January Debut for Sesame Street on HBO

NEW YORK: HBO has set a January premiere date for the 46th season of Sesame Street, which moves to the premium network from pubcaster PBS with a revamped set, a shorter running time and a new character.

Two new episodes of the series will debut January 16 at 9 a.m. The chapters will be 30 minutes long instead of the usual one hour, and they will feature new segments such as “Smart Cookies,” in which Cookie Monster continues to work on his self-regulation skills. The show will also add new character Nina, a young, bilingual Hispanic woman played by Suki Lopez who helps the furry residents of Sesame Street solve their daily dilemmas.

Episodes will air on HBO every Saturday at 9 a.m., with a repeat episode at 9:30 a.m. New chapters will also simultaneously debut on HBO Latino dubbed into Spanish. Season 46 will begin airing on PBS Kids next fall, and Sesame Street content will continue to be available to PBS Kids viewers on weekdays and Sundays on local stations.

“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, the executive VP and creative director of series producer Sesame Workshop. “We’re excited to bring the timeless lessons of Sesame Street to HBO viewers, like learning numbers from The Count, inner strength from Elmo and kindness from Abby.”

“I am so excited for kids to explore our updated neighborhood and discover where their favorite characters live,” said Carol-Lynn Parente, executive producer on the show. “Sesame Street has always been the ideal play date for preschoolers; now that play date is focused on topics and themes that are very engaging to kids, with our signature educational messages embedded into laughter and music.”