They never had too many characters for that, it’s been Big Bird and Oscar with a evolving few others… a lot of Telly, but also Baby Bear, etc… but we’ve recently added Elmo, Abby, and now a re-cast Cookie Monster, previously only in segments, onto the street.“‘Sesame Street’ is and has always been an important part of television culture and a crown jewel of our preschool offering,” an HBO Max spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. Without these, it may be more and more difficult for a large cast of characters driving the on-street story. The others appeared in educational “commercials” throughout the hour long episodes, and were often repeated. In the original seasons of Sesame Street, the only on-street regulars were Big Bird and Oscar. Elmo moved into what used to be Susan and Gordon’s apartment (with Cookie Monster now living above Hooper’s Store).Īlso, I am curious to see what they mean by show regulars. I believe Maria will be in the new season, but not after that.Īlso to note is that Elmo didn’t move into Bert and Ernie’s home. The soon-to-air season was filmed over a year ago, and so many of the changes hadn’t occurred yet. This article seems to be mixing up the new season, which will air next month on HBO, and the season after that – when the character reduction, for example, will take place. Kudos to Sesame Street for trying to stay relevant, and kudos to HBO for giving them the chance. Hooper, a secret Snuffleupagus, and, sadly, Jim Henson are long gone. Adults my age may be dismayed to see many of these changes, but the days of Mr. But these are a lot of changes all at once. Regular viewers will find many other changes, too. There’s an all-new set with “a fresh take on Sesame Street regular features,” and a new human cast member, Nina.Īfter 46 years, Sesame Street has gone through a lot of changes and reinvention, so it would be foolish to imply this was the first time this has happened. Grover has also been demoted to special guest star. In fact, they’ve apparently been evicted, since Elmo has moved in to their longtime home at 123 Sesame Street. Notice any particularly remarkable absences in that Muppet cast? Yep, Bert and Ernie are no long show regulars. “A Smart Cookie has to stop and think things through.” The core cast of puppet characters who will appear on most episodes has been pared down to five: Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby, Big Bird, and Oscar.Ĭookie Monster will have a regular segment called “Smart Cookies” in which he models self-regulation skills by allying himself with crime-fighting cookie friends in an ongoing attempt to thwart The Crumb. While many familiar faces will be returning, Sonia Manzano, the actress who has been bringing the character of Maria to life since 1971, will not. The new song has a familiar melody and continues to wonder “how to get” to Sesame Street, but episodes will now open and close with this updated song:

Recall “Sunny Days”? The Sesame Street theme song that’s no doubt permanently etched into the memories of your childhood? Gone. Episodes will now be a brisk 30 minutes, ostensibly to “help kids focus their attention and engage with each story.” Condescension aside, the shorter episodes will each have a narrower focus on a clearly defined preschool theme. The show is also departing from its longstanding format. I inquired about older seasons and was told, “In terms of Sesame Street seasons prior to Season 41, we are still evaluating the right approach for our brand, our audience, and our partners.” So stay tuned.īut airing on HBO is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of changes. That means if you’ve gotten used to streaming Sesame Street via Amazon and you’re not an HBO subscriber, you may want to get your fill now. In addition to current episodes, the previous five seasons will all be available exclusively through HBO’s streaming services. Season 46 will air on PBS Kids next fall. It will eventually make its way to PBS Kids, but only after a window of several months. Episodes will also be available via HBO Go and HBO Now. Beginning on January 16, 2016, the 46th season of Sesame Street will premiere on HBO and (in Spanish) on HBO Latino. Most significant is the show’s move to premium cable. Starting next year, Sesame Street–the iconic children’s show we all grew up with–will see the biggest and most sweeping changes in its 46-year history.

Full length sesame street episodes