Sesame Street Elmo gives Kevin Clash a reason to giggle

This screen grab from Sesame Workshop shows a scene from a Public Service Announcement with Gordon,left, and Elmo, who is showing children how sneeze into their elbow to stop the spread of germs. (AP Photo/Sesame Workshop)

Sesame Street begins its 41st season on public television tomorrow in a premiere episode featuring First Lady Michelle Obama.

With new focus on going green and saving the planet, viewers will be treated to a wide range of environmental friendly topics, from how to plant a vegetable garden, to learning about animal habitats, to Cookie Monster’s newfound passion for fruit.

And last week’s Conservative uprising over a rehashed Fox News parody? With any kind of luck, all water under the bridge or on the way down under. It’s not easy being politically green.

Carroll Spinney, the man behind Big Bird, discusses the show’s longevity

Puppeteer Kevin Clash, the distinctive voice and hands behind Elmo -- that loveable little furball who spawns a toy buying frenzy every consumer-fueled Christmas -- thinks the show continues to connect with viewers because it remains topically relevant.

Back in the early '80s when he first joined the neighborhood modeled after the streets of Manhattan, Clash encountered a rock and roll Muppet with spiky tufts of blond hair. "We did a song with a Billy Idol Muppet," Clash recalls. "Now we just shot a takeoff on (HBO series) 'True Blood' called 'True Mud.' We'll do a parody of whatever song or show is hot, to keep it topical."

Take a walk down Sesame Street past

Elmo first appeared in 1984 (or as far back as 1979 if you recall a Muppet called "Little Monster") as a walk-on character, but found a permanent place in viewer's hearts when Clash officially took over in 1985. Clash grew up a working-class kid on the streets of Baltimore watching the show on public television. He always believed he would either work as a puppeteer or create animation for Disney Studios and never waivered. Mentored by the late great Jim Henson, Muppet creator and puppeteer extraordinaire, Clash soon found his calling and never looked back.

Elmo’s distinctive laugh gave him a leg up over other supporting characters, soon catapulting him to star status. Toddlers were instinctively drawn to Elmo, not only for his infectious laughter, but also his endearing mannerisms and cute baby talk. Clash has always said that he portrays Elmo as a three-year old. That, more than anything else, may explain why the little red fuzzy guy remains so popular with the two-to-three-year old demographic.

See some of Sesame Street’s past guest stars

The giggling, however, did not immediately resonate with show executives. Clash told the following anecdote in an interview with Rove McManus:

One of the producers, she took me out to lunch and said, 'You know, he's cute, but he laughs too much.' And then, of course, Tickle Me Elmo came out and that all got kaboshed at that point.