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Sesame Tree is the upcoming Sesame Street television co-production for Northern Ireland. Belfast-based production company Sixteen South is producing the series in association with Sesame Workshop, set to air over BBC Northern Ireland in spring 2008.
The project has been under consideration since 2004; in Sesame Workshop's presentations on their international projects, Northern Ireland was listed as a goal, with the intent of "building Sesame model for respect and understanding curriculum acorss sectarian divide." [1]
The project remained as just a goal for lack of funding. However, in early 2006, it was announced that the American Ireland Fund announced their donation of one million dollars to realize the project.[2] Additional sponsors include the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation[3]
Sesame Workshop president Gary Knell spoke optimistically about the project:
Though initially untitled, as the project developed, a decision was made to use a large hollow tree instead of a street as the setting, and Sesame Tree was finalized as the title in September 2007.[4]
The fifteen minute program will feature two new Muppet characters, developed by the Sixteen South production crew, designed by Ed Christie and built by the Jim Henson Company in New York, and performed by local puppeteers. Marty Robinson will assist in auditioning and training local performers who include Lesa Gillespie, Paul Currie, Michael McNulty, Mike Smith and Helen Sloan.[5]
The 20 planned episodes of Sesame Tree will also include clips from the American Sesame Street and live action film inserts, show in and around Northern Ireland. It will also include segments where Potto's American relatives will interact with the American Muppets.[4]
Executive producer Colin Williams of Sixteen South expressed the hope that "Through the fun interaction of the muppets in studio, Sesame Street archive clips and live action films, local children will enjoy learning about themselves and others."[4]
The production also coincides with a dubbed package of Play With Me Sesame, dubbed in Gaeilge (Irish), to air in Ireland.
Characters in the series include the Bookworms, living in Potto's books, and the three Weatherberries hanging in a bunch, on a vine inside the tree.[4]
Sources
- ↑ 2004 Sesame Workshop Powerpoint presentation
- ↑ O' Driscoll, Sean. "'Sesame Street' project to promote tolerance in North." The Irish Times. January 28, 2006.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 O'Mahony, Catherine. "The North Gets Its Own Sesame Street." The Sunday Business Post. May 05, 2007
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Sesame Workshop press release. September 20, 2007.
- ↑ Belfast Telegraph "Ulster on way to Sesame Street" by Emily Moulton 10/10/07