ELMO

Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison guest stars on the latest episode of "Sesame Street," which airs Thursday (Jan. 27) on HBO Max.

Look, life as we know it right now is pretty insane. Omicron is raging across the country, it didn’t even feel like 2021 happened and America’s sweetheart, Betty White, is dead.

The program has been at the forefront of modeling representation with characters and storylines, experts say.

"Sesame Street" has often introduced new Muppets to teach children about topics like autism, HIV and homelessness. Now, the show's two newest characters, 5-year-old Wes and his father Elijah, will offer a lesson on race, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind the iconic children's show, announced this week. Many people call this race," Elijah continues. The characters also sing a song called "Giant," which is "a celebration of pride, self-esteem, cultural diversity, and big dreams for children's future," Sesame Workshop says. "Sesame Street," which is known for its "science-based whole-child model," will create new content, including its future seasons, that incorporates Racial Justice curriculum.

"Sesame Street" star Elmo gives kids tips on how to stay healthy and happy during the pandemic With kids across the country attending school remotely, a survey with parents found that they are concerned that their children are missing out on important social interactions. Being isolated can be especially tough on younger children, so "Sesame Street's" Elmo shared his tips on how to stay healthy and happy during the pandemic. Meg Oliver reports.

(Richard Termine/Sesame Workshop via AP)Is a pandemic the perfect time to launch a new and relatively expensive streaming service? The phone company is investing billions in HBO Max, its first big entertainment venture since it spent $85 billion for Time Warner in 2018. HBO Max costs $15, same as the HBO Now streaming service it's supposed to replace, with discounts after the launch limited to some AT&T customers. Disney launched Disney Plus and the sports-focused ESPN Plus and took control of Hulu from an industry joint venture. It's easy to prompt HBO Now users to switch to Max if they signed up directly through HBO, and many big cable companies have agreed to promote HBO Max to their existing HBO customers.

Michael Brochstein | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty ImagesThe coronavirus outbreak may lead to the first U.S. recession in more than a decade, but it could be a bonanza for the companies competing in the streaming wars. It just so happens that several new streaming services NBCUniversal's Peacock, WarnerMedia's HBO Max and Quibi will be debuting between now and May. The newcomers will need strong word-of-mouthThe next three entrants to the streaming wars will be: Quibi, the short-form streaming service founded by longtime entertainment executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and run by former eBay and Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman, debuts April 6. HBO Max, from AT&T's WarnerMedia, is slated to debut in May. HBO Max will also include everything from HBO and will cost $14.99 per month the same price as HBO.

[ READ NEXT: Children who watched 'Sesame Street' performed better in school, study says | How well do you know Epcot's World Showcase? | Sesame Street becomes real intersection in New York City ]Let's go over everything that's offered at Sesame Street land, shall we? Look for the green and yellow street sign and you'll know that you've made it to Sesame Street. Sesame Street knows how to throw a street party. Like most theme parks, Sesame Street land has a gift shop positioned perfectly across the street from the splash pad.

James Durbin does his favorite impersonations "American Idol" alum James Durbin showed Lauren Moraski his best impressions of Pee-wee Herman, Bill Cosby and Elmo.