I have a confession to make. I never really watched "Sesame Street" growing up. Demographically speaking, I was a member of the show's inaugural generation. But if you lived in rural North Carolina in the 1970s, getting a PBS signal was never a reliable enterprise.
So my childhood was sadly devoid of Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster. No Big Bird or Bert and Ernie (we were a Captain Kangaroo household). I have recollections of being able to see the show at school sometimes, but perhaps that was on film. I'm not sure. I do remember that on the few occasions I saw the show, I was delighted.
Even though I can't brag that The Count taught me to count or that Kermit helped me learn the alphabet, I also can't deny the beauty and significance of the show. And I can't do it justice today on its 40th birthday, so I'm ordering you over to Time magazine's "Tuned In" television blog to read the wonderful tribute by James Poniewozik.
Brooke Cain isn't always proud of the number of hours she logs in front of the TV, but her loss of brain cells can be your gain. From reality shows to sitcoms to the more serious stuff, Brooke keeps her DVR smoking so that she can help keep you in the know. Brooke also tweets for Happiness is a Warm TV (you can follow 
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To celebrate Big Bird's
Fri, 11/13/2009 - 05:42 — Mona_YTo celebrate Big Bird's birthday, Big Bird became leading man on Google's latest homepage. November 4th was Big Bird's Birthday. Why we're wasting valuable time on the birthday of a large yellow puppet is beyond me, but it was given the royal treatment, and Big Bird's Birthday was featured by a caricature of the big yellow avian/humanoid on the front page of Google. It was indeed a Sesame Street Anniversary, as the show has been on the air for 40 years. Generations were raised on it, and rearing their own with the show, with that big goofy bird and his imaginary friend. Ironically, he has not begun to gray at all. Well, congrats for Big Bird's Birthday, and evidently the show still gets ratings good enough for money now every year to keep going.