A half-hour special featuring Sesame Street characters is airing on Friday, April 24 at 8:30 a.m. on HBO, HBO GO, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang in an effort to help “kids and families feel connected in this time of uncertainty,” a statement read.

Called Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate, the special will also be featuring actors Anne Hathaway, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Sesame Street is a five-decade-old children’s program and a staple of US channel PBS. The show features a well-loved cast of characters, from Sesame Street’s mascot Elmo to Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, among other Muppets teaching children about basic knowledge and acceptable social behavior.

The half-hour special follows Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and a few famous friends as they find new ways to play and learn together.

“Celebrating everything from the EMTs, doctors, and other everyday heroes who are helping families through the health crisis to the simple pleasures of baking cookies at home, the playdate takes the form of a cozy video conference that will feel very familiar to today’s viewers,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, celebrity guests will join the gang by singing songs, playing games, and doing silly dance breaks. Tracee Ellis Ross will be playing a game of “Elmo Says,” while Lin-Manuel Miranda will be singing “Old McDonald Had a Farm.” Anne Hathaway will also join Elmo in exercising via “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.”

The special is part of Sesame Street’s Caring for Each Other initiative where resources are designed to help parents “provide comfort and manage anxiety, create routines, foster playful learning at home, and keep kids physically and mentally healthy.”

The same initiative also made available more than 100 Sesame Street e-books for free on all major e-book platforms. For more information on the Caring for Each Other initiative and its resources, visit SesameStreet.org/caring.

Elmo’s Playdate is airing on April 24, 8:30 a.m., on HBO and HBO Go with several reruns scheduled on the same day, and on April 25. On April 26, the show will premiere on Cartoon Network at 6:45 a.m. and on Boomerang at 8:30 a.m.

Cartoon Network is on SkyCable ch. 43 and 178 (HD), and on Cignal ch. 74 and 220 (HD). Boomerang is on SkyCable ch. 42 and Cignal ch. 76. HBO is on SkyCable ch. 54 and 168 (HD) and Cignal ch. 53 and 210 (HD). HBO GO is HBO’s regional streaming service with subscription at P149 a month.

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