According to writer Michael Davis , '' Sesame Street '' 's curriculum began addressing affective goals more overtly during the 1980s . For example , the producers addressed grief after the 1982 death of Will Lee , who had played Mr. Hooper since the show 's premiere . Author David Borgenicht called the episode " poignant " , and Davis called it " a landmark broadcast " and " a truly memorable episode , one of the show 's best " . For the 1988 and 1989 seasons , the topics of love , marriage , and childbirth were addressed when the show 's staff created a storyline in which the characters Luis and Maria fall in love , marry , and have a child , Gabi . Extensive research was done before these episodes were written and produced , to ascertain their focus , and after they aired , to analyze the effect they had on viewers . The show also addressed real-life disasters . For example , the producers addressed the September 11 terrorist attacks with an episode that aired in early 2002 . They also produced a series of four episodes that aired after Hurricane Katrina in 2005
September 11 terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
Snuffy's Parents Get a Divorce