The wicked Witch of the West from Sesame Street is a character who is known for her mischievous and conniving behavior. She is often seen wearing a black hat and cape, with a green face and a pointy nose. Despite her wicked appearance, the Witch of the West is not inherently evil but rather misunderstood. She is often depicted as being jealous of the other characters on Sesame Street and as a result, she tries to cause trouble for them. One of her most notorious acts is to try and steal Big Bird's nest, as she is envious of the attention he receives from others. However, despite her best efforts, she is always thwarted by the other characters on Sesame Street who show her kindness and teach her the value of friendship.

This 'Sesame Street' Episode That Was Banned for Being “Too Scary” Just Resurfaced Online

Sesame Street has explored some sensitive topics over the years, but few episodes were as controversial as the one PBS aired—and quickly pulled—in 1976. Episode 847 features Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West nearly four decades after The Wizard of Oz (1939) premiered. The episode was banned for being "too scary" for kids, and for decades it was difficult to find. Now, as the AV Club reports, this piece of lost media has been made available to view online.

Margaret Hamilton's Sesame Street appearance was uploaded to YouTube on June 18, and it's already received close to 275,000 views (and counting). In the segment, the infamous witch loses her broomstick, threatens to turn Big Bird into a feather duster, and charms Oscar the Grouch. Compared to the flying monkeys scene in The Wizard of Oz, the episode feels pretty tame.

But many parents thought differently when it premiered in 1976. PBS was bombarded with complaints of the character traumatizing preschool-age viewers. Though the episode was reportedly meant to teach kids about overcoming their fears, the network gave in to the backlash. After airing only once, it was pulled from syndication permanently.

Though it's categorized as lost media, Episode 847 of Sesame Street hasn't been impossible to view. It's archived at the Library of Congress, and grainy recordings have surfaced online in recent years. This newest upload is notable for its high quality. If '70s kids have been searching for the lost footage since their childhood, this video is as close to the original as they're likely to get. The clip also proves that the banned episode isn't quite as horrifying as its reputation suggests.

Watch the Sesame Street Episode Banned for Being Too Scary, Featuring The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West (1976)

In 1939, Mar­garet Hamil­ton made cin­e­ma his­to­ry as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wiz­ard of Oz. In 1976, she made tele­vi­sion his­to­ry by repris­ing the role on a Sesame Street episode that was pulled from the show’s rota­tion imme­di­ate­ly after it aired. It seems to have drawn Sesame Work­shop, then known as the Chil­dren’s Tele­vi­sion Work­shop, a fair few com­plaints from the par­ents of dis­turbed chil­dren. As a result, writes Men­tal Floss’ Michele Debczak, “the episode was banned for being ‘too scary’ for kids, and for decades it was dif­fi­cult to find,” seen only on low-qual­i­ty video tapes and in the trou­bled minds of cer­tain Gen­er­a­tion Xers.

Now Hamil­ton’s Sesame Street appear­ance has become avail­able on Youtube, ready for you to watch with the braver chil­dren in your life this Hal­loween. But then, it’s hard to imag­ine any twen­ty-first-cen­tu­ry view­er being tru­ly fright­ened by it, no mat­ter how young. (This in con­trast to the Wicked Witch’s army of fly­ing mon­keys in the orig­i­nal film, which con­tin­ues to give kids the creeps gen­er­a­tion after gen­er­a­tion.)

Some may even be delight­ed by the evi­dent rel­ish with which Hamil­ton plays her part, even 37 years after the first time; as William Hugh­es writes at The AV Club, she “was always game to reprise the role of the Witch on behalf of edu­ca­tion­al pro­gram­ming; she also appeared, around that same peri­od, on sev­er­al episodes of Mr. Rogers’ Neigh­bor­hood.”

In Big Bird’s neigh­bor­hood, the Wicked Witch acci­den­tal­ly los­es her broom to David, whom read­ers of a cer­tain age may remem­ber as the spir­it­ed law stu­dent who once dat­ed the icon­ic Maria Rodriguez. Only when the Witch shows him some respect, David insists, will he return that pre­cious pos­ses­sion. Thus begins the Witch’s cam­paign of ter­ror and trick­ery on Sesame Street, which con­tin­ues until David finds a way to out­smart her into a whol­ly unchar­ac­ter­is­tic show of cour­tesy. This sto­ry with­in the episode deals with the time­less theme of over­com­ing fears; and as the long unavail­abil­i­ty of the episode itself shows us, giv­ing in to fears — espe­cial­ly those of pub­lic back­lash — can have real con­se­quences.

Relat­ed con­tent:

Based in Seoul, Col­in Marshall writes and broad­casts on cities, lan­guage, and cul­ture. His projects include the Sub­stack newslet­ter Books on Cities, the book The State­less City: a Walk through 21st-Cen­tu­ry Los Ange­les and the video series The City in Cin­e­ma. Fol­low him on Twit­ter at @colinmarshall or on Face­book.

You Can Now Watch A 1976 ‘Sesame Street’ Episode That Was Yanked From The Air

It featured Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch, and was deemed too scary for kids.

In the digital age, we’re accustomed to accessing any media that’s ever existed at a moment’s notice with a few keystrokes, and it can be hard to remember a time when recordings could actually be lost, or buried. Yet a 1976 episode of Sesame Street designed to help kids understand how they can overcome their fears, featuring the actress Margaret Hamilton in her unforgettable role as the cackling Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and aired only one time, in 1976, before it was pulled from syndication, hasn’t been seen since — until now.

After the episode aired, the network received complaints from parents that their children had been frightened by watching it, so it was shelved permanently. But on June 18, fifteen minutes of footage from the episode was uploaded to YouTube. The account user who uploaded it noted that a clip was included in an exhibition of Jim Henson’s work in 2019, but this complete footage hasn’t been publicly seen since the episode first aired.

When a strange wind brings an errant broom to Sesame Street, David begins using it to sweep the sidewalk in front of Mr. Hooper’s store. The witch, in her black cape, pointy hat, and green skin, comes to retrieve her magic broomstick, but is prevented from doing so if anyone else is holding it. When she tries to grab it, there is a lightening effect accompanied by a thunderous sound, which is honestly the scariest part of an episode that is pretty tame overall.

The witch also makes it rain inside the store, threatens to turn Big Bird into a feather duster, and threatens to turn David into a basketball.

David refuses to return the broom “until she shows me some respect.” Big Bird vows to help protect his friend and stands outside the store with a hockey stick in one hand and a baseball bat in the other.

“I’m a very brave bird and I’m not afraid,” he says.

Oscar the Grouch, hearing the witch plan her wicked machinations from inside his trash can, declares, “I think I’m in love.”

The witch then disguises herself as a normal person, modulating her voice accordingly, to infiltrate the store. When she asks David to put down the broom so that she can hold it, however, he knows who she is.

In the end, David triumphs in getting the witch to say the magic word — please — when asking for the broom. Big Bird declares that he is glad for her visit, which he deems “very interesting and really exciting.”

The episode’s final scene shows the witch flying through the sky to return to Oz. In her hubris, she rides the broomstick “no hands,” sending it crashing back down the ground, where David picks it up again, upset that he will now seemingly never be rid of her.

While the witch might frighten a young preschooler, the overall themes of the episode are how to band together against a bully and the importance of being kind, and in that respect it has thoroughly withstood the test of time.

However, despite her best efforts, she is always thwarted by the other characters on Sesame Street who show her kindness and teach her the value of friendship. The wicked Witch of the West is a complex character who teaches children important life lessons about empathy and understanding. Despite her mischievous deeds, the other characters on Sesame Street always see past her exterior and show her kindness.

This ultimately leads to her transformation from a wicked witch to a more compassionate and understanding individual. In conclusion, the wicked Witch of the West from Sesame Street is a symbol of redemption and the power of friendship. Her character provides valuable lessons for children, teaching them that people are not always as they seem, and that kindness can have a transformative effect on others..

Reviews for "The Wicked Witch of the West's Legacy: How She Redefined Villain Roles in Sesame Street"

1. John - 2 stars - The Wicked Witch of the West on Sesame Street was a disappointment. The storyline seemed forced and lacked the charm and wit of the original Wizard of Oz. The performances were lackluster and failed to capture the essence of the iconic characters. Overall, it felt like a cheap attempt to capitalize on the success of the original story, and I was left feeling unsatisfied.

2. Sarah - 1 star - I found The Wicked Witch of the West on Sesame Street to be incredibly boring and unimpressive. The acting was stiff, and the dialogue seemed contrived. The plot had potential, but it was executed poorly, leaving me unengaged and uninterested. I expected more from a Sesame Street production, and unfortunately, this one fell flat.

3. Alex - 2 stars - The Wicked Witch of the West on Sesame Street was a letdown. The production felt rushed and poorly thought out. The costumes and set design were lackluster, and the performances were subpar. The story was weak, and it failed to hold my attention. Overall, it was a forgettable experience, and I would not recommend it to others.

4. Emily - 1 star - The Wicked Witch of the West on Sesame Street was a disaster. The acting was painfully awkward, and the attempts at humor fell flat. The characters lacked depth, and the storyline was predictable and uninteresting. I found myself checking my watch throughout the performance, eagerly awaiting its end. It was a waste of time and money, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

5. Michael - 2 stars - As a fan of the Wizard of Oz, I had high hopes for The Wicked Witch of the West on Sesame Street. Unfortunately, it was a letdown. The production felt like a watered-down version of the original story, and the attempts at humor were forced. The performances were mediocre, and the songs failed to leave a lasting impact. Overall, it was a forgettable experience that failed to live up to its potential.

The Wicked Witch of the West Merchandise: Collectibles from Sesame Street