Season 44 (2013-2014)

thumb|right|300 px|Season 44 highlights.
Sesame Street’s 44th season began airing on September 16, 2013.
==Overview==
The season's main focus and curriculum is self-regulation and executive functioning skills. New stories, tune-ins, and other inserts promote such themes as strategizing, memorization, patience, and regulating and managing emotions.
The season also features a smaller, secondary curriculum on Hispanic heritage. As a result of the growing Hispanic population in the United States, a new human character was created to reflect the change. At an open audition held in August 2012, Ismael Cruz Córdova earned the coveted role of Mando, a Puerto Rican writer who makes his debut this season. His appearances include a Spanish remake of the song, "I Love My Hair."
The season includes a posthumous performance by Jerry Nelson in the premiere episode, and one episode pays special tribute to him. Matt Vogel performs the Count in newly created material for the season otherwise. The season also features the final material recorded by Kevin Clash before he resigned from the show. Ryan Dillon performs Elmo in scenes recorded following his departure. The season also marks the last performances of Steve Whitmire as Ernie.
==Parodies==
The season introduces a new parody segment, "Cookie's Crumby Pictures," placing the fuzzy and blue monster in various film spoofs that teach him to self-regulate. "Elmo the Musical" also returns this season, featuring three new episodes.
As with previous seasons, skits includes parodies of hit shows, this time Homeland (portrayed as "Homelamb") and Sons of Anarchy (as "Sons of Poetry").
===Production===
The season began production on September 20, 2012, and wrapped on December 14.Stephanie D'Abruzzo's official website The second half of Season 43 was also filmed during this production period. Additional inserts were filmed in late April and May. The "What's the Word on the Street?" and other tune-in segments began filming in May 2013.Tyler Bunch official Twitter. May 13, 2013. The celebrity Word of the Day segments began filming in a Los Angeles studio in early June 2013.
==Episodes==
Episodes 4401 - 4427 (27 episodes)
*Episode 4401 -- Telly Gets Jealous
*Episode 4402 -- Don't Get Pushy
*Episode 4403 -- The Flower Show
*Episode 4404 -- Latino Festival
*Episode 4405 -- Simon Says
*Episode 4406 -- Help-O-Bots (repeat)
*Episode 4407 -- Still Life with Cookie
*Episode 4408 -- Mi Amiguita Rosita
*Episode 4409 -- Leela's Cell Phone Addiction
*Episode 4410 -- Firefly Show (repeat)
*Episode 4411 -- Count Tribute
*Episode 4412 -- Gotcha!
*Episode 4413 -- Big Bird's Nest Sale (repeat)
*Episode 4414 -- The Wild Brunch
*Episode 4415 -- Rosita's Abuela
*Episode 4416 -- Baby Bear's New Sitter (repeat)
*Episode 4417 -- Grandparent's Celebration
*Episode 4418 -- The Princess Story
*Episode 4419 -- Judy and the Beast
*Episode 4420 -- 3 Cheers for Us (repeat)
*Episode 4421 -- The Pogo Games
*Episode 4422 -- Jack's Big Jump (repeat)
*Episode 4423 -- Baby Bear Hates Tee Ball
*Episode 4424 -- The Wedding Planner
*Episode 4425 -- Lights, Camera, Bert!
*Episode 4426 -- Every Plant That Ever Was
*Episode 4427 -- Elmo's Christmas Countdown
==Notes==
*An alphabet segment featuring Tyra Banks and Abby was filmed for the season and included in the season trailer but was not included in an episode. It was posted to SesameStreet's YouTube Channel following the season finale. 
*Despite not being credited among the cast starting this season, Desiree Casado appears as Gabi in a repeat episode.
* There are no new "Abby's Flying Fairy School" segments this season.
* Beginning with this season, Sesame Street no longer numbers episodes in the chronological, numerical fashion that had been employed since Episode 0001. Episodes are now numbered by the season in which they air and the episode order of that season.
==Characters==
:Abby Cadabby, Anything Muppets, Baby Bear, Bela Pogolyi, Bert, Big Bad Wolf, Big Bird, Butch, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Curly Bear, Dr. Lily Rosenbloom, Elmo, Elmo's grandparents, Ernie, Frazzle, Grampy Bear, Grover, Guy Smiley, Herry Monster, Honkers, Mr. Johnson, Judy, Lars and Sigrid, Murray Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Ovejita, Papa Bear, Philip, Prairie Dawn, Ralphie, Rosita, Rosita's Abuela, The Safety Chickens, Segi, Slimey, 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, Jennifer Barnhart, Rickey Boyd, Fran Brill, Tyler Bunch, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Kevin Clash, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Ryan Dillon, Eric Jacobson, John Kennedy, Peter Linz, Jim Martin, Joey Mazzarino, Jerry Nelson, Carmen Osbahr, Frank Oz, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, John Tartaglia, Matt Vogel, Steve Whitmire, Bryant Young
==Guest stars==
* Hank Azaria
* Tom Bergeron
* Benjamin Bratt
* Henry Cavill
* John Cho
* Peter Dinklage
* Josh Gad
* Billy Gardell	
* Sarah Michelle Gellar
* Ginnifer Goodwin
* Lauren Graham
* Lena Headey
* Dwight Howard
* Anna Kendrick
* Evan Lysacek
* J.R. Martinez	
* Dave Matthews
* Jessica Mauboy
* Audra McDonald
* Kunal Nayyar
* Pentatonix
* Tyler Perry
* Troy Polamalu
* Albert Pujols	
* Romeo Santos
* Cobie Smulders
* Charlize Theron
* Usher
* Rutina Wesley
* Jesse Williams
* Forest Whitaker
==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: 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, with Connie Peterson, Rollie Krewson, Polly Smith, Anney Ozar, Jane Pien, Lara MacLean, Elizabeth Hara, Sierra Schoening, Carole D'Agostino, Doug James, Erin Slattery Black, Sarah Lafferty, Victoria Ellis, Henri Ewaskio, Colette Nickola, Dorothy Shestak, Ulysses Jones, Debbie Lucas, Michelle Hickey, Laura Manns, Mari Tobita, Ann Marie Holdgruen, Carla Muniz, Jim Kroupa, Tim Daly, Jason Seck, Melissa Creighton, Joseph Roddy, Alana De Matteo, Jonathan Ehrich, Rachel Mercer
*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: Eli Bolin, Jason Robert Brown (uncredited), Joe Fiedler, Chris Jackson, Michael Kosarin (uncredited), Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Justin Paul, Kathryn Raio, JP Rende, Bill Sherman, Loren Toolajian, Russell Velazquez, Michael Aarons, Chris Cerf, Jake Huffman
*Band Members: Randy Cohen, Michael Croiter, John Deley, Doug Derryberry, Joe Fiedler, Rob Jost, Gary Meyer, Kenny Rampton, Loren Toolajian, Anja Wood, Antoine Silverman
*Associate Producers: Theresa Anderson, Karyn Leibovich
*Lighting Designer: Dan Kelley
*Celebrity Talent Booker: Bella Harkins
*Celebrity Talent Coordinator: Rachel Coleen Smith
*Child Talent: Carolyn Volpe
*Child Casting Assistant: Meredith Kecskemety
*Costume Designers: Brian Hemesath, Jared Leese
*Production Designer: Bob Phillips
*Art Direction / Graphics: Pete Ortiz
*Prop Coordinator: Keith Olsen
*Prop Builder: William Krause
*Post Production Supervisor / Supervising Editor: Todd E. James
*Associate Directors: Emily Cohen, Ken Diego, Benjamin Lehmann, Mindy Fila, Frank Campagna
*Stage Managers: Shawn Havens, Michael Strauss
*Production Stage Manager: Theresa Anderson
*Talent Coordinator: Kimi Sokol
*Production Manager: Aimee Blackton
*Production Coordinator: Shevaun Gray
*Post Production Coordinators: Susan Buice, L. Claire Truman
*Control Room PA: Geri Cole, Chris Bradley, Andrew Moriarty, Rachel Colleen Smith, Leigh Gallagher, Ashmou Younge
*Sound Effects Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Dick Maitland C.A.S.
*Technical Director: Tom Guadarrama
*Supervising Sound Editor / Production Mixer: Chris Prinzivalli
*Sound Editor: Chris Sassano
*Cameras: Frank Biondo, Jerry Cancel, Shaun Harkins
*Senior Video: James Meek
*Tape: Ernie Albritton
*Utility - Video: Barbara Bianco, Keith Guadarrama
*Utility - Audio: Gordon Price
*Boom: Dan Guachione, Mel Becker
*Stagehands: Steve Dannenberg, Russell Hooton, Tony Santoro
*Editors: Jesse Averna, John Tierney
*Assistant Editors: Meaghan Wilbur, Rebecca Israel
*Supervising Sound Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Barrett
*Music Editor: Jorge Muelle
*Supervising Music Editor / Re-Recording Mixer: Michael Croiter
*Make Up: Jane Di Persio, Melanie Dimitri
*Hairstylist: Jackie Payne
*Wardrobe: Debbie Lucas
*Scenic Artist: Margaret Ryan
*Script Supervisor: Jennifer Crowley
*Script Coordinator: Lynda Holder-Settles
*Executive Assistant: Geri Cole
*Key Production Assistant: Andrew Moriarty
*Production Assistants: Julia Guidera, Rachel Colleen Smith, Maxwell Nicoll, Walter Avaroma, Katie Robinson
*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, Tara M. Gartner, M.S.Ed, 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==
*Season 44 press kit
*"'Sesame Street' to teach ABCs of self-restraint." Toppo, Greg. USA Today. September 15, 2013.
*Sesame Street's Search for a New Hispanic Neighbor - Part One, Part Two, Part Three
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