Sesame Street is coming! As previously reported, the show’s 46th season will premiere on HBO on January 16, 2016. There are some changes and some new developments on the street, and Sesame Workshop has released a bunch of info. We already knew that the show is now 30 minutes long, and there’s a newly redesigned street set (watch our video tour here!), but the press release has more details, including the fact that “every segment in an episode will be tied to that day’s theme, providing preschoolers with a stimulating and cohesive learning experience.” Better than a boring, sloppy learning experience, I suppose.
Other new things:
-A new opening! The new opening briefly popped up on YouTube yesterday, but the video was quickly made private. But now you can see the whole thing as part of this highlight reel, which also features glimpses of Prairie Dawn, Super Grover, and Tracee Ellis Ross in bed with Big Bird:
-Cookie Monster stars in a new segment called “Smart Cookies,” alongside a team of “crime-fighting cookie friends,” who seek to “thwart the continued efforts of The Crumb, a villain with many tricks up his sleeve.” Cookie Monster working with a team of cookies sounds like trouble, doesn’t it? On the other hand, I don’t think Sesame Street has ever covered the “Don’t eat your co-workers” curriculum before, so it could be valuable. Here’s a preview of “Smart Cookies”:
-There’s a new human cast member. The press release says:
“Nina,” a young, bilingual, Hispanic woman, uses her wit, compassion and charisma to help the furry residents of Sesame Street solve 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.
Look at Nina, working two jobs. But say, aren’t those places where Leela and Luis work? Hmm…
-As usual, a zillion celebrities will drop by, many of whom, I, an unhip nerd, have actually heard of! They include:
Gwen Stefani singing “Be a Good Friend;” Pharrell singing “B is for Book:” Nick Jonas singing “Check that Shape;” 5th Harmony 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.
-There’s a new closing song, which reiterates the show’s new insistence on making your kids smarter, stronger, and kinder, whether you like it or not. Here’s what that looks like:
-Of course, a new season also means new street stories, where the real drama and pathos and excitement happens. There’s an episode list here. Notably, some of the street stories are repeated from previous episodes. Which is interesting, because I thought part of the whole HBO deal was that they could afford to make more new material. What’s up with that?
The new season premieres on HBO on January 16, 2016. Mark your calendar!
Click here to complain that you won’t get to see the new episodes on PBS for nine months on the Tough Pigs forum!
by Ryan Roe – Ryan@ToughPigs.com
