Today I came across an article about the "Farewell, Mr. Hooper" episode of Sesame Street. The start of the article mentions that the actor who portrayed Mr. Hooper, Will Lee, passed away on December 7, 1982. I have a clear memory of watching that episode at my grandparents' house and being upset by it. I was surprised that I could remember an episode that aired before I was three years old. Then I read that the episode aired on Thanksgiving day 1983, making me a little over three years old. (The holiday airing also explains why I remember watching the episode at my grandparents' house with my cousin David.) The comment section for the article includes memories by many people around my age who vividly remember watching "Farewell, Mr. Hooper." It is kind of amazing how many people were affected by the episode.
The article reminded me the "Butterflies" episode of Today's Special, another children's show that aired on PBS in the '80s. Today's Special took place in a department store and the cast included two humans and two puppets. The elderly night watchman, Sam Crenshaw, was the reason I refused to be called "Sam" during elementary school; I was convinced Sam was a "boys' name." The plot of "Butterflies" is outlined on this page. Muffy the mouse befriends a monarch butterfly named Hazel. I went into a full meltdown when Hazel died near the end of the episode. I still feel queasy when I think about the song Muffy sang at Hazel's funeral. "Butterflies" aired in 1984, so not long after "Farewell, Mr. Hooper." I wish I could state that after three decades I am better equipped to handle death (at the very least on TV), but if I were to rewatch these episodes today, I would be a mess. It is probably a good thing that I can't find a clip of Muffy singing "We Love You Hazel," as I would be openly weeping in my office if I were to hear it.
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