In the early days of Sesame Street, Channing was featured in many of the Mad Painter sketches, as the victim of the painter's number obsession (her television debut). She also worked with the Sesame Street Muppets when they guest starred on West Wing, and played Miss Adelaide, the Swedish maid, in Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. At the time the West Wing episode was shot, Sesame Workshop filmed Stockard Channing, Allison Janney, and Lily Tomlin dancing to the song "Dance Myself to Sleep" for The Street We Live On.