“Sesame Street” next Monday

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 4

“Sesame Street” next Monday

Pre-school children in the CHTV3 viewing area will be introduced to “Sesame Street” and its inhabitants when the widely acclaimed children’s television series starts its twice-weekly screening next Monday afternoon. •

“Sesame Street,” devised by Joan Ganz Cooney and produced by America’s Children’s Television Workshop, is aimed at children between the ages of three and five, though many older children and adults have been found to enjoy it. But the programme's special target audience is under-privileged children living in both rural and inner-city neighbourhoods. In its first season the series was seen by an estimated 6,000,000 to 7,000,000 children each week, and has already gathered a studio full of accolades—including three Emmys—from the TV world. The programme—described as America’s biggest national experiment in early educa-tion-ruses sophisticated television techniques to teach the alphaoet, numbers, how to count, simple reasoning, vocabulary, and a “sense of self” to the very young. “Sesame Street" is a makebelieve street inhabited by a cast of real children and adults as well as a large cast of puppet characters with strong personalities. The programme takes its title from the “Arabian Nights” phrase, “Open Sesame,” which unlocked treasures.

In the first programme a new child moves on to Seseme Street and through her we meet Gordon (Matt Robinson), his wife Susan (Loretta Long), Mr Hooper (Will Lee), who owns the candy store, Bob (Bob McGrath), and Jim Henson’s Muppets, including Ernie and

Bert, Big Bird, Oscar and the Anythings. Featured on this programme are the numbers 2 and 3; letters W and S; understanding of the concepts “through,” "over,” and “around;” an explanation of where milk comes from, and a demonstration by series regulars Buddy (Brandon Maggart) and Jim (Jim Catusi) of how not to hang a picture.

“Sesame Street” will be seen regularly on Mondays and Fridays.

New shows for children .Children can look forward to several new cartoon series and other shows judging from new purchases the N.Z.B.C. has made recently. A general knowledge programme, “In the Know” and a 8.8. C. serial, “Adventure Weekly,” are among the regular series bought. Cartoons include "Groovie Goolies,” “Josie and the Pussycats,” “Where’s Huddles,” “The Harlem Globe-trotters” and “Chattanooga Cats."

The N.Z.B.C. has also bought “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in which the former co-star of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” plays the. part of reporter at a tele-' vision station.

Also for general viewing are further episodes of “Green Acres,” “Petticoat Junction," “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “The Governor and J.J.,” “What’s My Line?” “The Ed Sullivan Show" and “The Carol Burnett Show.” The news of these purchases will be welcomed, especially by Pandora’s four-year-old neighbour. Peeping over the fence on Saturday, the small boy announced gravely that “Woody Woodpecker” was the only children’s programme scheduled for that afternoon. The sudden change in the weather must have left many children craving for a more extensive juvenile programme.