SESAME STREET'S 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
HBO, 7:00 p.m. ET
SPECIAL PREMIERE: On Nov. 10, 1969, public television presented the premiere of Sesame Street, a new nationwide children’s series following on the heels of the equally responsible, creative and gentle Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. One day shy of 50 years later, television presents Sesame Street’s 50thAnniversary Celebration, a new retrospective TV party hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, with Whoopi Goldberg and lots of other special guests. HBO now underwrites this series by televising its episodes before PBS, and even this anniversary blowout is no exception: PBS viewers won’t see it on that free broadcast network until Nov. 17. But wherever and whenever you see it, Sesame Street remains one of the most important and influential TV shows in the history of children’s television. Make that television, period. (Today’s Sesame Street edition of Bianculli’s Best Bets was brought to you by the letters D and B. And yesterday’s edition of TVWW’s Best TV Tomorrow includes my very brief, very bad imitation of my favorite Sesame Street character.)