What happened when the Wicked Witch visited Sesame Street?

Sesame Street is no stranger to controversy. Back in 2019, in honor of Sesame Street‘s 50th anniversary, Insider shared 11 of the show’s most controversial moments. The first one they highlighted was when Roosevelt Franklin, the first black muppet, was removed from the show in 1975 for perpetuating stereotypes of black children. But Insider didn’t include a controversial episode that aired in 1976 when the Wicked Witch dropped by Sesame Street.

Season 7, episode 847 found Margaret Hamilton reprising her role as the Wicked Witch of the West from the movie The Wizard of Oz. According to a Muppet Wiki about the episode, after it aired, the show “prompted an unusually large amount of mail responses from parents, almost entirely negative, within a short time frame. Typical responses included parents concerned that their children were afraid and now refused to watch the show.”

After running additional test screenings of the episode, Anna Herera of the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW) Research Department recommended “that the Margaret Hamilton show not be re-run.” Apparently, it never was and is now considered the scary “lost episode” that has recently resurfaced and is creating quite a buzz.

But how scary was it?

Well, I’m viewing it through adult eyes 46 years later, but I’m trying to imagine how my six-year-old self might’ve viewed it back then.

Which, if I saw it back then, I don’t remember it, but I’m confident I would’ve tuned in if I’d known I could see the Wicked Witch. Not that I was a fan of hers, but I was a big-time fan of anything The Wizard of Oz. But would I have found this episode scary?

Nope. And here’s why. But first, let’s review what the episode was about.

The Wicked Witch Sesame Street Episode Summary

Basically, for whatever reason, the Wicked Witch was flying over Sesame Street when the wind blew her broom right out from under her and “dumped” her there. And she doesn’t think she likes it.

But she likes it even less when David, who saw the broom falling, catches it and won’t give it back when she comes looking for it. Not that she asks politely or uses the magic words for him to return it. And not that he questions whether it’s hers or not, but really? She’s just gonna grab the broom right out of his hands? Rude! Then again, she isn’t called the Wicked Witch for no reason. (Or the OG Karen as I’m now thinking of her after watching the episode.)

However, when she tries to grab it she gets zapped because “she can’t lay a finger on the broom as long as someone else is holding onto it.”

Which makes her mad. She invokes her familiar threat, “I’ll fix you,” before swishing her cape and disappearing with a poof of smoke and her trademark cackle.

While David’s tending Mr. Hooper’s store, he tells Maria about the incident. Maria asks why he doesn’t just give the witch her broom back. David tells her he won’t until she shows him some respect. Then the witch shows up inside the store and when Maria offers her a glass of water, she gets a taste of the witch’s nastiness.

The witch says, “Oh, you want some water?” and makes it rain inside, which forces David, Maria, and the kids outside where it’s dry. That’s where they run into Big Bird.

When they tell Big Bird about Sesame Street’s visitor, he proclaims himself a brave bird who wants to help defend his friend from the mean witch. But having a weapon might come in handy, like a stick he sees. But when he takes it, it’s the broom and who shows up right then? The witch, who threatens to turn Big Bird into a feather duster.

Then she finds herself in front of Oscar the Grouch’s trash can plotting a way to get her broom back. He eavesdrops for a while before saying he thinks she’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen and that he’s in love.

Anyway, after disguising herself as a “nice” little old lady, it doesn’t take long for her to blow her cover. Eventually, she does get the broom back and flies off, to the relief of David and the others. However, her broom ends up right back where it started when she shows off flying with no hands and it slips out from under her again.

Why the Episode is Confusing but Not Scary

Nope. I definitely would not have found anything scary about this episode. I would’ve questioned a lot though.

First up, how was she even alive? What happened to “ding dong the witch is dead”?

Second, when Maria offers her a glass of water, I would’ve expected more fear. I mean, it’s lethal to her. What if Maria accidentally spills on her? Pfft. That’d be lights out again for the witch. Yet, she just causally refused the glass of water. I don’t know about you, but being offered anything that might kill me would draw a bigger reaction.

But the third and biggest reason why this episode isn’t scary (IMO) was the lack of flying monkeys. There were zip, zilch, nada. That’s what terrified me most about the witch from the movie. I would’ve been disappointed to find out she’d traveled solo to Sesame Street without them —like I was when I watched it now.

The Wicked Witch Scenes from Sesame Street Ep. 847

The whole episode was an hour-long and was sponsored by the letters I and Z (surprisingly not “F” for the amount of times she says, “Fudge!”) and number 9, but here are just the scenes with the Wicked Witch.

 

Check-In

Are you old enough to have watched Sesame Street back in 1976? Do you remember seeing the Wicked Witch episode?