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.”
—
Frank Oz, film director, voice of Yoda, and original performer of Bert, Cookie Monster, and Grover