EXECUTIVES AND ARTISTS THAT CAME
TOGETHER AND CHANGED EVERYTHING.
>> THE THEME SONG PROMISES SUNNY
DAYS.
BUT FOR THOSE WHO WERE THERE
EARLY ON, IT WAS LIGHTNING.
>> LIKE THE STARS WERE ALIGNED.
IN A CERTAIN WAY.
AND SOCIETY WAS IN A CERTAIN
PLACE.
>> MAGIC, CAPTURED IN THE NEW
DOCUMENTARY STREET GANG, HOW WE
GOT TO "SESAME STREET.."
>> THIS WAS AN EXPERIMENT.
NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN ANYTHING
LIKE IT.
>> HAD A BRILLIANT SIMPLE
NOTION.
CHILDREN WERE WATCHING A
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TELEVISION.
>> SO WHY NOT SEE IF IT COULD
EDUCATE THEM. >> IT WAS 1969, A TURBULENT TIME
>> IT WAS 1969, A TURBULENT TIME
IN AMERICA WHEN JOAN GANTZ
DECIDED TELEVISION COULD TEACH
CHILDREN.
>> TO BE ON THE SET.
WATCHING THIS DYNAMIC.
>> IT WAS PEOPLE DEDICATED TO A
REAL IDEAL AND HAVING THE WILL
TO DO IT.
>> I NEVER SAW ANYBODY WHO
LOOKED LIKE ME OR LIVED IN THE
SAME ENVIRONMENT THAT I LIVED
IN.
>> THATS SONIA.
YOU MAY KNOW HER AS MARIA.
>> PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME YOU
WERE THE FIRST LATINA I EVER
SAW.
>> WE RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH HER
AND ONE OF THE ACTORS WHO PLAYED
GORMAN.
>> A CHILDRENS SHOW.
ARE YOU KIDDING.
>> WHILE ORMEN DIDNT ENVISION A
LIFE ACTING ALONGSIDE PUPPETS.
DECADES LATER.
>> WE SAW PEOPLE WHO GREW UP
WATCHING US BREAK INTO TEARS
WHEN THEY WOULD SEE US.
>> ROCK STAR.
>> LIKE THE BEATLES.
>> TODAY "SESAME STREET" IS A
WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON BUT
ORIGINALLY NO ONE ENVISIONED THE
MUPPETS AND ACTORS TOGETHER.
>> AND THEN THEY STARTED TO RUN
THE SHOW WITH THE TEST AUDIENCES
AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY
THE STREET COULD COMPETE WITH
THE MUPPETS.
AND THAT IS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO
BLEND THE TWO.
>> THE DOCUMENTARY GIVES A RARE
LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES WITH JIM
HENSON, THE BRILLIANT AND OFTEN
IRREVERENT CREATOR OF THE
MUPPETS.
>> WERE THE BEST OF FRIENDS.
>> YES.
HOW MANY LINES DO YOU HAVE?
>> THREE.
WELL TRY TO GET THE FIRST ONE --
>> AND IT WAS EXCITING.
>> BUT WITH PUPPETS, THE CAST
COULD ALSO TACKLE TOUGH
SUBJECTS.
>> BIG BIRD SUPPOSED TO BE KIND
OF BIG, DUMB, GOOFY GUY.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, I DONT THINK
I SHOULD BE PLAYING HIM AS A
GOOFY GUY.
I THINK I SHOULD PLAY HIM AS A
CHILD WHO IS JUST LEARNING AND
HE DOESNT KNOW A LOT OF THINGS
YET.
>> SOMETIMES THOSE LESSONS WERE
HARD.
WHEN BELOVED CAST MEMBER WILLIE
WHO PLAYED MR. HOOPER DIED AND
THE SHOW DECIDED TO BE HONEST
WITH CHILDREN.
>> DONT YOU REMEMBER WITH WE
TOLE YOU.
MR. HOOPER DIED.
HES DEAD.
>> OH YEAH.
I REMEMBER.
>> THAT WAS THE PINNACLE OF OUR
KIND OF REAL BRAVERY IN THAT
SENSE.
WE ACTUALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE
FACT THAT ONE OF OUR FAMILY
MEMBERS HAD PASSED.
>> HOW HARD WAS IT TO ACT THAT
EPISODE?
>> WE WERE NOT ACTING.
AT ALL.
WE WERE IN GRIEF.
>> AND THE SHOW NEVER SHIED AWAY
FROM RACIAL EQUALITY.
EVEN WHEN IT WAS BANNED IN
MISSISSIPPI EARLY ON.
>> IT IS NOT THAT EASY BEING
GREEN
>> AND I REMEMBER THINKING, ARE
THEY SINGING ABOUT WHAT I THINK
THEY ARE SINGING ABOUT?
BECAUSE IT WAS SO NUANCED.
>> YEAH.
>> OF COURSE IT WAS SINGING
ABOUT RACE.
>> AND WHILE ACTORS LIKE THEM
HAVE LAUGHED FIFTY YEARS LATER,
THE STREET AND ITS MISSION ARE
STILL GOING STRONG.
>> I THINK WE NEED IT NOW MORE
THAN EVER.
>> YEAH.
>> SO MANY MEMORIES TALKING TO
THEM.
I FELT LIKE A 4 YEAR OLD FAN
GIRL SITTING DOWN WITH MARIE AND
GORDON.
AS AN ADULT YOU CAN SEE JUST HOW
MUCH MORE THAN ABCS YOU WERE
LEARNING WHEN YOU WERE WATCHING.
>> WE ALL GROUP UP WITH MARIA
AND KBORND.
SUCH A PART OF MY CHILDHOOD.