by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The news broke last week via The Hollywood Reporter Sesame Street It will soon be without a direct-to-home broadcast after Warner Bros Discovery decided not to renew the show's contract with HBO. Since 2018, the most popular educational children's program in history has been part of HBO, and later of Max, where it will remain, or at least should remain, until 2027, when its broadcast contract expires. But what this contract doesn't cover are new seasons, with Season 55 being the last season available on Max, and the fate of Season 56 is up in the air.
Sesame Street Homeless
Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav may be making shareholders happy with his cost-cutting measures. However, it has succeeded in angering thousands, if not millions, of consumers. By pulling entire animation shows Top Without licensing it to another company, the number of shows that may never see the light of day again increased under his leadership. Sesame StreetDespite being an American institution, it has not been spared from cost cutting, as hundreds of episodes have already been withdrawn from Max.
Although he was under the supervision of Zaslav Sesame Street Cleared, the sheer quantity of episodes, more than 5,000, appeals to others My neighbor Services that aren't run by a CEO who believes the best way to gain viewership is through another spin-off Royal brothers. Sesame Workshop, the independent company behind the series, still has its deal with PBS. The public radio station has been under fire for years over potential federal budget cuts, and even if it continues, its future is uncertain. He could no longer support the show alone, hence the need for a broadcast partner.
Sesame Street is going through big changes
Season 56 of Sesame Street That may not happen for a while, but when it does, it will not only be the first of new seasons with a new streaming partner, but it will also be a dramatic change in format. The series' classic short-form style is being repurposed into shorter episodes with more narrative. Tales from 123. The show has changed before, dropping from 60 minutes in 2016 to 30 minutes, but no matter what happens, Elmo's hatred for Rocco will have to carry over.
The shift to more narrative segments involving world-building may be a response to the current king of children's programming, bluishthe incredibly charming Australian program about what life with kids is really like. The difference between the two is that Sesame Street It's more like a traditional classroom, with each part focusing on a lesson to learn, and while it's fun, it's clearly taught thanks to the Muppet characters. bluish Encourages a different kind of learning, focused more on understanding the world and the importance of play in children's development, both of which are exceptional together; They're some of the best shows ever made, but it's clear why the older PBS series has changed again over time.
No one knows what Warner Bros. is doing
Warner Bros. passes Discovery is also going through a period of change, which is why the leadership decided to do so Sesame Street It no longer fits the type of content they want on Max. Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Elmo, Abby, Rosita, Bert, Ernie and all the others have been sent to the streets because Warner Bros Discovery wants to focus on “family” shows, like the upcoming one. Harry Potter A series no one asked for.
Someone, either Amazon or… Netflixlikely to scoop Sesame Streetbut until 2027, the series' entire back catalog will be confined to Max, meaning you can count on whoever picks up the show to have a big celebration when all 5,000-plus episodes are available again, while Zaslav meanwhile wonders why Max He is the laughing stock of the live streaming industry.
