ills” (St. Pierre 54). Henson was reluctant to except because he did not want to be known as children’s entertainer. He eventually agreed and his company created many memorable characters. Debuting on November 11, 1969, Sesame Street was populated with Henson creations such as Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Grover, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird, each with distinctive personalities. In the first episode, Jim appeared as a juggler (Andres). Parents, critics, educators, and child psychologists praised the show for the mix of entertainment and information. Two of the most well known characters on Sesame Street were Bert and Ernie, two best friends. When Jim was creating Muppets for the show, he made Ernie to represent himself and Bert to represent his best friend Frank Oz. The original Ernie had a head made from a Nerf ball and eyes made from two plastic spoons.Sesame Street has been on the air ever since. The show recently celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. Since 1969, Sesame Street has aired in about 80 countries and has been watched by hundreds of millions of children (Collins). By 1970, the Henson family had expanded to include five children. Their son Brian was born in 1963, John in 1965, and their daughter Heather in 1970. His children loved Jim dearly, but sometimes he would be too busy working on Sesame Street to spend time with them. Jim solved this problem by taking his children to the set. They were often on screen in episodes of Sesame Street (Fionaurora).Impressed by the success of Sesame Street, Jim Henson set out to create a variety show starring his original Muppets. He went to NBC, ABC, and CBS to get financing and a time slot. All three turned him down. As determined as ever, Henson continued and finally got financing from a British producer named Lord Lew Grade. The Muppet Show was produced in England. The show was syndicated worldwide and it aired weekly. It was thirty minutes l...
