Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Sesame Street episode 847

Sesame Street episode 847 is the fifty-second episode of the seventh season of the American educational children's television series Sesame Street, which originally aired on February 10, 1976.^[1] In the episode, Margaret Hamilton reprises her iconic role as the Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, appearing as a guest star who loses her magic broomstick over Sesame Street during a windy storm and demands its return from resident David while terrorizing him in various disguises, including as an old woman.^[1] The plot culminates with the witch retrieving her broom and flying away, only for it to fall back into the hands of David, Big Bird, and other characters, emphasizing themes of overcoming fear and the importance of planning.^[1] The episode's street scenes revolve around the witch's chaotic interactions with the cast, interspersed with educational segments on letters, numbers, and social skills, consistent with the show's format.^[2] Notable interactions include the witch threatening to turn Big Bird into a feather duster and briefly allying with Oscar the Grouch, highlighting contrasts between fear and familiarity.^[2] Episode 847 was broadcast only once before being permanently removed from rotation following widespread parental complaints that it caused nightmares and was too frightening for its preschool audience.^[1] A specific 1976 viewer letter from a child named Rebecca detailed ongoing distress from the witch's appearance, contributing to the decision after additional test screenings in March 1976 confirmed the concerns.^[1] Though archived at the Library of Congress, the episode was considered lost media for decades and rarely screened publicly until low-quality versions began surfacing online around 2019, with a higher-quality upload to YouTube in 2022 garnering significant attention and over 500,000 views as of November 2025.^[3] This rediscovery has sparked discussions on the balance between challenging content and child safety in educational programming, underscoring episode 847's status as one of Sesame Street's most controversial installments.^[2]

Episode Overview

Production Details

Sesame Street episode 847 originally aired on February 10, 1976, serving as the 52nd episode of the show's seventh season.^[4] The production adhered to the series' established format, integrating live-action street scenes with animated segments, puppetry featuring the Muppets, and educational inserts, all within an approximate runtime of 59 minutes.^[5] Directed by Robert Myhrum, the episode was written by Joseph A. Bailey, Judy Freudberg, and Emily Kingsley.^[5] Filming took place on the longstanding Sesame Street set at Reeves Teletape Studios, located at 2248 Broadway in New York City, where the production team utilized practical effects to depict the magical elements, including an indoor rain simulation inside Hooper's Store to represent the Wicked Witch's spell.^[5]^[4] The decision to feature Margaret Hamilton as a guest star stemmed from a deliberate effort to incorporate pop culture icons into the show's educational framework, allowing her to reprise her famous role as the Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz in a manner that tied into themes of confronting fears.^[6] This casting choice exemplified Sesame Street's approach during the mid-1970s to leverage recognizable figures for engaging young audiences while advancing curriculum goals.^[2]

Cast and Sponsors

The human cast in Sesame Street episode 847 featured Northern Calloway as David, who acts as the primary broom catcher for the Wicked Witch and provides moral guidance to the Sesame Street residents throughout the storyline.^[4]^[7] Sonia Manzano portrayed Maria, serving as a supportive resident who interacts with the Witch and offers advice to David during key moments.^[4]^[8] Margaret Hamilton made her sole appearance on the series as the Wicked Witch of the West, reprising elements of her iconic 1939 portrayal from The Wizard of Oz to emphasize themes of respectful interaction despite initial fear.^[4]^[9] The Muppet performers included Caroll Spinney as Big Bird, who aids David in handling the Witch's broom and supports the community's response to her presence, and also as Oscar the Grouch, who engages directly with the Witch in a flattering and chaotic interaction that highlights grouchy camaraderie.^[4]^[10] Jim Henson performed Ernie in brief educational sketches, while Frank Oz puppeteered Bert, Grover, and Cookie Monster in supporting segments that tie into the episode's learning objectives.^[4] Roosevelt Franklin, voiced by Matt Robinson, appeared briefly in a school-themed insert led by various puppeteers.^[4] The episode's educational sponsors were the letters I and Z, integrated through phonics-focused sketches such as an "I in the Sky" animation and alphabet soup service by Grover, alongside the number 9, featured in counting exercises like a "Jazz #9" cartoon.^[4] These elements reinforced the theme of overcoming challenges by modeling calm, respectful behavior, with the cast's interactions—particularly Hamilton's nuanced Witch—illustrating how initial intimidation can lead to cooperative resolutions.^[4]^[11]

Synopsis

Main Storyline

The episode opens with the Wicked Witch of the West, portrayed by Margaret Hamilton, flying over Sesame Street on her magic broomstick before it slips from her grasp and lands in the hands of David, who begins using it to sweep outside Hooper's Store.^[4] Realizing she is stranded without her essential mode of transportation, the Witch demands its immediate return, but David firmly refuses, insisting she ask politely rather than through intimidation. Undeterred, she attempts to seize the broom by force but finds it enchanted to remain with its holder, prompting her to vanish in a puff of smoke and reappear later with mischievous spells to create chaos and pressure David.^[12] In her rising efforts to retrieve the broom, the Witch casts spells that summon an indoor rainstorm inside Hooper's Store, intended to demonstrate her power and coerce compliance.^[2] She threatens to turn David into a basketball and Big Bird into a feather duster. She also disguises herself as an elderly woman in plain clothes to trick David into handing over the broom, but he recognizes her deception and stands his ground.^[13] Throughout these encounters, Big Bird supports David by guarding the broom and even threatening the Witch in response to her intimidation; in contrast, Oscar the Grouch revels in the disruption, cheering on the Witch's antics and even flattering her, which briefly amuses her.^[4] Maria intervenes to support David and the group, advising them to confront the bully by not yielding to fear or demands without respect.^[12] As her tricks repeatedly fail—such as the spells backfiring or the disguise being seen through—the Witch grows increasingly frustrated, accidentally revealing a moment of vulnerability when she admits her reliance on the broom to return home to Oz. This culminates in her exhausted plea, where she finally asks David politely for the broom's return, leading him to hand it over willingly.^[2] Mounting her broom, the Witch flies away, vowing never to return, as the Sesame Street residents demonstrate assertiveness in overcoming their encounter with fear.^[13] The segment's sponsors, the letters I and Z along with the number 9, frame the narrative's themes of politeness and bravery.^[4]

Educational Segments

The educational segments in Sesame Street episode 847 comprise numerous short inserts, consistent with the standard format of the series, strategically placed between street scenes to sustain viewer engagement and offer lighthearted relief from the episode's central theme of confronting fears. These standalone pieces emphasize letters and numbers through animation, live-action films, and Muppet sketches, using humor and repetition to promote conceptual learning without direct ties to the narrative.^[4] The letter I is featured prominently in the animated short "I in the Sky," a song-based segment depicting I-shaped clouds drifting across the sky while illustrating words beginning with I, such as "igloo" and "insect," to reinforce phonics and visual recognition.^[4] Additional I-focused content includes brief cartoons like "I for iron" and sand animations forming the letter, providing varied modalities for letter identification.^[4] For the letter Z, the segment utilizes an animation sequence showcasing Z sounds through dynamic words like "zip," "zoom," "zig," "zag," "zany," and "zoo," evoking animal and action imagery to make the phoneme memorable and engaging for young viewers.^[4] The number 9 appears in the "Jazz #9" cartoon, an animated segment featuring spies counting to nine accompanied by a lively jazz tune, blending music with numerical sequencing to teach cardinality.^[4] Supplementary counting sketches involve characters like Cookie Monster and Ernie tallying cookies, and a cast arrangement of nine people in various formations, extending the lesson through interactive puppetry and group dynamics.^[4] These inserts incorporate humor via playful puppet mishaps, such as Grover's earnest but clumsy service in an alphabet soup sketch, contrasting the episode's tenser moments with relatable, error-filled comedy to underscore that mistakes are part of learning.^[4]

Reception and Controversy

Initial Broadcast Response

Sesame Street episode 847 premiered on PBS stations across the United States on February 10, 1976, as the 52nd episode of the show's seventh season, airing in the typical afternoon slot for preschool audiences.^[4] The episode featured Margaret Hamilton reprising her iconic role as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, in a storyline designed to demonstrate politeness and overcoming fears through her attempts to retrieve a lost broomstick.^[14] The episode received significant negative feedback, particularly from parents of children aged 2 to 5, who reported a high volume of complaints via phone calls and letters to Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now Sesame Workshop) and local PBS affiliates in the days following the broadcast. Many described their young viewers crying, hiding, or fleeing the room during the witch's scenes, with subsequent nightmares triggered by her menacing appearance, cackling voice, and magical threats like turning characters into objects.^[11] Specific accounts included a Seattle mother noting her child woke sobbing twice from witch-related dreams, and a San Diego parent whose toddler refused to watch the show afterward, contributing to widespread parental distress over the content's intensity for preschoolers.^[11] Preschool teachers echoed these concerns, reporting "countless" similar reactions from their students.^[11] In response to the outpouring of feedback, CTW acknowledged the validity of the concerns while initially defending the episode's educational value in teaching fear confrontation and politeness.^[2] An internal memo from researcher Ana Herrera, dated April 4, 1976, summarized the complaints and observation data, ultimately recommending against any immediate re-airing to avoid further upset, though the organization stood by the segment's intent to empower children against scary figures.^[11] This led to the episode being withheld from rotation shortly after its single broadcast.^[2]

Removal from Rotation

Episode 847 of Sesame Street aired on February 10, 1976, and was pulled from rotation shortly thereafter following its initial broadcasts, with no rebroadcasts occurring after the original run.^[3]^[14] The decision came after a high volume of parental complaints, primarily citing the episode's frightening depiction of Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West, which included threats to characters like turning David into a basketball and Big Bird into a feather duster.^[2]^[14] Although the segment was intended to model overcoming fears through polite requests and the witch's eventual departure, the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) deemed it incompatible with the show's emphasis on safe, non-traumatic learning experiences.^[3]^[14] This incident prompted an internal memo from the Children's Television Workshop recommending against any future airings of the episode, reflecting heightened caution regarding content that could evoke strong negative reactions in young viewers.^[14] Prior to 2019, the episode was preserved in archives such as the Library of Congress but remained inaccessible to the public, contributing to its status as "lost media" during that period.^[3]^[14]

Rediscovery and Availability

Archival Efforts

In 2019, as part of Sesame Street's 50th anniversary celebrations, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) undertook a major preservation initiative, digitizing and archiving nearly 4,500 episodes from the show's first 49 seasons.^[15] This project, conducted in partnership with Sesame Workshop and the Library of Congress, included episode 847 among the preserved materials, ensuring its availability for scholarly and research purposes despite its prior removal from circulation due to viewer concerns about frightening content.^[16] The digitization effort aimed to safeguard the episode's historical value, countering perceptions of it as lost media while adhering to Sesame Workshop's long-standing policy against rebroadcast.^[15] Access to the archived episode remains strictly controlled to honor the original broadcast ban. It is viewable only on-site at AAPB partner facilities, such as the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., or the WGBH Archives in Boston, with no provisions for remote or home viewing.^[17] Researchers must schedule appointments and provide justification for access, reflecting a balance between preservation and sensitivity to the episode's controversial reception.^[2] To highlight the episode's significance, select clips were publicly screened at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York, on November 24, 2019, during the "Sesame Street 'Lost and Found'" event.^[18] Hosted by Sesame Workshop's Rosemarie Truglio and writer Norman Stiles, the screening featured rare footage from shelved episodes, including segments from 847, as part of a broader exhibit celebrating the show's legacy. Additionally, the full episode has been made available for private viewings to invited scholars and archivists through AAPB channels, fostering academic discussion without broader dissemination.^[4] These efforts underscore a commitment to historical preservation amid ongoing interest in the episode as a piece of children's media history, driven by rumors of its inaccessibility but carefully managed to avoid endorsing public rebroadcast.^[16]

2022 Public Leak

On June 18, 2022, the complete episode was unauthorizedly uploaded to platforms including Reddit and YouTube by an anonymous user known as "sarsaparilla170170"; the source of the recording remains unclear.^[12]^[19] The upload marked the first public availability of the full 1976 episode since its initial broadcast, sparking immediate interest among lost media enthusiasts due to its long-unseen status and historical controversy.^[18] The leak rapidly spread across online communities, achieving viral status as a major recovery in the lost media scene, with individual upload videos accumulating hundreds of thousands of views within days before facing takedown requests.^[2]^[18] Although full versions were removed from major platforms due to copyright enforcement, shortened clips and discussions persisted on sites like YouTube, sustaining public access to segments of the episode.^[6] AAPB access to Sesame Street materials had already been restricted online since October 2021 following prior unauthorized sharing, with on-site viewing still available at partner facilities.^[20] Sesame Workshop pursued removals of infringing uploads through copyright enforcement.^[12] No legal action, such as lawsuits against the leaker, was publicly pursued by either organization, and Sesame Workshop has indicated no plans for an official public release.^[6] As of 2025, no official public release has been announced, and while full versions were removed from major platforms, clips remain accessible online.

Cultural Legacy

Influence on Children's Media

Episode 847's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West, intended to demonstrate overcoming fear, instead elicited widespread complaints from parents reporting nightmares and distress among young viewers, prompting the Children's Television Workshop to immediately withdraw the episode from rotation and refrain from reruns.^[2]^[14] This backlash marked a pivotal shift in Sesame Street's production standards, leading to greater caution in depicting intense or menacing characters to prioritize emotional safety for preschool audiences. Subsequent episodes favored milder, more whimsical antagonists, reflecting an evolved emphasis on gentle introductions to conflict resolution without risking trauma.^[2]^[14] The incident ignited broader discussions within educational television and child development circles about age-appropriate "scares" in programming, underscoring the challenges of using frightening elements to teach resilience while avoiding unintended harm. Referenced in analyses of media effects, the episode illustrated how attempts to address phobias through direct confrontation could exacerbate them, influencing guidelines for blending didactic content with entertainment in shows targeting early childhood.^[21]^[13] Margaret Hamilton's reprise of her iconic role exemplified innovative pop culture crossovers in children's media, merging a film legend with an educational format to captivate audiences and model empathy toward "scary" figures. This approach paved the way for later celebrity guests in fantasy personas, such as actors embodying mythical or adventurous characters, enhancing engagement while reinforcing lessons on imagination and fear management.^[22] In response to the outcry, the Children's Television Workshop conducted additional test screenings from March 1 to 5, 1976, confirming parental concerns through observed reactions and letters, which informed the decision not to rerun the episode and influenced future content strategies.^[23]

Modern Interpretations

Artist Alex Da Corte has drawn inspiration from the Wicked Witch of the West and Sesame Street characters, including dressing as the Witch alongside Oscar the Grouch in his performances, recontextualizing these figures to explore themes of misunderstanding and nostalgia.^[24]^[25]^[26] The episode's resurfacing has fueled extensive online discourse, particularly in lost media communities, where it serves as a lens for examining nostalgia versus trauma in 1970s children's television. Podcasts such as The Lost Media Podcast dedicated episodes to the leak, analyzing how the Witch's portrayal—intended to teach fear management—traumatized young viewers and led to its removal, while also celebrating its recovery as a cultural artifact that highlights evolving standards in media for children.^[27] Articles in outlets like Kindertrauma further dissect this duality, recounting personal accounts of the episode's lingering psychological impact alongside its appeal as a relic of bolder, pre-sensitivity-era programming.^[28]^[3] Fan-driven reinterpretations have proliferated on platforms like YouTube and Reddit, with edited compilations of the Witch's scenes contrasting the original's intensity against contemporary content warnings and memes that humorously juxtapose its "scariness" with modern parental overprotectiveness. Academic analyses of Margaret Hamilton's legacy, such as those in media studies pieces, position the episode as a pivotal example of her enduring influence, emphasizing how her reprisal amplified the Witch's iconic menace while underscoring shifts in children's entertainment toward less frightening archetypes.^[29]^[30]^[13] As of November 2025, no official rerelease of Episode 847 has occurred, preserving its status as unofficial viewing material, though its legacy subtly informs modern Halloween specials on networks like PBS, where witch characters are depicted with tamer, more whimsical traits to avoid replicating the original's alarming effects.^[2]

References

[1]
Episode of 'Sesame Street' allegedly removed for being too frightening is posted to social media
### Summary of Sesame Street Episode 847
[2]
This 'Sesame Street' Episode That Was Banned for Being “Too ...
Oct 15, 2024 · Episode 847 features Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West nearly four decades after The Wizard of Oz (1939) ...
[3]
A "lost," "too-scary" episode of Sesame Street has been uploaded to the internet
### Summary of Sesame Street Episode 847
[4]
Episode 0847 - Muppet Wiki - Fandom
The Wicked Witch of the West (played by Margaret Hamilton, reprising her role from The Wizard of Oz) wreaks havoc on Sesame Street when she loses her magic ...Response · Distribution · Episode
[5]
"Sesame Street" Some, more, and most (TV Episode 1976) - IMDb
Rating 8.5/10 (40) Director. Robert Myhrum · Writers · Joseph A. Bailey · Judy Freudberg · Denise James · All cast & crew · Production, box office & more at IMDbPro ...
[6]
Lost Sesame Street Episode Considered 'Too Scary' for Kids ... - CBR
Jun 20, 2022 · Episode 847 aired on Feb. 10, 1976, during the seventh season of Sesame Street and follows Hamilton's Wicked Witch as she searches for her lost ...
[7]
David
### Summary
[8]
Maria
### Summary of Maria Rodriguez from Sesame Street
[9]
Margaret Hamilton | Muppet Wiki - Fandom
She reprised the role on Sesame Street in Episode 0847, an appearance that led to criticism from parents. Oscar the Grouch named her as his favorite guest in a ...
[10]
https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Caroll_Spinney
[11]
Sesame Street episode 847 response | Muppet Wiki - Fandom
Sesame Street Episode 0847 first aired on February 10, 1976 as the 52nd entry in the show's 7th season. The episode's "street scenes" consist of a ...
[12]
LEAKED: The Lost Wicked Witch Episode of Sesame Street
Jun 18, 2022 · Not-so-commonly known as episode #847, better known as the Wicked Witch episode. As all things must eventually, the entire episode has leaked ...
[13]
A Classic Sesame Street Skit Altered the Wicked Witch Forever - CBR
Jun 16, 2024 · Episode 847 first aired on February 10th, 1976, and first showed the Wicked Witch of the West falling down from the sky and landing right in ther middle of ...
[14]
This 'Sesame Street' Episode Was Banned After Receiving Complaints
With friendly characters like Big Bird (Caroll Spinney/Matt Vogel) and maybe not so friendly but entirely harmless, like Oscar the Grouch (Caroll Spinney/Eric ...
[15]
American Archive of Public Broadcasting to Preserve Fifty Years of ...
Feb 14, 2019 · The AAPB is preserving nearly 4,500 Sesame Street episodes from the first 49 seasons, donated by Sesame Workshop, to be available on-site and ...Missing: 847 | Show results with:847
[16]
1976 Episode of Sesame Street, Unseen for Almost 50 Years ...
Jul 1, 2022 · That doesn't mean it was lost. The Children's Television Workshop retained the episode in its archives and in 2019 donated a digitized version, ...Missing: 847 | Show results with:847
[17]
Sesame Street "Episode 847" (found "Wicked Witch of the West ...
On February 10th, 1976, one of Sesame Street's most controversial episodes to date aired for the first and only time. "Episode 847" starred Margaret ...
[18]
Watch the lost 'Sesame Street' episode reportedly banned for being ...
But did you know one episode was actually banned after parents sent in letters of complaint? First aired in 1976, episode 847 from Season 7 of Sesame Street's ...<|separator|>
[19]
Reddit Threatens to Take Down Sesame Street Wicked Witch Lost ...
Jul 18, 2022 · [Found] Sesame Street 847 Margaret Hamilton Wicked Witch byu/sarsaparilla170170 inlostmedia. Here's the update from Reddit on the episode: We ...
[20]
https://blog.americanarchive.org/2021/10/13/notice-regarding-aapb-access-to-sesame-street/
[21]
The Sesame Street/Wizard Of Oz Crossover So 'Scary' It Was Pulled ...
Jan 15, 2025 · Episode 847 aired in 1976 and then never entered syndication. Though kept away from public viewing for decades, the episode wasn't technically " ...
[22]
The Infamous Wicked Witch of the West Episode of Sesame Street -
Jul 26, 2022 · Kids could have seen the Wicked Witch of the West in a much different light and the lessons of fear could have been more effectively shared.
[23]
Artist Alex Da Corte on what he's bringing to his big moment at the ...
May 1, 2019 · Da Corte on set. He is dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz,” and beside him is Oscar the Grouch from “Sesame Street.
[24]
Up on the Met Roof, an Artist Is Taking Big Bird to New Heights
Apr 2, 2021 · Alex Da Corte, known for provocative, brightly colored installations, will showcase the beloved “Sesame Street'” character at the top of the Met ...Missing: Quiet | Show results with:Quiet
[25]
ALEX DA CORTE - Cura Magazine
I recently recreated a banned scene from episode 0847 of Sesame Street (February 8, 1976). In this episode, Margaret Hamilton appeared as the Wicked Witch of ...Missing: Venice 2019 Oscar
[26]
The Banned Wicked Witch Sesame Street Episode - LMP #67
May 28, 2023 · Lost Media That Was Leaked Online | The Banned Wicked Witch Sesame Street Episode - LMP #67. 827 views · 2 years ago The Lost Media Podcast
[27]
My Kindertrauma:: Sesame Street Episode 847 ('76) By Unk
Jul 14, 2022 · It didn't go over so well; the episode freaked out many a child, there was a barrage of complaints from parents and the episode was pulled from ...Missing: nostalgia articles leak
[28]
Sesame Street - Wicked Witch Scenes from Episode 847 (1976)
Jun 20, 2022 · Just the Wicked Witch scenes from Episode 847 (1976). Info from the full ep (linked below). Brace yourselves, kids, 'cause this is BIG NEWS!
[29]
[Found] Sesame Street 847 Margaret Hamilton Wicked Witch - Reddit
Jun 18, 2022 · Footage from the "lost" Sesame Street episode 847 (1976). The Holy Grail of Sesame Street episodes featuring The Wicked Witch from The Wizard of ...