Sesame Street is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) until June 2000) and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The program is known for its images communicated through the use of Jim Henson's Muppets, and includes short films, with humor and cultural references. The series premiered on November 10, 1969, to positive reviews, some controversy, and high viewership; it has aired on the US's national public television provider PBS since its debut, with its first run moving to premium channel HBO on January 16, 2016, then its sister streaming service HBO Max in 2020.
The format of Sesame Street consists of a combination of commercial television production elements and techniques which have evolved to reflect the changes in American culture and the audience's viewing habits. With the creation of Sesame Street, producers and writers of a children's television show used, for the first time, educational goals and a curriculum to shape its content. It was also the first time a show's educational effects were formally studied. The show, therefore, has undergone significant changes in its history as adjustments to the format and content have been made to reflect change sources to the curriculum.
Shortly after creating Sesame Street, its producers developed what came to be called the "CTW model" (after the production company's previous name), a system of television show planning, production, and evaluation based on collaborations between producers, writers, educators, and researchers. The show was initially funded by government and private foundations but has become somewhat self-supporting due to revenues from licensing arrangements, international sales, and other media. By 2006, there were independently produced versions, or "co-productions", of Sesame Street broadcast in twenty countries. In 2001, there were over 120 million viewers of various international versions of Sesame Street, and by the show's 40th anniversary in 2009, it was broadcast in more than 140 countries.
Sesame Street was by then the 15th-highest-rated children's television show in the United States. A 1996 survey found that 95% of all American preschoolers had watched the show by the time they were three years old. In 2018, it was estimated that 86 million Americans had watched the series as children. As of 2018, Sesame Street has won 189 Emmy Awards (both Daytime and Primetime) and 11 Grammy Awards, more than any other children's show.
International broadcast[]
Sesame Street[]
| Country | Network(s) | Local title |
|---|---|---|
| United States (English) | PBS, PBS Kids, Sprout, HBO, HBO Max | Sesame Street |
| International | AFN, AFN Family, AFN Prime, AFN Now, Netflix | |
| Aruba | Telearuba | |
| Australia | ABC Kids, ABC iview | |
| Bahamas | ZNS-TV | |
| Bahrain | Bahrain 55 Channel | |
| Barbados | CBC TV 8 | |
| Botswana | BTV | |
| Brunei | RTB Perdana, RTB Aneka | |
| Canada (English) | TVOntario (TVOKids), Knowledge Kids, Treehouse TV, Crave, HBO Canada, HBO Max Canada, | |
| Fiji | Fiji One, FBC TV | |
| Guam | KGTF | |
| Hong Kong | TVB Pearl | |
| Indonesia | Horee | |
| Ireland | RTÉ One, Network 2 | |
| Jamaica | CVM Television | |
| Kuwait | KTV2 | |
| Malaysia | TV3, TV1 | |
| New Zealand | TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TV3, Four | |
| Nigeria (English) | NTA | |
| Papua New Guinea | EMTV | |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi 2 | |
| Singapore | Okto, Channel 5 | |
| South Africa | Showmax | |
| South Korea (English) | EBS2, AFN Korea | |
| Spain | HBO, HBO Max, La Otra, Aragón TV, Canal Extremadura | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | TTT, CCN TV6 | |
| United Kingdom | BBC, Cartoonito, Channel 4, ITV, Nick Jr., Tiny Pop | |
| Zambia | ZTV | |
| Latin America | Discovery Kids, HBO Max | Plaza Sésamo |
| Brazil | HBO Max | Vila Sésamo |
| Bulgaria | BNT 1 | Улица Сезам |
| Canada (French) | Crave | Les Amis de Sésame |
| China | CCTV-14, Tencent Video | 芝麻街 |
| Croatia | RTL Televizija | Ulica Sezam |
| Ethiopia | Kana Television | ሰሰሚ ተረት ተረት |
| Hungary | Minimax | Szezám utca |
| Iran | National Iranian Radio and Television, MBC Persia | خیابان سه سامی |
| Israel | Israeli Television | רחוב ההפתעות |
| Italy | Rai YoYo, Italia 1 | Gioca con Sesamo |
| Kenya | UTV, KTN | Sesame Hadithi Njoo |
| North Macedonia | MRT 1, Jingle TV | Улицата Сезам |
| Nigeria (Hausa) | Arewa 24 | Abokan Sesame |
| Japan | NHK Educational TV, NHK BS2, U-NEXT | セサミストリート |
| Poland | TVP2, MiniMini+, Top Kids | Ulica Sezamkowa
Sezamkowy Zakątek (MiniMini+) |
| Romania | Minimax | Stradă Sesame |
| Somalia | Kana Television, Goobjoog TV | Sesame Sheeko Sheeko |
| South Korea (Korean) | KBS, JEI Talent TV, Taegu Broadcasting Corporation, Daekyo Kids TV | 세서미 스트리트 |
| Thailand | MCOT Family | เซซามีสตรีท |
| Turkey (Kurdish) | Zarok TV | Kuçeya Kuncî |
| Turkey (Zaza) | Zarok TV | Kuçeyê Kuncî |
| Ukraine | Sonce, PlusPlus | Вулиця Сезам |
| United States (Spanish) | Univision | Sesame Amigos |
| Uzbekistan | Aqlvoy | Sezam Ko'chasi |
| Vietnam | VTV7 | Phố vừng vui nhộn |
Open Sesame[]
| Country | Network(s) | Local title |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | ABC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. | Open Sesame |
| Canada (English) | Treehouse TV | |
| Indonesia | Indosiar | |
| Philippines | ABS-CBN | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | TV Mreža | Ulica Sezam |
| Kosovo (Serbian) | RTK | |
| Serbia | Minimax, Happy TV, Pink Kids | |
| Canada (French) | Radio-Canada | Bonjour Sésame |
| France | France 5 | |
| Mali | RTM | |
| Arab World | Miracle TV | حكايات شارع سِـــــمـسِـــــــــم |
| Cambodia | Aspara TV-11, ETC | Sabai Sabai Sesame |
| Czech Republic | ČT1 | Sezame, otevři se |
| Denmark | TV 2 | Sesam, luk dig op |
| Finland | Yle TV2 | Seesamtie |
| Greece | ERT2, ET1, Star Channel | Σουσάμι Άνοιξε |
| Iceland | RÚV | Sesam Opnist Þú |
| Italy | Rai 2 | Sesamo Apriti |
| Kosovo (Albanian) | RTK 1 | Rruga Sesam |
| Malaysia | TV1 | Taman Sesame |
| Pakistan | PTV | کھُل جَا سِم سِم |
| Spain (Spanish) | TVE | Ábrete Sésamo |
| Spain (Galician) | TVG | Abrete Sésamo |
| Sweden | SVT1 | Sesam |
| Thailand | ITV | ถนนสาย เซซามี |
| Turkey | D Çocuk | Açıl Susam Açıl |
International co-productions[]
| Country | Name | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | باغچهٔ سم سم Baghch-e-Simsim |
Tolo TV, Lemar TV |
| Arab World | أهلا سمسم Ahlan Simsim |
MBC 3 |
| Bangladesh | সিসিমপুর Sisimpur |
Current: Duronto TV Former: BTV |
| Belgium Netherlands |
Sesamstraat | BRT (Belgium) NPO Zappelin, NPO Zappelin Extra (NOS, NPS, NTR) (Netherlands) |
| Brazil | Vila Sésamo | Current: TV Cultura, SKY Play Former: Rede Globo, TV Rá-Tim-Bum |
| Cambodia | Sabai Sabai Sesame | Apsara TV-11 |
| Canada | Sesame Park | CBC Television |
| China | 芝麻街 Zhima Jie |
Shanghai Television |
| Denmark | Sesamgade | TV 2 |
| Egypt | عالم سمسم Alam Simsim |
Egyptian Television Network, Future TV, MBC 2, Al Sumaria, Nile Comedy, Al-Nahar |
| France | 1, rue Sésame | TF1 |
| 5, Rue Sésame | France 5 | |
| Germany | Sesamstraße | NDR, KiKa |
| India | Galli Galli Sim Sim | Cartoon Network, Pogo TV, DD National |
| Indonesia | Jalan Sesama | Current: TVRI Former: Trans7, Kompas TV, MNC Kids Channel |
| Israel | רחוב סומסום Rechov Sumsum |
Israeli Educational Television, Channel 2, Hop! Channel |
| Japan | セサミストリート Sesamisutorīto |
TV Tokyo |
| Jordan | حكايات سمسم Hikayat Simsim |
JRTV |
| Kosovo | Rruga Sesam Ulica Sezam |
RTK, TV Puls, TV Most, TV Herc |
| Kuwait United Arab Emirates |
افتح يا سمسم Iftah Ya Simsim |
Syndication, Spacetoon, Majid Kids TV |
| Mexico Latin America |
Plaza Sésamo | Current: Syndication, Azteca 7 Former: Canal de las Estrellas, Canal 5, HBO Latino |
| Nigeria | Sesame Square | NTA |
| Northern Ireland | Sesame Tree | BBC Two Northern Ireland, CBeebies |
| Norway | Sesam Stasjon | NRK1, NRK2 |
| Pakistan | سِم سِم ہمارا Sim Sim Hamara |
PTV |
| Palestine | شارع سمسم Shara'a Simsim |
Syndication |
| Philippines | Sesame! | GMA Radio-Television Arts |
| Batibot | RPN, ABS-CBN, PTV, GMA Network, TV5 | |
| Poland | Ulica Sezamkowa | TVP2 |
| Portugal | Rua Sésamo | RTP1, RTP2 |
| Russia | Улица Сезам Ulitsa Sezam |
NTV, ORT, STS |
| South Africa | Takalani Sesame | SABC |
| Spain | Barrio Sésamo | La 1, HBO |
| Sweden | Svenska Sesam | TV2 |
| Tanzania | Kilimani Sesame | TBC, TVZ |
| Turkey | Susam Sokağı | TRT |