Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
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Feature
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
One Week Only!
Certified Fresh with 97% on Rotten Tomatoes!
“Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?” Marilyn Agrelo’s (Mad Hot Ballroom) film Street Gang marvelously explores how creator Joan Ganz Cooney, original series director Jon Stone, and legendary Muppets creator Jim Henson—among other key talents—joined forces to create a children’s television show that would become a groundbreaking cultural phenomenon. Recognizing that kids were utterly captivated by television, these visionaries set out to harness the power of the medium for good by using the entertainment savvy of the TV industry to teach important life skills rather than sell products to children. Designed to resemble a diverse city neighborhood, the show was as universal as it was specific, and it changed the world. Drawing on fantastic and funny behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with beloved cast members and crew, this wonderful film goes beyond the considerable nostalgia appeal of Sesame Street to tap into the enduring emotional resonance of the program’s core message of affirmation and inclusion—and the promise of preparing the next generation to imagine a better world for us all.
USA, 2021, 107 minutes, Rated PG, Directed by Marilyn Agrelo
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“It's hard to ask for much more than a doc that captures creatives thoughtfully sneaking the civil revolution as well as basic education into children's TV and includes a Muppets blooper reel.”
– Chris Willman, VARIETY -
“’Street Gang: How We Got To Sesame Street’ is just a terrific film.”
– Mike Ryan, UPROXX -
“Informative, illuminating, and very fun to watch.”
– Claudia Puig, FILM WEEK (KPCC – NPR, LOS ANGELES) -
“You'll cry, you'll laugh, and you'll learn something. Just like with Sesame Street, itself.”
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed, HAMMER TO NAIL -
“At its most illuminating, ‘Street Gang’ is a fascinating look at the TV show through the lens of childhood psychology and media literacy.”
– John Fink, THE FILM STAGE -
“Does wonders at reminding us how we all got to Sesame Street in the first place.”
– Jason Gorber, POV MAGAZINE
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