A few longtime adult cast members of children’s educational television show Sesame Street have been let go. Among them are Roscoe Orman, known as Gordon on Sesame Street, but also known as Willie Dynamite to Blaxploitation movie fans.
Reports the New York Daily News:
Three beloved characters from the 45-year-old children’s show – all humans – have been canned after appearing on the program for nearly half a century.
Bob the music teacher, Gordon the science teacher and Luis the “Mr. Fix-It” – played by Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman and Emilio Delgado, respectively – have been axed, the show said in a statement Thursday.
Sesame Workshop, the company behind the popular TV show, began a new partnership with HBO this past January, where it will air for the next five seasons. The episodes will then air on PBS following a nine-month window.
Bob McGrath was part of the show since it debuted in 1969.
A statement issued by the Sesame Street Workshop seems to refute the reports of the firings, sort of. The producers of the program said that McGrath, Delgado and Orman are still “part of the Sesame family and continue to represent us at public events” and will be seen in upcoming productions.
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Photo: screen cap
