For generations, Sesame Street has been a cornerstone of children’s television, nurturing young minds and fostering a love of learning. If you’re wondering, “Is Sesame Street Still On?”, the answer is a resounding yes! Not only is Sesame Street still on, but it’s also gearing up for a significant and exciting refresh as it heads into its 56th season in 2025. Fans of Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the whole gang can look forward to a revitalized show designed to captivate and educate today’s children.
According to Steve Youngwood, CEO of Sesame Workshop, these changes are about evolution and taking “slightly bigger steps, while still staying core to who we are.” In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Youngwood emphasized the need to “step back and think bigger about how we evolve” the show to ensure its continued relevance and impact.
A Fresh Format for a New Generation
The most notable update coming to Sesame Street is a shift away from its traditional “magazine”-style format. For years, viewers have been accustomed to a fast-paced mix of segments, but season 56 will introduce a structure built around two longer, narrative-driven stories. These expanded segments will be complemented by a brand-new animated series called Tales From 123.
Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive VP and Chief Creative Development and Production Officer at Sesame Workshop, describes these changes as a “reimagining” of the show. The new format will feature two 11-minute story segments, with Tales From 123 nestled in between. This extended storytelling time promises to bring more depth and complexity to the narratives.
Wilson Stallings explains that the longer format allows for more “dynamic” and “sophisticated” stories, potentially incorporating both an “A” story focusing on a central character’s journey and a “B” story adding lighter, character-driven moments. The goal is to weave both narratives together to reinforce the episode’s educational focus. This evolution acknowledges children’s engagement with emotionally resonant stories and the need for sufficient time to explore these themes effectively. As Wilson Stallings notes, “Kids love a little bit of peril, they love having emotional stakes, and in nine minutes, it’s kind of hard to really dive into those areas really effectively.”
This format overhaul represents the most significant change to Sesame Street since 2016, when the show transitioned from an hour-long to a 30-minute format. Even with the shorter runtime, the magazine-style approach remained, featuring familiar segments like the “street scene,” “letter or number of the day,” and “Elmo’s World.”
More Than Just Longer Stories: Enhanced Engagement
Beyond the structural shift, Sesame Street is incorporating other engaging elements. Each episode will now feature a signature song, with plans to invite well-known singers to contribute. Additionally, the Muppet characters will directly address the camera, fostering a more personal connection with the young audience at home.
Tales From 123: Exploring a Beloved Location
The introduction of Tales From 123 offers a unique opportunity for viewers to delve deeper into the world of Sesame Street. This animated series will, for the first time, take audiences inside the iconic apartment building at 123 Sesame Street. Wilson Stallings describes it as exploring “beyond the stoop” to reveal where “monsters and humans and fairies and dinosaurs and talking numbers and letters and even food will call home.” This expansion promises to enrich the Sesame Street universe and offer fresh perspectives on beloved characters.
Tales From 123 is envisioned as a five-minute animated segment featuring core Sesame Street characters, designed to be character-driven and humorous, highlighting the best qualities of the Muppets. While not directly linked to the main episode’s “A” or “B” stories, it adds another layer of entertainment and character development. Sesame Workshop sees potential for this animated series to grow into its own spin-off project in the future.
Staying True to its Mission: Evolution and Innovation
These changes are rooted in the philosophy of Joan Ganz Cooney, Sesame Street‘s co-creator and founder of Sesame Workshop. Cooney viewed Sesame Street as an ongoing “experiment,” advocating for continuous assessment and adaptation to remain relevant to children and their evolving needs. This commitment to innovation ensures that Sesame Street continues to deliver on its educational curriculum in a way that resonates with contemporary audiences.
As Sesame Street approaches the end of its five-year deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), these creative updates coincide with negotiations for its next distribution agreement. Currently, new episodes debut on WBD’s Max streaming service before airing on PBS after a nine-month delay. Season 56 and the refreshed Sesame Street will premiere on whichever platform secures the rights, whether it remains with WBD and Max or finds a new home.
Youngwood points out that the timing is opportune: “The fact that it aligns with where we go after the current Warner deal is over, it just happens to be where the timing is.” He emphasizes the constant drive to remain relevant and provide audiences with “reasons to watch the new [episodes], while they can still watch the library.”
The extensive Sesame Street library, despite some content removals from HBO Max, remains a valuable asset. Youngwood argues that this rich history is advantageous, offering both new experiences and nostalgic content for different generations. He emphasizes the need to “take a brand that people trust, and make sure you do it in a fresh and new and exciting way” to ensure Sesame Street‘s longevity for decades to come. Recent polls affirm Sesame Street‘s enduring brand strength, ranking it highly in “Trust,” “Quality,” “Fun,” and “Dependable.”
Sesame Workshop’s broader strategy involves expanding beyond the flagship show, creating content for platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Roblox, and podcasts. These initiatives, along with corporate partnerships, demonstrate a commitment to reaching children across diverse media landscapes. While acknowledging the show’s central role, Youngwood states, “The show is core to who we are, but we can’t be a TV company,” highlighting the necessary evolution to meet audiences where they are in the digital age.
So, to answer the question “is Sesame Street still on?” definitively – yes, and it’s evolving in exciting ways to continue its legacy of educating and entertaining children for years to come. Get ready for a refreshed Sesame Street in season 56, promising deeper stories, new adventures, and the same beloved characters you’ve always cherished.
