| Sesame Street | |
| Premiere | November 16, 2019 (5001) |
| Finale | July 11, 2020 (5035) |
| Episodes | 35 |
Big Bird and Nina embark on a road trip across America in the season premiere.
The Great Sesame Street Cake-Off
Thomas Rhett sings "This Is My Street."
Charlie, a new human character, moves into the neighborhood.
Zoe breaks her arm in Episode 5023.
Independence Day on Sesame Street
Season 50 cast and crew
More Season 50 cast and crew
Season 50 Muppet performers
Sesame Street’s 50th season premiered on HBO on November 16, 2019, and on PBS on September 14, 2020. The season premiere was preceded by a prime-time special celebrating the show's 50th anniversary a week earlier.
Season overview[]
The season's main curriculum focus is on "the power of possibilities, empowering kids to take safe risks and learn from their mistakes,"[1] and also features a new recurring segment, "Big Bird's Road Trip," showing Big Bird making new friends across the United States. The season also includes new letter and number of the day intro songs.
The season also introduces a new human child character, Charlie, as portrayed by Violet Tinnirello.
This was the last season to air on HBO. For Season 51, the series moved to HBO Max, with first-run episodes premiering on a video streaming service for the first time, while continuing to air on PBS at a later date.[2]
Production[]
Filming of episodes began on October 15, 2018.[3] Production wrapped on December 14, 2018.[4]
This season was to be Caroll Spinney's last before retiring, as he was photographed[5] on set recording vocal performances as Big Bird and Oscar recorded for Episode 5022.[6] However, none of Spinney's vocals were used in the final broadcast episode.
Celebrities[]
Guest stars appearing in street stories and inserts during this season include Michael Che, Misty Copeland, Dave Grohl, Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin, Chloe Kim, Maren Morris, Charlie Puth, Thomas Rhett, and Chrissy Teigen. Additionally, Garcelle Beauvais, Terry Crews, Josh Gad, Kathryn Hahn, Mindy Kaling, Jack McBrayer, Busy Philipps, Seth Rogen, and Jason Schwartzman appear in a segment about counting to 50 by tens. Many of these guest stars, in addition to several who appeared in seasons 48 and 49, recorded "Sesame Street Memories" videos timed for the show's 50th anniversary.
Episodes[]
Episodes 5001 - 5035 (35 episodes)
- Episode 5001 -- Big Bird Across America
- Episode 5002 -- The Great Sesame Street Cake-Off
- Episode 5003 -- Pigs for Another Day
- Episode 5004 -- Getting Dressed, Not Stressed
- Episode 5005 -- A Dog and a Song!
- Episode 5006 -- It's Only a Game
- Episode 5007 -- Grouch University (repeat)
- Episode 5008 -- A Recipe for Dance
- Episode 5009 -- Humpty Dumpty's Football Dream (repeat)
- Episode 5010 -- Abby's Party Preparation (repeat)
- Episode 5011 -- The Great Fruit Strike
- Episode 5012 -- Elmo's Good Luck Charm
- Episode 5013 -- New Neighbor on Sesame Street
- Episode 5014 -- Let's Draw!
- Episode 5015 -- There's a New Count in Town
- Episode 5016 -- You Can Do It, Elmo (repeat)
- Episode 5017 -- Magic Spell
- Episode 5018 -- What Floats Rocco's Boat (repeat)
- Episode 5019 -- Comic Book Adventures
- Episode 5020 -- Neighborhood Safari (repeat)
- Episode 5021 -- The Fluffster Kerfuffle
- Episode 5022 -- The Disappoint-O-Meter
- Episode 5023 -- Zoe Breaks Her Arm
- Episode 5024 -- Dog Day Engineers
- Episode 5025 -- A Very Special Fiesta
- Episode 5026 -- Back to Nature
- Episode 5027 -- Welcome Baby Chicks
- Episode 5028 -- Searching for Letter Y (repeat)
- Episode 5029 -- The Treasure of Yucky Mama
- Episode 5030 -- Making the Band (repeat)
- Episode 5031 -- Rudy Blows His First Bubble
- Episode 5032 -- Big Bird's Fairytale (repeat)
- Episode 5033 -- Lucky's Unlucky Day
- Episode 5034 -- Fourth of July
- Episode 5035 -- Let's Go Camping (repeat)
Characters[]
- Abby Cadabby, The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Bart, Bert, Bertina, Biff, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Dingers, Elmo, Ernie, Gladys the Cow, Gonger, Grouches, Grover, Grundgetta, Herry Monster, Honkers, Mr. Johnson, Julia, Louie, Lucky, Maggie Cadabby, Martians, Oscar the Grouch, Ovejita, Prairie Dawn, Prince Billy, Rosita's Abuela, Rosita, Rudy, Slimey, Sully, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Telly Monster, Two-Headed Monster, Zoe
Cast[]
- Chris: Chris Knowings
- Nina: Suki Lopez
- Alan: Alan Muraoka
- Charlie: Violet Tinnirello
- Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar
- Sesame Street Muppet™ Performers
- Pam Arciero, Jennifer Barnhart, Tau Bennett, Warrick Brownlow-Pike, Tyler Bunch, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Frankie Cordero, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Ryan Dillon, Stacey Gordon, Eric Jacobson, Haley Jenkins, John Kennedy, Kathleen Kim, Peter Linz, Noel MacNeal, Lara MacLean, Paul McGinnis, Spencer Lott, Carmen Osbahr, Karen Prell, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, Bryant Young
Credits[]
- Executive Producer: Benjamin Lehmann
- Senior Producer: Stephanie Longardo
- Coordinating Producer: Mindy Fila
- Producer: Karyn Leibovich, Ken Scarborough
- Post Producer: Todd E. James
- Line Producer: Aimee Blackton
- Content Producer: Autumn Zitani Stefano, M.A.
- Directors: Marilyn Agrelo, Ken Diego, Rick Fernandes, Shannon Flynn, Jack Jameson, Benjamin Lehmann, Linda Mendoza, Liliana Olszewski, Scott Preston, Matt Vogel
- Head Writer: Ken Scarborough
- Writers: Molly Boylan, Jennifer Capra, Jessica Carleton, Geri Cole, Joe Fallon, Christine Ferraro, Mindy Fila, Jordan Gershowitz, Elizabeth Hara, Ron Holsey, Keion Jackson, Raye Lankford, Benjamin Lehmann, Andrew Moriarty, Maxwell Nicoll, Luis Santeiro, Ken Scarborough, Belinda Ward, Autumn Zitani Stefano, M.A.
- Film Producer: Kimberly Wright
- Digital Producers: Andrew Moriarty
- Associate Producers: Christina Elefante, Bryce-Loren Walker
- Executive Vice President & Creative Director: Brown Johnson
- Senior Vice President of Curriculum and Content: Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.
- Sesame Street Curriculum and Content Team: Jessica DiSalvo, Susan Scheiner, M.A., Autumn P. Zitani Stefano, M.A.
- Script Supervisor: Jennifer Capra
- Script Coordinator: Lynda Holder-Settles
- Celebrity Talent Booker: Bella Harkins
- Child Talent: Carolyn Volpe, Ph.D.
- Lighting Designer: Dan Kelley
- Costume Designer: Brian C. Hemesath
- Production Designer: David Gallo
- Prop Coordinator: Keith Olsen
- Puppets, Costumes, Props: The Jim Henson Company NY Creature Shop - David Bizzaro, Erin Black, Michael Bush, Brian Carson, Ben Durocher, Victoria Ellis, Joel Gennari, Tyler Hall, Michelle Hickey, Joshua Holden, Rollie Krewson, Sarah Lafferty, Matthew Lish, Kari Love, Laura Manns, Brittany Moskowitz, Anney Ozar, Constance Peterson, Kate Rusek, Sierra Schoening, Polly Smith, Melissa Smith-Cruz, Kelly Snook, David Valentine, Jason Weber, Stacey Weingarten
- Production (Jim Henson): Melissa Creighton, Carolyn Fanelli, Gabriella Degennaro, Rich Dyar, Joseph Roddy
- Music Director: Bill Sherman
- Music Director (Arrangements & Orchestrations): Joe Fiedler
- Music Director (Vocals): Paul Rudolph
- Music Copyist: Joe Fiedler
- Music Coordinator: Tyler Hartman
- Composers: Eli Bolin, Nicholas Dayton, Dominic Fallacaro, Joe Fiedler, Tom Kitt, Jennifer Nettles, Kathryn Raio, Benny Reiner, JP Rende, Paul Rudolph, Bill Sherman, Patrick Stump, Craig Thomas
- Sesame Street Band: Randy Cohen, Michael Croiter, John Deley, Doug Derryberry, Joe Fiedler, Rob Jost, Gary Meyer, Kenny Rampton
- Lyricists: Molly Boylan, Jessica Carleton, Geri Cole, Joe Fallon, Christine Ferraro, Elizabeth Hara, Raye Lankford, Luis Santeiro, Belinda Ward, Ken Scarborough
- Supervising Editors: Todd E. James, Memo Salazar
- Post Production Graphics: Ed Mundy
- Associate Directors: Frank Campagna, Emily Cohen, Ken Diego, Todd E. James, Mike Walker, Ashmou Younge
- Key Control Room Production Assistant: Christina Elefante
- Control Room Production Assistants: Kelly Ferrara, Andrew Moriarty, Noelle Scindian, Elena Sporillo
- Sesame Workshop Animation Team
- Producer: Jack Spillum
- Co-Director / Creative Director: Ian Chernichaw
- Co-Director / Associate Producer: Justin Simonich
- Lead Designers: Dagan Moriarty, Michael Scanlon
- Lead Animator: Joe Andriola
- Compositor / Visual Effects: Kat Llewellyn
- Smartie: Deborah Grausman
- Basket: Ulyana
- Sound Effects Editor: Dick Maitland, C.A.S.
- Music Editors: Tyler Hartman, Paul Rudolph
- Supervising Sound Editors: Chris Prinzivalli, Marshall Woodall
- Supervising Music Editor: Michael Croiter
- Sound Editor: Chris Sassano
- Supervising Sound Editors / Re-Recording Mixers: Michael Barrett, Dan O' Sullivan
- Technical Directors: Mary Crowley, Richard Drummond, Tom Guadarrama, Manse Sharpe
- Cameras: Frank Biondo, Mark Britt, Jerry Cancel, Rich Freedman, Shaun Harkins, Mark Renaudin
- Senior Video: James Meek
- Recordist: Ernie Albritton
- Utility (video): Barbara Bianco, Keith Guadarrama, Michael McCormack
- Utility (audio): Gordon Price
- Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Russell Hooton, Karen Sunderlin
- Sesame Street Research Team: Jennifer Kolter Clarke, Ph.D., David I. Cohen, Becca K. Seibert, Courtney B. Wong Chin, M.A.
- Special Thanks: Definition 6, The Hidden Fortress, Magnetic Dreams, Studio G Brooklyn
- Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
Promotional photos[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Sesame Workshop Press Release: Sesame Street Celebrates 50 Years and Counting
- ↑ HBO Max and Sesame Workshop Announce New Content Partnership Cementing a Shared Commitment to Kids and Families. Sesame Workshop press release, October 3, 2019
- ↑ Pam Arciero's Facebook (private link)
- ↑ Suki Lopez's Instagram
- ↑ @sesamestreet Oct 19, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times "Original Big Bird, Caroll Spinney, Leaves Sesame Street After Nearly 50 Years" by Dave Itzkoff, Oct. 17, 2018
See also[]
External links[]
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| Season 49 (2018-2019) | Season 51 (2020-2021) |