When the news came out that Sesame Street had a deal to go on HBO, this surprising news was received rather matter-of-factly. Some journalists just said vague things about income and downloading. Others joked about the incongruity of Sesame Street and HBO's other properties. Honestly, there are thousands of Muppet/Game of Thrones jokes to be made.
Apparently the show's finances weren't strong, since they were getting less money from PBS, and DVD sales have declined. Interesting fact I learned this week: currently, more kids watch the show online than on TV. As part of the agreement, it will still be available both on PBS and online, though only nine-months after its been on HBO.
I'm still uncomfortable with this. Yes, I've always been quick to say that progressives should be willing to use imperfect solutions to get real change in the world. This is using a disproportionately upper-class audience to pay for education that's accessible to all, which I would generally endorse. After all, Sesame Street isn't about current affairs, so showing your kids nine-months old episodes should really put them at a disadvantage. Having said that, the website Boing Boing points out that if getting the new episodes first wasn't an advantage, HBO wouldn't be paying so much for it.
What bugs me is that Sesame Street's raison d'etre was to level the playing field by making an avenue for education that everyone had equal access to. Even if it's a minor factor, it's sad that such a principle can't be maintained. For instance, the "street" in the show is portrayed as an urban street to career to poorer viewers that wouldn't normally see their lives on kids shows. Now we're entering a situation where largely suburban viewership will be funding a show set in an urban world they won't recognize.
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