Sesame Street is the longest-running—and arguably most beloved—children's television program ever created. Today it reaches some six million preschoolers weekly in the United States and countless others in 140 countries around the world. Street Gang is Michael Davis' compelling—and often comical—story of the creation and history of this media masterpiece and pop culture landmark, told with the cooperation of one of the show's cofounders, Joan Ganz Cooney.
Sesame Street was born as a result of a discussion at Cooney's home about the poor quality of children's programming, and it hit the air as a big bang of creative fusion from Jim Henson and company, quickly rocketing to success. Street Gang traces the evolution of the show from its inspiration in the civil rights movement through its many ups and downs—from Nixon trying to cut off its funding to the rise of Elmo—via the remarkable personalities who have contributed to it, and reveals how it has taught millions of children not only their letters and numbers but cooperation and fair play, tolerance and self-respect, conflict resolution, and the importance of listening.
This is the unforgettable story of five decades of social and cultural change and the miraculous creative efforts, passion, and commitment of writers, producers, directors, animators, and puppeteers who have created one of the most influential shows in the history of television.
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“What I appreciate about Michael Davis’ new book on Sesame Street is the depth of his research and how he spotlights those people who deserve to have more light shed upon them for their great contributions to the show. And what’s refreshing is how he does not run away from conflicts that sometimes occurred behind the scenes, which were part of the creative energy of the show. He has really captured the spirit of how Sesame Street came to be. A wonderful book.”
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Frank Oz, film director, voice of Yoda, and original performer of Bert, Cookie Monster, and Grover