After 10-year partnership with Hasbro, Sesame Street has named Just Play as its multi-territory master toy licensee for North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
This multi-year deal includes e a wide range of toys for the show, which have already starting to hit shelves.
Gabriela Arenas, senior vice president of global products licensing at Sesame Workshop, said Just Play was the right fit for this partnership because of the company’s wide-reaching retailer and distribution network, experience across multiple product categories, and — most importantly — values.
“Just Play stands for exactly that — they believe kids should just play and thrive,” Arenas says. “Strategic partnerships like this work because we’re mission aligned. It extends beyond product. It’s about collaborating to make a positive impact on kids and families.”
According to Sunny Lauridsen, senior vice president of licensing and brand strategy at Just Play, says that is exactly what the company plans to do with its new Sesame Street products: emphasize the core values that define the show. “Sesame Street is a place where all kids are welcome,” Lauridsen says. “We pride ourselves in bringing toys to market that invite all children to play and imagine.”
And Just Play is jumping right into keeping that promise, launching multiple Sesame Street product lines for its initial offering. These include some classic play items, such as the Sesame Street Friends 8-inch plush assortment and the Sesame Street Neighborhood Friends 3-inch figure packs. These toy lines feature a variety of characters from the series, including both classic characters — like Elmo and Cookie Monster — and newer faces, such as Gabrielle and Julia.
There are also interactive toys on the way, perhaps most notably the Sesame Street Dino Stomp Elmo, which depicts the popular character dressed as a dinosaur. According to Lauridsen, this toy was inspired by the classic nursery rhyme “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and viral, dinosaur-themed Elmo content that has amassed millions of views on YouTube. “We can’t wait to see the videos of kids dancing and stomping along with their best friend Elmo,” she says.
Incorporating this viral moment into the products is one way that Just Play is appealing to today’s kids and families.
“While there are more preschool brands today than ever before, Sesame has never slowed down,” Arenas says. “Our success can be attributed to the continual innovation in product and content, and accessibility to all of our fans. Just Play will help ensure we remain innovative and accessible.”
Another key component of these new toys is learning through play, which is a central pillar of the Sesame Street brand and this partnership. “If you can hold a child’s attention, you can help educate them,” Arenas explains. “By offering engaging toys kids love to play with, we’re able to infuse key learning opportunities — including potty time, ABCs, and developing a positive self-identity — while having fun.”
Some of the educational Sesame Street toys coming from Just Play include Elmo’s Learning Letters, a bus-shaped activity board with removable letter pieces that kids can use to practice spelling, and the Learn with Elmo phone, which features more than 50 learning phrases, songs, and sounds.
Having beloved characters along for the learning experience also enhances these products, as both Arenas and Lauridsen note, because kids feel connected to these furry friends. And on top of that, the show’s deep-rooted nostalgia makes Sesame Street toys multigenerational.
“Sesame Street characters that kids love today are the same ones that their parents grew up adoring,” Lauridsen says. “By having these characters that have been trusted for more than 50 years, there is a familiarity — and a cross-generational comfort level — that makes it easier for parents and caregivers to nurture children’s educational and emotional growth.”
As parents who fondly remember their own Little People Sesame Street playsets — or who begged for a Tickle Me Elmo in its ’90s heyday — begin shopping for toys to enrich their preschoolers’ playrooms, they will have plenty of options.
Beyond the initial launch this spring, Just Play will release new Sesame Street products in additional categories, as the licensing agreement includes vehicles, role play, bath toys, and more. These toys will incorporate the nostalgia, interactivity, and educational value that parents expect from Sesame Street.
It’s sunny days ahead for this play-filled partnership!
You can see Just Play's Sesame Street section hereand order (or pre-order) many of the items at the links below.
Sad news to report as co-founder of Sesame Workshop Lloyd N. Morrisett, PhD has died.
Sesame Street posted the following tribute on social media:
Lloyd leaves an outsized and indelible legacy among generations of children the world over, with Sesame Street only the most visible tribute to a lifetime of good work and lasting impact.
An experimental psychologist by training, Lloyd was a Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York when he posed the question that would revolutionize children’s media: Could television be used to educate? In 1968, with fellow visionary Joan Ganz Cooney, he created Sesame Workshop, where the answer was proven to be a resounding “yes.”
As a wise, thoughtful, and above all kind leader, Lloyd was a profound and invaluable guide for 30 years as Chairman of Sesame Workshop’s Board of Trustees, then Trustee and Chairman Emeritus and, finally, a Lifetime Honorary Trustee. He was fascinated by the power of technology and constantly thinking about new ways it could be used to educate.
We have been influenced by his passion, dedication, and firm belief in the transformative power of educational media. Lloyd’s presence will forever be felt in our halls, in our hearts, and in our work on behalf of children and families around the world. Joan Ganz Cooney, his co-founder and close friend, put it best. “Without Lloyd Morrisett, there would be no Sesame Street. It was he who first came up with the notion of using television to teach preschoolers basic skills, such as letters and numbers. He was a trusted partner and loyal friend to me for over fifty years, and he will be sorely missed.”
As first announced in 2021, London's Royal Opera House will be putting on a ballet based on The Dark Crystal.
Below is the official description:
Based on Jim Henson’s iconic 1982 movie and featuring the startling performers of Company Wayne McGregor, The Dark Crystal: Odyssey is a new dance work for audiences of all generations, directed and choreographed by Wayne McGregor in association with The Jim Henson Company.
This magical coming-of-age story – the journey of a reluctant hero who must bring healing to his world - brings together a team of world-class collaborators with McGregor including artists Brian and Wendy Froud, composer Joel Cadbury, digital designers kontrastmoment, lighting designer Lucy Carter, dramaturg Uzma Hameed, costume designer Philip Delamore, face-and body-artist Alex Box, and puppets and props from The Jim Henson Company. Together they create a breathtaking, timeless myth of courage and self-sacrifice for all generations.
"Of all the amazing films I saw in my childhood, The Dark Crystal remains my EPIC go to. And now, to bring this fantastical adventure to the stage, not only with an incredible creative team but with pioneering artists Brian and Wendy Froud - the original film collaborators of the great Jim Henson - thunderstruck." - Wayne McGregor
Tickets for "The Dark Crystal: Odyssey" go on sale January 25th and premieres May 13 at the Royal Opera House'sLinbury Theatre in London.
Fraggle Rock,The Dark Crystal, and Muppet Christmas Carol aren't the only Henson productions celebrating milestones.
On Jab 4, Sesamstraße, the German version of Sesame Street celebrated 50 years on the air.
Since 1973, German broadcaster NDR has been the licensee and co-producer of the beloved children's show, which was launched in the U.S. four years earlier as Sesame Street. The series was created by the nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop. NDR and Sesame Workshop have now been partners for 50 years.
Frank Beckmann, NDR Program Director: “NDR has cultivated and constantly developed Sesamstraße in Germany for generations of children, and has thus also created a classic of children's television in Germany with its own stories from the American Sesame Street. Sesamstraße is a children's program with a public service profile and a long tradition. Entertainment that educates children – pedagogically valuable and hilarious at the same time."
Stefan Kastenmüller, General Manager Europe of Sesame Workshop: “In 2023, we have the pleasure of celebrating an extraordinary partnership with NDR: for 50 years, we have been bringing laughter and learning to children and their families with our beloved characters in the co-production of Sesamstraße in Germany. With NDR, Sesame Workshop has a partner at its side that is as serious as it is creative. Together we have reached generations of families in Germany with our educational content and values. Celebrating differences and embracing similarities, helping children feel confident and proud of who they are, that's what Sesame Street has stood for since its creation. We sincerely thank everyone who has supported our mission with Sesamstraße over the past decades."
From 1973 to the present day, NDR has produced 2,931 episodes of Sesamstraße, since 2009 as a purely NDR in-house production. Sesamstraße airs on NDR television and KiKA. In addition, the content is available in the ARD Mediathek, the Sesame Street app and on YouTube, so that children and their families can immerse themselves in the world of Sesamstraße at any time.
The Sesamstraße birthday episode aired on KiKA January 8 and on in the ARD Mediathek.
On January 28, a family concert with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra will take place in the Great Hall of the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, featuring numerous characters from Sesame Street. Works by Leroy Anderson and numerous Sesame Street songs will be played.
More program highlights and information about the 50th anniversary of the German Sesamstraße is available here: NDR.de
ABC announced the fifth installment of their successful Disney Family Singalong franchise this time celebrating Schoolhouse Rock's! 50th Anniversary and the Muppets are joining the fun.
Hosted by Ryan Seacrest the special will include performances by:
"Guillermodel Toro’s Pinocchio" won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature last night.
The Henson Company production has already won over 15 awards from critic' groups
including the Art Directors Guild.
The movie is also nominated at the Critics Choice Awards, which takes place on Sunday, Jan. 15 and will almost certainly be nominated for a best animated feature Oscar.
On January 10, 1983 the world was introduced to the subterranean world of Fraggle Rock.
Today we celebrate the milestone with a few of our favorite memories of Fraggle Rock over the years.
Fraggle Rock HBO Premiere Promo:
Fraggle Rock had many international productions and below you can see each country's variations (1983-1987):
It's hard to believe we've been "following" these furry friends for since the very first episode...
We've met all kinds of wacky characters like Convincing John:
We've inspected all the issues:
and learned from The Minstrels that "there are no rules....and those are the rules"...
In 1987, Fraggle Rock came toNBC as a Saturday morning cartoon:
Kermit and Robin met the Fraggles in 1989's mother of all Muppet-crossovers A Muppet Family Christmas:
After a long absence the Fraggles returned in 2001 for Ben Folds Five's "DO IT ANYWAY" music video filmed on the Henson company lot:
In 2020, almost over twenty years later, the Fraggles retuned again for a series of Rock On shorts for Apple TV+.
In 2022, the reboot / sequel series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock premiered which gave us all a reason to "Party In Fraggle Rock":
As we've seen. when it comes to Fraggel Rock, you cannot leave the magic:
Here's to 40 years of Fraggle fun with more adventured on the way as Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock will be back for season two sometime in the near future.
Plastic Meatball is proud to present a new retro action figure line based the cult classic film Labyrinth! Making an ill-fated wish that she regrets, Sarah braves the dangerous Labyrinth in a quest to save her brother from the Goblin King.
It’s time to dance your cares away with our brand new line of action figures from the world of Fraggle Rock! This line features characters from the original Fraggle Rock show as well as the brand new Back to the Rock!
Gobo is ready to lead the pack, regaling everyone with tales from his Uncle Traveling Matt! Standing about 5 inches tall with 14+ points of articulation, he comes with a postcard, radish snack, lantern and guitar and includes alternate head and hands.
Estimated Summer 2023, this item is a pre-order item.
Red is ready for adventures! Standing about 5 inches tall with 14+ points of articulation, she comes with inspector hat and magnifying glass, whistle, and maracas as well as an alternate head and hands.
Estimated Summer 2023, this item is a pre-order item.
The OG explorer, Uncle Traveling Matt, is ready to share his adventures! Standing about 5 inches tall with 14+ points of articulation, he comes outfitted for adventures with explorers helmet, backpack, notepad and pencil, "orb of understanding", skateboard and walking stick, along with an alternate head and hands.
Estimated Summer 2023, this item is a pre-order item.
This very special doozer 2-pack features Architect and Cotterpin ready to get to work building with those doozer sticks! Standing about 3 inches tall with seven+ points of articulation, these doozers come well equipped with building plans and a sticky goop dispenser. What will your Doozer team build?
Estimated Summer 2023, this item is a pre-order item.
But that's not all, you can also pre-order Flange Doozer
This adorable Doozer is focused on his work building things out of Doozer Sticks! Standing just about 3 inches tall with seven points of articulation, he comes equipped with his harness, walkie talkie, hammers, wrench, blueprints, and hard hat that fits to protect his head.
Estimated early 2023, this item is a pre-order item.
You can pre-order all of Boss Fight's Fraggle Rock figures from BigBadToyStore.com or directly from Boss Fight as well.
Here's a Muppet appearance that "flew" under the radar. Apparently Big Bird made an appearance at this year's Kennedy Center Honors.
Our favorite feathered 6 year old was part of a group of past honorees that opened the ceremony.
Big Bird was also interviewed on the red carper before the show which you can watch below:
“Art doesn't care where you're from or what you look like. Art can be small, or it can be very big. And it can be any color of the rainbow. Like yellow!” 💛
Enjoy each and every day with this 12-month calendar featuring words of wisdom from the Muppets of Sesame Street. As Cookie Monster likes to say, “Smiles, like cookies, meant to be shared.” Be like Elmo and remember: “Be the monster your dog thinks you are.” Or take Big Bird’s approach to life: “When in doubt, wing it!” Let 2023 be filled with love, wisdom, and inspiration from all your furry friends!
Once again, the Labyrinthcalendar is only somewhat new this year.
Jim Henson’s Labyrinth™ 2023 Wall Calendar features images from the iconic Jim Henson movie. Almost 40 years later we're still fascinated and in love with the iconic film. Labyrinth is a seminal film for an entire generation of fans, who are now passing their love for this movie on to their own children. Starring a young Jennifer Connelly as a babysitter who gets more than she bargained for when the idle wish she makes for her annoying baby brother to be taken away is granted by an evil goblin king...played by David Bowie. Sarah (Connelly) is given 13 hours to solve the titular Labyrinth, or else risk losing her brother forever. Directed by Jim Henson, and featuring creatures created by the world-famous Henson Creature Shop, Labyrinth™ is a spectacle unlike any other.
If you have or seen our posts about the last few years of Labyrinth calendars you may notice that yes the images continue to be the same. This year however, the calendar backgrounds have been changed and it includes a poster originally produced by Mondo.
Both calendars are available from Amazon at the links above.
Super7 celebrated the new year with the very first Muppet products of 2023 - glitter variants of Dr. Teeth and Animal from their upcoming Muppet ReAction line.
The figures launched at the stroke of midnight and are limited editions, though the edition size was not released.
Super7 is kicking off The Muppets ReAction Figure lineup with two of The Electric Mayhem’s brightest stars! With a glitter treatment and packaged on a die cut mouth-shaped cardback with a gold tooth and foil accents, Dr. Teeth and Animal have a look that’s perfect for the grooviest band in showbiz!
BEAT DRUMS! Drummer for The Electric Mayhem, Animal sometimes has to be reminded to beat, not eat, his drums. This 3.75” articulated The Muppets ReAction Figure of Animal is packaged on a die cut mouth-shaped cardback with a gold tooth and foil accents, and comes with drumsticks accessory. Get a rockin’ start on your Muppets ReAction collection with the limited edition glitter Dr. Teeth and Animal ReAction Figures!
Lead singer and keyboardist for The Electric Mayhem, Dr. Teeth is one seriously groovy dude! This 3.75” articulated The Muppets ReAction Figure of Dr. Teeth is packaged on a die cut mouth-shaped cardback with a gold tooth and foil accents, and comes with a keyboard accessory.
While each are sold individually, you can also buy them together.
