Starting Monday, November 10, Sesame Street is back…but not as you remember it. Celebrating its 56th anniversary, the beloved children’s series returns with a bold new look and feel, premiering on both Netflix and PBS Kids. In a rare move that benefits all audiences, new episodes will launch simultaneously on the global streaming giant and public broadcast platforms, ensuring families can watch with or without a subscription.
Season 56 brings with it a host of updates designed to better engage today’s youngest viewers. From immersive 11-minute stories to new animated segments and interactive moments, the new Sesame Street aims to place kids right in the middle of the action. Segments like Elmo’s Pretend, Cookie’s Cookie Cart, Grover’s Suity Suitcase, and Abby’s Magic Beasties blend live-action and animated storytelling in playful, high-stakes ways. The show also debuts a whimsical animated short, Tales from 123, which finally takes fans behind the brownstone’s famous front door for some wacky fun with the full gang.
As always, Sesame Workshop keeps the focus on social-emotional learning, with this season continuing its theme of emotional well-being through kindness and compassion. Through stories about taking turns, supporting friends, and practicing empathy, kids are guided toward building positive emotional habits. According to Executive Producer Sal Perez, the season is designed to meet “children’s most pressing needs.” And in the words of Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, Senior VP of Global Education at Sesame Workshop, the show “meets the moment for families… in the joyful way only Sesame can.”
Where to Watch
PBS KIDS (Free Access):
Episodes will air on local PBS stations and stream for free on the PBS Kids channel and PBS Kids digital platforms in the U.S.
Netflix (Subscription Required):
Episodes will also be released globally in 30+ languages on Netflix beginning November 10.
Celebrity Guests & Episode Highlights
Look out for appearances by pop star Miley Cyrus and NASCAR champ Bubba Wallace, who both drop in to help teach lessons on sportsmanship, friendship, and patience. Among the premiere episodes is Elmo Runs the Race, where Bubba helps narrate Elmo’s journey through a mid-race hunger slump, and Grover’s Suity Suitcase, which offers a heartfelt lesson on asking friends how they’d like to be supported.
With fresh animation, modernized storytelling, and heartfelt life lessons, the new season proves that even after more than half a century, Sesame Street still knows how to speak to kids and their grown-ups in a way that truly matters.
