Netflix Saved ‘Sesame Street’ and Should Revive These PBS Shows

The future of many shows on PBS is currently up in the air, with the current administration aiming to cut funding to the organization and HBO (which owns the rights to stream many PBS shows) deciding to be less active in developing children’s entertainment. That is why, when Netflix recently announced the acquisition of Sesame Street, many were relieved that one of the best children’s programs ever made would be able to continue to thrive and still reach a broad audience of kids. Sesame Street will launch its 56th season, bringing the experience of over 4,500 episodes to Netflix. Fans can look forward to the educational adventures of Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar the Grouch for years to come.

While Sesame Street will still appear on PBS, it will also get a much-needed safety net on Netflix. If Sesame Street thrives on the streaming giant, as many speculate, it could be the start of a focus on classic kids’ television. However, there are two other PBS shows that would also be ideal on the platform.

‘Reading Rainbow’ Can Help Inspire Kids To Read and Is an Affordable Program To Make

Reading Rainbow, hosted by LeVar Burton, taught kids to love reading throughout 21 seasons and 155 episodes. Education and learning to read at a young age remain as important as ever, giving the program potential longevity with new seasons. Reading Rainbow is owned by WNED (a PBS affiliate), which runs a live show and has a program adapted for the mobile platform Looped. This may make it difficult to bring it to Netflix. Still, under the PBS banner, it is hard to say where Reading Rainbow will stand, and now might be the time for Netflix to push to have the nostalgic show on their platform, along with their other educational TV programming.

Reading Rainbow was initially canceled for a few reasons. Ironically, the “No Child Left Behind” campaign was part of why the show lost funding, as fostering a love of reading was not considered the same as teaching to read. Another issue was the cost of licensing agreements with books to appear on the show. However, without relying on funding and a different approach, Reading Rainbow could become affordable, even profitable, for Netflix. Instead of licensing existing content, they could publish books and tie them in with the show or figure out a more agreeable way to approach existing authors.

The production does not need to be expensive, so with some smart production choices, Netflix could have a beloved classic on their platform that reflects positively on their commitment to education and entertainment.

‘Arthur’ Has a Broad Cultural Appeal and Can Shine on Netflix

Arthur

Release Date

1996 – 2021

Showrunner

Kathy Waugh

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Arthur is a recently canceled PBS series, concluding after 25 seasons, but it remains an endearing favorite among fans who grew up with the show. Like Reading Rainbow, Arthur is owned by a PBS affiliate in WGBH Boston, and there are no plans to reboot the series. This puts the beloved kids’ TV show led by the inquisitive Aardvark in the perfect position to start life anew on Netflix. With the backing of Netflix and Arthur filling the role of helping kids deal with emotions and morality, it could even give Bluey, the most popular kids’ show of the last year, a run for its money.

Netflix has already integrated PBS shows, including bringing in The Magic School Bus for a movie and a revamped TV series. Yet, including Sesame Street feels utterly special, with generations having grown up on the show. If Sesame Street succeeds on the platform and Netflix expands its focus on children’s educational programming, Reading Rainbow and Arthur would be perfect additions.