First things first. I adore Sesame Street. Always have and always will. Whenever it's on I try to watch it with my kids. It's just a special show and in a cynical world, it's a pleasant alternative to the numerous other shows even children's programming has to offer.

Through the years, Sesame Street has grown into a world wide phenomenon and is viewed in several other countries. The new documentary The World According to Sesame Street is a fascinating exploration into the lives of the creative teams that alter this show and it's characters to represent the unique qualities of the respective countries it now airs in.

Included in this insightful expose is a piece on the South African version of the show which stirred up quite a bit of controversy when they introduced Kami, an HIV positive muppet. Almost immediately, crazed leftist politicians in the U.S. vented their disgust at the very idea that a TV. show would go in such a direction, and they did so without really looking at the true nature of the storyline. Thankfully, there were many U.S. figures (including Jerry Falwell of all people) who did come to the show's defense. I needn't remind anyone that the aids epidemic has had a huge impact there and, as sad as it may be, children in that country have to deal with it as an every day fact of life. Sesame Street has dealt with this subject matter in a sensitive manner. There's nothing exploitative or demeaning about it. But then that's always been Sesame Streets main agenda. To educate and to embrace.

The segment I was most moved by in the film features the Sesame Street team courageously attempting to bring together Albanians and Serbs (who are currently at war) so that they might unite the children of two struggling people. Watching this portion of the film unfold is both uncomfortable and incredibly hopeful as a small group of Serbs and Albanians work together to create this show for their children as their respective tribes engage in bitter and deadly racial conflict. Again, this scenario displays in heartfelt fashion just what kind of show Sesame Street is. In a world where many of our young art taught to hate, Sesame Street's goal is to spread messages of love and unity. The World According to Sesame Street isn't anything groundbreaking in terms of documentary film making, but quite frankly, it doesn't need to be. The film's subject speaks for itself. Sesame Street is a wonderful show and continues to strive to make the world a better place. It all starts with the children, and even though it may sound idealistic and even a little naive, this movie, and more importantly the show that it documents, proves with flying colors that even a handful of people in a small room can make a world of difference.