Sesame Square

Last updated

Sesame Square
Genre Children's television
Opening themeWelcome to Sesame Square
Country of origin Nigeria
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes78
Production
Producers Sesame Workshop, Ileke Media
Original release
Network Nigerian Television Authority
Release2011 (2011) –
2014 (2014)

Sesame Square is the Nigerian version of Sesame Street . It launched in 2011 as West Africa's first Sesame Street adaptation. [1] [2] Nigerians produce and voice the series in Standard English. It airs on the Nigerian Television Authority network. [3]

Contents

It is the second foreign co-production of Sesame Street to be shown entirely in English, the first being Northern Ireland's Sesame Tree .[ citation needed ]

Production

The series was co-produced by Sesame Workshop and Ileke Media. [4] It was also produced in collaboration with education advisors from Nigeria's Ministries of Health and Education. [1] Production was challenging as the creators had to balance social norms and traditions of multiple ethnic and religious groups in addition to Sesame Workshop's guidelines. [4] There was also concern that emphasizing diversity over unity might be divisive. [4] English was chosen as the program's main language out of a desire for the show to be "ethnically neutral"; however, Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba words were taught in some segments. [4]

In 2013 Sesame Workshop was given resources to dub the three seasons of the program into Hausa. 39 episodes were eventually dubbed for the newly-titled Dandalin Sesame, which began airing in late 2015 in several northern states. [1] [5]

Characters and location

The set of Sesame Square resembles a traditional Nigerian village with a central mango tree. [3]

The series stars Kami, an HIV-positive Muppet (who was originally part of Takalani Sesame, the South African version of Sesame Street), [2] and Zobi, a blue, furry Muppet who is a 'Yam Monster' (the Nigerian version of the Cookie Monster in the American original; Zobi is also a main character of Takalani Sesame, where he is known as Zikwe). [1] [3] [6] Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie, all characters who originated in the American production, also appear. [1] [3] [7] The characters were revoiced, however, to give them Nigerian and American accents.

Human characters included Uncle Ado. [4]

Content

The show is composed of a number of segments. The opening theme tune is "Welcome to Sesame Square" and includes the use of talking drums. [3] Dubbed segments were sourced from Global Grover, Play with Me Sesame, Elmo's World, Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures, and Sesame Street English. [3] Original segments include a Word of the Day segment. [8]

Messaging

In addition to teaching letters and numbers, the show aims to educate children about malaria prevention, promote Nigerian unity through the representation of the diverse groups that make up the country, and to lessen the stigma of being HIV-positive. [3] Girls' education and vaccine education also feature as topics. [1]

Nigeria's Independence Day was featured in episodes from the first and third seasons. [4]

Episodes

The first season contains 26 episodes, one for each letter of the English alphabet. [9] The second season premiered in May 2012 and the third season was broadcast in September 2013. [1] As of 2014 the show had 78 episodes total. [4] As of 2020, USAID had not renewed its financial support of the show, and no further episodes have been produced. [10]

Reception

In 2013 approximately 7.7 million children, aged 3–7, watched the program. [1] That same year, a study by Fluent Research found strong positive correlation between exposure to the show's episodes and materials and "letter naming; following verbal instructions; counting; hand washing; cooperation; and gender equity". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar the Grouch</span> Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street

Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character created by Jim Henson and Jon Stone for the PBS/HBO children's television program Sesame Street. He has a green body, no visible nose, and lives in a trash can. Oscar's favorite thing is trash, as evidenced by the song "I Love Trash", with a running theme being his collection of seemingly useless items. Although the term "Grouch" aptly describes Oscar's misanthropic interaction with the other characters, it also refers to his species. The character was originally performed by Caroll Spinney from the show's first episode until Spinney's retirement in 2018. Eric Jacobson began understudying for the character in 2015, and officially took on the full role after Spinney's retirement in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmo</span> Muppet character on the childrens television show Sesame Street

Elmo Monster is a red Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. A furry red monster who speaks in a high-pitched falsetto voice and frequently refers to himself in the third person, he hosts the last full five-minute segment on Sesame Street, "Elmo's World", which is aimed at toddlers. He was most often puppeteered by Kevin Clash, but since his resignation in late 2012, he has been puppeteered by Ryan Dillon.

Ernie (<i>Sesame Street</i>) Sesame Street Muppet character

Ernie is an orange Muppet character created and originally performed by Jim Henson for the children's television show Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form the comic duo Bert and Ernie, one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker, and Bert the world-weary foil.

History of <i>Sesame Street</i>

The preschool educational television program Sesame Street was first aired on public television stations on November 10, 1969, and reached its 54th season in 2023. The history of Sesame Street has reflected changing attitudes to developmental psychology, early childhood education, and cultural diversity. Featuring Jim Henson's Muppets, animation, live shorts, humor and celebrity appearances, it was the first television program of its kind to base its content and production values on laboratory and formative research, and the first to include a curriculum "detailed or stated in terms of measurable outcomes". Initial responses to the show included adulatory reviews, some controversy and high ratings. By its 40th anniversary in 2009, Sesame Street was broadcast in over 120 countries, and 20 independent international versions had been produced. It has won eleven Grammys and over 150 Emmys in its history—more than any other children's show.

<i>Ulitsa Sezam</i> Russian childrens television series

Ulitsa Sezam is the Russian production of the children's television program Sesame Street. The show was first released in 1996 and went off the air in 2010.

<i>Takalani Sesame</i> South African TV series or program

Takalani Sesame is the South African co-production of the children's television program Sesame Street, co-produced by Sesame Workshop and South African partners. The series debuted in 2000 and currently airs on SABC 2.

Vila Sésamo is a Brazilian co-production of the first preschool television programme Sesame Street. As of 2009 it airs on TV Rá-Tim-Bum. As of 2016, similar to Plaza Sésamo, new seasons air under the title Sésamo. The series debuted on October 12, 1972, moving from TV Cultura to SKY Play on June 25, 2020.

<i>Play with Me Sesame</i> 2002 American childrens television series

Play with Me Sesame is an American children's television series, created by Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon for their former joint venture Noggin. It is a spin-off of Sesame Street hosted by Ernie, Bert, Prairie Dawn, and Grover. The series' backgrounds and animated elements were made by Nickelodeon Digital in New York City. Nickelodeon and Sesame Workshop developed the show to expand on Sesame Street by directly encouraging young viewers to interact with the characters. To do this, they combined classic Sesame Street sketches with new segments, where the hosts invite preschoolers to join them in games.

1, rue Sésame is a French children's television series based on the popular U.S. children's program Sesame Street. The show first aired on 3 April 1978, at 6:00 a.m. on TF1. Its musical director was Roger Elcourt, composer Jean Morlier. The series was executive produced by Michel Berthier from TF1 and Lutrelle Horne from CTW. The show ran for a total of 82 episodes and ceased production in June 1982.

Baghch-e-Simsim is a Dari- and Pashto-language co-production based on the American children's television series Sesame Street. The series launched in Afghanistan in December 2011, and has aired on TOLO and Lemar.

Alam Simsim is an Arabic language Egyptian co-production of the children's television series Sesame Street. Alam Simsim is Arabic for "Sesame World".

Kami (<i>Takalani Sesame</i>) Fictional character

Kami is a character on Takalani Sesame and Sesame Square, the respective South African and Nigerian versions of the children's television program Sesame Street.

Sesame Street international co-productions are adaptations of the American educational children's television series Sesame Street but tailored to the countries in which they are produced. Shortly after the debut of Sesame Street in the United States in 1969, television producers, teachers, and officials of several countries approached the show's producers and the executives of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW), renamed Sesame Workshop (SW) in 2000, about the possibility of airing international versions of Sesame Street. Creator Joan Ganz Cooney hired former CBS executive Michael Dann to field offers to produce versions of the show in other countries.

A wide variety of characters have appeared on the American children's television series Sesame Street. Many of the characters are Muppets, which are puppets made in Jim Henson's distinctive puppet-creation style. Most of the non-Muppet characters are human characters, but there are many characters that are animated.

Sesame Street is an American children's television program that is known for its use of format and structure to convey educational concepts to its preschool audience, and to help them prepare for school. It utilizes the conventions of television such as music, humor, sustained action, and a strong visual style, and combines Jim Henson's Muppets, animation, short films, humor, and cultural references. The show, which premiered in 1969, was the first to base its contents, format, and production values on laboratory and formative research. According to researchers, it was also the first to include a curriculum "detailed or stated in terms of measurable outcomes".

The children's television program Sesame Street premiered in 1969 to high ratings, positive reviews, and some controversy, which have continued during its history. Even though the show aired on only 67% of American televisions at the time of its premiere, it earned a 3.3 Nielsen rating, or 1.9 million households. By its tenth anniversary in 1979, 9 million American children under the age of six were watching Sesame Street daily. Its ratings declined in the 1990s, due to societal changes. A survey conducted in 1996 found that by the age of three, 95% of all American children had watched it. By its fortieth anniversary in 2009, it was ranked the fifteenth most popular children's show.

Rechov Sumsum is the Israeli adaptation of the U.S. children's show of the same name.

Kilimani Sesame is the Tanzanian version of Sesame Street. The show airs on Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) and Television Zanzibar (TVZ). The production was launched in April 2008. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored the production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monstruos Supersanos</span>

Monstruos Supersanos is a Sesame Street mini-series that debuted in June 2012. The 5 to 7-minute series focuses on activities and foods that keep one healthy. Sesame Workshop produced 26 episodes in English, which initially aired dubbed in Spain on Antena 3 as a Barrio Sésamo mini-series called Monstruos Supersanos. Around 2011, the segments were also released in Latin America.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Sesame Square - Nigeria". The Communication Initiative Network. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 Webster, George. "HIV-positive muppet to star in Nigeria's 'Sesame Street'." CNN. 6 October 2010. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Nigerians set to find out how to get to Sesame Square". BBC News. 21 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Moland, Naomi A. (1 February 2015). "Featured Article: Can Multiculturalism Be Exported? Dilemmas of Diversity on Nigeria's Sesame Square". Comparative Education Review. 59 (1): 1–23. doi:10.1086/679014. ISSN   0010-4086. S2CID   144526814.
  5. ↑ Moland, Naomi A. (2019). Can Big Bird fight terrorism? : children's television and globalized multicultural education. New York, NY. p. 43. ISBN   978-0-19-090395-4. OCLC   1112424155.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ↑ Sangillo, Gregg (4 November 2019). "How to Get to Sesame Street…in Nigeria". American University. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Moland, Naomi (15 November 2019). "After 50 years, it's past time to bring human LGBTQ+ characters to America's Sesame Street". USA TODAY. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ↑ Molandi (2019). p. 49.{{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ "Sesame Square to Debut in Nigeria." Ebru News . Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  10. 1 2 Molandi (2019). p. 52.{{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Bibliography

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