TVSquad

On tonight's PBS special When Parents are Deployed, Elmo gets some sad news - his father Louie is leaving for parts unknown. While no specific branch of the military is mentioned, it's clear that Louie is being shipped off to either Iraq or another war-torn country. Elmo, the army brat, is in for some heartbreak. And, from the sound of the New York Times' review of the special, so are we. Elmo's segments are played between interviews with actual soldiers and their often traumatized children.

There's a father who writes a note to his children on a slip of paper for every day he's gone. Another charges his preschool age son to take care of his younger brother. It sounds like a tear-jerker - especially when Elmo and his father Louie part ways with a song called "Proud." This isn't the first time Sesame Street has tackled a tough subject. We learned about death from Mr. Hooper's passing and South African audiences learned about AIDS from Kami, a HIV-positive character. Now, Sesame Street takes on war. What are we ever going to do if this show goes off the air? Who will be left to tackle the big issues for small children and their families? Barney?