Lloyd Farley is a master of puns, and a humorist. A fan of DC and Lego, his eclecticism makes him an expert in the quirky side of pop-culture.
The Big Picture Since its inception in 1969, Sesame Street has become one of the most popular children's television shows of all time, a favorite of children, parents, and educators alike. With friendly characters like Big Bird and maybe not so friendly but entirely harmless, like Oscar the Grouch , to beloved human characters like Bob Johnson , the innocent show hasn't garnered controversy. Well, wait a moment.
Release Date November 10, 1969 Seasons 45 Studio PBS The Wicked Witch of the West Appeared in the Banned 'Sesame Street' Episode What young Sesame Street viewers saw in that episode is a character that has haunted many a dream since she first appeared in 1939's The Wizard of Oz: The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton. The episode begins with David stepping out of his store into a heavy, spooky wind, one that blows a broom out of the sky and into David's hands.
'Sesame Street' Should Have Followed Mister Rogers' Lead Close The intent of the episode is clearly two-fold: teaching kids about overcoming their fears, and the best way to get something you want is by asking politely, not grabbing or demanding. As per the AV Club article above, Hamilton was a former teacher who was only too happy to reprise her most famous role for educational programming, and Sesame Street seemed the perfect place to do so.