HBO
(NEW YORK) — Longtime Sesame Street cast members Bob McGrath — known to generations of fans just as “Bob” — as well as Emilio “Luis” Delgado and Roscoe “Gordon” Orman won’t be back on HBO’s incarnation of the show.
“…[T]they let all of the original cast members go…” said 84-year-old McGrath in a recent Q&A panel that was aired on the podcast The Muppet Cast.
The only exceptions, McGrath said, were, “Alan Muraoka — who is probably 20 years younger than the rest of us — and Chris Knowings, who is also young.”
McGrath has been a part of the Emmy-winning educational program since 1969. Delgado was hired in 1971, and Orman — the show’s second Gordon — started in 1974.
In a statement, Sesame Workshop noted that the trio “remain a beloved part of the Sesame family and continue to represent us at public events,” adding, “To us, and for millions of people worldwide, they are a treasured part ofSesame Street.”
The production house’s statement staunchly insisted HBO wasn’t involved in the decision, and called the cleaning house a by product of, “constantly evolving our content and curriculum, and hence, our characters, to meet the educational needs of children.”
“As a result of this, our cast has changed over the years, though you can still expect to see many of them in upcoming productions.”
HBO’s 2015 acquisition of Sesame Street dictates new episodes will only run on the pay network, which riled public broadcasting advocates. After a nine-month embargo, the new shows will appear on PBS stations.
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