On January 16, some familiar faces will be popping up in some new places, and it’s all brought to you by the letters H-B-O. The all-new season of SESAME STREET makes its debut on HBO as part of the HBO Kids lineup, the official launch to the partnership between Sesame Workshop and HBO. Yes, PBS KIDS will still air SESAME STREET uninterrupted (new episodes debut there nine months later), but HBO will be your premiere destination for new and classic episodes. SESAME STREET has long-been one of our favorite shows here at Rock Father HQ (dating back to my own childhood), so we’re looking forward to some new adventures in Season 46 – a season that will include 30-minute episodes, new preschool-relevant themes, new show open and closing songs, an updated set, a new segment called “Smart Cookies,” and a new cast member, “Nina.” Take a look at the first trailer below…
On January 16th, two new episodes of Sesame Street will debut on HBO starting at 9:00am. Every Saturday thereafter a new episode will air at 9:00am followed by a repeat episode at 9:30am. New episodes will also simultaneously debut on HBO Latino and will be dubbed into Spanish. Families will also be able to watch new and past seasons of Sesame Street daily on HBO Family at 8:00am, as well as five years of library episodes available for streaming on HBO NOW and HBO GO. Episodes will also be available on HBO On Demand and affiliate portals. Sesame Street content continues to be available to PBS KIDS viewers on weekdays and Sundays on local stations, and on the PBS KIDS Video App. Season 46 episodes will begin airing on PBS KIDS next fall
Celebrity guests this season will include NO DOUBT’s Gwen Stefani singing “Be a Good Friend;” Pharrell singing “B is for Book:” Nick Jonas singing “Check that Shape;” 5thHarmony singing “That’s Music;” Sara Bareilles singing “Just Like Magic;” Alan Cumming as “Mucko Polo” the grouch explorer; Ne-Yo singing “You’ve Got a Body, So Move It!;” Aloe Blacc singing “Everyday Hero;” Tracee Ellis Ross learning about bedtime routines; and Gina Rodriguez singing the ABCs in Spanish.
More from the Official Announcement:
In a departure from the show’s longstanding one-hour format, every episode now runs a dynamic 30 minutes, helping kids focus their attention and engage with each story. Sesame Street continues to deliver lessons in ways that delight viewers, and this season learning and laughter have never made a better pair. Sesame Street’s smarter, stronger, and kinder lessons are taught through the lens of fun and familiar preschool-relevant themes like bedtime, boo-boos and animals. Every segment in an episode will be tied to that day’s theme, providing preschoolers with a stimulating and cohesive learning experience. Sesame Street’s well-known theme song and show open have a new upbeat update too! In fact, this will be the first time that the show open takes place in the Sesame Street neighborhood. Fans will be thrilled to see more of the neighborhood than ever before, but not to worry, the theme song will have a familiar melody and continue to wonder ‘how to get’ to Sesame Street.
Cookie Monster has an all-new segment, “Smart Cookies,” where he continues to work on his self-regulation skills. In “Smart Cookies,” Cookie Monster and a team of crime-fighting cookie friends are on-call, day and night, to thwart the continued efforts of The Crumb, a villain with many tricks up his sleeve. The all-star team is aided by their Smart Cookie car and some fancy gadgets, but in the end, their brains turn out to be their most impressive gizmo. Self-control and critical thinking help save the day! Kids at home are invited to become a ‘Smart Cookie’ too. As Cookie Monster explains, “A Smart Cookie has to stop and think things through.” And that’s a useful skill for both Cookie and kids.
Sesame Street is introducing a fresh face to the neighborhood! As a community that has a long-standing history of modeling diversity, it was important to producers to represent this in the new addition to the cast. “Nina,” a young, bilingual, Hispanic woman, uses her wit, compassion and charisma to help the furry residents of Sesame Streetsolve their daily dilemmas, providing a positive role model for preschoolers. Played by Suki Lopez, “Nina” is very excited to have moved to Sesame Street where she works at the laundromat and the bike store. She’s a tinkerer, a builder and a fixer. Her natural curiosity allows her to come up with out-of-the box solutions to Elmo and the gang’s problems, modeling creative problem-solving strategies.
One of the most noteworthy changes for viewers is the updated, reimagined, and visually vibrant new set. This new set will familiarize little viewers with the homes of their Sesame friends:
- Elmo has moved into the 123 Sesame Street brownstone, and his bedroom is the cornerstone of the building. Like many preschoolers, Elmo’s room has colorful cubbies for his toys and he proudly displays his crayon drawings on his wall.
- Cookie Monster has moved above Hooper’s Store, and as you can imagine, he always smells something baking.
- Abby finds inspiration in her new garden which is full of bright and dazzling flowers and plants.
- Big Bird has a new nest, and like most of his fowl friends, his beautiful new home is in a tree!
- Oscar’s can has been updated and moved to a more central location so he can add grouchy commentary to any situation. He’ll also be popping up in trash cans, recycling bins and composting receptacles across the street!
For more, check out https://www.hbokids.com/
