Play with Me Sesame is a 24-minute program that premiered on April 1, 2002.^[1] It features a framing structure starring Grover, Prairie Dawn, Ernie and Bert while also showcasing old inserts from Sesame Street.

The first two seasons were produced for Noggin, and contained 26 and 52 episodes, respectively. In the second season, Cookie Monster, Ernestine, Slimey, and Zoe started making occasional appearances on the show. The third and final season was produced solely by Sesame Workshop with 26 episodes.^[2] The show currently airs on PBS Kids Sprout.

Format

A typical show follows this format:

• Ernie Says ... (similar to "Simon Says")
• classic Muppet clip
• Prairie Dawn showcases drawings made by kids
• classic Muppet clip
• Bert plays on the computer
• classic Muppet clip (a song segment)
• Bert shows computer-generated "oatmeal art" submitted by kids
• classic Muppet clip (an Ernie and Bert segment)
• Finale: Grover invites the viewer to dance with him (occasionally includes a classic clip)

Beginning in season 3, Prairie would trade her art segment for one oriented around music.

International versions

• In Britain, the series is modified to include Domby and Kit; see Play With Me Sesame (UK).
• When Play with Me Sesame aired on the Hallmark Channel in Asia in October of 2003, the Prairie Dawn segments were cut out.
• In Denmark the show was included as it's own segment on Sesamgade.
• Broadcast in over 50 countries, the series is currently seen on such networks as Disney UK, Disney Asia, ABC Australia, YTV/Treehouse Canada, Cartoon Network India, MiniMini (as part of Sezamkowy Zakątek, known as Bawmy się, Sezamku, or "Let's Play Sesame"), Minimax, Magma, and Rai Sat Italy. Small portions of the show are used and dubbed for episodes of international coproductions of Sesame Street, including Plaza Sésamo, Sesamstrasse, and Sesamstraat.

Cast

Puppeteers:

• Fran Brill as Prairie Dawn and Zoe
• Eric Jacobson as Bert and Grover
• David Rudman as Cookie Monster (Season 2).
• Steve Whitmire as Ernie for Season 1 and Season 3.
• John Tartaglia as Ernie for some Season 2 episodes.
• Pam Arciero
• Lisa Buckley
• Tyler Bunch (Season 3)
• Jim Martin
• Carmen Osbahr
• Matt Vogel

Production crew

• Produce and Director: Jocelyn Hassenfeld, Nadine Zylstra (Season 3)
• Head Writer: Karen Kuflik, Christine Ferraro (Season 3)
• Writers: Joey Mazzarino (Season 3), Cathi Rosenberg-Turow (Season 3)
• Puppet Wranglers: Andrea Detwiler, Michelle Hickey, Lara MacLean
• Music Composers: Mike Renzi, Russell Velazquez

See also

• Play With Me Sesame Videography
• Play With Me Sesame website

Sources

1. ↑ Noggin Press Release
2. ↑ Official Sesame Workshop page