On the 50th birthday of "Sesame Street" on German television, there is a premiere: The cookie monster speaks its first commentary in the ARD "daily themes", as announced by the NDR as the leading broadcaster.

However, the “daily themes special: 50 years of Sesame Street” on Sunday (January 8) begins at 7:20 a.m.

Caren Miosga hosts the birthday special.

For the anniversary there are further offers in the first, at KiKA, in the radio and television programs as well as in the ARD media library.

Two large museums in Hamburg show special exhibitions.

There will also be an anniversary concert in the Elbphilharmonie on January 28th.

"For Fairness and Tolerance"

NDR program director Frank Beckmann explained that Sesame Street as a classic of public children's television not only teaches the youngest and is hilarious at the same time.

"Sesame Street conveys values, promotes fairness and tolerance, celebrates differences and similarities." Above all, she takes children seriously and treats them as equals.

"The title song says 'If you don't ask, you're stupid' - that's been the case for 50 years and is still relevant today," says Beckmann.

In the ARD media library and on Sunday from 7.30 a.m. on ARD, five 30-minute episodes "A thousand great things!" from Sesame Street can be seen since the 1970s. Celebrities such as Meltem Kaptan, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Bernhard Hoëcker, Lisa Feller , Ingo Zamperoni, Aline Abboud, "Blümchen", Adel Tawil, Bülent Ceylan and Lisa-Marie Koroll comment on "television treasures" from 50 years of Sesame Street, as it was called.

From 5:35 p.m., KiKA will be showing “50 Years of Sesame Street: The Birthday Show”: Ernie is planning a surprise party for Bert – with the usual comical complications.

The anniversary program of the NDR children's radio "Mikado am Sonntag" can be heard on NDR Info from 8.04 a.m. and in the ARD audio library.

From February 16, the BallinStadt Emigration Museum in Hamburg is showing the special exhibition "50 Years of Sesame Street" with original objects from five decades.

She also explores Sesame Street as a global cultural phenomenon.

The Museum of Arts and Crafts Hamburg invites you to a hands-on day all about Sesame Street on Sunday.

The special exhibition “Sesame Street.

50 Years of Who, How, What!, which runs through January 7, 2024.