Sesame Street turns 40, and Michelle Obama joins the big small-screen birthday bash

November 3, 8:08 PMPittsburgh Stage and Screen ExaminerAlan Petrucelli

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It’s gonna be big.
     As big as, well, Big Bird.
     Sesame Street is having a birthday.
     A big birthday.
     The show celebrates its 40th birthday on November 10, 2009, the exact day the series debuted on TV four decades ago.
     And the viewers are getting the gifts: The “new” kid on the education block not only features everything you love about Sesame Street, but there’s a new nature curriculum and new First Lady Michelle Obama!
     While maintaining an emphasis on the importance of literacy and numeracy, the new season kicks-off with “My World is Green & Growing,” a two-year science initiative designed to increase positive attitudes toward nature, deepen children’s knowledge about the natural world and encourage behavior that shows respect and care for the environment. First Lady Michelle Obama appears in the first episode of Sesame Street’s 40th season and teaches “the street’s” residents about the many benefits of planting a garden and healthy eating as part of the series’ ongoing “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative.
     Surrounded by children and preparing to plant tomato, cucumber and lettuce seeds, Mrs. Obama explains, “All these seeds need to grow are sun, soil and water. If you eat these healthy foods, you’re going to grow up to be big and strong, like me. I know you’re going to like these vegetables, because in addition to being healthy, they really taste great!”
     Original songs, story lines and animations such as “Murray Had a Little Lamb,” “Word on the Street” and “Elmo’s World” will continue to stimulate the preschool viewers’ awareness and excitement about the environment. Additionally, new words will be introduced at the beginning of each episode by Murray as he interacts with people on the street. In a series of 26 hilarious celebrity segments, words such as “habitat,” “metamorphosis,” “camouflage,” “hibernate” and “garden” are introduced to enhance vocabulary and further highlight the wonders of nature.
     So who will some of the celebs joining the celebration?
     We'll name names, but just a few. Elmo might get pissed.
     Kobe Bryant; Greg Kinnear, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Cameron Diaz, Hugh Jackman, Debra Messing, Eva Longoria, Adrian Grenier, Julianna Marguiles, Judah Freidlander, Sarah Jessica Parker, Adam Sandler, Jimmy Fallon, Jenny Garth, Paul Rudd, Ricky Gervais, Patricia Arquette, Brendan Fraser, Matthew Fox, Christina Applegate, Debi Mazar, Cedric the Entertainer, Ziggy Marley and Meredith Vieira. (Don't worry: We haven't heard of some of then either.)
     The fun doesn’t stop with the new season’s launch! More firsts on this memorable date include the launch of a commemorative DVD release marking four decades of the landmark show, Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days. The two-disc compilation features fan favorites including classic stories, songs, monsters and celebrity segments. There's also a reason to open Sesame: Book stores will soon stock the behind-the-scenes, coffee-table book, A Celebration: 40 Years of Life on the Street.
     Welcome back to the 'hood.
 

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