Sesame Street To Debut "Hungry" Muppet

In a grim marker of the times, Sesame Street will launch a new "hungry" Muppet character whose family faces regular food deprivation.

Pink-faced Muppet Lily, whose family deals with food insecurity, will join Big Bird, Elmo and other favorites on a one-hour prime-time special featuring country star Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams Paisley called "Growing Hope Against Hunger," to air Oct 9. The new Muppet will bring awareness to the ongoing hunger struggles that families face in the United States, the show said. "Food insecurity is a growing and difficult issue for adults to discuss, much less children," the Paisleys said in a statement.