Sesame Street Kicks Off Season 48 With Prime Time Special!

Sesame Street beings their 48th(!) season this weekend with the hour long special 
The Magical Wand Chase.

Sesame Street’s 48th season begins with an all-new primetime special, starring Elizabeth Banks and filmed in three vibrant New York City neighborhoods. 

While taking her friends on a magical hot air balloon ride, Abby Cadabby loses her wand to a curious bird, voiced by Banks. Without Abby’s wand, they can’t get back to Sesame Street. A chase ensues!

Pursuing the bird in their hot air balloon, Abby and the gang visit new neighborhoods and discover new foods, music, and languages. Best of all, they make new friends who help them find the missing wand and show them the way back home. Who knew there was so much to discover just around the corner?

The Magical Wand Chase is deeply connected to this season’s respect and understanding curriculum, using the tapestry of the city to show kids that kindness is universal and new friends can be found anywhere. (It also marks the first time the show has shot a feature-length special on location since 1994!)

The Magical Wand Chase premieres on November 11 at 7pm on HBO.

Check out a sneak peak:

Regular episodes begin November 18th with "A Sesame Street Thanksgiving." 

Here's what to expect this season:

A Sesame Street Thanksgiving – Sesame Street is getting ready for a Thanksgiving feast. When Rosita worries her Abuela cooked something that her friends would find strange, Big Bird, Alan, and Nina explain that all families have their own wonderful family traditions.

Rosita’s Sneaky Sneakers – Cinderella, played by Lucy Liu, doesn’t want to be a princess anymore – she wants to ditch her fancy shoes and play! With a trip to the shoe store for some comfy sneakers, Rosita helps Cinderella realize that she can be a princess and play with her new friends.

Martian Mission – Martians land on Sesame Street to figure out what the people of Earth are like. Elmo shows them that despite speaking many languages, having different skin colors, and coming in lots of shapes and sizes, all kinds of people can be friends.

Clothing Drive – When Rudy outgrows his favorite sweater, Nina suggests holding a clothing drive in the neighborhood. Everyone’s extra clothes can find a new home with neighbors who need them. Rudy’s sweater goes to a little girl who is very excited to wear it.

My Family Does It Like This – Abby’s family is having dinner at Elmo’s house. Elmo and Abby discover that even though their families do things differently, they can have fun working together to get the meal ready.

The Last Straw – When Ernie makes too much noise during Bert’s naptime, Bert angrily leaves in search of a quiet place to sleep. While they’re apart, Bert and Ernie think about how their actions made the other feel. They apologize to each other, learning that even though they had a fight, they can still be friends.

Hair Training – Prairie and her friend Gabrielle are practicing a dance, but their hair doesn’t move the same way. Nina helps them realize that the dance is even more fun when they each let their hair do what it wants to do! Elmo and Big Bird join in and let their fur and feathers fly free.

It’s Dance Your Favorite Dance Day – Nina knows dances from all around the world, and on “Dance Your Favorite Dance Day,” she teaches her friends on Sesame Street the moves to all their favorites.

Oscar the Kind – When Oscar the Grouch gets sick, he doesn’t feel grouchy anymore … he feels kind! Elmo and Baby Bear see how easy and fun it is to be kind to others.

Abby and Zoe Love Karate – Nina teaches Abby and Zoe all about karate. After learning how to focus and practice, Abby and Zoe manage to kick a ball off a stand with a special karate kick.

The Count’s Counting Error – Upset by his first-ever counting mistake, the Count tries to find another job. He soon finds out that many other jobs include counting, too.

Yes, you read that right. The fan-favorite Yip-Yip Martians are returning!

Sesame Street wouldn't be the same if a few famous faces didn't stop by. The celebrities lined up for season 48 include:

Elizabeth Banks (The Magical Wand Chase)
Leon Bridges
Lucy Liu
Kate McKinnon
Alessia Cara
Josh Groban
John Legend
Padma Lakshmi
Ellie Goulding
Laurie Hernandez

You can see what episodes they'll appear in and when the'll air here.

There's also new Cookie Monster segment!

Cookie Monster and Gonger (originally from UK’s The Furchester Hotel) team up to start their own food truck in “Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck”! In each episode, a kid will place an order, but the monster duo will realize they’re missing an ingredient, and they have to visit a real-world location to see where their food comes from. There’s also a catapult involved.

Our furry friends made appearances on Today and The Chew this week to promote the upcoming season.

The Magical Wand Chase premieres on November 11 at 7pm with regular episodes beginning November 18th at 8:30 AM on HBO. PBS will air each episode nine months later.