I still remember rainy days in elementary school when — and it was rare — the teacher would let us eat lunch in the classroom and switch on the TV to "Sesame Street."

That's still one of my favorite childhood memories, listening to Ernie sing about his rubber ducky, watching Cookie Monster gobble up platefuls of treats and wondering if anyone would finally see Mr. Snuffleupagus.

I didn't realize that this educational TV show — which celebrates its 40th anniversary on Nov. 10 — was so culturally impactful and significant.

Rosita, left, and Elmo in a scene on "Sesame Street," which celebrates its 40th anniversary next week. The educational show teaches kids about everything from Spanish vocabulary to the swine flu.

The program was set on an urban street, centered around a brownstone in a neighborhood with peeling paint and metal trash cans. The cast was a mix of ethnicities. In fact, most of the Spanish I know I learned from that show.

By 2006 "Sesame Street" had become the "most widely viewed children's television show in the world," with 20 international independent versions and broadcasts in more than 120 countries, according to "Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street" by former TV Guide columnist Michael Davis.

Now in its 40th year, the PBS show boasts its largest audience ever, with 8 million viewers on 350 stations in 120 countries. It was ranked the 15th most popular children's show on television with 118 Emmy Awards, more than any other television series.

The new season, which starts next week, will have updated characters and segments. The anniversary show — where, yes, the cast counts to 40 — will feature First Lady Michelle Obama, who will dispense advice about gardening and healthy eating habits.

"Sesame Street" has definitely been a big part of my childhood, as it's had for the estimated 77 million Americans who watched the series as children. And nothing in my mind — not "Dora the Explorer" or even "Barney & Friends" — has had the kind of long-lasting impact on an entire generation of kids.

What's your favorite memory of "Sesame Street" and did you feel the show has impacted you in any way?

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Follow Cat on Twitter @thedailydish or send her an e-mail at cat@thecatdish.com.

I don't have TiVo.

And there's a very simple reason.

Guilt.

I know that if I had this service — which, I know, revolutionized the way people watch TV — I'd probably watch more TV than I already do.

Sure, TiVo — or any digital video recorder (DVR) — allows viewers to be more discerning about what we watch. No more mindless channel-surfing or getting sucked into an infomercial for "Hip Hop Abs."

Except what's happening is people are recording everything, from episodes of "Lost" to "Days of our Lives" to reruns of "America's Funniest Home Videos."

And, according to a story on CNN, this convenience has turned into drudgery.

"Economists call this 'opportunity costs,'" says Brad Berens, chief content officer for iMedia Communications, who analyzes how media advances change people's behavior, to CNN. "You're sitting there and you have to weigh, well, 'I have to watch this thing, because I promised myself when I told TiVo ... I want the whole season of that! Go get it! And go get things like it!' And so you've committed to this decision and it's a burden — suddenly your relaxation has turned into more work."

There's a blog — Addicted To TiVo — devoted to this issue. There's even a group on Facebook for TiVo addicts, which lists the reasons you're an addict:

1. You got addicted to TiVo and watch even more TV than you did at first.
2. You skipped class to watch TiVo.
3. You bought a second TiVo because 40 hours was not enough recording space.
4. You record shows you don't like for your roommates / friends but end up watching them anyway.
5. You know what Tooka Tooka means.
6. You press the thumbs up and down buttons because you like the noises (i.e making TiVo music)
7. You hate watching TV at other people's places because you can't rewind or fast forward.
8. You schedule online recording from work because you forgot to set it the night before.
9. You know TiVo's most replayed moment in history (see Halftime of Super Bowl 2004).
10. You started using the word "TiVo" as a verb (i.e Tivoed).

Does this sound like you — or someone you know?

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