The new season premieres Nov. 10, exactly 56 years after the show’s original debut on PBS in 1969.
Netflix released the first trailer for the reimagined 56th season of “Sesame Street,” marking the beloved children’s program’s debut on the streaming platform after leaving HBO Max.
The new season premieres Nov. 10, exactly 56 years after the show’s original debut on PBS in 1969. Episodes will stream globally on Netflix in more than 30 languages and will be released simultaneously on PBS stations, the PBS Kids Channel and PBS Kids digital platforms in the United States.
The Netflix iteration features significant format changes from previous seasons. Episodes will now center on 11-minute story segments, up from nine minutes in previous years, allowing writers to incorporate a musical element in each episode. The show has abandoned its long-running magazine-style format in favor of more narrative-driven content.
“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,” said executive producer Sal Perez in a statement. “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.”
The season will feature new segments including Cookie Monster’s Cookie Cart and Abby’s Fairy Garden, which showcases magical creatures. Classic segments like Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck will return. Episodes will also include direct-to-camera moments where characters speak to viewers.
Halcyon Person, an Emmy, Humanitas and NAACP Award nominee, joins as head writer and co-executive producer. Person previously served as head writer for Netflix’s “Karma’s World” and “Dee & Friends in Oz.”
Netflix will release the season’s episodes in three volumes, with four episodes dropping at a time. NASCAR champion Bubba Wallace will appear as a guest star in the first volume. The season will also feature upcoming appearances by Miley Cyrus.
The streaming deal comes after Warner Bros. Discovery declined to renew its contract to produce new episodes for HBO Max in December 2024. Sesame Street had moved to HBO in 2016 after decades on PBS, with episodes later streaming on HBO Max starting in 2020. The initial HBO deal, signed in 2015, was extended in 2019.
Sesame Workshop, the global nonprofit organization that produces the show, serves as the production company. Kay Wilson Stallings joins Perez as executive producer.
Since its 1969 debut, “Sesame Street” has become television’s most awarded children’s program, garnering more than 200 Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards and a Kennedy Center Honor. The show reaches families in more than 150 countries.
Netflix will also gain rights to develop video games based on “Sesame Street” and “Sesame Street Mecha Builders.” The platform will additionally stream 90 hours of previous episodes.
