The BEST Episodes of Sesame Street
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Dec 20, 2019
Network: HBO
On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.
#1 - Episode 5
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired Nov 14, 1969
Oscar gets wet in a rainstorm. Sponsors: E, W, S, 2, 3
10.00 #2 - Episode 12
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired Nov 25, 1969
Sponsors: J, O, R, 6, 7
10.00 
#5 - Episode 2233
Season 18 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 26, 1986
Linda's friend Ed visits.
10.00 
#6 - Episode 2495
Season 20 - Episode 10 - Aired Dec 2, 1988
Luis and his old chair.
10.00 
#7 - Baby Bear's First Day of School
Season 36 - Episode 11 - Aired Apr 18, 2005
It’s Baby Bear’s first day of school and he’s very excited! Papa Bear drops Baby Bear off at the Storybook Community School and tells him that he loves him and will be back after school to pick him up. At school, Baby Bear meets and becomes friends with Hansel and Gretel, Jack and Jill, Little Red Riding Hood, and other storybook characters. While Baby Bear is having fun making friends and learning new things, he often misses his family throughout the day. Baby Bear wonders what they are doing and wishes that they could be there to share in the excitement of his first day in school. When Papa Bear picks Baby Bear up, Baby Bear tells him that while he had a great time at school, he also really missed his family. Papa Bear reassures Baby Bear by telling him that it’s okay to miss the family. He tells Baby Bear to just think about the time they get to see each other again at the end of the day, and how he will tell his family about all the great things he did in school!
10.00 
#8 - Hide & Go Dance? (Rosita Gets Upset at Zoe & Abby)
Season 38 - Episode 25 - Aired Oct 12, 2007
Rosita, Zoe and Abby learn to take turns picking what to play so everyone can have fun.
10.00 
#9 - Mine-itis on Sesame Street
Season 39 - Episode 21 - Aired Oct 24, 2008
Brian Williams breaks in with an important news update: No one is sharing!
10.00 
#10 - Abby's Tricycle
Season 40 - Episode 24 - Aired Jan 29, 2010
Abby is preparing to ride her very first tricycle! She has her basket, helmet, and her friend Elmo, but Abby doesn’t know how to ride a tricycle. Elmo suggests that Gordon teach Abby since Gordon was the one to teach him. Gordon teaches Abby about all the different parts of a tricycle; the seat, handlebars, and pedals. Abby has trouble at first. She sits on the bike the wrong way. She also becomes frustrated riding her tricycle and thinks she needs magic to push the pedals. With hard work and practice, though, Abby learns to ride without help from Gordon. Whee! Abby becomes so excited that her wings start flapping, and her tricycle lifts off! Abby swoops back down to get Elmo and they both ride off together into the sky, singing on their tricycles.
10.00 
#11 - Abby Makes Seasons Change
Season 40 - Episode 5 - Aired Nov 16, 2009
Chris is enjoying the beautiful spring weather as Elmo races to tell Chris that he found a sled in his closet and is going to go sledding! Chris reminds Elmo that it’s spring and that there is no snow. Elmo has to wait for the seasons to change! Elmo wishes it was winter so he could go sledding again. Abby pops in and hears Elmo make a wish. Abby recites a weather spell to change the seasons. But instead of changing the weather to winter, she changes it to summer. The blossoms are all gone and the arbor is filled with green leaves. Baby Bear and Telly who were playing a game of tag are now too hot to play. Abby tries again. This time she recites the weather spell and it becomes fall! It’s windy and the leaves have changed colors. Abby gives it one more try and it works. It’s freezing outside! There are no leaves on the tree and Baby Bear has fallen asleep! He’s hibernating until spring. Elmo is excited it’s winter; now he can go sledding! After talking to Chris, Elmo realizes that changing the seasons wasn’t such a good idea after all. Chris explains that that the seasons have to come in their own time. Abby recites another magic weather spell and Sesame Street is transformed again to a perfect spring day. Hooray! Now they can enjoy the gorgeous spring weather!
9.42 
#12 - Jacks Grows His Own Beanstalk
Season 40 - Episode 25 - Aired Feb 16, 2010
Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk comes to Sesame Street and tells Leela and Telly he has a problem. He only has a cow, but he needs a beanstalk! He knows he’s supposed to trade the cow for something but doesn’t know what. Leela gives him a clue—he needs to find something that grows in the ground. Jack quickly returns with a duck. But ducks don’t grow in the ground! Leela gives Jack another clue—to find something that rhymes with “jeans.” Jack comes back with a tambourine in each hand. “Tambourine” rhymes with “jeans” but tambourines don’t grow in the ground. They’re musical instruments. Jack becomes discouraged and is convinced he is never going to be able to grow a beanstalk. Leela gives him one more clue—he needs to look for something little. He trades the cow in and comes back with a handful of beans. They match all the clues—beans grow in the ground, rhyme with jeans, and they are little. Hooray! Jack found something that turns into a beanstalk. Leela shows Jack how to plant the beans in the garden. She covers the beans with soil, waters the beans, and lets the sun shine down. Suddenly, a huge beanstalk shoots up out of the ground. Telly, Leela, and Jack sing about the greatest green beanstalk that ever grew!
9.40 
#13 - Cowmonster Pair
Season 40 - Episode 2 - Aired Nov 11, 2009
Elmo and Telly are at Hooper's Store when Little Bo Peep comes looking for her cow. Elmo and Telly offer to help her and decide to call themselves the Cowmonster Pair! Luis comes along and sings about animal tracks and now Elmo and Telly have their first clue! They find animal tracks on the ground, but when Telly tosses his lasso around an animal, it’s a chicken, not a cow! Luis gives them another clue and sings about tracks that are kind of round. Telly and Elmo come across round animal tracks and are certain they found the cow! Telly tosses the lasso around an animal but this time it’s a raccoon. Luis comes along again and gives them another musical cow clue- animal tracks that are in the shape of two half moons. They find tracks that are kind of round and look like two half moons, but the tracks are from a moose, not a cow! Telly becomes discouraged and Elmo reminds Telly they can’t give up. Instead, they should use the clues they already have and put them all together. Elmo realizes that they have to find animal tracks that look like the moose tracks, only smaller! This time, they follow animal tracks that lead to a door. They open the door and there is the cow! Yee-haw! Little Bo Peep thanks the Cowmonster Pair for finding her cow. They are true cow finding experts!
9.35 
#14 - The First Sesame Street
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired Nov 10, 1969
In the first episode of Sesame Street, Gordon takes a girl named Sally on a tour of Sesame Street, introducing her (and the viewers) to the various characters on the show. On the street, Sally meets the human cast -- Gordon, Susan, Bob and Mr. Hooper -- as well as two Muppet characters, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Ernie and Bert appear for the first time, and Kermit the Frog gives a lecture on the letter W, interrupted by an early version of Cookie Monster. Also featured in this episode are the first installments of the "Number Song Series" and "Jazz" cartoons, the first appearance of a group of Anything Muppets, and the first performance of "One of These Things". Carol Burnett is the first celebrity guest to appear on the show. In this episode, many sketches are introduced by the characters, even within the inserts. This reflects the fact that the show was initially conceived as a children's version of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. For example, Gordon asks Kermit to give his W lecture, and when the sketch begins, Kermit says that Gordon asked him to talk about the letter W.
9.26 #15 - Episode 4
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired Nov 13, 1969
Gordon, Susan and Bob run Hooper's Store for the day. Sponsors: I, P, X, 2, 3
9.00 
#16 - An Orange Grouch and a Green Grover
Season 1 - Episode 56 - Aired Jan 26, 1970
An orange-colored Oscar demands a baked-bean sundae; Kermit the Frog explains the word "in". Gospel diva Mahalia Jackson sings "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands", Animations of "Solomon Grundy" and "Wanda the Witch" make their debut.
9.00 
#17 - Big Bad Wolf Huffs and Puffs Slimey
Season 42 - Episode 10 - Aired Oct 18, 2011
Slimey's afraid to tell anyone after the Big Bad Wolf huffs and puffs and blows him into Snuffy's lunch.
9.00 #18 - Don't Wake the Baby
Season 43 - Episode 8 - Aired Oct 18, 2012
9.00 #19 - Big Bird's Nest Sale
Season 44 - Episode 13 - Aired Nov 14, 2013
Big Bird is having a nest sale on Sesame Street! He wants to sell all of his old, unwanted toys to someone who will play with them. Big Bird appoints Snuffy to be his Assistant Nest Sale Snuffleupagus. Big Bird goes to pick up some of his old toys and accidentally knocks his teddy bear, Radar, into the nest. Later, when The Count buys all the toys inside of Big Bird's nest, he also buys Radar. When Big Bird goes to look for his beloved teddy bear, he and Snuffy realize what happened. They find The Count and he tells them that he gave Radar to a monster for his teddy bear collection. He doesn't know the monster's name, but he tells them what he looks like. Based on the description Big Bird and Snuffy set out to find the right monster. Will they get Radar back? Tune in to find out! Brought to you By: Q & 19 Educational Goal: Cognitive Reasoning Word on the street: Curly Something that is twisting and wavy, such as hair or ribbon.
9.00 
#20 - The Planet G
Season 40 - Episode 21 - Aired Jan 21, 2010
Maria helps Elmo write a story about the letter “G.” Elmo is having trouble thinking of letter “G” words, but Maria reminds him of the letter “G” sound. Elmo thinks of the word “golf”. He draws a picture of himself playing miniature golf and hitting the ball so hard it flies into space and lands on Planet “G!” Elmo remembers another “G” word, “goldfish”, just like Dorothy, his pet fish! He draws a picture of himself riding on a goldfish up to the planet “G” to look for the golf ball. He tries to think of another “G” word when Baby Bear stops by before he leaves for school. Baby Bear loves his teacher, Mother Goose. “Goose” begins with the letter “G!” Elmo incorporates a picture of a goose into his story. But uh-oh! The goose perches herself on Elmo’s golf ball, thinking it’s an egg. Elmo has to get the goose off the ball, but how will he do it? With the help of Zoe and her two friends who are “girls”, Elmo sings the “Get up and Go Dance” song. He draws a picture of the goose getting up and dancing with the two girls as he leaves the golf ball behind. All of a sudden, Elmo finds a hungry “goat” munching on a page of his story. When the goat stops eating, Elmo draws a picture of the goat trying to eat his golf ball in space. Luckily, in the story Elmo offers the goat some “goulash” and the goat drops the golf ball. He draws a picture of himself flying back to Sesame Street. Elmo excitedly reads the entire story of Elmo’s Adventure on the Planet G to Maria and Chris.
8.98 
#21 - Amphibian Show
Season 40 - Episode 15 - Aired Dec 22, 2009
Elmo and Abby are resting when suddenly it’s time to play the game show, “Find that Amphibian.” Elmo and Abby must find an amphibian before the game show’s tadpole turns into a frog. They don’t know what an amphibian is, but the announcer gives them a clue- an animal that starts out living in water. Elmo and Abby meet a fish and are convinced they have won the game! As the announcer explains, though, fish only live in water and not on land. Elmo and Abby look for their second clue- an animal that breathes air. They find an amphibian! A bird! They learn, though, that amphibians don’t have any feathers. Elmo and Abby look for their third clue-an animal with four legs. Elmo and Abby come across a horse, but a horse is a mammal, not an amphibian. Elmo and Abby use their last clue about metamorphosis to help them. They come across an alligator. Could this be an amphibian? No, an alligator is a reptile not an amphibian. He looks the same way now as he did when he was a baby, only bigger. Elmo and Abby are disappointed. They’re never going to find an amphibian! Luckily, they run into Chris who suggests that they find an animal that fits all the clues- an animal that lives in water when it’s a baby, breathes air as an adult, has four legs, and goes through metamorphosis. Suddenly, they think of Anne Phibian, the game show’s announcer. She matches all the clues. Hooray! They found an amphibian. And just in time! Elmo, Abby and Chris celebrate as they dance with the amphibians!
8.95 
#22 - Baby Bear is Afraid of Bees
Season 40 - Episode 3 - Aired Nov 12, 2009
Baby Bear and Abby are near a garden when a bee flies by. Baby Bear is filled with panic because he is afraid of bees! Chris reminds him that they are usually harmless when left alone, but Baby Bear doesn’t care; he wants nothing to do with them. Abby suggests granting Baby Bear a wish so that he isn’t afraid of bees. Abby points her wand at Baby Bear, but Chris, who is standing close by, also gets hits with her magic. Baby Bear and Chris both turn into bees! Oops! Abby doesn’t know how to fix the spell. As Abby calls her mommy to find a solution, the bees put Chris and Baby Bear to work! But they don’t understand what they need to do—how do bees help flowers? After talking to a bee, Baby Bear learns that bees are important because they collect pollen and nectar, and help living things grow. Later, Chris and Baby Bear find themselves in a beehive. They learn that bees make wax and honey and that honeycombs are shaped like a hexagon. By the time Baby Bear and Chris return to Sesame Street, Abby has learned how to undo the spell. She waves her magic wand, and Chris and Baby Bear turn back into themselves! In the end, Abby’s spell really did work! Baby Bear is no longer afraid of bees. In fact, Baby Bear tells Abby all about how important and incredible bees really are!
8.85 
#23 - Bears Try to Hibernate
Season 40 - Episode 7 - Aired Nov 18, 2009
There is a porridge shortage on Sesame Street! Telly runs to tell Baby Bear, but when he finds him, he is getting ready to hibernate until springtime when there is porridge again. What is Telly supposed to do for five months without a best friend? Telly and Baby bear set up a play date for the spring when Baby Bear wakes up. Telly says goodbye and the bears try to go to sleep, but they are not tired! First, they try counting, but that does not work. Then they call Max Bear, a hibernation consultant. Max Bear arrives and tells the bears that their cottage is too warm. They must go outside where it is cold. The bears look for an empty cave or hollow tree and sing all about bears. Finally, they find a flower bed that they can dig a hole and sleep in called a den. Telly and Chris see the bears digging and go outside to check on them. Max Bear says that they should eat something before they hibernate. Chris suggests cereal and goes to Hooper’s Store. When Chris comes back, they try the cereal and like it! In fact, the cereal is so good that they decide to eat it all winter long and not hibernate! Hooray! Baby Bear happily eats the cereal while spending time with his good friend Telly.
8.85 #24 - Episode 8
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired Nov 19, 1969
B treasure hunt; Ernie erases Cookie Monster. Sponsors: A, B, X,4, 5
8.75 #25 - Pigs for Another Day
Season 50 - Episode 3 - Aired Nov 30, 2019
After the three little pigs catch a cold, Grover, Rosita and Cookie Monster become "Pigs for a Day." They make a couple of mistakes, but they keep trying until they build the right-sized doghouse for Chris’ friend.
8.75