Sesame Street has been saved months after its surprise 'cancellation' by Warner Bros. Discovery
Six months after Warner Bros. Discovery surprisingly 'canceled' the beloved and long-running children's show Sesame Street, Netflix has come aboard to save it.
The series has aired on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) since its debut back in 1969, though it moved to HBO following a new deal in 2016.
The five-year deal was renewed in 2019 and the show was moved to HBO Max in 2020.
New episodes would air on the streaming service exclusively for nine months, with episodes airing on PBS after that nine-month window.
That all changed when HBO and its streaming service opted out of the output deal they had with Sesame Street back in December, with the show's 55th season debuting on HBO Max back in January.
Now the show has a new home in Netflix, with the streaming service announcing on Monday that the 56th season will debut later this year.
Not only will the new season debut on Netflix sometime in 2025, but they will also be adding over 90 hours of Sesame Street episodes as well.
The streaming service also teased that the season will showcase, 'fresh format changes,' with the episodes becoming more focused.
Each of the new 11-minute episodes will, 'now center on one 11-minute story, allowing for even more character-driven humor and heart,' according to the Netflix release.
They also touted the return of, 'fan-favorite segments like Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck.'
The beloved Cookie Monster character will be opening his new Cookie Cart on Sesame Street, while Abby's Fairy Garden will also provide, 'a home to surprising and delightful magical creatures.'
Unlike the HBO deal, which forced viewers to pay for a subscription to watch the latest episodes, Netflix will also air their new Sesame Street episodes day-and-date in the United States on PBS TV stations and on PBS Kids digital platforms as well, 'bringing critical early learning to children throughout the country for free.'
Sal Perez and Kay Wilson Stallings serving as executive producers, with Emmy, Humanitas, and NAACP Award nominee Halcyon Person (Karma's World, Dee & Friends in Oz) comes aboard as the show's new head writer.
HBO Max will continue to license episodes from the Sesame Street library through the year 2027.
'This unique public-private partnership will enable Sesame Workshop to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix's global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the U.S. continue to have free access on public television to the Sesame Street they love,' Sesame Workshop CEO Sherri Westin said in a statement.
'I strongly believe that our educational programming for children is one of the most important aspects of our service to the American people, and Sesame Street has been an integral part of that critical work for more than half a century,' added Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS.
'We're proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come,' Kerger concluded.
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