"Sesame Street" lets go of Bob McGrath, Emilio Delgado and Roscoe Orman
A few neighbors are moving out from "Sesame Street."
Three familiar faces are leaving the show: Bob, played by Bob McGrath, Luis, played by Emilio Delgado, and Gordon, played by Roscoe Orman, reports KQED.
McGrath revealed at the Florida Supercon that the three original cast members were released from the show as part of its move to HBO from PBS.
"As of this season, I have completed my 45th season this year," he said. "And the show has gone under a major turnaround, going from an hour to a half hour. HBO has gotten involved also. And they let all of the original cast members go, with the exception of Alan Muraoka -- who is probably 20 years younger than the rest of us -- and Chris Knowings, who is also young."
McGrath said that Loretta Long, who plays Gordon's wife, will stay on the show.
McGrath, 84, has been on "Sesame Street" since it first aired in 1969. Delgado, 76, joined the show in 1971. Orman, 72, took over the role of Gordon in 1974.
A rep for "Sesame Street" sent KQED a statement denying that the decision was HBO's, saying:
"Bob McGrath, Emilio Delgado and Roscoe Orman remain a beloved part of the Sesame family and continue to represent us at public events. To us, and for millions of people worldwide, they are a treasured part of Sesame Street. Since the show began, we are constantly evolving our content and curriculum, and hence, our characters, to meet the educational needs of children. As a result of this, our cast has changed over the years, though you can still expect to see many of them in upcoming productions. As we've stated previously, Sesame Workshop retains sole creative control over the show. HBO does not oversee the production."
