Lost ‘Sesame Street’ Crossover With ‘Wizard of Oz’ Deemed Too Scary for Kids Has Been Unearthed Online
thewrap.comSesame Street” has been unearthed by Internet archivists, as a rare encounter between Big Bird and the Wicked Witch of the West from “The Wizard of Oz” is now available to view online.
Back in 1976, actress Margaret Hamilton was asked by Sesame Workshop to reprise her role as the Wicked Witch for a “Sesame Street” episode, 37 years after her iconic “Oz” performance opposite Judy Garland.
The 73-year-old Hamilton agreed, filming a sketch teaching children to face their fears in which The Wicked Witch demands that the denizens of Sesame Street return her broom, even threatening to turn Big Bird into a giant feather duster.But according to the show’s producers, the episode prompted hordes of angry parents to call in, complaining that the Wicked Witch had terrified their children.
As a result, Hamilton’s appearance on “Sesame Street” was never re-aired on television or released for home viewing, though it was archived in the Library of Congress for public viewing.
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