Sesame Street at 50: How its main characters debuted

A central character of "Sesame Street" and "The Muppet Show," Kermit the Frog first appeared in 1955 in a local TV series, "Sam and Friends." The creator of The Muppets, Jim Henson, performed the character himself until his death in 1990. As for Cookie Monster, he had also made his TV debut before "Sesame Street," in a 1966 ad for crackers.

The misanthropic character who lives in a trash can was originally orange when "Sesame Street" was launched in 1969. He was then permanently changed to green for the second season. In 1980, his girlfriend was introduced to the show: Grundgetta calls him Oskie.

The fun-loving Ernie (right) and rational, impatient Bert first appeared in the show's test pilot. The two roommates have completely different characters, yet they stick together — like an old couple. Since they share the same bedroom, they were often speculated to be a gay couple. Even a writer of the show said he visualized them that way — but Sesame Workshop officially disputed the claim.

Gathered around the piano are Ernie, Oscar, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover. A prototype version of the furry monster with a big nose had already appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Christmas Eve in 1967, but was greenish-brown. While he was already in the first season of "Sesame Street," he only obtained his name in 1970.

At eight feet, two inches tall (249 cm) this is one huge canary. Oscar the Grouch's neighbor first appeared on TV in episode one of the "Sesame Show," 50 years ago, on November 10, 1969. In 2000, the US Library of Congress recognized Big Bird as a "Living Legend" for his contributions to American life. He's shown here inaugurating New York City's new Sesame Street in May 2019.

Now in its 49th season, there are many more puppets in "Sesame Street." Shown above is a character introduced in 2017. Julia is a yellow Muppet who represents a 4-year-old girl on the autistic spectrum. And even Donald Trump was parodied on the show — as Donald Grump.