1969 Debut of ‘Mah Na Mah Na’ on Sesame Street

In 1969, the infamous ear-worm entitled “Mah Na Mah Na” made its American television debut on the 14th episode of Sesame Street. A beatnik named Bip Bippadotta comes across two girls who wanted to sing a song. The bearded Bip could only say one word, but the girls just filled in the rest around him.

The sketch was updated for the first episode of The Muppet Show with a blonde Bip who was renamed Mahna Mahna and The Snowths singing backup.

“Mah Na Mah Na” was written by Piero Umiliani for Italian mondo film Sweden, Heaven and Hell (1968).