Sesame Street finds a new home on Netflix amidst funding cut
"Sesame Street" will come to Netflix after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew funds from the Public Broadcasting Service. Details have been provided.
"Sesame Street" will debut on Netflix as a result of Donald Trump's decision to withdraw funds from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The platform plans to continue the show's over half-century-long history, which had faced an uncertain future.
According to Netflix, "Sesame Street" is one of the flagship children's programs worldwide. A new season will be produced, and viewers will also have access to 90 hours of existing episodes. The Muppets will still appear on PBS until Netflix takes over the production.
The decision to move the hit show was made after Warner Bros. Discovery (the owner of the HBO platform) refused to sign a new production agreement. The reason was most likely financial. Donald Trump issued an order that blocked some funds for PBS (previously allocated for this purpose).
Media reports suggest that the politician's move was not accidental. BBC reports that he accused PBS (and National Public Radio — NPR) of "engaging in biased news representation." The authorities of the Public Broadcasting Service found the president's decree "blatantly unlawful."
The history of "Sesame Street"
"Sesame Street" is one of the most recognized educational programs for children. It was created with the idea of teaching young children through play and interaction with characters on the screen, the Muppets.
The concept emerged in 1965 when Lloyd Morrisett, one of the creators, noticed how much television captivated his three-year-old daughter. They decided to harness this potential to teach children basic skills such as letters and numbers.
The first episode aired four years later and was a hit. In 1996, 95 percent of American preschoolers were watching the show. By 2009, "Sesame Street" had been watched by children in 140 countries, with local versions of the program created in several of them.
The production has won numerous prestigious awards, including Emmys and Grammys. To this day, it remains one of the longest-running television programs, with more than 4,300 episodes.
