With 2019 marking Sesame Street's 5oth anniversary, HBO has revealed new details regarding the long-running children's series' upcoming celebration special.
"The new season begins with Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration, a star-studded primetime special that offers a sweeping look at fifty years on the Street," the premium cable network said in a press release. "Hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the special reimagines classic segments and songs like 'People in Your Neighborhood' and 'It’s Not Easy Being Green' as the Sesame Street gang gets ready for a big celebration.
"The special includes cameos from rarely seen characters like Roosevelt Franklin and Kermit the Frog, and visits from celebrity guests Whoopi Goldberg, Patti LaBelle, Elvis Costello, Meghan Trainor, Sterling K. Brown, Norah Jones, Nile Rodgers and Itzhak Perlman," the release continues. "Human cast members returning for the special include Bob McGrath (Bob), Sonia Manzano (Maria), Emilio Delgado (Luis), Loretta Long (Susan), Roscoe Orman (Gordon), Linda Bove (Linda), Alison Bartlett (Gina), Nitya Vidyasagar (Leela), and Olamide Faison (Miles)."
Along with the celebration special, Season 50 features a special segment called 'Big Bird's Road Trip,' where Big Bird travels the United States to celebrate kids and their communities. The season is built around understanding the perceived pressures on children to hit certain academic and social-emotional benchmarks.
HBO elaborated, "Individual episodes throughout the season show how caring adults can help relieve that pressure by giving kids room to make mistakes and tools to persevere afterwards."
Sesame Street’s 50th Anniversary Celebration will premiere on Nov. 9 at 7 pm. Sesame Street is currently available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and PBS KIDS. Season 51 will premiere on HBO Max on Nov. 16 at 9 am along with exclusive access to the entire 50-year Sesame Street library.