Yesterday, we reported that HBO Max would be removing a slew of Sesame Street content, including Elmo’s Not-Too-Late Show, several specials, and more. What we weren’t prepared for was what “more” would entail.
Previously, HBO Max held claim to the largest number of classic Sesame Street episodes available anywhere. By my count, there were over 250 legacy episodes on the streaming service from the first 38 seasons of the show. As of this morning, only 29 episodes from those years remain.
Of the classic episodes that remain, we’re left with five episodes from season 1 (including the series premiere), 14 episodes from season 5 (including a run of episodes that take place during a snowy winter), and 10 episodes from season 7 (including “Big Bird Runs for President” and the episode where the cast has a sing-along in Bert’s bathroom). Then there’s a huge gap in Sesame Street history, as the next available episodes aren’t until season 39.
Almost 90% of the series was just dropped. We had no warning, no “last call”, and we have no idea if or when these episodes will ever be available again.
Naturally, this is a huge blow to fans of the classic Sesame Street episodes, but we fear this means worse things for the folks at Sesame Workshop. Is this a sign that HBO is pulling support for the show? We’ll continue watching, and we will hold hope that this is part of a larger Sesame strategy, and not the disaster it’s seeming to be.
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by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
