We Can Tell You How to Get to Sesame Street—& Even More Secrets About the Beloved Show E! 2 hrs ago Tierney Bricker Go Behind the Scenes of Sesame Street in a Sneak Peek at 50 Years of Sunny Days Replay Video After debuting in 1969, Sesame Street made household names out of Jim Henson's beloved Muppets such as Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster and more. Plus, it helped educate children about letters, numbers and, over time, more serious subject matters, like death, divorce and drug addiction. All these years (and more than 4,500 episodes!) later, the show is as popular as ever, with a reported 100 percent brand recognition globally, airing in 180 countries.