Almost 200 Sesame Street Episodes Removed As Part Of HBO Max Purge
There's a dark cloud hanging over Sesame Street's famously sunny days.
As part of HBO Max's ongoing, wide-ranging and apparently merciless purging of many library tiles — all as part of WarnerBros. Discovery's ambitious plan to winnow down $3 billion (with a B) in debt — nearly 200 Sesame Street episodes have been pulled from the streamer.
By removing series and movies from its library, HBO Max no longer has to pay licensing fees for them. That is a bottom line-boosting measure for the streamer even when said checks are being made out to sister company Warner Bros. Television, as was the case with many of this week's previous subtractions.
NPR first reported on the disappearance of "an unspecified selection of Sesame Street specials," after which our sister site Variety stepped up with greater detail.
Per Variety, HBO Max previously was home to about 650 total Sesame Street episodes, including from Seasons 2 through 4. But as of Friday morning, only 456 episodes remain, including "a selection" from Seasons 1, 5 and 7 (and the entirety of Seasons 39 through 52).
Scroll down to see the complete list of what else is being removed from HBO Max:MAX ORIGINALS12 Dates of ChristmasAbout Last NightAquaman: King of AtlantisClose EnoughEllen's Next Great DesignerEsme & RoyThe Fungies!Generation HustleGenera+ionInfinity TrainLittle EllenMy Mom, Your DadOdoRavi Patel's Pursuit of HappinessSummer Camp Island
The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (and select Sesame Street specials)
The Runaway BunnyTheodosiaTig n' SeekYabba Dabba DinosaursHBO ORIGINALSMy Dinner with HerveShareCARTOON NETWORK ORIGINALSDodoElliott From EarthMao Mao, Heroes of Pure HeartMighty MagiswordsOK K.O.! – Let's Be HeroesUncle GrandpaVictor and ValentinoADDITIONAL ACQUIRED TITLESDetention AdventureMessy Goes to OkidoMia's Magic PlaygroundThe Ollie & Moon ShowPac-Man and the Ghostly AdventuresMake It Big, Make It SmallSquish
Earlier this month, HBO Max also removed several HBO original series, including Camping, Mrs. Fletcher, Here and Now, Run and Vinyl. The streamer also discarded a number of movies that debuted on the platform, including The Witches, Superintelligence and Moonshot.