GLEN SPEY – Sesame Street, known to be a fictionalized version of a New York City neighborhood, has gone up to the country. 

The newest episode features a short film written and directed by Narrowsburg-based filmmaker Tina Spangler. It premiered on September 5 on HBO (and will be shown at a later date on PBS). 

The episode was filmed at the Homestead School and featured real students from the kindergarten and first grade classes as well as Homestead teachers. Spangler worked with her neighbor, fellow filmmaker and parent, Oriel Danielson, who shot and edited the film.

The short film is part of Season 55, Episode 34 “New School Scaries,” which focuses on children’s nervousness and excitement as they start school. 

Spangler pitched the idea to Sesame Street back in 2022 and wanted to showcase Homestead for its picturesque campus. Her film features a rhyming story from a kid’s perspective as they go into a day at school. It includes a voiceover from Spangler’s daughter, Lulu. 

This isn’t the first time Spangler has produced an episode for Sesame Street; she’s worked with the show a few times before, including shooting an episode at Willow Wisp Farm in Damascus, Pa. 

Her relationship with the show began during Covid, when the Sesame Street studios shut down, and they put out a call to filmmakers who could make content in a Covid-friendly way—shooting outdoors and using their own family members. 

It was then that Spangler included her own kids, Lulu, who is now 12, and Pedro, who is now 11. 

Before moving to Narrowsburg Spangler worked in film festivals in New York City, programming and curating films, before moving on to work in television producing short documentary segments. 

She started the Big Eddy Film Festival with the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, which allowed her to meet other filmmakers in the area. She is currently working on an independent documentary, which is in post-production mode.

The popularity of Sesame Street has endured since its inception in 1969 on PBS, when it was introduced as a new concept of using television to educate young children. It remains one of the longest-running shows in the world. 

With funding being pulled from PBS by President Donald Trump, the future of Sesame Street may be up in the air. However, according to reports the show struck a deal to move to Netflix while still airing on PBS. 

“I, like so many people, grew up watching Sesame Street,” Spangler said. “I think I’m the same age as the show—it’s been a huge part of my life and upbringing. So now getting to involve my own kids and my work has been a thrill.”