Sesame Street finds new home on Netflix amidst funding cuts
"Sesame Street" will arrive on Netflix after US President Donald Trump withdrew funding from the American channel, the Public Broadcasting Service. Details have been provided.
"Sesame Street" will debut on Netflix as a result of Donald Trump's decision to cut funding from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The platform plans to continue the production's over half-century history, whose future had been in doubt.
According to Netflix, "Sesame Street" is one of the flagship children's programmes worldwide. A new season will be produced, and viewers will also be able to watch approximately 90 hours of existing episodes. The Muppets will remain on PBS until Netflix begins its production.
The decision to relocate the acclaimed show was made after Warner Bros Discovery, the owner of the HBO platform, declined to sign a new cooperation agreement for production. The reason was likely financial. Donald Trump issued an order that blocked some funding for PBS, which had been previously allocated for this purpose.
Media reports suggest the politician's move was not without intent. The BBC reports that he accused PBS (and National Public Radio — NPR) of "engaging in biased news representation." The leadership of the Public Broadcasting Service deemed the president's decree "blatantly unlawful."
The history of "Sesame Street"
"Sesame Street" is one of the most recognised educational programmes for children. It was created with the purpose of teaching young children through play and interaction with on-screen characters, the Muppets.
The concept emerged in 1965 when Lloyd Morrisett, one of the creators, observed how captivated his three-year-old daughter was by television. They decided to use this attraction to teach children basic skills such as letters and numbers.
The first episode aired four years later and was an instant success. By 1996, 95 percent of American preschool children were watching the programme. By 2009, "Sesame Street" had been viewed by children in 140 countries, and local versions of the programme were created in several of them.
The production has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including Emmy and Grammy. It remains one of the longest-running television programmes, with over 4,300 episodes.
