Sesame Street shrinks to 30 minutes, new shows will premiere on HBO and PBS nine months later

[Drtooth]

Hmmm. I checked both season 43 and 44, and even then the number of new episodes was over 18. So there's clearly some mistake here.

But I still wonder about the 46th season. I'd gather the half hour format must've been in consideration for a while, but everything about the HBO deal suggests it was much more eleventh hour. Does it then mean if 46 is to premiere on HBO that extra episodes that PBS didn't order will be put into production soon enough, or will their initial HBO season just have the amount shot for PBS? Or did they do that thing where they film 2 seasons worth of material in one sitting?

Anyway, I'd love to see a half hour version change the format, especially if HBO is at the helm. Wishful hoping, it would be great to see the street story broken up to 2 parts, one at the beginning and one at the end with the letters, numbers, and additional segments in the middle. I'd bet realistically they'd get rid of the Murray tune ins and maybe the letter and number of the day intros to free up some time. I'd hate to see it come out of the street story because short street stories can have weak flow, like Everyday Magic.

In the end, I'm very glad Abby's Flying School got the boot (due only in part to overuse of reruns, I actually liked the segment, just felt it was out of place), but I'm kinda disappointed about Super Grover 2.0 (even though it was as guilty of reruns as Abby), Crumby Pictures, and ...yes...even Elmo the Musical. While I made a big deal about both the half hour shortening and the HBO partnership, the more I hear the more I'm completely comfortable with it. This could very well be a new chapter in Sesame Street, and I think it's time I stay on the positive side until I find anything otherwise.

That said... I wonder. I wonder if to fill the 9 month gap, PBS and SW would consider something similar to Sesame Amigos (obviously in English) made entirely out of segments to create "new" footage to suppress the number of reruns they have to make and or air. But that sounds like that could be too different a format from the regular half hours.

 

[Oscarfan]

In the end, I'm very glad Abby's Flying School got the boot (due only in part to overuse of reruns, I actually liked the segment, just felt it was out of place), but I'm kinda disappointed about Super Grover 2.0 (even though it was as guilty of reruns as Abby), Crumby Pictures, and ...yes...even Elmo the Musical. While I made a big deal about both the half hour shortening and the HBO partnership, the more I hear the more I'm completely comfortable with it. This could very well be a new chapter in Sesame Street, and I think it's time I stay on the positive side until I find anything otherwise.

That said... I wonder. I wonder if to fill the 9 month gap, PBS and SW would consider something similar to Sesame Amigos (obviously in English) made entirely out of segments to create "new" footage to suppress the number of reruns they have to make and or air. But that sounds like that could be too different a format from the regular half hours.

I'd assume Crumby Pictures and Super Grover 2.0 will still be around. They're used in the current half-hour shows. It is a shame about ETM, though.

What's odd to me is that HBO wants a Sesame Muppet spin-off, when virtually, every long-form segment is technically a spin-off, as they air on their own internationally.

 

[minor muppetz]

What's odd to me is that HBO wants a Sesame Muppet spin-off, when virtually, every long-form segment is technically a spin-off, as they air on their own internationally.

I wonder what kind of spin-off it should be. Something like Play with Me Sesame? Something with all of the main Muppet characters? Something with just one or two or so characters?

When I first heard about this, before I heard that HBO is desiring a Muppet spin-off, I wondered if it would have been best to just end Sesame Street and introduce a new spin-off featuring the Sesame Street Muppet characters. Preferably keeping the Sesame name somehow, even if the street setting isn't used (Sesame World sounds like a good title, though it sounds more appropriate for a show that features content from Sesame Street and every co-production... and I feel like such a show should be an hour-long).

I feel like the format should change a little, having the street story in two 5-10-minute segments at the beginning and end, and various segments in the middle. I'm thinking a structure like this:

• Street story, part 1
• Number segments
• any kind of segment
• One of the six-minute segments (Cookie's Crumby Pictures, Super Grover 2.0)
• any kind of segment
• Letter segments
• Street story, part 2

I had wondered if the "spin-off" should be a special "Best of Sesame Street" half-hour show... And as I was thinking up shows in my head, I spent less time on what I would do (fill the show with classic material each half-hour) and instead having it feature Cookie's Crumby Pictures, Super Grover 2.0, Abby's Flying Fairy School, Bert & Ernie's Great Adventures, and Elmo the Musical (the show would go over 30 minutes if all of those were included per show).

 

[Oscarfan]

One of the articles about the deal said there will still be an "opening street story," so I'm pretty sure it'll be the long story, followed by a series of inserts.

 

[Drtooth]

What's odd to me is that HBO wants a Sesame Muppet spin-off, when virtually, every long-form segment is technically a spin-off, as they air on their own internationally.

As in, the entire show would be Muppet focused but virtually the same?

I don't know how to feel about that.

 

[Oscarfan]

As in, the entire show would be Muppet focused but virtually the same?

I don't know how to feel about that.

All they've said is that it will focus on a Muppet character from the show. That's it.

 

[Drtooth]

Totally confused by the vagueness here. The spin off will be the show or in addition to the show. Just want to clear that up.

I'd hate it to become the Elmo show literally, not in an Elmo detractor sense.

 

[Oscarfan]

Totally confused by the vagueness here. The spin off will be the show or in addition to the show. Just want to clear that up.

I'd hate it to become the Elmo show literally, not in an Elmo detractor sense.

It will be in addition to the show. I'm wagering it'd be based around Elmo, Abby or Cookie. Maybe even Murray and Ovejita and their adventures in the real world.

 

[Drtooth]

Thanks for clearing that up. I really do like the idea of a spinoff show in addition to the half hour version.

 

[Rugratskid]

If the spin-off was based around Ernie and Bert, I don't know if I could take it (that would be 100% amazing!) Doubt that'll happen though. This sounds way more like a blessing then a curse, for many reasons people probably already said..

- More episodes a year
- A spin-off
- They still air on PBS, just later
- And others I forgot!

You know what would be odd but cool? If they decided to air the longer sketches on HBO's family channel as like in betweeners (like Elmo's World, Elmo the Musical, and maybe some new ones). Doubt it, but it would be cool to see.