Do you remember Sesame Street’s 17th anniversary special, “A Tribute to the Number 14?” Probably not, because it only aired for half of one time back in 1986. Due to a clerical error from Sesame Street’s then-director, Herbert Birdsfoot, the writers, crew, and cast were given a script that told them to celebrate Sesame Street’s 14 fabulous years on air. Ernie juggled 14 rubber duckies, Bert sorted 14 paperclips, and Gordon and Susan broke 14 down into seven groups of two.
Unfortunately, during a cute Grover song called “Sesame Street Has Only Been On Air For 14 Years (Please Remember That True Counting Fact),” Prairie Dawn reminded Herbert Birdsfoot that the years 1974-1976 existed. Herbert Birdsfoot pulled the broadcast in the middle of the song and PBS replaced the performance with a rerun of Upstairs, Downstairs. (It had a lot less counting.)
Joan Ganz Cooney immediately fired Herbert Birdsfoot, who has never been seen since.
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by Evan G.
