Introducing the new Sesame Street Character :: Mando!

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Many of us grew up watching Grover, Cookie Monster and Big Bird and have fond memories of Sesame Street.  I love that my daughter enjoys watching this quality and educational program and we can laugh together at Cookie Monster’s antics!  Sesame Street was conceived in 1966, and was first aired on public broadcasting television stations November 10, 1969, and will celebrate it’s 44th season this coming September.  The history of Sesame Street has reflected changing attitudes to developmental psychology, early childhood education and cultural diversity. Featuring Jim Henson’s Muppets, animation, live shorts, humor and celebrity appearances, it was the first television program of its kind to base its content and production values on laboratory and formative research, and the first to include a curriculum “detailed or stated in terms of measurable outcomes”. (Source: Wikipedia).

This past week I had a chance to attend the PBS Kids annual meeting in Miami, and talk with Rosita and Ismael, who plays Mando, Sesame Streets newest resident who teaches his new neighbors about Hispanic heritage, diversity, and his native Puerto Rico.  The upcoming season starts September 16th and will focus on helping children get a grip on eager impulses and quick emotions.  They will be working on their ability to ‘Self-Regulate’ such as identifying and managing their emotions, self-control and work on improving their ‘Executive Functioning’ skills such as working memory and cognitive flexibility.  All of these skills will help with school readiness.  I had a chance to listen to the President of PBS to the person in charge of children’s programming speak and it is so apparent how committed they are to delivering quality programming for our kids.  Following are some fun facts about Sesame Street courtesy of Family Education.

Fun Facts about Sesame Street:

What is Rosita?

Most people know Rosita as the only Hispanic Muppet on Sesame Street, but few know what she actually is. Curious? Rosita is a fruit bat.

Cookie Monster Had Another Job:

The Cookie Monster wasn’t an amateur when he joined the Sesame Street cast. He had started his acting career almost three years prior, starring as “The Wheel Stealer” in an unaired General Foods commercial. He then went on to appear in an IBM training film and a Munchos commercial.

Cookie Monster is also the only Muppet character who has five fingers. Everyone else has four.

Grover Started Out Another Color:

In the very first season of Sesame Street, Grover, the cuddly blue
creature everyone loves, was actually brown. Also, Oscar made his debut
as an orange grouch, not the green grump we know him as today.

Sesame Street is a Hit:

To date, this children’s series has won 118 Emmy Awards — that’s more than any
other show in television history. Around 8 million people tune in every week.
Sesame Street has aired in over 120 countries since its inception, making
it the most widely viewed children’s series in the world.

Celebrities Love Sesame Street:

In the 4,212 episodes that have aired over the past 40 years, over 440
celebrities have visited Sesame Street, including four first ladies:
Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. James Earl Jones
was the first celebrity to make an appearance.

So make sure to save the date – September 16th – and enjoy watching Season 44 with your preschoolers.  The new episodes will include celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Dave Matthews, Tyra Banks and many more!

Here I have a chance to talk to Rosita and the newest resident Mando!  This was one of the highlights of the trip and just wish I didn’t lose my voice that first day! Video of our interview coming up!

And check out SESAME STREET’s first ever open casting call. Below are links to a three-part behind the scenes look of the casting call for the new character Mando!

Photo courtesy of Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/63848154@N05/5820954445/sizes/z/in/photostream/

References:

You can read more fun facts on
FamilyEducation: https://fun.familyeducation.com/sesame-street/trivia/64753.html#ixzz2TYfMGraM

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Sesame_Street