Season 47 (2017)

Sesame Street
Premiere	January 7, 2017 (4702)^{[note 1]}
Finale	September 2, 2017 (4735)
Episodes	35

Ep4715 — "Meet Julia" - Julia, a Muppet with autism, is inducted into the cast.

ElmosWorld47 — "Elmo's World" returns with new episodes

Abby&Rudy — Abby and her new stepbrother, Rudy

S47-CookieNumberSong — Cookie Monster and the gang appear in new song segments introducing the number and letter of the day.

KindnessCam — New, recurring "Kindness Cam" segment

AnthonyMackie-CM-carrot — Anthony Mackie with Cookie Monster and a Muppet carrot.

Sesame Street’s 47th season debuted on January 7, 2017, on HBO, and September 18 on PBS.

Overview[]

The season continues the previous season's curriculum of "kindness," reflected in several street stories and a new "Kindness Cam" segment, where Elmo replays a clip from the show and kids act out the kindness element.

"Elmo's World" returns with 26, all-new episodes. Each five-minute segment features Elmo in a newly designed "world," still accompanied by Mr. Noodle (played once again by Bill Irwin) and his family, and Dorothy, but joined by Smartie, an animated smartphone.

The season introduces new Muppet character Julia, created to help increase awareness of those with autism. Julia, having been previously introduced in illustrated / animated form in We're Amazing, 1, 2, 3!, appears in two episodes this season. The season also introduces new character Rudy, Abby's new stepbrother.

The season also introduces new dance breaks for the letter and number of the day, starring Abby and Cookie Monster (respectively).

Production[]

The season began production in late 2015, with initial filming taking place during the week of December 14.^[1] Filming of celebrity inserts took place in Los Angeles during the week of March 1, 2016.^[2] Major filming for the season began the week of March 14, 2016,^[1] and ended the week of April 25.^[3]

Episodes[]

Episodes 4701 - 4735 (35 episodes)

Episode 4701 -- Be Kind to Your Worm
Episode 4702 -- The Kindness Kid
Episode 4703 -- Abby Helps Clear Things Up
Episode 4704 -- Super Sitters
Episode 4705 -- Having a Ball
Episode 4706 -- Elmo's Sweet Ride
Episode 4707 -- Dress Up
Episode 4708 -- Snuffy's Dance (repeat)
Episode 4709 -- Norbert's Birthday
Episode 4710 -- Elmo Comes Clean
Episode 4711 -- Baby Bear Learns About Bees (repeat)
Episode 4712 -- Big Bird's Song
Episode 4713 -- Get Ready for Today
Episode 4714 -- Painting with Cookie Monster (repeat)
Episode 4715 -- Meet Julia
Episode 4716 -- Make Your Garden Grow
Episode 4717 -- Bike Show with a Beat
Episode 4718 -- Counting Hats (repeat)
Episode 4719 -- House of Worm
Episode 4720 -- Wild Animals Stop for Lunch (repeat)
Episode 4721 -- Sheep in a Jet Pack
Episode 4722 -- Rocking Rollie
Episode 4723 -- Elmo and Rosita's Rainbow Search (repeat)
Episode 4724 -- Father's Day
Episode 4725 -- Recycling Fairy
Episode 4726 -- The Camouflage Game (repeat)
Episode 4727 -- Twinkle Twinkle Little Elmo
Episode 4728 -- Bert and Ernie Make a Movie (repeat)
Episode 4729 -- Big Bird's Big Move (repeat)
Episode 4730 -- Battle of the Chefs (repeat)
Episode 4731 -- Hello Rudy
Episode 4732 -- Rudy Gets Loose
Episode 4733 -- Hide and Seek Rudy
Episode 4734 -- The Four Sneezons
Episode 4735 -- Snazzy Society (repeat)

Guest stars[]

Celebrity guests include James Corden, Jason Derulo, Tori Kelly (performing "Try a Little Kindness"), Anthony Mackie, Sia (performing "Song About Songs"), Little Big Town, and Zachary Levi.

Bill Irwin returns to play Mr. Noodle, joined by Daveed Diggs and Daniel Koren as his brothers.

Among the segments filmed were clips of various celebrities (including Corden, Derulo, Kelly, Mackie, and Sia) singing the classic Sesame Street song "Rubber Duckie" with Ernie and his rubber duck on a set filled with floating bubbles.^[4]

Notes[]

This is the final season where Caroll Spinney is the primary performer of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. His successors, Matt Vogel and Eric Jacobson, begin fully performing the characters next season. Spinney returned to voice the characters before his retirement in Episode 4920 and in Episode 5022. However when the latter aired, his vocals were dubbed over.

Characters[]

Abby Cadabby, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Bart, Bert, Biff, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Crystal the Ball, Dr. Judy, Elmo, Ernie, Fluffy, Frankie, Freddy, Grover, Herry Monster, Honkers, Mr. Johnson, Julia, Louie, Norbert the Robot, Oscar the Grouch, Ovejita, Prairie Dawn, Prince Charming, Rosita, Rudy, Saul the Ball, Skip Squawk, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sully, Telly Monster, Twinkle Twinkle, Two-Headed Monster, Zoe

Cast[]

Credited, but only appears in repeated material

Sesame Street Muppet™ Performers: Pam Arciero, Billy Barkhurst, Jennifer Barnhart, Tyler Bunch, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Frankie Cordero, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Ryan Dillon, Stacey Gordon, Eric Jacobson, Haley Jenkins, John Kennedy, Peter Linz, Noel MacNeal, Carmen Osbahr, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Bryant Young

Credits[]

Executive Producer: Brown Johnson, Carol-Lynn Parente
Coordinating Producer: Mindy Fila
Supervising Producer: Benjamin Lehmann
Line Producer: Stephanie Longardo
Producer: Karyn Leibovich
Directors: Ken Diego, Jack Jameson, Benjamin Lehmann, Scott Preston, Chuck Vinson, Matt Vogel, Nadine Zylstra
Head Writer: Ken Scarborough
Writers: Molly Boylan, Jennifer Capra, Jessica Carleton, Geri Cole, Joe Fallon, Christine Ferraro, Liz Hara, Ron Holsey, Raye Lankford, Benjamin Lehmann, Max Nicoll, Luis Santeiro, Ken Scarborough, Belinda Ward
Puppets, Costumes, Props: The Jim Henson Company NY Creature Shop - Ben Durocher, Sonja Gingerich, Liz Hara, Michelle Hickey, Joe Kovacs, Rollie Krewson, Lara MacLean, Laura Manns, Anney Ozar, Constance Peterson, Jane Pien, Kate Rusek, Sierra Schoening, Polly Smith, David Valentine, Jason Weber, Stacey Weingarten
Music Director: Bill Sherman
Music Coordinator: Colleen Darnall
Music Director - (Arrangements and Orchestrations): Joe Fiedler
Music Director - (Vocals): Paul Rudolph
Music Copyist: Joe Fiedler
Composers: Carter Bays, Eli Bolin, Joe Fiedler, Chris Jackson, Kathryn Raio, JP Rende, Paul Rudolph, Bill Sherman, Shaina Taub (uncredited), Craig Thomas
Sesame Street Band: Randy Cohen, Michael Croiter, John Deley, Doug Derryberry, Joe Fiedler, Rob Jost, Gary Meyer, Kenny Rampton
Production: Melissa Creighton, Joseph Roddy, Jonathan Ehrich
Associate Producers: Theresa Anderson, Andrew Moriarty
Production Coordinator: Maxwell Nicoll
Film Producer: Kimberly Wright
Control Room PA's: Geri Cole, Christina Elefante, Andrew Moriarty
Lighting Designer: Dan Kelley
Costume Designer: Brian C. Hemesath
Assistant Costume Designer: Matthew Hemesath
Production Designer: David Gallo
Celebrity Talent Booker: Bella Harkins
Child Talent: Carolyn Volpe, Ph.D
Prop Coordinator: Keith Olsen
Post Production Graphics provided by Ed Mundy
Associate Directors: Frank Campagna, Emily Cohen, Ken Diego, Todd E. James, Benjamin Lehmann, Ashmou Younge
Director of Post Production: Todd E. James
Supervising Sound Editors: Michael Barrett, Chris Prinzivalli
Sound Editor: Chris Sassano
Sound Effects Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Dick Maitland, C.A.S.
Music Editors: Jorge Muelle, Paul Rudolph
Supervising Music Editor: Michael Croiter
Technical Director: Tom Guadarrama
Cameras: Frank Biondo, Jerry Cancel, Shaun Harkins
Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Russell Hooton
Senior Video: James Meek
Recordist: Ernie Albritton
Utility (video): Barbara Bianco, Keith Guadarrama
Utility (audio): Gordon Price
Script Supervisor: Jennifer Capra
Elmo's World Animation & Compositing:
- Producer: Jack Spillum
- Creative Director: Ian Chernichaw
- Animation Director: Justin Simonich
- Lead Designers: Michael Scanlon, Dagan Moriarty
- Designers: Jason McDonald, Kip Rathke, Sarah Rebar
- Animators: Joe Andriola, Anne Witbeck, H. Stephen Mead, Alex Torres
- Animation Editor: Thomas Placke
- Compositor: Kat Llewellyn
- Production Coordinators: Yuewen Jiang, Tsukasa Nakamori Kayvalyn Tersch
Senior V.P. of Curriculum & Content: Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.
Curriculum & Content Team: Jessica Disalvo, Susan Scheiner, M.A., Autumn P. Zitani Stefano, M.A.
Research Team: Jennifer Kolter Clarke, Ph.D., David I. Cohen, Becca K. Seibert, Courtney Wong
Special Thanks to Definition 6, Hyperactive, Magnetic Dreams, Tony Testa, Yellow Sound Lab
Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York