About
"I see my role somewhat like a conductor of a multi-talented orchestra who could almost conduct themselves, but every now and then you need somebody to hold a baton and say, 'let's do this together.'"
In his one-hour interview, Dr. Lewis Bernstein talks about his early interest in teaching children and his education in the United States and Israel. He describes how he landed a job as a research fellow on Sesame Street in 1972, and chronicles the many stages of his career at the Sesame Workshop, from director of research to vice president of global television, to Sesame Street's executive producer. He describes the methods by which the series develops a yearly mission: utilizing the work of researchers and assigning writers and producers to create programming. Noting the importance of the cultural aspects of the series, he then speaks in great detail about episodes that were produced in response to 9/11. He talks about the mentoring of foreign producers to create their own series based on the Sesame Street model and describes the Israeli and Palestinian shows with which he was directly involved in developing— and the challenge in sharing material between the two versions. Other segments of Sesame Street that Bernstein comments on include: "Sesame English" (segments which were created to teach English around the world), "Elmo's World" (segments for infants that were created in response to the competitive market), and "Global Grover" (segments employing footage of children from around the world). Karen Herman conducted the interview on July 21, 2004 at the Sesame Workshop in New York, NY.
Highlights
Lewis Bernstein on his impressions of Sesame Street upon seeing the show for the first time, circa 1970
Lewis Bernstein on appealing to adults as well as children in the writing of Sesame Street (such as with a Six Feet Under reference by Count von Count)
Lewis Bernstein on Sesame Street's effect on racial tolerance in children
Lewis Bernstein on continuing the legacy of Sesame Street
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his background; on the television shows he watched growing up; on earning his degrees in Psychology and Communications, and the epiphany he had about applying them after seeing Sesame Street; on landing a job as a research fellow on Sesame Street in 1972
On Sesame Street's joining of TV producers and educators; on the "distraction study" of Dr. Ed Palmer, which tested a child's engagement; on how Sesame Street researchers (in tandem with executives Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett) geared the show to the "disadvantaged child"; on the show's effect on racial tolerance in children; on the show's "magazine format"
On appealing to children and adults in the writing of Sesame Street; on the international distribution of the US version and creation of foreign versions of the show; on the shows produced immediately following 9/11 that addressed children's fears and tolerance
Chapter 2
On bringing the stories of the world to Sesame Street with the "Global Grover" segment (in response to 9/11); on creating the Israeli/Palestinian co-production of Sesame Street (Shalom Sesame and Sha'ra Simsim), in which he had direct involvement, and overcoming resistance
On "Sesame English"— segments which were created to teach English to the foreign market; on becoming Vice President of Global Television at Sesame Workshop; on rethinking Sesame Street for the current market and considering the show's competition, out of which came "Elmo's World"
On continuing the legacy of Sesame Street; on keeping current with the issues that affect children; on changes to curriculum over the years; on serving as Sesame Street's executive producer
Chapter 3
On a coming up with a plan for a season's writing on Sesame Street; on the importance of music to Sesame Street; on the importance of innovation in developing television
Shows
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Exectuive producer Lewis Bernstein on the creation of Sesame Street's "magazine format" (influenced by such shows as Laugh-In)
Sesame Street
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on his impressions of Sesame Street upon seeing the show for the first time circa 1970
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on landing a job as a research fellow on Sesame Street in 1972
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on Sesame Street's joining of TV producers and educators, which he discovered as he learned the ropes in the 1970s
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on the "distraction study" of Dr. Ed Palmer, which tested a child's engagement, used in early Sesame Street research
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on how Sesame Street researchers (in tandem with executives Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett) geared the show to the "disadvantaged child"
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on Sesame Street's effect on racial tolerance in children
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on the long-term research of children who watched Sesame Street in the early years
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on the international distribution of the US version and creation of foreign versions of Sesame Street
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on the Sesame Street shows produced immediately following 9/11 that addressed children's fears and on tolerance
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on the approach to culture in foreign versions of Sesame Street
Executive Producer Lewis Bernstein on bringing stories from around the world to Sesame Street with the "Global Grover" segment (in response to 9/11)
Producer Lewis Bernstein on creating the Israeli/Palestinian co-production of Sesame Street (Shalom Sesame and Sha'ra Simsim), in which he had direct involvement
Producer Lewis Bernstein on overcoming the resistance to a Israeli/Palestinian co-production of Sesame Street (Shalom Sesame and Sha'ra Simsim)
Exectuive producer Lewis Bernstein on "Sesame English"— segments of Sesame Street created to teach English to the foreign market
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on rethinking Sesame Street for the current market and considering the show's competition, out of which came "Elmo's World" in the late 1990s
Executive producer/former Director of Research on what research indicated were the successful elements of "Elmo's World"
Lewis Bernstein on the rethinking of the original "magazine" format of Sesame Street in the late '90s when "Elmo's World" was introduced
Lewis Bernstein on continuing the legacy of Sesame Street
Lewis Bernstein on keeping current with the issues that affect children on Sesame Street
Lewis Bernstein on changes to Sesame Street's curriculum over the years
Lewis Bernstein on serving as Sesame Street's executive producer
Executive Producer Lewis Bernstein on what goes into a season's writing on Sesame Street
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on the importance of music to Sesame Street
Executive Producer Lewis Bernstein on Children's Television Workshop (Sesame Workshop) visionary Joan Ganz Cooney
Six Feet Under
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on appealing to adults as well as children in the writing of Sesame Street (such as with a Six Feet Under reference by Count von Count)
Topics
9/11
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on the Sesame Street shows produced immediately following 9/11 that addressed children's fears and on tolerance
Executive Producer Lewis Bernstein on bringing stories from around the world to Sesame Street with the "Global Grover" segment (in response to 9/11)
Lyndon B. Johnson
Executive Producer Lewis Bernstein on how executives Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett's approach to Sesame Street was an outgrowth of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society"
Underrepresented Voices
Future executive producer Lewis Bernstein on his impressions of Sesame Street upon seeing the show for the first time circa 1970
Executive producer/former Director of Research Lewis Bernstein on Sesame Street's effect on racial tolerance in children
We Considered
Future executive producer Lewis Bernstein on his impressions of Sesame Street upon seeing the show for the first time circa 1970
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on the Sesame Street shows produced immediately following 9/11 that addressed children's fears and on tolerance
Genres
Children's Programming
Lewis Bernstein on what goes into a season's writing on Sesame Street
Executive producer Lewis Bernstein on the importance of music to Sesame Street
People
Joan Ganz Cooney
Sesame Street Executive Producer Lewis Bernstein on Children's Television Workshop (Sesame Workshop) visionary Joan Ganz Cooney