Season 45 (2014-2015)

thumb|300px|Season 45 sizzle reel
thumb|300px|Behind the scenes of two celebrity musical numbers
Sesame Street’s 45th season debuted on September 15, 2014.
==Overview==
The season boasts a "new, brighter look,""Puppet masters — Sesame Street unveils 45th season". Strachan, Alex. Canada.com. January 24, 2014. adding more color to the set and adding a Bike Shop to the street. The season continues the curriculum placed during the previous season of enhancing the executive functioning and self-regulation skills of children.
Debuting alongside the new season, on September 1, is a half-hour version of the show airing during PBS Kids' afternoon and weekend morning schedules. These new versions remove the longer "Elmo the Musical" and "Abby's Flying Fairy School" segments. After this season, the hour-long runtime of regular episodes would be condensed to half an hour.
New installments of recurring segments "Elmo the Musical," "Cookie's Crumby Pictures," and "Super Grover 2.0" debuted this season. Each episode also features new dance breaks with the Muppet characters introducing the letter of the day (led by Elmo) and the number of the day (led by The Count). The format of the episodes is also tweaked, removing some tune-in elements and moving "Abby's Flying Fairy School" to slightly later in the hour.
===Production===
The season began production on September 30, 2013,Stephanie D'Abruzzo's official site and wrapped on December 13.Matt Vogel on Twitter The new "Cookie's Crumby Pictures" segments shot a week prior to the street stories' taping session. Production on the new "Word of the Day" segments occurred during the week of April 7 in Los Angeles.Matt Vogel on Twitter The "What's the Word on the Street?" and other tune-in segments began taping in May 2014, including trips to the NYC Recycling Center and the Staten Island Zoo (with Big Bird).Matt Vogel on Twitter Additional inserts and material were also filmed in May.
==Parodies==
The season's parody segments include "House of Bricks" (House of Cards) and "Game of Chairs" (Game of Thrones), as well as musical spoofs - "What Makes "U" Useful" (spoofing One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful") and "Grouch Thrift Shop" (spoofing Macklemore's song "Thrift Shop").
==Episodes==
Episodes 4501 - 4526 (26 episodes)
*Episode 4501 -- School for Chickens
*Episode 4502 -- Bert's Training Wheels
*Episode 4503 -- Proud to Be Me
*Episode 4504 -- Numeric Con
*Episode 4505 -- The Enthusiastic Penelope Penguin
*Episode 4506 -- Number 15's Quinceañera
*Episode 4507 -- A Bicycle Built for Two
*Episode 4508 -- Ernie's Dance Video
*Episode 4509 -- If Me Had That Wand
*Episode 4510 -- Calm Down and Think, Elmo
*Episode 4511 -- Peter Piper's Purpose
*Episode 4512 -- Big Bird Loses His Nest
*Episode 4513 -- Waiting for the Present
*Episode 4514 -- Oscar's Trash Saving Plan
*Episode 4515 -- Stinky's First Day of Preschool
*Episode 4516 -- Oscar's Clean Tuxedo
*Episode 4517 -- Elmo the Grouch
*Episode 4518 -- Friendship Day
*Episode 4519 -- Chaos at Hooper's Store
*Episode 4520 -- Bert's Sign Painting Challenge
*Episode 4521 -- Papa Bear Goes to Preschool
*Episode 4522 -- Jack B. Nimble Can't Sit Down
*Episode 4523 -- Upside-Down Nursery Rhymes
*Episode 4524 -- Abby Schools in Cool
*Episode 4525 -- Grover Does It All
*Episode 4526 -- Everyday Magic
*Episode 4552 -- The Cookie Thief
==Notes==
*Episodes #4527 through #4551 were used as labels for repeats of episodes from previous seasons. They all retain their original episode numbers in the title sequences, however.
*This is the final season to use the "chalk drawings" intro and end credits sequence.
*This is also the final season where the sponsors are announced at the end of each episode, which had been a trademark since the show's inception.
*This season would be the last to air first-run episodes on PBS. Two months after the season finale, Sesame Workshop's partnership with HBO was announced, with new episodes premiering on the cable channel and then, following a nine-month window, airing on PBS.
;Casting
*After this season, many of the human characters - including Bob, Susan, Luis, and Gina - no longer appear in new episodes. Sonia Manzano (Maria) publicly announced her retirement from the show following the season finale. Nitya Vidyasagar (Leela) and Ismael Cruz Córdova (Mando) are also dropped from the cast after this year.
*Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Kevin Clash, Steve Whitmire, and Jim Martin are no longer credited as performers. 
*Ryan Dillon fully assumes performing Elmo in street stories and new material for the season, having performed him in several segments the year prior. Billy Barkhurst also begins performing Ernie, starting with Episode 4502.
*This is Fran Brill's final season before retiring from performing.
*This is also the last season where Caroll Spinney puppeteers Big Bird and Oscar. Starting next season, he only provides the voices due to him being diagnosed with dystonia.Caroll Spinney at Steel City Con in 2017 (at 10:08)
==Characters==
:Abby Cadabby, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Bert, Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, Mrs. Crustworthy, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Elmo, Ernie, Fluffy, Forgetful Jones, Goldilocks, Gooze Orman, Grouches, Grover, Grundgetta, Guy Smiley, Hansel and Gretel, Honkers, Horatio the Elephant, Jack Be Nimble, Little Jack Horner, Little Miss Muffet, The Martians, Minnie Mynah, Murray Monster, Narf, Oscar the Grouch, Ovejita, Papa Bear, Penelope Penguin, Peter Piper, Prairie Dawn, Rosita, Segi, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Stinky the Stinkweed, Telly Monster, The Three Little Pigs, Two-Headed Monster, Zoe
==Cast==
* Maria: Sonia Manzano
* Alan: Alan Muraoka
* Gordon: Roscoe Orman
* Gina: Alison Bartlett
* Luis: Emilio Delgado
* Bob: Bob McGrath
* Susan: Loretta Long
* Chris: Chris Knowings
* Leela: Nitya Vidyasagar
* Mando: Ismael Cruz Córdova
* Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar
;Muppets™ Of Sesame Street
:Pam Arciero, Billy Barkhurst, Jennifer Barnhart, Fran Brill, Tyler Bunch, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Ryan Dillon, Eric Jacobson, John Kennedy, Peter Linz, Joey Mazzarino, Carmen Osbahr, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, Bryant Young (Uncredited: Haley Jenkins, Marta Mozelle MacRostie,Marta Mozelle MacRostie's website Paul McGinnis, Andrew Moriarty)
==Guest stars==
* Aziz Ansari
* Emily Blunt
* Zach Braff
* Michael Bublé
* Andy Cohen
* Ice Cube
* Terry Crews
* Claire Danes
* Viola Davis
* Kat Dennings	
* Taye Diggs
* Tina Fey
* Josh Gad
* Zach Galifianakis
* Pau Gasol
* Bill Hader
* Christina Hendricks
* Jonah Hill
* Mindy Kaling
* Taran Killam	
* Jane Krakowski
* Zachary Levi
* Nia Long
* Macklemore
* Jack McBrayer
* Ian McKellen
* Wendi McLendon-Covey
* Seth Meyers
* Janelle Monáe
* Lupita Nyong'o	
* Michelle Obama
* One Direction
* Zachary Quinto
* Craig Robinson
* Jasmine Romero
* Emmy Rossum
* Adam Scott
* Ed Sheeran
* Brittany Snow
==Credits==
*Executive Producer: Carol-Lynn Parente
*Supervising Producer: Nadine Zylstra
*Coordinating Producer: April Coleman
*Senior Producer: Benjamin Lehmann
*Line Producer: Stephanie Longardo
*Producer: Mindy Fila
*Directors: Clayton Benn, Ken Diego, Joey Mazzarino, Scott Preston, Lisa Simon, Matt Vogel, Nadine Zylstra
*Head Writer: Joey Mazzarino
*Writers: Molly Boylan, Annie Evans, Christine Ferraro, Michael J. Goldberg, Emily Perl Kingsley, Luis Santeiro, Belinda Ward, John Weidman, Ed Valentine
*Film Producer: Kimberly Wright
*Puppets, Costumes, Props: The Jim Henson Company NY Creature Shop - Jason Weber, Rollin Krewson, Connie Peterson, Polly Smith, Lara MacLean, Jane Pien, Sierra Schoening, Elizabeth Hara, Michelle Hickey, Nicholas Mahon, John Douglas James, Tom Newby, James Chai, Erin Slattery Black, Sarah Lafferty, Kari Love, Sally Thomas, Andrea Detwiler, Stacey Weingarten, Casey Miller, Laura Manns, Rebecca Sloane, Ann Marie Holdgruen, Carole D'Agostino
*Production: Melissa Creighton, Joseph Roddy, Jonathan Ehrich
*Music Director: Bill Sherman
*Music Director - Arrangements and Orchestrations: Joe Fiedler
*Music Director - Vocals: Paul Rudolph
*Music Coordinator: Rigdzin Pema Collins
*Music Copyist: Joe Fiedler
*Composers: Michael Aarons, Eli Bolin, Joe Fiedler, Jake Huffman, Chris Jackson, Tom Kitt, Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Justin Paul, Kathryn Raio, JP Rende, Bill Sherman, Loren Toolajian, PT Walkley
*Band Members: Randy Cohen, Michael Croiter, John Deley, Doug Derryberry, Joe Fiedler, Rob Jost, Gary Meyer, Kenny Rampton, Antoine Silverman, Loren Toolajian, Anja Wood
*Associate Producers: Theresa Anderson, Karyn Leibovich
*Production Manager: Aimee Blackton
*Production Coordinator: Julia Guidera
*Stage Managers: Shawn Havens, Maureen Thorpe
*Production Stage Manager: Theresa Anderson
*Associate Directors: Jesse Averna, Frank Campagna, Tim Carter, Emily Cohen, Ken Diego, Mindy Fila, Todd E. James, Benjamin Lehmann
*Technical Directors: Tom Guadarrama, Richie Drummond
*Lighting Designer: Dan Kelley
*Post Production Supervisor / Supervising Editor: Todd E. James
*Editors: Jesse Averna, John Tierney
*Assistant Editor: Jordan Santora
*Post Production Graphics: Edward Mundy, Breonna Rodriguez
*Post Production Coordinator: L. Claire Truman
*Post Production Assistant: Walter Avaroma
*Sound Effects Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Dick Maitland C.A.S.
*Supervising Sound Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Barrett
*Supervising Sound Editor / Production Mixer: Chris Prinzivalli
*Sound Editor: Chris Sassano
*Boom: Dan Guachione
*Costume Designers: Brian Hemesath, Jared Leese
*Production Designer: Bob Phillips
*Art Direction / Graphics: Pete Ortiz
*Prop Coordinator: Keith Olsen
*Prop Builder: William Krause
*Scenic Artists: Maggie T. Ryan, Carly Todd
*Celebrity Talent Booker: Bella Harkins
*Talent Coordinator: Kimi Sokol
*Celebrity Talent Coordinator: Rachel Coleen Smith
*Child Talent: Carolyn Volpe
*Child Casting Assistant: Jenny Swerdlow
*Senior Video: James Meek
*Tape: Ernie Albritton
*Cameras: Frank Biondo, Shaun Harkins, Anthony Lenzo, Pat Minetta
*Utility - Video: Barbara Bianco, Keith Guadarrama
*Utility - Audio: Gordon Price
*Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Russell Hooton, Tony Santoro
*Script Supervisor: Jennifer Crowley
*Script Coordinators: Lynda Holder-Settles, Maxwell Nicoll
*Make Up: Jane Di Persio, Melanie Dimitri
*Hairstylist: Jackie Payne
*Wardrobe: Debbie Lucas
*Music Editor: Jorge Muelle
*Supervising Music Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Croiter
*Executive Assistant: Geri Cole
*Key Production Assistant: Andrew Moriarty
*Production Assistants: Maxwell Nicoll, Katie Robinson, Rachel Colleen Smith
*Control Room Production Assistants: Geri Cole, Andrew Moriarty, Rachel Colleen Smith, Ashmou Younge
*Manager of Production Accounting: Kalombo Tshimanga
*Vice President of Education and Research: Rosemarie T. Truglio, Ph.D.
*Sesame Street Education and Research Team: Mindy K. Brooks, M.A., Jennifer Kolter Clarke, Ph.D., David I. Cohen, Jessica DiSalvo, Jennifer Schiffman Sanders, M.S.Ed., Susan Scheiner, Courtney Wong, Autumn P. Zitani Stefano, M.A.
*Special Thanks to Definition 6, Hyperactive Pictures, Magnetic Dreams, Tony Testa, Yellow Sound Lab
*Taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York
==Sources==
==External links==
*Official press kit (archived)
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