Why Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared Is a Dark Sesame Street-Inspired Show Worth Watching

Puppets can be cute, funny, inspiring, and educational. Yet, they can be creepy from time to time, with their googly eyes and apparently simple life lessons. Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling, two college friends from England, felt that Sesame Street, though compelling, may not always hit the right spot when teaching kids about love, friendship, healthy food, and other core values. Their response was a brilliant dark comedy titled Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared, a YouTube sensation launched on 29 July 2011 and consisting of six short episodes.

Eleven years later, after millions of views and critical acclaim, the series was brought to the streaming world by Channel 4 into a fully-fledged 22-minute series of six chapters. Fans were delighted to see their favorite characters back and reloaded with traumatizing life lessons. Here are some key takeaways of what made the show an instant hit and a promising series for the future.

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