'Sesame Street' Turns 45

On this day in 1969, the first episode of Sesame Street aired on public television. A little girl named Sally is new to the neighborhood, and she meets some of the residents, including an awkward, nervous Big Bird.

Forty-five years later, Sesame Street is going strong, with nearly a million viewers every episode, according to PBS.

These days, Alistair Cookie no longer smokes a pipe on Monsterpiece Theatre, and the theme song has a jazzier beat than it used to.

NPR's TV Critic Eric Deggans tells Here & Now's Sacha Pfeiffer about how Sesame Street has managed to stay relevant for almost half a century.

Guest

• Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR. He tweets @Deggans.

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