Sesame Street is a live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry-based children’s television program created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. Since the start of Season 1 in 2018, Benjamin Lehmann has served as the executive producer, and things have changed continuously.
Beginning on November 10, 1969, the show ran for 52 seasons, ending in 2021. Throughout 52 seasons, it has aired 4,591 episodes and received generally favorable reviews from critics and viewers. The creators have decided to continue the show for a 53rd season in light of the positive reviews. So when will the 53rd season of Sesame Street air? What format is it in? Who would return to play those same roles? For more information, keep reading.
Sesame Street Season 53 Release Date
Sesame Street’s 52nd season debuted in November 2021, and a 53rd season was later added. Season 53 should be available by the end of 2022. The new season’s episode count has not yet been determined. In the coming months, the producers still have not provided any additional information about Season 53.
Sesame Street Season 53 Storyline
Initially, Sesame Street’s basic structure incorporated components of commercial television, such as music, humor, steady action, and a distinctive visual aesthetic. They used both live-action and animated short films. The staff also created studio-shot segments featuring their human and Muppet cast and hired independent producers to create animations and short films.
The series’ creators altered its format from the 1990s, aimed it at younger viewers, and ran it differently from the other seasons. By 2002, the producers had made additional changes to reflect the younger audience and the rising sophistication of their audience. Then, the structure was changed to a narrative format to make it simpler for kids to understand.
Sesame Street Season 53 Cast
Joan Ganz-Cooney was selected as the CTW’s initial executive director shortly after being established in 1968. She was a pioneer for women in executive positions in American television. According to the article, one of the most significant television developments of the decade was her appointment. She put together a group of producers who had contributed to Captain Kangaroo.
Jon Stone handled writing, casting, and format; Dave Connell directed the animation, and the main point of contact between the production team and the research team was Sam Gibbon. Since the first episode of Sesame Street in 1969, cameraman Frankie Biondo has been employed there.
When he and Cooney first connected at one of the curriculum planning seminars in Boston, Jim Henson and the Muppets became involved with Sesame Street. According to author Christopher Finch, Stone, who had previously collaborated with Henson, believed they should “make do without puppets” if they could not bring him on board. Despite his initial reluctance, Henson decided to join Sesame Street to advance his social objectives. He also consented to forego his performance fee in exchange for full ownership of the Sesame Street Muppets and a 50/50 revenue split with the CTW.
As Morrow noted, Henson’s puppets played a significant role in the show’s success and helped to make him a household name. According to Davis, Henson transformed “arcane academic goals” into “effective and enjoyable viewing.” Early studies gave the Muppet segments of the program high ratings, and during the first few seasons, more Muppets were added. According to Morrow, the Muppets were a successful educational tool because kids could quickly identify them. They were stereotypical, predictable, and appealing to adults and older children.
The creative geniuses that Sesame Street attracted, including Jim Henson, Joe Raposo, and Frank Oz, who intuitively understood what it takes to connect with children, are what the show is most famous for. They were Dr. Seuss, L. Frank Baum and Beatrix Potter on television.
Despite choosing to cast a variety of actors from different ethnic backgrounds as Sesame Street’s hosts rather than relying on a single host, the producers came to the realization that a children’s television program needed to have “a variety of distinctive and reliable personalities,” both human and Muppet. The show’s first cast was chosen by Jon Stone, whose objective was to cast white actors in underrepresented minority groups. He didn’t hold actor auditions until the spring of 1969, just before the five test shows were scheduled to be shot.
The auditions were captured on video, and Ed Palmer took the tapes outside to gauge how kids would respond to them. Casting decisions were made based on who received the “most enthusiastic thumbs up.” For instance, Loretta Long was selected for the role of Susan after the kids who attended her audition rose to their feet and sang along with her performance of “I’m a Little Teapot.”
According to Stone, the only aspect of the show that was “just completely haphazard” was casting. Through their connections with Stone and the other producers, the majority of the cast and crew were able to land jobs on Sesame Street. The cast and crew of the show were known for their longevity, according to puppeteer Marty Robinson in 2019.
Children were incorporated into many scenes because, according to the CTW’s research, young viewers and listeners preferred them to puppets and adults. These kids were not professional actors; they were unscripted and spontaneous because Dave Connell insisted that no children be used as actors.
Many of their responses were erratic and challenging to control, but the adult cast learned to adapt to the kids’ fancy, even when it meant deviating from the script or lesson. The children’s hesitations and on-air errors served as models for viewers, according to CTW research. In Morrow’s opinion, this gave the show a “fresh quality,” especially in its early years.
Chris Knowings, Suki Lopez, Alan Muraoka, Violet Tinnirello, Chris Costa, Olivia Perez, and Alex Weisman are expected to lead in the Season 53 cast. It is anticipated that any new additions will be announced soon.
Where To Watch Sesame Street Season 53 Online?
Seasons 35 through 51 are currently available on Amazon Prime Video, a great option if you don’t mind skipping the earlier seasons. However, you would have to watch earlier seasons on Apple TV+ and Google Play. The only catch is that not every season is available on Google Play or Apple TV+, and those available are not necessarily ordered sequentially.
Seasons 1, 5, 15, 25, 35–51 are available on Apple TV+, while Seasons 1, 5, 7, 39–49, and 52 are available on Google Play. Possibly more seasons will be added to these sites soon.
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