Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind decades of award-winning educational programming, today announced that Jon Batiste and other stars will appear on Sesame Street’s 52nd season. Additionally, fans will see the debut of Tango, Elmo’s new adopted puppy, who may remind some viewers of OffBeat’s Ruby the Havanese. Tango was introduced in the animated special Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy in August 2021 and will appear regularly in Sesame Street episodes.

Elmo’s new friend, Tango! Via the Sesame Workshop

“Creating this season of Sesame Street during the pandemic has been an enormous undertaking,” said Ben Lehmann, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president and head of live action and Sesame Street executive producer. “Just as our characters use playful problem-solving in the face of challenges, we, too, took a creative approach, finding innovative solutions while keeping our cast and crew safe. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to produce and are grateful to our partners at WarnerMedia and PBS for their continued support of Sesame Street.”

Other stars joining Jon Batiste on Sesame Street as guest stars include Kacey Musgraves, Astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, Keke Palmer, Billie Eilish, Anderson Paak, and more. Batiste will join Sesame Street on the episode airing November 18.  Batiste took to Instagram to describe the experience as a “dream come true.”

Sesame Street continues to be available on PBS stations and streams on PBS KIDS. The new season will also debut on Thursday, November 11, on Cartoonito on HBO Max. New episodes of the iconic children’s series, 35 in all, will drop every Thursday.

Batiste will also appear Thanksgiving morning in New York aboard a 60-foot-long alligator-themed float sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Tourism in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The parade will be broadcast on NBC at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 25.