Sesame Street is an educational American children's television series designed for preschoolers and is recognized as a pioneer of the contemporary standard which combines education and entertainment in children's television shows. Sesame Street is well known for the inclusion of the Muppet characters created by the puppeteer Jim Henson. More than 4,000 episodes of the show have been produced in 36 seasons, which distinguishes it as one of the longest-running shows in television history. The program is produced in the United States by non-profit organization Sesame Workshop, founded by Joan Ganz Cooney and Ralph Rogers; the original series has been televised in 120 countries, and more than 20 international versions have been produced, not including dubs. Sesame Street has received 108 Emmy Awards, more than any other series in television history. An estimated 75 million Americans watched the series as children; millions more have watched around the world, or as parents.