Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting

Sesame Street: 20... and Still Counting aired on NBC on April 7, 1989.

This one-hour special marks the twentieth anniversary of Sesame Street, the ground-breaking educational children's series that has taught numbers and the alphabet, along with social and cultural concepts, to generations of preschoolers.

Hosted by Bill Cosby, the retrospective includes appearances by Muppet characters Big Bird, Grover, the Count, Kermit the Frog, and Bert and Ernie, as well as Sesame regulars Bob, Gordon, Susan, Maria, and Luis, and many others.

The program illustrates the changing topics and techniques that have blended entertainment with education over the years, and features classic clips from past episodes as well as the recollections of those responsible for making the series a success and viewers who grew up watching the show.

Among the highlights are Ray Charles and a chorus of Muppets singing It's Not Easy Bein' Green by Joe Raposo; a discussion between series creator Joan Ganz Cooney and Jim Henson; clips from international versions of the series; and famed tenor Placido Domingo performing with his Muppet counterpart, Placido Flamingo.

Credits
Executive Producer: Jim Henson

Executive Producer for CTW: Dulcy Singer

Director: Peter Harris

Writers: Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss

Host: Bill Cosby

Guests: Ray Charles and Placido Domingo

Muppet Performers: Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Pam Arciero, Fred Garbo, Fran Brill, Camille Bonora, Judy Sladky, Martin Robinson, Bryant Young, David Rudman, Kevin Clash

Cast: Emilio Delgado, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Loretta Long, Roscoe Orman, Miles Orman, Linda Bove, Bill McCutcheon, Alison Bartlett, Northern Calloway