Cartoon Network Viewers Are Super Confused About Sesame Street’s Elmo Special

On Tuesday night, Sesame Street‘s beloved furry red monster Elmo brightened television screens across the country in a new special to help children cope with the new and unfamiliar reality social distancing measures related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The special, Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate saw Elmo connect virtually with several of his friends as well as celebrity guests Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne Hathaway, and Tracee Ellis Ross and was broadcast across various WarnerMedia Networks. While that included some expected networks such as HBO and PBS Kids, it also included TBS, TNT, Boomerang and Cartoon Network just to name a few — and for Cartoon Network fans, the sudden appearance of Elmo was more than a little confusing.

Soon after the Sesame Street special began to air, Cartoon Network viewers took to social media to express their confusion as to why the iconic children’s series was airing as Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the Sesame Street friends aren’t usually found on the network. For most, the confusion was a pretty big deal, but for others, seeing Elmo on Cartoon Network helped drive home just how much the coronavirus pandemic has changed life as we know it right now — changes that are exactly what the special is designed to address.

“WarnerMedia recognizes how difficult these isolation efforts are for families, especially ones with children,” Bob Greenblatt, Chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer said. “With Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate airing simultaneously across our networks, we are confident that this special will bring family members together for a unique in-home viewing experience that will provide laughter, joy and relief during this challenging time.”

Read on to see for yourself some of the confusion from Cartoon Network fans about the broadcast of Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate.

Sesame Street: Elmo’s Playdate will also be available on HBO Now, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and will be available on HBO Max at launch.

Not sure how to feel

Why?

It’s real

Assumptions

Someone explain

So confused

Bizarre

Since when?

Why?

Absolutely everyone