See Big Bird's Sesame Street debut from its first episode
48 years ago today, the first episode of Sesame Street debuted. Watch a clip of the very first episode below! #SesameStreetDay pic.twitter.com/Bu7o8X4p8b
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) November 10, 2017
“Sally, you’ve never seen a street like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You’re going to love it.”
So go some of the first-ever lines in Sesame Street, originally broadcast 48 years ago on Nov. 10, 1969. To commemorate the anniversary, the educational children’s program tweeted a clip from its very first episode, framed around the arrival of Sally, a new young girl to the neighborhood. She’s introduced to fellow residents before the abrupt arrival of another Sesame mainstay: Big Bird.
“I’m a very nervous bird,” he stutters, adorably, after feeling relieved to learn Sally is not as tall as he is. “I nearly laid an egg on Sesame Street.”
We also hear Ernie singing from the basement, though he doesn’t make an appearance. “Whenever you hear Ernie singing, you can bet he’s taking a bath,” Sally’s told by her tour guide.
Sesame Street was originally conceived in 1966 and is now estimated to reach more than 100 million viewers around the world. It premiered on PBS and has gone through several iterations. Last year, it moved to the premium cable network HBO, where it now runs originally before a repeat airing on its original home, PBS.
