1, rue Sésame

Season 2 (1979–1980)

Season two saw the departure of Clémence, Maxime, Fabienne, and Rodrigue. Their replacements included Dominé, Maxime’s father, plus Catherine and Marie-Lise. Marie-Lise’s boyfriend Vendredi appeared occasionally in 1979, and both were limited to this season.

A new Muppet, Trepido the snail (first called Subito), joined. Roger, Dominé, and Maxime created a singing group, The Sésame Trio. The show also shifted to weekly storylines, but only for this season.

Season 3 (1980–1981)

Starting with the third season in fall 1980, the show underwent several format changes. The opening and closing title sequence featuring Toccata, Mordicus, and the children was replaced with generic decorative stills for the opening credits; the end credits were accompanied by children's drawings, with two sets used interchangeably between the final two seasons. Segments were now grouped under their own titles: a street scene (usually only one or two) appeared first, followed by Muppet segments ("Au théâtre Sésame") and cartoons ("Le jardin des Petits").

A new segment set, "Des yeux pour voir", featured Toccata or Mordicus or both venturing outside on location, rarely accompanied by other street characters (usually Roger and Trepido). An additional filmed segment sometimes appeared as a short "Gag", and the order of "Des yeux pour voir" and street scenes could be switched. These named segments were preceded by a short animated title sequence, except "Au théâtre Sésame", which opened with a live-action sequence featuring a pop-card of Bert and Ernie.

Season 4 (1981–1982)

By season four, Odile had stepped back from regular appearances, making room for a new cast member named Augustine. The series concluded on June 24, 1982, with the finale "Voyage aux Amériques," where Mordicus’s unseen American cousin Johnny Mordicus invited everyone to visit Sesame Street in the USA. A persistent rumor blamed the show’s cancellation on President François Mitterrand’s anti-American stance, claiming the program’s U.S. origins clashed with his views.

Did You Know?

• Each character except Odile (who had a leitmotif) and the two children had their own signature song, along with two duets and an occasional closing "street anthem".
• The last episode, "Voyage aux Amériques", involved an invitation from Mordicus's unseen American cousin Johnny Mordicus, not Oscar the Grouch.