HBO Max has released the trailer for the upcoming documentary of Sesame Street, called Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, as well as announced a release date. The documentary is directed by Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom, An Invisible Sign), and produced by Trevor Crafts (Experimentors), Ellen Scherer Crafts (Lantern City), and Lisa Diamond (Brain Games, The Fourth Estate).

The trailer starts with people saying that the show was an experiment, to see if they can use it to educate children. They explain that they struggled with the setting because they wanted to accurately portray New York to little kids, while also saying how nervous they were before the show went on the air. Luckily, the show was a great success, with an interview saying that this is "what television would do if it loved people instead of trying to sell to people." Of course, there were issues behind the scenes of the show as well, and the video hints at those. We then see plenty of scenes of Sesame Street, with people commenting on what it meant to them and people in general.

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is inspired by the book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street, and documents the creation of Sesame Street, and its impact on the world. We'll see how Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett came up with the idea of the show, and how they went about implementing the idea of creating an educational, impactful, and entertaining show that could reach children nationwide. The documentary will explore how the team behind the show used puppetry, animation, short films, music, humor, and even cultural references in each episode, while also being able to teach kids about serious topics.

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Image via Sundance

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Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is executive produced by Brian O’Shea, Nat McCormick, Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, Mark Myers, and Heather Kenyon, and co-executive producer Michael Davis. Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller executive produce for HBO as well as coordinating producer Anna Klein.

The documentary will debut on December 13 and be available on HBO Max. You can check out the official trailer below.

Here is the official synopsis for Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street:

STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET, inspired by the New York Times’ bestselling book “Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street” by Michael Davis, features exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and over 20 original cast and creator interviews. They tell us in their own words about how “the gang” came together, staying committed to their original mission through decades of political and social change, and through it all maintaining a wicked sense of humor and joy.