Sesame Street (Seasons 1–56)

Sesame Street (1969– ) is the iconic American children's series you can watch online on iFILM. Now in its fifth decade, the show has aired in more than 150 countries and holds the record for the most Emmy Awards won by any television program.

The premise is deceptively simple: a diverse inner-city street where humans and Muppets live side by side and teach preschoolers to read, count and get along. Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster — each character is built around a developmental concept, and each episode mixes short sketches, animation, songs and street scenes to hold the attention of a three-year-old. It works because Jim Henson's Muppets carry genuine personality, and because the show's producers treated curriculum design as seriously as entertainment.

Created with input from child psychologists and educators from day one, Sesame Street changed what educational TV could look like. It doesn't talk down to kids; it meets them where they are. Stream Sesame Street online on iFILM.