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Celebrating that
bit of Elmo in us all

'Sesame Street' airs the premiere of its 40th season

By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Nov 10, 2009

There have been shows with longer runs, such as "Guiding Light" and "Meet the Press," and shows with bigger audiences, such as "The Cosby Show" and "American Idol."

But there's perhaps no program that has so deeply saturated pop culture as "Sesame Street," the earnest yet witty educational kids' show that airs its 40th season premiere today on PBS. Times vary regionally.

"Street's" characters are recognized around the world, from Cookie Monster to Big Bird to Elmo (love him or hate him, he's a merchandising phenomenon). The show is seen in 120 countries around the world, and an estimated 80 million Americans spent time with "Street" as children.

"Street" has inspired toy crazes, such as the Tickle Me Elmo fervor in the late 1990s, and won more than 100 Emmys, the most in TV history. It has spun off well-known songs, such as "C is for Cookie," and even prompted a satirical Broadway show, "Avenue Q," which won a Tony Award.

But perhaps the true measure of the show's vast reach is the lineup of guest stars it has secured, rivaled only by "Saturday Night Live." First Lady Michelle Obama appears on today's premiere, showing kids how to plant a garden. Hugh Jackman, Adam Sandler and Jimmy Fallon will also appear this season, among many others.

And "Street" will keep up with current pop culture trends by offering a parody of "Mad Men" and giving one of its characters a CGI makeover. Fairy-in-training Abby Cadabby will become the first "Street" character to be animated this way in a recurring segment.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Author Stephen King guests.
7 p.m.	Versus	“NHL Hockey” (S)	The Penguins take on the Bruins in Boston.
8 p.m.	NBC	“The Biggest Loser” (R)	The contestants find out that two will be bounced at the next weigh-in.
8 p.m.	CBS	“NCIS” (D)	An assassin from North Korea puts Vance’s family in danger.
8 p.m.	ABC	“V” (D)	Performed well last week, how will ratings hold up?
9 p.m.	ESPN	“World Series of Poker” (S)	Coverage of the final table of the 2009 Las Vegas Main Event.
10 p.m.	MTV	“The Hills” (R)	Brody and Kristin think about reuniting and Justin and Audrina discuss their future.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Andre Agassi guests and Bon Jovi performs. Again.
8 p.m.	ABC	“43rd Annual CMA Awards” (A)	Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host.
8 p.m.	CW	“ America’s Next Top Model” (R)	The final four learn a hip-hop version of the hula.
8 p.m.	ESPN	“NBA Basketball” (S)	Eastern Conference finals rematch between the Cavs and Magic.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Criminal Minds” (D)	A killer seems to follow a rock star’s tour.
9 p.m.	Fox	“Glee” (C)	The school tries to pay for a wheelchair-accessible bus.
10 p.m.	FX	“Nip/Tuck” (D)	Julia shows up to help Matt recovery from surgery.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Dolly Parton and Kate Walsh both guest.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Bones” (D)	The crew looks into the death of a small wrestler.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Grey’s Anatomy” (D)	Kim Raver plays a new cardiothoracic surgeon.
9 p.m.	CBS	“CSI” (D)	Final part of the three-way “CSI” crossover.
9 p.m.	NBC	“The Office” (C)	Michael starts acting strangely after rumors spread about the company.
10 p.m.	ABC	“Private Practice” (D)	Addison and Sam run into a couple trapped inside a car after an accident.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
Time	Network	Program	Description
8 p.m.	CBS	“Ghost Whisperer” (D)	Melinda is led to a murdered body by its ghost.
8 p.m.	CW	“Smallville” (D)	Clark gets in trouble with the law.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Ugly Betty” (D)	Daniel brings Amanda to one of his support group meetings.
9 p.m.	CBS	“Medium” (D)	Ariel has a new boyfriend, but Allison thinks he’s a killer.
9 p.m.	USA	“Monk” (D)	Monk looks for someone who’s trying to ruin a wedding.
10:30 p.m.	ESPN	“NBA Basketball” (S)	The Lakers face off against the Nuggets in Denver.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Time	Network	Program	Description
3:30 p.m.	ABC	“College Football” (S)	Hugely important Big Ten game between Iowa and Ohio State.
8 p.m.	Fox	“Cops” (R)	Cops in California look for a man wanted for domestic violence and burglary.
8 p.m.	Telemundo	“Soccer” (S)	Mexican league match between Chivas and Cruz Azul should draw a good Hispanic audience.
8 p.m.	Nickelodeon	“iCarly” (C)	Carly tries to get Lewbert and his ex-fiancée back together.
9 p.m.	Hallmark Channel	“Flower Girl” (M)	A florist gets caught up in a love triangle.
11:30 p.m.	NBC	“Saturday Night Live” (C)	January Jones hosts and the Black Eyed Peas perform.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Time	Network	Program	Description
3:15 p.m.	ABC	“NASCAR Racing” (S)	Sprint Cup race from Phoenix.
8 p.m.	Fox	“The Simpsons” (C)	Marge poses for a calendar for charity and some racy photos are leaked. To Playboy, apparently.
8:15 p.m.	NBC	“NFL Football” (S)	AFC rivals New England and Indianapolis square off.
9 p.m.	ABC	“Desperate Housewives” (D)	Gaby does all she can to get Juanita into a Catholic school.
9 p.m.	Fox	“Family Guy” (C)	Quagmire becomes a father and realizes it’s not his thing.
9 p.m.	Showtime	“Dexter” (D)	Dexter thinks the Trinity Killer is heading out of town.
10 p.m.	E!	“Girls Next Door” (R)	Hef and the girls head to Italy for a music festival.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.