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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 until June 2000) and was created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett.
Nov 19, 2021 · While many people are under the impression that Sesame Street is owned by PBS or HBO, the show is actually owned by Sesame Workshop (SW). Sesame Street has developed into something...
- Jennifer Farrington
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In 2004, the Walt Disney Company acquired The Muppets franchise from the Jim Henson Company. This transaction included all Henson-owned Muppet assets, including many Muppet titles from the company's catalog of television series, specials, films, and videos. Henson retained the rights to Fraggle Rock, The Dark Crystal, and other properties. Sesame Street and most specials, spinoffs, and related productions are produced and owned by Sesame Workshop.
The following is a list of Henson projects produced up until 2004, and how they are divided by their current rights holders. Select Sesame Street productions co-produced by The Jim Henson Company are included.
Disney
Production Duration Episodes Notes 1975-1993 44 [note 1] 1976-1981 120 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1984-1990 107 [note 1] 1985 3 [note 1] (Muppet Segments) 1989 9 (30 min.) 1 (15 min.) 1 (60 min.) [note 1] Segments include: Outer Space (Louie Anderson), Oceans (Ted Danson), Power (Nylons, Today Show), First Show (Bobby McFerrin), Fitness (Smokey Robinson), Videotape (Buster Poindexter), Garbage (k.d. lang), Miss Piggy Goes to Hollywood, Secrets of the Muppets, Food, Movie Trailer Parody of Classic Muppets 1994 40 [note 1] 1996-1998 22 [note 1] 1997-2003 117 [note 1] 1999 60 [note 1]
Henson
Production Duration Episodes Notes 1983-1987 96 [note 2] (animated) 1987 13 [note 2] 1987-1990 39 [note 2] 1987-1989 9 [note 2] (Non-Muppet Segments) 1989 10 [note 2] Segments include: The Heartless Giant, Lighthouse Island, The Soldier and Death, Dog City, Monster Maker, The Song of the Cloud Forest, The True Bride, Sapsorrow, The Three Ravens, Living with Dinosaurs 1989 13 [note 2] 1990 4 [note 2] 1993-1994 13 [note 2] 1994 13 [note 2] 1994-1997 65 [note 2] One episode features Sam the Eagle. 1996 8 [note 2] 1996-1997 40 [note 2] 1998 13 [note 2] 1999 6 [note 2] 1999-2003 88 [note 2] 1999 52 [note 2] A "restricted retained entertainment property" by the Henson Company. 1999-2003 260 [note 2] 1999-2003 26 [note 2] 2000-2001 13 [note 2] 2000-2001 26 [note 2] 2001-2002 200 [note 2] 2002-2003 65 [note 2] 2003 30 [note 2]
Other Properties
Production Duration Episodes Owner/Notes 1955-1961 The characters are owned by The Walt Disney Company, but are a "frozen property", so Disney needs approval from The Jim Henson Company to use them. 1963-1966 The Jimmy Dean Estate/Donna Dean Stevens controls the restoration and TV airings of the series. 1975-1976 Broadway Video owns the existing Saturday Night Live episodes and appearances. Henson owns the characters and can produce derivative works (including new characters); as part of the 2004 sale of the Muppets to Disney, Henson agrees to not identify any of the SNL puppet characters as "Muppets" in any future works. 1991-1993 66 Produced by Michael Jacobs Productions and Jim Henson Productions in association with Walt Disney Television. The series and characters are owned by the Jim Henson Company; Disney has always held distribution rights. 1992-1995 31 Produced by Nelvana, in association with the Jim Henson Company. Streaming distribution controlled by Nelvana.
Disney
Production Year Notes 1970 [note 1] 1971 [note 1] 1972 [note 1] 1974 [note 1] 1975 [note 1] 1979 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1979 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1981 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1981 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1981 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1982 [note 1] This was originally distributed by ITC Entertainment. The Jim Henson Company later purchased the distribution rights, which were subsequently included in the 2004 sale. 1986 [note 1] Features Traveling Matt Fraggle and Sprocket, as well as clips from various Henson-retained productions. 1986 [note 1] 1987 [note 1] Features characters from Fraggle Rock. 1990 [note 1] Walt Disney Television has always retained the distribution rights to this special. 1990 [note 1] Walt Disney Television has always retained the distribution rights to this special. 1991 1992 Walt Disney Pictures has always retained the distribution rights to this film. 1995 [note 1] 1996 Walt Disney Pictures has always retained the distribution rights to this film.
Henson
Production Year Notes 1965 [note 2] 1968 [note 2] 1969 [note 2] 1977 [note 2] The 2004 deal specifies this as a "restricted retained entertainment property", and that the Henson Company shall "delete the appearances by Kermit the Frog at the beginning of each of The Christmas Toy and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas." Although this has applied to subsequent video releases, this was retracted for a special TV airing on ABC Family in 2015 and a home video release in 2017. 1982 [note 2] Produced under ITC Entertainmant, and originally distributed by Universal. The Jim Henson Company purchased theatrical distribution rights around the time it was released. Sony retains home video and streaming distribution. 1983 [note 2] 1984 [note 2] Features appearances by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy, as well as clips from a number of productions later purchased by The Walt Disney Company. 1985 [note 2] 1986 [note 2] Originally distributed by TriStar Pictures, distribution rights still held by Sony. 1986 [note 2] A "restricted retained entertainment property" by the Henson Company; according to the 2004 deal for the sale of the Muppets to the Walt Disney Company, Henson shall "delete the appearances by Kermit the Frog at the beginning of each of The Christmas Toy and Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas." Although this has applied to subsequent video releases, this was retracted for a home video release in 2019. 1987 [note 2] 1987 [note 2] 1989 [note 2] One of the few Sesame Street productions produced by The Jim Henson Company, and the only Sesame Street production distributed by the Henson Company.
Other Properties
Production Year Owner/Notes 1970 This project is not listed in the Disney-Henson deal. However, Buena Vista Home Video did release this as a special feature on The Muppet Show: Season Three. 1970 1974 One of the few Sesame Street productions produced by The Jim Henson Company, in association with Sesame Workshop and ABC. 1979 The John Denver Estate retains ownership. 1980 1983 The John Denver Estate retains ownership. 1984 Sony (originally distributed by TriStar Pictures) 1990 Warner Bros. 1997 Sony (produced by Jim Henson Pictures, distributed by Columbia Pictures) 1999 Sony (originally distributed by Columbia Pictures) 1999 Sony (originally distributed by Columbia Pictures, produced by Jim Henson Pictures and Sesame Workshop) 2002 Sony (originally distributed by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment) 2002 NBC Universal 2002 2003
Disney
Video(s) Year Notes Playhouse Video Muppet Show compilations 1985 [note 1] Videos include: The Kermit and Piggy Story, Fozzie's Muppet Scrapbook, Children's Songs and Stories, Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff, Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets, Muppet Treasures, Rock Music with the Muppets, The Muppet Revue, Muppet Moments, Play-Along Video 1988 [note 1] Videos include: Hey, You're as Funny as Fozzie Bear, Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along, Wow, You're a Cartoonist!, It's the Muppets! 1993 [note 1] and Muppet Classic Theater 1994 [note 1] 1994 [note 1] Includes a clip from A Muppet Family Christmas that features Fraggle Rock characters 1995 [note 1] 1996 [note 1] 1996 [note 1]
Henson
Video Year Notes 1984 [note 2] 1984 [note 2] 1988 [note 2] 1988 [note 2] 1993 [note 2] The only Muppet Sing Alongs video retained by the Henson Company.
Other
Video(s) Year Notes 1988 A View-Master Interactive Vision release. 1988 A View-Master Interactive Vision release. 2002 2002
1.Shemin, Craig ToughPigs interview with Craig Shemin
Notes
1.listed as an Identified Entertainment Property in 2004 Disney/Muppets purchase agreement, archived on Kenny's Blog - Disney-Henson: Who Owns What
2.listed as a Retained Entertainment Property in 2004 Disney/Muppets purchase agreement, archived on Kenny's Blog - Disney-Henson: Who Owns What
Sep 21, 2024 · Sesame Street, pioneering American educational television series that is watched by almost half of all American preschool-age children. It debuted in 1969 and is one of the longest-running shows in American history. Learn more about Sesame Street, including its notable characters.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
By the end of 2000, after EM.TV subsequently experienced major financial problems, EM.TV sold the company's ownership of the Sesame Street Muppets and Henson's small interest in the Noggin television network to Sesame Workshop, [15] and by early 2001, Henson itself was marked for sale. [16]
Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett developed the idea to form an organization to produce the Sesame Street television series. They spent two years, from 1966 to 1968, researching, developing, and raising money for the new series.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared May 1, 2019 to be “Sesame Street Day” as he unveiled the city’s newest street sign and proclaimed that West 63rd Street between Central Park West and Broadway will now officially be known as Sesame Street.
