During one taping, an episode in which a morally bankrupt and dejected Cookie Monster slumped slowly off-screen after being falsely accused of stealing cookies, the sound effects guy let out a shotgun blast. Of course, that sound never made it to tape, but it had the crew in hysterics.

One of the best things about working on “Sesame Street” is the Christmas parties. They’re legendary. Each year is a new theme. One particularly fun year, the entire set was turned into a 1960s go-go bar, complete with dancing girls shakin’ it in Big Bird’s nest.

Whatever the theme, each and every year, Elmo and his pals would perform R-rated skits that would leave the audience in stitches. One of my favorites was the time Ernie and Bert finally came out of the closet. Good times.