For the first time in South Africa, kids and their parents will be treated to the longest-running U.S pre-school entertainment powerhouse, Sesame Street, as brand-new episodes, series and specials are now available on Showmax! Kids and families will now be able to watch global superstars they heard about or saw on social media, but never had access to! Stars like; Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Count von Count, and many more friends!
Innocent Nkata, Managing Director of Sesame Workshop South Africa, says, “We are thrilled to bring Sesame Street directly to kids and parents in South Africa. The world’s longest street now gets longer! We know South African families will fall in love with the wonderful stories and characters in the Sesame Street family.”
“While South African families have enjoyed local Takalani Sesame for over 20 years, some of us have always been curious about the famous American version, Sesame Street,” says Candice Fangueiro, head of content, Showmax. ”This holiday season, families can enjoy the U.S counterparts, allowing the kids to have some edutainment for road trips or to keep them busy during the school holidays.”
The new content on Showmax includes:
Once Upon A Sesame Street Christmas
This holiday special goes back in time to show how Elmo’s ancestors–not to mention the ancestors of Grover, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, and Cookie Monster–helped transform “the most unfriendly street in town” into the bright, kind, music-filled place it is today. Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Program.
Sesame Street (S47-S50)
This season’s celebrity guests include actors Sterling K. Brown, Whoopi Goldberg musicians Norah Jones, Patti LaBelle, Charlie Puth, Dave Grohl, Meghan Trainor and Maren Morris; ballet dancer Misty Copeland; comedian Michael Che; and Olympic athlete Chloe Kim. The season also introduces “Big Bird’s Road Trip,” a special segment that tours the United States and beyond to find out what kids love about where they live. In each installment, Big Bird meets new friends – in person or via video chat – and learns all about their families, interests, and neighborhoods.
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
The first not so late talk show for kids! Elmo welcomes an exciting line-up of guests to The Not-Too-Late Show to entertain families with music, games, and fun with Cookie Monster as his sidekick, other Sesame Street pals as backstage crew, and even his very own house band! Performers like Lil Nas X, Dan + Shay, H.E.R., and the Jonas Brothers put their own spin on beloved Sesame Street songs; John Mulaney and Olivia Wilde get competitive with tricycle races and teddy bear dress-up contests, while Jonathan Van Ness gives Alan a “monster makeover”; Jimmy Fallon, Hoda Kotb, John Oliver, and Andy Cohen stop by to give Elmo some hosting advice, and much more—all before Elmo’s bedtime! With a little help from these famous visitors, The Not-Too-Late Show gives familiar night-time activities like brushing teeth, choosing a bedtime story, and putting on pyjamas a fresh and fun twist that only Elmo could deliver.
The Cookie Thief
A cookie art museum just opened on Sesame Street. Surrounded by beautiful cookie paintings, like “Girl with the Cookie Earring” and the “Muncha Lisa,” Cookie Monster and his friends feel like they’re in a whole new world. But when art suddenly starts to disappear, Cookie Monster quickly becomes a suspect. Can Cookie Monster clear his name? Will they find the missing art in time, or will Cookie Monster be banished from the museum forever?
Elmo’s World
In each five-minute episode, lessons are taught through the lens of fun and familiar pre-school relevant topics, live-action films, and interactive thinking games such as matching, sorting, and counting. Little learners will accompany Elmo and his friend Smartie, an animated cell phone, as he uses his imagination to transform his bedroom into the beautiful chalk-drawn environment of Elmo’s World and dives into the topic of the day. Tony Award-winning Bill Irwin returns as Mr. Noodle, and he has brought some new family members to join the fun! New characters include Mr. Noodle’s two brothers, played by the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Daveed Diggs and comedian Daniel Koren, and their dogs Schmoodle, Floodle, and Frank! Before Elmo says goodbye each day, he invites viewers to get up and dance! Elmo’s World is sure to have children laughing, learning, and better yet, dancing!
Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck
Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck is a dynamic new way for kids to learn where their favorite foods come from. In each five-minute installment, Cookie Monster and his new pal Gonger receive a video call from a child who orders a favorite dish. Partway through preparing each recipe in their fully-loaded food truck, Cookie and Gonger realize that they’re missing a key ingredient. They jump behind the wheel and leave Sesame Street to gather the missing ingredient right from the source. The truck drives away to visit a cranberry bog, a pasta factory, an apple orchard, and more. Farmers and artisans show Cookie and Gonger how their star ingredient is grown or produced, help restock the food truck, and send the friends on their way. Back on Sesame Street, Cookie and Gonger get started on the order. Once complete, each dish is “launched” to the caller via the food truck’s patented catapult, “landing” safely on the caller’s kitchen table.
Sesame Street ABCs
Join Elmo and Cookie Monster as they deliver a daily dose of ABCs. Produced in an energetic anime style, the show introduces one letter, sound, and word per episode using vivid visuals and catchy rhythms. Elmo and Cookie Monster help children take their first steps towards using their ABCs as a vehicle for expression, one letter at a time.
Elmo the Musical
In Elmo the Musical, everybody dances—monsters, chickens, cows, vegetables and most importantly, the kids at home. Every episode includes a dance-along song where the viewer learns simple moves and is invited to get up and join the chorus line. Each episode is a fun-filled musical adventure co-created by Elmo and the child at home. Using their imaginations, Elmo and the viewer will dream up a wild song-filled story that can go anywhere and have Elmo do anything all while exploring the concepts of math.
When You Wish Upon a Pickle
A mysterious wish machine appears on Sesame Street and the magical pickle inside starts granting wishes. Before long, the gang learns they need to be careful what they wish for—especially when they find out he’ll only grant one wish per customer! When Elmo wishes to be a grown-up and run Hooper’s Store, he switches bodies with Chris. When Ernie tries to help his friend achieve his dream of becoming a TV meteorologist, Bert ends up trapped in the television, dashing from show to show. Cookie Monster’s wish for more cookies results in more Cookie…Monsters! Abby Cadabby teams up with her favorite storybook detective—brought to life by a wish, of course—to try and solve the mystery of what’s going on in the neighborhood. The adventure continues until an unlikely (and grouchy) hero intervenes!
The Magical Wand Chase
While taking her friends on a magical hot air balloon ride, Abby Cadabby loses her wand to a curious bird, voiced by Elizabeth Banks. Without Abby’s wand, they can’t get back to Sesame Street. A chase ensues! Pursuing the bird in their hot air balloon, Abby and the gang visit new neighborhoods and discover new foods, music, and languages. Best of all, they make new friends who help them find the missing wand and show them the way back home. Who knew there was so much to discover just around the corner?
