Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate

Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate is a 2020 American television special which was broadcast on April 14, 2020 by HBO and PBS Kids, and simulcast on WarnerMedia-owned networks. The special, which was an extension of Sesame Workshop's Caring for Each Other initiative in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States,[1] features Elmo and other Sesame Street characters having a virtual playdate, along with a few celebrity guests. HBO and WarnerMedia's parent company, AT&T was the program's sole sponsor,[2] with United Health Care sponsoring the PBS Kids broadcast.[1]

Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate
Based onSesame Street
by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett
Directed byMatt Vogel
StarringSee cast
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersMelissa Dino
Benjamin Lehman
Jodi Nussbaum
Nick Florez
Ken Scarborough
Running time25 minutes
Production companySesame Workshop
Release
Original networkHBO
PBS Kids
TBS
TNT
truTV
HBO Latino
Cartoon Network
Boomerang (simulcast)
Original releaseApril 14, 2020 (2020-04-14)
External links
Website

A second special, Elmo's Playdate: Scavenger Hunt, aired on August 6, 2020.[3]

Synopsis

The television special follows Elmo (with the help of his father Louie) as he has a virtual playdate with Grover, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and some of his other friends over at Sesame Street through video conferencing, together with a few celebrity guests, figuring out new ways to play together considering the limitations of social distancing. The show also highlights the roles of emergency medical technicians, doctors, and other everyday heroes who are helping people throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis.[4]

Cast

Sesame Street Muppet Performers

Human cast

Special guest stars

Broadcast

The special was broadcast at 7pm EDT on HBO and PBS Kids and was simulcast on WarnerMedia-owned networks TBS, TNT, truTV, HBO Latino, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang. It also re-aired on select PBS stations across the United States.

In Canada, the special was simulcast on April 15 at 4pm on Corus Entertainment networks Global, Teletoon, YTV, Cartoon Network, and Treehouse TV.[5]

In Singapore, the special was broadcast on Mediacorp's Channel 5 through its children's programming block Okto. It aired on Sunday, April 19 at 10am, following the network's telecast of One World: Together at Home.[6]

In the United Kingdom (where Elmo and Cookie Monster appeared as characters in spin-off shows, Sesame Tree and The Furchester Hotel), the special was broadcast on CBeebies on May 8 at 5:15pm[7] and repeated on BBC One on May 30 at 1.15pm, marking the first time Sesame Street has been broadcast on the BBC's main domestic television network.[8]

In Japan, the special was broadcast on NHK Educational TV on May 17 at 7:00 pm.[9] Broadcasting in Japan is the first in 13 years since it ended in September 2007. However, the scene where Taye Diggs appeared was cut.

In Australia, the special was broadcast on ABC Kids on May 30 at 9:30am.[10]

References
  1. "Primetime Special 'Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate' to Offer Families Connection in Challenging Times". Sesame Workshop. 2020-04-08. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  2. Steinberg, Brian (2020-04-14). "AT&T Bets on Elmo to Connect With Consumers". Variety. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  3. Williams, Janice (29 July 2020). "What's Coming to HBO Max in August 2020? Full List of Releases". Newsweek. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  4. Prior, Ryan (2020-04-15). "Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anne Hathaway get us to Sesame Street in coronavirus special". CNN. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  5. "Entertainment: Corus Entertainment brings Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate special to Canada, across multiple networks April 15th". The Suburban. 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  6. "Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate coronavirus special to air on Sunday". CNA. 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
  7. "Sesame Street: Elmo's Playdate - CBeebies". BBC. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  8. Elmo’s Playdate special to air on BBC One, licensingsource.net, 29 May 2020
  9. "NHKで16年ぶり『セサミストリート』Eテレで5・17放送". Oricon (in Japanese). 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  10. "Virtual fun for kids: Celebrities reading books, dance classes, art lessons and more". Bounty Parents. 2020-06-01. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
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