…can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
A week ago Liz sent me a text to say that The Count had died. [or more accurately, Jerry Nelson – the voice behind The Count]
The Count is my favourite Sesame Street Character.
When I was a student in the early 70s, my Maths Education tutor had just returned from the USA and raved about this programme, and particularly the way it taught maths. It was only being shown at odd times on random ITV channels then – but fortunately by the time Liz was born in 1982, it was being shown nationally [the BBC wouldn’t use it, saying they had perfectly good educational stuff already!] There is currently a Downing Street Petition to bring SS back to British TV [sadly it only has 40 signatures so far!]
You can read the BBC obituary for The Count, his favourite number was apparently 34969.
For all that I struggle with the American spellings [and ‘zee’ not ‘zed’] give me Ernie, Big Bird et al over Iggle Piggle and friends any day. SS is infinitely better written and I believe much better from an educational point of view. And it is such FUN.
It certainly helped to give my children a good start in numeracy and literacy well before they started school.
Maybe I am turning into Oscar the Grouch!
Did you watch Sesame Street – or encourage your kids to watch it? and who was your favourite character?
Loved SS passionately as a child! The boys have seen only little bits- there's Big City Park which is made by a NIish company, but just not in same league of perfection, regardless of zee/zed as you so rightly zay!
ReplyDeleteI was reading the BBC article only this morning. I loved SS as a child, and when my kids were little.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite memories of my kids when they were little is them counting with The Count and doing the laugh Ha! Ha! ha!
ReplyDeleteKermit THEE Frawg!
ReplyDeleteIt's truly a wonderful programme. We were in the States at the right ages, and my sister began her nearly-bilingual Spanish thanks to SS.