(courtesy First Showing)
SNAPSHOT
‘Season 56 reimagines Sesame Street, inviting children into the action and bringing them hand-in-hand through high-stakes stories, powerful learning moments, and laugh-out-loud surprises. And, as always, Sesame Street’s curriculum is designed to meet children’s most pressing needs — so our focus this season is on kindness and compassion, something we can all use more of today.’ (Executive Producer Sal Perez)Each episode will feature interactive, immersive, and visually engaging 11-minute stories that put young viewers at the center of the action. Episodes will drop in 3 volumes and the feature guest appearance in the first volume is professional race car driver and NASCAR champion Bubba Wallace. Throughout the season, Sesame Street friends will explore compassion, kindness, and social problem-solving in ways little ones can relate to — whether it’s learning to take turns, cheering up a friend, or finding ways to solve problems together. Sesame Street originally launched on TV on November 10th, 1969 and for the first time, the new reimagined season will launch on Netflix in 30+ languages offering more options globally for fans to enjoy the beloved show. Netflix’s Sesame Street series is executive produced / showrun by Sal Perez, who has been working on & producing the show since 2008. New head writer & co-exec producer Halcyon Person, an Emmy, Humanitas, NAACP Award-nominated TV maker who’s worked as a writer, director & producer for everything from preschool to late night. Produced by Sesame Workshop. (courtesy First Showing)
I may well and truly out of the target demo for Sesame Street, but there was a time, some 55 years ago, when, as a newly arrived kid back in Australia after some time living in then-East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) with my family, this wondrous program was my ticket to not only TV as a concept but to how wondrously good it could be.
And in the many years since, my affection for the show has remained constant, sitting with nieces and nephews as they learnt their ABCs and their 123s and how to be a well-rounded, caring human being, and appreciating just how valuable a show like this for all kinds of kids.
So, I’m overjoyed that after HBO ended its association with Sesame Street – it still airs on US public network PBS where it’s been telecast since 1970 – that it has found a new home on Netflix where it will reach even more kids in more languages and continue its wonderful mission to make this world a far better place than it might otherwise be.
Sesame Street S56 debuts on Netflix on 10 November.