues with honesty, sensitivity and style. Watching "Sesame Street" for the first time in probably 20 years, it's not difficult to see why the show has won more Emmy awards than any other show in television history.
Presumably, international versions of "Sesame Street" feature American children playing Nintendo and shoving their faces full of McFreedom fries. Kids at home can watch a Malaysian boy make a kite, some Egyptian kids milking a goat, and a Russian boy learning a traditional dance. In "Global Grover," the shoulderless blue one appears in costumes from around the world and narrates short documentaries about children from different countries. The show has also added new features, aimed at increasing children's awareness of other cultures. The 34th season of "Sesame Street" premieres Monday on PBS, offering more chances to peer into the souls of a whole new bevy of guests, from Sheryl Crow to first lady Laura Bush. And when you consider that the Muppets have met and mingled with everyone from Gene Kelly to Joan Baez to Arlo Guthrie to Liberace, it's easy to understand why they might be a little intimidating. Plus, that floaty, "Animal"-style fur can be particularly distracting.
Secretary General Kofi Annan seemed a little stiff around all that foam and fur, but he may have had more important things on his mind. Who can forget John Denver, sitting among happy-faced, swaying plants on "The Muppet Show," singing "Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow"? Denver clearly felt at home among the Muppets, as did recent "Sesame Street" guests the Dixie Chicks. They stutter and their eyes are trained on the cue cards like bad "Saturday Night Live" guests. They reach out to touch the little buggers, but you can see that they don't mean it. Others become stiff and self-conscious around 2-foot-high orange guys with tufty hair, and grouchy trash-can dwellers. Some seem totally calm and relaxed - they're not bothered by those intense, google-eyed stares and all that furry arm-waving hysteria. Rewritten Pop Version: The show's opening theme song is a rewritten version of Somebody Come and Play.The way a person interacts with a Muppet says a lot about them.Prairie Dawn is the only female host of the show, and near the end of each show, Prairie is often seen being silly and having fun with Ernie and Grover, leaving the "straight man" role of the four to Bert. One of the Boys: A downplayed example, but still prominent.No Indoor Voice: Grover, Prairie, Bert, and Ernie yell a lot of their dialogue more often than they do in Sesame Street.
Subverted in that on occasion, other characters (like Cookie Monster and Zoe) would make appearances.