Advertisement

‘Sesame Street’ returns for a new season with a focus on emotional well-being

A woman with blonde hair in a striped shirt singing with three puppets.
Actor and singer Reneé Rapp with Cookie Monster, Elmo and Abby in Season 55 of “Sesame Street.”
(Richard Termine / Sesame Workshop)

Almost everybody knows the way to “Sesame Street.”

The venerable children’s TV series, which premiered in 1969, enters its 55th season Thursday on Max. The new season comes at a turning point for “Sesame Street,” arriving weeks after Max parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would not renew its distribution agreement with Sesame Workshop, the organization that produces the show. Episodes of the show will remain on the streaming service through 2027, and Season 55 will air on PBS this fall.

Despite the upcoming changes, the show’s mission to educate and engage its young audience remains the same.

“At ‘Sesame Street,’ we pride ourselves on trying to create content that feels very necessary and urgent of the times,” says “Sesame Street” executive producer Sal Perez.

Advertisement

HBO threw ‘Sesame Street’ a lifeline a decade ago, enabling the production of new episodes. Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to stop financing first-run episodes after this season.

New characters and segments have been a part of the evolution of the preschool program over the decades, and to that end, this season will center around an emotional well-being curriculum and how to give children “the tools to talk about their emotions, to name their emotions and to understand what it is that they are feeling and how to deal with it.”

The topic may resonate with young viewers in Los Angeles, as the region reels from devastating wildfires that have affected many families, including ones who had to evacuate, lost their homes or loved ones. (Sesame Workshop has a website with resources on how to talk to your children about emergencies and how to prepare for them.)

A green monster puppet holding a beach ball while looking at a red monster puppet.
This season of “Sesame Street” will focus on emotional well-being, and we get to Elmo experience a range of feelings.
(Richard Termine / Sesame Workshop)
Advertisement

This year’s narrative theme will also lead viewers to see furry, lovable Elmo in a way they haven’t before. Elmo, perhaps the most childlike of the Sesame Street Muppets, gets to show a range of feelings.

“Elmo is sort of the conduit to our audience in a lot of ways,” Perez says. “Kids have all kinds of emotions. They can be happy-go-lucky, but oftentimes they get angry or frustrated. This season, we feature some of those things. We don’t shy away from it.”

It’s part of an effort to show characters modeling positive examples of having and dealing with “very real emotions,” Perez says.

Advertisement

In the season premiere, Elmo gets upset when Rosita’s beach ball knocks over his block tower. He yells at Rosita and exclaims that he wishes they had never played the beach-ball game. A volcano puppet appears to teach Elmo how to take deep, volcano-like breaths, explaining to the little red monster that when you’re angry, it can feel like lava bubbling up inside.

“We think about what is going to make something memorable to a child,” Perez says of the volcano puppet, who will come back throughout the season.

Our world is changing fast. It makes sense that the “Sesame Street” creators want to teach kids to live in that world.

It may be the most emotion Elmo has ever expressed. “I feel like we are pushing him in some ways,” Perez says, before adding with a laugh: “I don’t want to say this is the only time he’s ever been angry. We all know how he feels about Rocco.”

Other segments this season will show Bert upset when Ernie throws him a loud party that he doesn’t want; Rudy’s disappointment when he can’t go to Fairy Camp with his stepsister; Cookie Monster’s nervousness about the first day of cooking school; and Abby getting frustrated when she struggles to learn how to tap dance. The episodes will endeavor to make kids comfortable with their range of emotions.

“We were really trying to be sensitive about what language we use,” Perez says. “There’s some really common language you might use when someone is telling you what’s wrong. Your first reaction is, ‘Oh, it’s OK.’ That sort of language we don’t want to model, because it’s not taking into account the person’s feelings. We want to be able to model for kids how to validate someone’s emotions.”

A man in a brown jacket and black shirt with a purple vampire puppet.
Michael B. Jordan with the Count. The actor is among the guest stars this season.
(Zach Hyman / Sesame Workshop)
Advertisement

As in previous seasons, a slew of celebrities will stop by to interact with the residents of Sesame Street. Reneé Rapp is featured in the premiere, singing that “feelings are real, so let them show.” Later episodes will include several of-the-moment celebrities: Michael B. Jordan, Noah Kahan, Samara Joy, Jonathan Van Ness, Billie Jean King and Chris Stapleton. Jordan, who was on the show as a child, will be part of a Kwanzaa segment. Kahan will perform a song about being kind to yourself and was also part of a social media segment where he interacts with a stick puppet, a reference to his hit song “Stick Season.”

This season will also see the introduction of “Mecha Builders,” animated STEM-themed shorts that feature robotic versions of Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby. “When we do bring animation into the show, we think about what is going to be something that feels different and what is something that we just can’t do in live-action,” Perez says. “Thinking of our characters as mecha versions of themselves really allowed us to play with them in a much different sandbox.” The premiere episode finds the trio using a megaphone to understand how sound travels, and another segment has them figuring out how a net will stop a soccer ball from getting away.

PBS’ new animated children’s program, debuting Thursday, is the first time the public broadcaster has centered a series on a neurodiverse character.

What comes next for “Sesame Street” and its distribution once the deal with Warner Bros ends is still unknown. “Hopefully, we will have more news to share relatively soon,” Perez says.

For now, the “Sesame Street” team is at work on Season 56. Viewers will notice some changes next season, particularly more of a focus on core characters, including Elmo, Abby, Cookie Monster and Grover.

“In Season 56, [we are thinking about] what are the characters we want to be a little more consistent with in the stories that we do,” he says. “But characters aren’t going away. We are going to see Big Bird. We are going to see Bert and Ernie and everybody in the neighborhood in a lot of different ways.”

Advertisement
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top