25 Ways ‘Sesame Street’ Has Changed in Its 50 Years on TV

S stands for Sesame Street, and it has since 1969 when the beloved show made its debut on public television. This year marks the 50th anniversary of friendly neighbors and fuzzy creatures who help kids, as well as their parents, learn powerful lessons about life.

One reason why the show has remained popular for half a century is its ability to adapt to changing times. 24/7 Tempo reviewed 25 ways the groundbreaking series, which has had more than 150 million viewers and won 193 Emmy awards, has changed over the years while staying true to its original mission of educating children. 

And sometimes that means addressing serious issues. Sesame Workshop, the organization behind the show, recently launched an initiative supporting children in foster families by showing how children deal with difficult transitions in their lives. But this is not the first or only example of the Muppets being deployed to combat problems. 

Aside from content, what has made “Sesame Street” such a global success is its Muppets. Many were introduced on the show half a century ago are still stars on the show today. Over the years, some characters were added to reflect changing times as well as to identify with an increasingly more diverse audience — these are the most popular characters in the show’s history.