An episode of Sesame Street that was deemed too frightening was removed from television but then posted to social media decades later.
Sesame Street is where all the kids come to learn, have fun and connect with friends. However, one of its earlier episodes was seen as too scary for kids watching at home. According to NBC News, the episode, which features Margaret Hamilton, who revives her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, was removed from television, but its since been posted on social media platforms including YouTube and Reddit.
The episode follows Hamilton as she embarks on a journey to find a “stolen broomstick” instead of the classic tale’s ruby slippers. By the end of the episode, she finally gets her broom.
“This is glorious!” she says. She then boasts, saying, “Look! No hands!” The broom then drops from below her and Big Bird, David and friends catch it.
The episode made its debut on Feb. 10, 1976, in Sesame Street’s seventh season. Afterward, there was some blowback from parents about the episode, which was apparently slated to teach children about overcoming their fears and “the value of planning by creating and implementing methods of retrieving the broom.” While the episode has yet to go live on television again, the “lost” episode has been posted to YouTube by a user named Mike Minnick.
