|
HBO and show producers said on Tuesday that Muppets Elmo,
Cookie Monster and Big Bird will be joined by real-life
character Nina - a young, bilingual Latina who works at the
laundromat and bike store - when the educational series arrives
at its new home on Jan. 16.
Episodes will be cut by half to 30 minutes, the set has been "reimagined"
and the theme song has been given a "new upbeat update," they
said in a statement.
"Families will see fun and fresh changes to 'Sesame Street' and
can depend on their favorite Muppet friends to provide them with
engaging and educational content,” said Brown Johnson, creative
director of Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the
45-year-old show.
HBO and Sesame Workshop announced in August that they had struck
a five-year partnership that will make new seasons of "Sesame
Street" available first on HBO and its on-demand and mobile
services.
"Sesame Street" had previously been broadcast in the United
States on publicly funded PBS, which is free of charge to TV
viewers. Under the deal, new episodes of the show will run on
PBS starting in the fall of 2016.
Aimed at pre-schoolers, "Sesame Street" created Muppets like
Elmo that have become cultural icons around the world. The show
has won more than 150 Emmy awards and is broadcast in some 140
nations.
In the new season, Big Bird has a new nest, Cookie Monster has
moved above Hooper's Store, and Elmo has moved into the 123
Sesame Street brownstone house.
The series is known as much for its celebrity cameos as its
regular characters and the new season will see appearances by
singers Gwen Stefani, Pharrell, Nick Jonas and Sara Bareilles.
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
|
