The latest episode of Sesame Street has a very special guest appearance from Steph Curry, but Ayesha Curry and Cookie Monster steal the show.
Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry is the most likable and accomplished Bay Area athlete in a generation, what with the three NBA championships he’s brought us, plus he and his restaurateur wife Ayesha serving tens of millions for free meals to needy families during the pandemic. The Currys’ latest off-court endeavor is an appearance on the newest episode of Sesame Street, which SFist just watched so you don't have to, but it’s actually quite entertaining even if you are no longer in kindergarten.
Keep your 🗑 jokes to yourself! 😂 Had to check out my man Oscar’s digs... fun day on @sesamestreet. Catch our visit in the newest ep, streaming now! pic.twitter.com/ssRkHnJHTw
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) March 24, 2021
Steph posted the above image to Twitter, which is sure to get dunked on and made fun of when he has an occasional poor game. But that shot never actually appears in the Sesame Street episode, and Steph and Ayesha’s full two-minute, thirty-second cameo (seen below) is a combination of a cooking reality show gone off the rails courtesy Muppet antics, and also a vignette teaching kids the benefits of eating a good, healthy breakfast.
Steph and Ayesha Curry’s full Sesame Street episode is now streaming on HBO Max. You can also monitor the KQED television schedule where Sesame Street plays weekdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., watch for the episode entitled “Potluck Pickle.”
Even if you have HBO Max, this episode is difficult to find. As seen above, a search on the obvious terms “Steph Curry Sesame Street” produces no results.
You have to search “Sesame Street,” and the episode is indeed in the Sesame Street show library, not one of the many Sesame spinoffs on HBO Max, like My Sesame Street Friends or Elmo’s Playdate.
Once you’re there, things get no easier. The entire 51 seasons of Sesame Street, going back to 1969, are all there, and the navigator defaults to the first season. You have to navigate the interface to Season 51, Episode 20, which is entitled “Potluck Pickle.” That episode is currently labeled as “New,” and will be until Thursday, when another new Sesame Street is posted.
If you have not been monitoring the Sesame Street cinematic universe, you’ll be surprised that they’ve remixed the theme song and added a bevy of new characters. The premise of “Potluck Pickle” (which does have a linear plot!) is that the gang is having a potluck dinner whose preparation is disrupted by a number of unforeseen conflicts, many of which involve a certain character’s appetite. There are of course underlying lessons that teach kids that you should always bring a dish to a potluck, and how to comfort and support someone when their food prep turns into a disaster.
Your old friends Bert, Ernie, Oscar the Grouch, and Big Bird are all marginally involved. Cookie Monster is by far the funniest character here and has an outstanding recurring joke, and he apparently now runs a food truck with his pink-haired assistant Muppet who resembles a Grateful Dead roadie.
Steph Curry looks to be exploring a likely post-basketball career of playing a paternal character in children's programming, or playing himself in Hollywood comedies. (This is also what LeBron is doing). Steph is not yet that telegenic off the basketball court, but that’s fine. At this point in his career, we’d rather he focus on other things.
But this Sesame Street episode shows that Ayesha Curry is already in full bloom as an entertainment personality. On camera, she is much more charismatic and engaging than Steph, and her TV experience is pretty evident.
But we’re sure Steph will develop that knack too, some “sunny day.”
Related: Steph & Ayesha Curry Joined By Lin-Manuel Miranda In 'Hamilton' Cover, For Charity [SFist]
Top Image: Sesame Workshop