So…can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street now? The family-favorite show has been a PBS staple since it debuted in 1969. But it’s expensive to produce. In 2015, HBO offered to help in exchange for the rights to air first-fun episodes before airing on PBS. Then in 2017, the show’s length was cut down from 60 minutes to 30 minutes. Earlier this year it was announced that show would be leaving HBO with parents worried about the show.
Although Sesame Street continues to change, today Netflix announced that Sesame Street will begin airing on the streaming platform later this year. It will look different though. The 56th season of the show will be “reimagined”, but Cookie Monster and Elmo aren’t going anywhere. In addition, Netflix will also add 90 hours of previous episodes too.
The new season is said to center on one 11-munite story “allowing for even more character-driven humor and heart” and some returning favorite segments like Elmo’s World and Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck. “Expect new ways to play along as Cookie Monster opens his very own Cookie Cart on Sesame Street, and explore Abby’s Fairy Garden, a home to surprising and delightful magical creatures.”
Unlike HBO’s deal, these new episodes will appear on PBS on the same day that they appear on the streamer. So, I guess you can say that Sesame Street will now be brought to you by the letter N.
The award-winning show (222 Emmy Awards and 11 Grammy Awards) is also one of the longest-running TV shows in the world.
Also Coming to Netflix
According to Netflix, children and family entertainment shows represent 15% of the streamer’s total viewing. Because of this, they have also announced that more kid’s entertainment will be added this year including Dr. Seuss, Ghostbusters, The Twits, Minecraft and Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, In Your Dreams, and Motel Transylvania.
Dr. Seuss
After the success of the 2019 TV series, Green Eggs and Ham (and its “second helping” in 2022), the streamer will be dropping more Seuss stories this fall:
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (series)
This series follows the adventures of two loveable fish who are different in every way. Red and Blue consistently find themselves in comedic situations that allow them to introduce oppositional vocabulary to preschool viewers. - The Sneetches (special)
As long as there have been Sneetches on beaches, the Star-Bellies and Moon-Bellies have lived separate lives. But when two young Sneetches form an unlikely friendship, they teach their communities that differences don’t need to be avoided, they can be celebrated. - Wacky Wednesday (series)
In an otherwise perfectly normal town, whenever Wednesday rolls around things suddenly get wacky! Luckily, this town has a ten-year-old Wacky Expert who knows that humor inspires creativity and never fails to solve every wacky problem with an equally wacky solution. - Horton Hears a Who! (series)
This series follows a young Horton as he explores the Jungle of Nool with his two best friends: going on daring adventures, helping their community, and learning how to stand up for what’s fair. - Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose (special)
When a grumpy moose leader decides that he wants to be the happiest moose in the pack, he calls upon sweet Thidwick to help him. As this unlikely duo embarks on a comical adventure, Thidwick discovers that the key to happiness is being kind to others.
In Your Dreams
This one sounds like a great TV series, but alas, it is only an upcoming movie. In Your Dreams features two kids, a magical picture book, a snarky stuffed animal and a dream for the perfect family.
“One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to wake my brother up in the middle of the night and annoy him with accounts of my weird and crazy dreams,” says Alex Woo, who crafted the story with Stanley Moore, “When I had the opportunity to make my first feature film, I knew exactly what it was going to be about.”
It’s about a pre-teen and her eight-year-old brother who go on the adventure of a lifetime all from the comfort of their bedroom. The duo learn that a mythical character called the Sandman can make all their dreams come true and so they go on quest to find this guy.
“When I started this film, I set out to tell a heartfelt story that explored the magical and often hilariously absurd world of dreams. What I didn’t expect was how memorable and emotional the performances were going to be,” says Woo. “But what I’m most excited for audiences to experience is Stevie and Elliot’s sibling story — the bickering, the bonding, and everything in between. It’s ultimately why we share our weird and crazy dreams.”
Minecraft
One of the biggest surprises of 2025 was just how popular the Minecraft movie was/is. This fall, the best-selling adventure game will take the form of a TV series created by Mojang Studios. WildBrain, who have success with shows like Sonic Prime, Ninjago: Dragons Rising and Carmen Sandiego, are working on the new CGI-animated series. It is said to feature a new, original storyline with new characters and will present Minecraft in a new light.
The Twits
Although probably terribly clever, this one looks a bit creepy and no surprise really since it is based on a Roald Dahl story. Written, directed and produced by Phil Johnston and Jellyfish Pictures, The Twits are about a terribly unhappy couple who own and operate Twitlandia, a dangerous amusement park. In addition, this couple, who hate each other, entertain themselves by pulling pranks on each other.
“I’ve always been attracted to reprehensible characters. I don’t know what this says about me, and I really don’t want to look into it,” says Johnston who says the story was his favorite growing up. “I love the Twits and their terrible tricks. I love that they lack self-awareness and personal hygiene and any inkling of human decency. And I love this movie because it reminds us that twits like the Twits, whose default emotions are anger and vengeance, can’t be allowed to win in our world.”
Eventually, this evil pair take over the town and it’s up to a pair of orphans (and some magical animals) to save the day.
Stranger Things: Tales From ’85
If you seen the TV series, Stranger Things, you know that the tale isn’t exactly family-friendly, but maybe Matt and Ross Duffer’s new animated tale will be?
“We’ve always dreamed of an animated Stranger Things in the vein of the Saturday morning cartoons that we grew up loving, and to see this dream realized has been absolutely thrilling,” they say.
The Duffers are executive producing Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 via their Upside Down Pictures production banner, along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen via 21 Laps and Eric Robles, who is also the showrunner for the series, via Flying Bark Productions. “We couldn’t be more blown away by what Eric Robles and his team have come up with –– the scripts and artwork are incredible, and we can’t wait to share more with you! The adventure continues …”
Ghostbusters
As a kid, you might remember watching the animated TV series, The Real Ghostbusters or Extreme Ghostbusters, but this new series is being executively produced Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, co-writers of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife and sadly, the disappointing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire which was released in 2024. Reitman though knows his stuff. He is the son of Ivan Reitman who directed the original 1984 Ghostbusters movie.
Motel Transylvania
Nelvana Limited partnered with Sony Pictures Animation to create a prequel series to the Hotel Transylvania movies in 2017. It ran for three years. Now a new project, Motel Transylvania is in the works focusing on Dracula and his daughter Mavis opening up a motel this time around.
Main Image: Netflix
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