David Kamp’s meticulous research provides a history of the Children’s Television Workshop, and narrator David Sadzin is a fine guide through the neighborhoods of Make Believe and Sesame Street. Sadzin’s friendly, open narration captures the feel of the ‘60s and ‘70s—that sense of wanting to make change for the greater good. Devoted to improving the quality of children’s television, CTW figures Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett and actor/writer/producers Rita Moreno and Marlo Thomas explain the political obstacles they faced in order to air such groundbreaking programs as “Free to be You and Me,” “The Electric Company,” and “Sesame Street.” In a matter-of-fact tone, Sadzin delivers the behind-the-scenes struggles as well as the sunny days. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America
Narrated by David Sadzin
David KampUnabridged — 8 hours, 45 minutes
Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America
Narrated by David Sadzin
David KampUnabridged — 8 hours, 45 minutes
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Overview
From bestselling writer David Kamp, the “fun, fascinating, and surprisingly touching,” (People) behind-the-scenes story of the cultural heroes who created the beloved children's TV programs Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Free to Be...You and Me, and Schoolhouse Rock!-which transformed American childhood for the better, teaching kids about diversity, the ABCs, and feminism through a fun, funky 1970s lens.
With a foreword by Questlove.
In 1970, on a soundstage on Manhattan's Upper West Side, a group of men, women, and Muppets of various ages and colors worked doggedly to finish the first season of a children's TV program that was not yet assured a second season: Sesame Street. They were conducting an experiment to see if television could be used to better prepare disadvantaged preschoolers for kindergarten. What they didn't know then was that they were starting a cultural revolution that would affect all American kids.
In Sunny Days, bestselling author David Kamp captures the unique political and social moment that gave us not only Sesame Street, but also Fred Rogers's gentle yet brave Mister Rogers' Neighborhood; Marlo Thomas's unabashed gender politics primer Free to Be...You and Me; Schoolhouse Rock!, an infectious series of educational shorts dreamed up by Madison Ave admen; and more, including The Electric Company and ZOOM. It was a unique time when an uncommon number of media professionals and thought leaders leveraged their influence to help children learn-and, just as notably, a time of unprecedented buy-in from American parents.
“Sunny Days is full of such nostalgic jolts...it makes the era a pleasure to revisit” (The Wall Street Journal) and captures a wondrous period in the US when a determined few proved that, with persistence and effort, they could change the lives of millions. It is “a lively and bewitching recounting of a particularly ripe period in television and cultural history” (The New York Times Book Review) and, as the Los Angeles Times notes, “a sublime book about a variety of creative people coming together not in the pursuit of fame or money, but to enrich the lives of children.”
Editorial Reviews
★ 02/17/2020
In this diligent and lively chronicle, Kamp (The United States of Arugula) honors the creators of Sesame Street and the Children’s Television Workshop. This “smallish, bourgeois, bohemian circle” bucked the lowbrow, profit-driven conventions of children’s programming with a single educational mission: using entertainment to create a level playing field for inner-city kids lacking access to preschool education. The first part details the show’s three-year incubation and its early success. “Tunics and ponchos flapping,” Kamp writes, the integrated cast arrived in November 1969 with colorful sets, a “jazzy house-band sound,” and Jim Henson’s Muppets—its setting “a mélange of faded brownstones, gray litter-strewn sidewalks... felt real and inviting.” Kamp is a meticulous and entertaining writer, as when, in the second part of the book, he describes subsequent series, including The Electric Company, Zoom, Schoolhouse Rock, and, most notably, Free to Be... You and Me—a song-filled “revolutionary children’s primer on feminism, and gender politics.” But Reagan-era FCC deregulation undid more than a decade of children’s educational TV, Kamp argues, allowing for more commercially driven shows like The Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This passionate, highly engaging media history will thrill pop culture buffs and those who remember these shows from their childhood. (May)
Sunny Days is a terrific read. It’s nostalgic, sure, but it’s also revealing, inspiring, and entirely engrossing.
Terrific! In one fell swoop, Sunny Days nails an entire historical era of American children’s TV. It took me back to when I worked with all of those extraordinarily talented people.
"[A] lively and bewitching recounting of a particularly ripe period in television and cultural history."
"It is almost impossible not to feel a warm blanket of nostalgia draped over you as you read; Kamp delivers a sense of comfort and familiarity on every page."
"Fun, fascinating and surprisingly touching."
God, I loved the book...If you’re a Gen-X American who grew up in front of the television set, you gotta read this book...If you enjoyed the sunny days of your childhood, if you’re looking for more sunny days in America, pick up SUNNY DAYS by David Kamp."
Enchanting...For readers of a certain generation, Sunny Days will have a thrilling flashback effect, like a fizzy nostalgia drink, and the book's archival photos only enhance the time-tripping experience. For millennial readers, Sunny Days will be both a captivating glimpse at a revolutionary time and a blueprint for what's possible with a little seed money, civic-mindedness, feathers and glue.
Sunny Days is a splendid, clever, inspiring, and strangely suspenseful history of the revolution in children’s television that was Sesame Street. For those of us who grew up with the show, it was as natural and essential as oxygen, but Kamp’s detailed reporting reveals that its existence was anything but assured — in fact, it was a miracle. This book, just like its subject, is a tonic and an education, and casts a bright light of hope during these dark times.
A great read. I learned all kinds of things that I didn’t know, even after being at Sesame Street for 50 years.
Real. Radical. Revered. Remarkable. Relevant. Revealing. Racy. REVOLUTIONARY. Those are all words that start with R and yes, we are talking about Sesame Street and David Kamp’s fascinating origin story of a show that raised us all.
Assiduously researched and frolicsome...both an educational odyssey and a balm for uncertain times.
Sunny Days” is full of such nostalgic jolts for readers who grew up in those years....it makes the era a pleasure to revisit."
"David Kamp takes readers on a fascinating journey through the development of one of the most beloved shows on television."
With Sunny Days, David Kamp captures the pivotal moment when children’s television grew up. It could teach numbers! Letters! Emotions! These shows changed generations of children’s lives, myself included. Kamp has told an inspiring story, powered by love and grace.
Anybody interested in the history of television will love Sunny Days. Cool read.
"I’ve been asked to contribute to several books over the years, but the one that really impressed my Mama is David Kamp’s Sunny Days.
"David Kamp has long been one of the keenest observers of popular culture. In Sunny Days, he turns that formidable mind to something with real emotional heft, too, and brings back to life a time of hope and optimism amidst a country torn apart at the seams. This is an essential book on an essential moment in the history of American television."
"If you’re looking for a healthy dose of nostalgia, this is your book...a deeply researched cultural history of beloved children’s TV programs—including Sesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock, The Muppets, and many more."
When I read Sunny Days, I can once again see all the faces, human and Muppet and otherwise. Most important, I can feel all the things I felt back then, and I’m grateful for it.
With Sunny Days, David Kamp captures the pivotal moment when children’s television grew up. It could teach numbers! Letters! Emotions! These shows changed generations of children’s lives, myself included. Kamp has told an inspiring story, powered by love and grace.
Assiduously researched and frolicsome…both an educational odyssey and a balm for uncertain times.
A great read. I learned all kinds of things that I didn’t know, even after being at Sesame Street for 50 years.”
Sunny Days is a splendid, clever, inspiring, and strangely suspenseful history of the revolution in children’s television that was Sesame Street. For those of us who grew up with the show, it was as natural and essential as oxygen, but Kamp’s detailed reporting reveals that its existence was anything but assured — in fact, it was a miracle. This book, just like its subject, is a tonic and an education, and casts a bright light of hope during these dark times.”—ELIZABETH GILBERT, #1 New York Times bestseller author
“With Sunny Days, David Kamp captures the pivotal moment when children’s television grew up. It could teach numbers! Letters! Emotions! These shows changed generations of children’s lives, myself included. Kamp has told an inspiring story, powered by love and grace.”—MORGAN NEVILLE, Oscar-winning director of Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
“Every so often, I enjoy a book so deeply that I send an unsolicited email fan letter to the author. That happened with David Kamp’s Sunny Days: The Children’s Television Revolution That Changed America, which chronicles the TV pioneers who created Sesame Street, Electric Company, and Schoolhouse Rock! Their work offers a timely reminder: It’s possible for people to be both idealistic and competent.” —DANIEL H. PINK, #1 New York Times bestseller author
"David Kamp has long been one of the keenest observers of popular culture. In Sunny Days, he turns that formidable mind to something with real emotional heft, too, and brings back to life a time of hope and optimism amidst a country torn apart at the seams. This is an essential book on an essential moment in the history of American television."—BRIAN KOPPELMAN, Co-creator of Billions
“Sunny Days is a terrific read. It’s nostalgic, sure, but it’s also revealing, inspiring, and entirely engrossing.”—Ron Howard
I’ve been asked to contribute to several books over the years, but the one that really impressed my Mama is David Kamp’s Sunny Days.”—April Reign, founder of the #OscarsSoWhite movement
“Real. Radical. Revered. Remarkable. Relevant. Revealing. Racy. REVOLUTIONARY. Those are all words that start with R and yes, we are talking about Sesame Street and David Kamp’s fascinating origin story of a show that raised us all.”—Pamela Adlon, creator of Better Things
“Anybody interested in the history of television will love Sunny Days. Cool read.”—Michael Ian Black
"If you’re looking for a healthy dose of nostalgia, this is your book...a deeply researched cultural history of beloved children’s TV programs—including Sesame Street, Schoolhouse Rock, The Muppets, and many more."—FORTUNE
"This passionate, highly engaging media history will thrill pop culture buffs and those who remember these shows from their childhood."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Researchers and nostalgic Sesame Street fans alike will appreciate this thorough, compelling overview of a pivotal period of TV history."—LIBRARY JOURNAL
"A cultural history of how children's TV, once criticized for banal programming, changed dramatically in the 1960s...Kamp offers a brisk, lively account." —KIRKUS
“Enchanting...For readers of a certain generation, Sunny Days will have a thrilling flashback effect, like a fizzy nostalgia drink, and the book's archival photos only enhance the time-tripping experience. For millennial readers, Sunny Days will be both a captivating glimpse at a revolutionary time and a blueprint for what's possible with a little seed money, civic-mindedness, feathers and glue.”—SHELF AWARENESS
"[A] lively and bewitching recounting of a particularly ripe period in television and cultural history."—NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
“Sunny Days” is full of such nostalgic jolts for readers who grew up in those years....it makes the era a pleasure to revisit." —WALL STREET JOURNAL
"Fun, fascinating and surprisingly touching." —PEOPLE MAGAZINE
"It is almost impossible not to feel a warm blanket of nostalgia draped over you as you read; Kamp delivers a sense of comfort and familiarity on every page." —WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF BOOKS
"David Kamp takes readers on a fascinating journey through the development of one of the most beloved shows on television." —THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
03/01/2020
By the early 1960s, television had transformed American home life, with most people watching an average of six hours of TV a day—much of it lowbrow entertainment, with a potentially worrisome influence on children. However, some believed television could, in the right hands, educate America's youth. Kamp (The United States of Arugula) examines the landmark PBS series Sesame Street, which, like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, benefited from a skilled creative team and a political environment supportive of public broadcasting. Debuting in 1969, Sesame Street focused on reaching inner-city youth, with a set that resembled an urban neighborhood and a diverse cast of people and Muppets. Both a dedicated researcher and a proud member of the Sesame Street generation, Kamp celebrates the show's breakthroughs while also addressing its varied critical reception; over the years it's been criticized for being both too progressive and not progressive enough. The author illustrates how this groundbreaking show changed the landscape of children's television, inspiring the likes of Schoolhouse Rock! and The Electric Company—though, thanks to Reagan-era "reforms," support for children's programming has decreased (Sesame Street itself is now an HBO property, with first-run episodes appearing on its streaming service). VERDICT Researchers and nostalgic Sesame Street fans alike will appreciate this thorough, compelling overview of a pivotal period of TV history. [See Prepub Alert, 11/11/19.]—Terry Bosky, Madison, WI
David Kamp’s meticulous research provides a history of the Children’s Television Workshop, and narrator David Sadzin is a fine guide through the neighborhoods of Make Believe and Sesame Street. Sadzin’s friendly, open narration captures the feel of the ‘60s and ‘70s—that sense of wanting to make change for the greater good. Devoted to improving the quality of children’s television, CTW figures Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett and actor/writer/producers Rita Moreno and Marlo Thomas explain the political obstacles they faced in order to air such groundbreaking programs as “Free to be You and Me,” “The Electric Company,” and “Sesame Street.” In a matter-of-fact tone, Sadzin delivers the behind-the-scenes struggles as well as the sunny days. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
2020-01-27
A cultural history of how children’s TV, once criticized for banal programming, changed dramatically in the 1960s.
In 1961, the chairman of the FCC asked, “Is there no room on television to teach, to inform, to uplift, to stretch, to enlarge the capacities of our children?” It was a question that Joan Ganz Cooney and Fred Rogers answered with a resounding yes. Each found jobs in newly established educational-TV stations, and, with determination and imagination, developed groundbreaking children’s shows: Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which made its national debut in February 1968; and Sesame Street, which debuted in November 1969, attracting an audience of some 2 million households. Drawing on news articles, oral histories, and the archives of the Children’s Television Workshop, Fred Rogers Center, and Jim Henson Company, longtime Vanity Fair contributor Kamp offers a brisk, lively account of the challenges faced by Cooney and Rogers in realizing their shows, the criticism that they incited, and the many programs that emulated their success, such as The Electric Company, Free to Be…You and Me, and ZOOM. Although different in tone—“slow pace versus fast, small cast versus large, low production values versus high”—both Mister Rogers and Sesame Street were shaped by findings in developmental psychology and pedagogy. Rogers saw himself as “the child’s adult friend” who “would introduce experiences of all kinds” and help children to articulate their feelings. Cooney and her Sesame Street team aimed to engage young children—especially those living in the inner city—in learning, with a multicultural, interracial cast. Getting Jim Henson on board “was a coup,” Kamp acknowledges. “The Muppets conferred upon the nascent show a visual and spiritual identity that would set it apart from other children’s programming: “furrier, featherier, weirder, cleverer.” Writing about the evolution of Sesame Street, the author reports some surprising blowback from feminists who objected to its portrayal of women and from viewers who complained “of both racism and reverse racism.” But nothing stopped the show’s impact on children’s culture. Questlove provides the foreword.
An appreciative and informative chapter of TV history.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940177173139 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date: | 05/12/2020 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
Read an Excerpt
Chapter One: Putting Down Roots in the Vast Wasteland
The young Jim Henson with Sam, Kermit, and Yorick on the regional TV program Sam and Friends.
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