We have larger concerns heading into 2025, but I can't let go of the idea that the next season of Sesame Street could be its last. So I wrote about why the kids' TV institution is still vital after more than 50 years:
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It is kinda depressing that many of the values and lessons you talk about in the piece are things that a good chunk of the country has decided they actively don't want children to learn because of woke. Dearly hope there is still a place for it.
Zaslev is also (I suspect) the reason that HGTV and Food Network no longer produce much new programming. It’s wall to wall House Hunters and baking championships all the time now. So boring. There’s no incentive to pay for this garbage.
It didn't. The show still airs on PBS, but MAX gets first-run episodes and they air later on PBS. PBS could no longer fund the production costs of the show, so it needed (and needs to again) find a paid streaming partner.
A few years ago I saw Bob, Luis, Gordon, and Carol (Big Bird) on a panel at Dragon Con. It was in a packed ballroom. When people got up to the audience mic to ask questions, it was testimonial after testimonial about how SSt shaped their lives. Almost everyone was openly sobbing, it was so moving.
I started watching it day one, in 1969 (age one). My mom swears I was reading second grade level by Kindergarten all due to Seasame Street. I still love it at 56.
Literally the exact same, there from the very beginning. Between Sesame Street and pre-school they wanted me to skip kindergarten and first grade. And I STILL remember the songs and animations.
Same here! This show made all the difference for me in both early reading and math skills. It was obvious the difference among my peer group who had watched Sesame Street and who hadn’t.
Perhaps forcing Congressional Republicans, in the style of A Clockwork Orange, to watch the video of Mr. Rogers testifying before the House for hours on end might help?
Almost certain that Max went to Sesame Street and said, "Here's how much we'd like to spend going forward" and Children's Workshop said, "Look, we have offers from Disney, Apple TV, Amazon, and Netflix that are all larger than that, by a lot."
And until the contract is done, no one can announce.
I found myself just as concerned about the creative decisions the current EP is making as I was the overall outlook in the recent WP article. They’re right: there ARE too many characters now. Ditching the originals like Bert and Ernie is NOT the answer. They did a focus group of kids…
To see if they knew Big Bird, B&E, and Oscar. And they didn’t. Why? Because they had largely pushed them to the background for years, so of course these kids didn’t know who they were. Apparently wanting to keep them is just “nostalgia”. To which I say bullshit. What was clear from the article…
Is that these classic characters can still be super relevant for telling the types of moral-based stories Sesame Street was known for. The EP and head writer just don’t get it. If we want to save Sesame Street, we may need to first save it from misguided leadership.
PBS was no longer able to meet the production costs for Sesame Street. To be clear: the show STILL airs on PBS, but first-run episodes go to MAX and then later to PBS. But without a streaming partner to help fund production, the show is in trouble.
The Republican (MAGA) Party eliminated funding from PBS for over 40 years. Pledge drives used to be annually on that network, and now it's 3 to 4 times a year. Again, the reason is no funding.
If the trump crime syndicate shuts down the Dept. Of Ed., Sesame Street will be the only place for underprivileged kids to learn at home. Republicans are trying to destroy every part of our education system. They must be stopped
It launched when I was in high school and teenagers raced home to catch it. It was such a breath of fresh air. Vibrant, embracing, informative and needed now more than ever.
Glad an experienced TV critic is discussing this. Not a fan of Disney but they could pick it up. Mark Cuban could score big PR points by financing. Also crowdsourcing could help.
Thank you for this article. As a former watcher, but without kiddos myself, I didn't know of some of the great works they've been doing recently. Your article was a gift of joy today, and also a gift of hope
An online friend just bought up all the SS DVD sets she could, because she couldn't bear the idea that her (eventual) grandchildren would grow up without it.
Luckily there's almost a zero percent chance that's going to happen. Amazon or Apple will pick up new episodes even at a loss... hell, Amazon already co-produces most of PBS's kids shows anyways.
this is not a luckily scenario. More people need to get PBS and local public television memberships so that PBS doesn't need to relay on Amazon for production and distribution.
It keeps PBS on the air. I don’t see government funding increasing and since the live audiences are dwindling so are the donations. I’d like your way to work but it simply is not going to happen. Live TV is dying.
Unpopular opinion: it’s okay if TV shows die. I enjoyed Sesame Street growing up and my preschooler enjoys the old books, but it’ll be okay if the series ends
Its not like, the x-files, where theres a narrative arc that needs to be wrapped up, its childrens educational programming. If you shutter sesame street you either replace it with something that does the same thing (redundant) or leave a void (bad)
Sorry to hear this. There may be a way out. Big Bird knows stuff about Bugs Bunny. Serious ****. I know Big Bird is kind-hearted and doesn't want to get involved in litigation, but there's a "Birdees Too" moment here. Could get Warner Bros to rethink.
A year ago, Project 2025 seemed absurd but a lot of good journalists were warning us.
It boggles my mind to think that people believed Trump when he pretended not to be involved .
They never left PBS, actually. They agreed to a distribution deal that still allowed them to air episodes on PBS for free, just on a delayed time-frame. I personally feel this was a better choice than simply shutting down the show, but I agree it is an indicator they needed funding.
My general observation after reading this thread is a lot of the people who are worried about the future of Sesame Street are basing their argument on the nostalgia they remember from watching the show as children. PBS Kids has some wonderful newer programming that is worthy of carrying the torch
Thanks for writing about this, Alan. I love Sesame Street and was so sad when I read about phasing out some OG characters, but even more sad at the idea of it disappearing. Hopefully someone will save it 😩
Something just hit me - in that first scene where Gordon introduces Sally to Sesame Street, Gordon was played by Matt Robinson, a writer-actor who helped develop the show.
After he left CTW he worked on a local show in Philly called Candy Apple News Company, which I recall watching as a kid.
The Washington Post recently did a big feature on one of the things you touch on in your piece - how Sesame Workshop continues to research and retool the show in order to meet the needs of today's kids, even if that means moving away from things older people remember and treasure.
But it’s still owned by Sesame Street workshop as it always has been? WB simply had distribution rights? This of course supported production costs that PBS can’t handle entirely, which they’re going to find elsewhere… why the doom and gloom angle? 🤔
They just gave Trump $15 million & an apology for accurately summing up a judgement against him that has now been triple upheld out of nothing but fealty & hoped favor in his fascist term. They aren’t doing anything for the public good.
I realize this won’t happen with Republicans in charge, but Sesame Street should be nationalized, given a budget, and released to PBS and the Library of Congress. If we can declare a forest or a valley a national treasure, then we can call a bunch of educational puppets one too.
Whoever decided to cancel Sesame Street should have to explain, in person, to Big Bird why they're not being the person he remembers once loved him, what happened to that kid, and why they're not being the person he knows they can be.
Based on the article, the American public has decided it because they just aren't watching it anymore, nor are they buying the merchandise. Really interesting piece, but also kinda sad. It's an institution, and one I hope survives, as few things in children's entertainment care as much about kids.
A FB friend was bragging on herself for getting her news from NPR. She didn’t seem to worried about its funding stream and independence under the new administration. Wonder if she’s worried yet.
Fall, either 1969 or 1970: Our elementary school teacher wheels in one of those big old TVs into the classroom and tells us we're too old for what she's about to show us, but that it's going to change the future of education. And we watch that first hour of the show and she's right on both counts
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If MAGA is going to accuse Big Bird of indoctrinating children, may as well lean into it.
Just need the internet.
And until the contract is done, no one can announce.
Wait. Maybe move sesame Street to YouTube. Call it Miss Big Bird.
She's always smiling and she's proud of me. Which sexually frustrated dad doesn't need a little of that?
https://www.youtube.com/live/onc9xVolE9U?feature=shared
What about the Tippy Tais?
Save Sesame Street from the Hatriots
My kids never watched Sesame Street. I tried.
That was the beginning of VCR'S.
Instead, they watched Disney, Barney, and other stuff.
Sesame Street 💙
https://bsky.app/profile/robvo.bsky.social/post/3leces4r43s23
It boggles my mind to think that people believed Trump when he pretended not to be involved .
Maybe Abigail Disney? Don't see why you couldn't get a well-funded Trust set up if you can line up a host to distribute it.
After he left CTW he worked on a local show in Philly called Candy Apple News Company, which I recall watching as a kid.
Woke and proud of it.
We should really be promoting and preserving the earlier years, and celebrating its triumphs.
The later seasons dilute its effectiveness in the public eye, making it appear nothing more than another colorful Peppa Pig.
It's not the same Sesame Street we knew and loved, it's a zombie now.