Plaza Sésamo
Plaza Sésamo | |
---|---|
Also known as | Sésamo (2016-2022) |
Genre | |
Created by | Canal 5 (1970's–1980's, 2000's–2016, Mexico) (2020-present, Mexico)Syndication (1970's–present, Latin America and Puerto Rico) Azteca 7 |
Release | October 6, 1972 present | –
Plaza Sésamo (English: Sesame Plaza)[a] is the first international co-production of the educational children's television series Sesame Street. Its first season premiered in Mexico in 1972, and the last season ended in 2018 during the holiday season and the 50th anniversary of Sesame Street, but the show returned in 2020. It has also aired throughout Latin America, to a potential audience of 25 million children in 34 countries. Unlike some of the earliest co-productions, which consisted of dubbed versions of Sesame Street sketches with local language voice-overs, Plaza Sésamo along with Vila Sésamo were actual co-productions. Half of the show was adapted from the American show, and half was original material, created in Mexico by Mexican writers, performers, and producers. The first season consisted of 130 half-hour episodes. The Plaza Sésamo development process was similar to that of the American show. Its goals were developed by local experts in television, child development, and early education during curriculum seminars in Caracas, Venezuela. Sésamo's goals emphasized problem solving and reasoning, and also included perception, symbolic representation, human diversity, and the child's environment. Other goals included community cooperation, family life, nutrition, health, safety, self-esteem, and expressing emotions. Early reading skills were taught through the whole language method. The show's budget for the first and second seasons was approximately US$1.6 million.
The show's set consisted of a typical neighborhood square (or plaza) found throughout the region. New
Sesame Amigos, a Sesame Workshop production for Spanish-speakers from the United States, debuted in 2015. This series aired Saturday mornings on Univision as part of their Planeta U block until October 2017 when it was replaced by Calimero.
Background
A few months after the 1969 debut of
As of 2006, there were 20 active co-productions.[2] In 2000, CTW vice-president Charlotte Cole estimated that there were over 120 million viewers of all international versions of Sesame Street,[4] and by the show's 40th anniversary in 2009, they were seen in more than 140 countries.[5] Doreen Carvajal of The New York Times reported that income from the co-productions accounted for US$96 million in 1994.[6] Cole stated, "Children's Television Workshop (CTW) can be regarded as the single largest informal educator of young children in the world".[7] Most of the early international versions were what Cole called "fairly simple",[1] consisting of dubbed versions of the show with local language voice-overs and instructional cutaways. Studies conducted on the effects of several co-productions found that viewers of these shows gain basic skills from watching them.[8]
Production
Plaza Sésamo debuted in Mexico on the
The American-produced and dubbed segments were analyzed for cultural appropriateness. If any segments were considered "too American", meaning that they contained English writing on the screen, showed the American flag, or overtly referred to American history, they were removed. The board was responsible for choosing content from the CTW's inventory, and it had to satisfy the curriculum goals chosen by the Latin American researchers.[12] They chose to teach reading through the whole language method, which emphasizes teaching children to recognize entire words or phrases, as opposed to phonetics, the way the American show taught reading.[13] The Mexican producers and writers designed a distinctive set that appeared different than the American set and consisted of a typical neighborhood square (or plaza) found throughout the region. The set included a background of mountains, a vacant lot with playground equipment, houses, a combination repair shop and store-cafe, and the plaza's central fountain and benches.[10][12] New music, written and performed by Latin American artists, was recorded, and writers and actors from different Latin American countries like Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela, were hired.[12]
New Muppet characters were created and performed by puppeteers trained in Mexico City.[12] Abelardo. a dragon,[9] was modeled after the American show's Big Bird, and like Big Bird, was a full-body puppet that was controlled by the puppeteer from inside the costume.[14] Paco, a grouchy green parrot, was based on Oscar the Grouch. Abelardo and Paco were both played by Justo Martinez.[10] The Muppets Beto and Enrique, who were based upon Bert and Ernie of the American show, were called "national favorites" by the UPI less than three years after the show's premiere. In 1975, Enrique and Beto were used to promote Mexico's nationwide free vaccination campaign.[10]
130 half-hour episodes of the show's first season were shot in Mexico City entirely in Spanish, under the control of a Mexican research and production team. About half the show's material was adapted from the American show and dubbed into Spanish, while the other half was produced in Mexico and included animation, live-action films, and studio sequences with human actors and Muppets. A Mexican board of advisers, who set curriculum goals for the show, approved all content, both Mexican and American, something that followed the newly established policies of the CTW. Mexican psychologist Rogelio Diaz-Guerrero was the first chair of the show's advisory board, which was later expanded to include child-development and educators from other Latin American countries, so that Plaza Sésamo could be broadcast throughout Central and South America, including the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.[15]
The third season, which was filmed in 1983 and consisted of 130 half-hour episodes,[13] had different goals than the previous seasons. One of its goals was instructing its viewers and their families about basic hygiene, "a matter of critical importance in an area of the world where gastrointestinal diseases abound and infant mortality rates are high".[13] The third season of the show included characters created to "expose young Latin American children to both traditional and nontraditional role models".[13] The producers created characters that demonstrated family diversity, in order to fulfill their curriculum goal of presenting more egalitarian lifestyles by modeling overcoming stereotypes, demonstrating different career options for both men and women, and exhibiting the sharing of household responsibilities. They cast performers in two different families. The first family was more traditional and consisted of a middle-aged couple named Tono, a mechanic (played by Maurico Herrara), and Alicia, a public health nurse (Alicia de Bari), who had two children. The adults in the second family were young working professionals; the wife was a veterinarian and the husband was a music teacher who worked from home. Other human characters included: Jose, a shopkeeper and his young assistant, a student named Mercedes (Xochiti Vigil): a truck driver played by Tony Diaz; and a pilot (Fernando Balzaretti), who travelled throughout Latin American and came home to tell his adventures to his friends on the plaza.[10][13] As of 1990, the third season was still airing in reruns.[13]
In 1995, a fourth season of Plaza Sésamo was produced. It featured two monsters named Lola and Pancho, a larger cast of children, more original music, and a new set designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. The season focused on a more innovative curriculum, developed by a board of Latin American educators and UNICEF, and included topics such as health, hygiene, safety issues, cooperation, counting, and the alphabet. The producers created outreach materials for Hispanic families, for the purpose of promoting media literacy and helping parents improve their roles as their children's first teachers.[16] The fourth season aired in the U.S. because of the large population of Spanish-speakers in the country; it was the first time an original co-production was shown in the U.S.[17][18] As Gary Knell, an executive at the CTW stated, "Our mission is to educate all kids. And the fact is, in the U.S., especially in cities like Los Angeles, there's an enormous number of Spanish-speaking households".[19]
The fourth season was test-marketed for American audiences in April on PBS and
In 2012, Plaza Sésamo celebrated its 40th anniversary with the creation of a new website and a traveling photo exhibit. In December 2013, the show's 15th season premiered with 52 episodes. Segments were shot throughout Latin America; it was the first time the show was filmed in Colombia. Its curriculum focused on math, literacy, diversity, and health.[20] A stakeholders meeting was convened in Bogotá in October 2012, consisting of interested parties from government and the private sector, and included officials from UNICEF.[21] In 2016, episodes began to debut on
Influence
When Plaza Sésamo's first season premiered, it was the highest rated TV program ever broadcast in Mexico.[12] The UPI reported that all three seasons of the show had some of the highest ratings in Mexico; its second season, which premiered in 1975, "had piled on ratings that only Mexico's popular soap operas could rival".[10] Gettas claimed that Plaza Sésamo was "the model for all subsequent Sesame Street co-productions throughout the world".[12] He also stated that the first season "had a demonstrable impact on the educational achievement levels of its young audience".[12] In 1974, a study was conducted by American and Mexican researchers that studied the effect of Plaza Sésamo on its viewers. Highly significant differences were found in tests about general knowledge, letters, and numbers after children were exposed to the show.[22] Significant gains were made in several cognitive and perceptual areas by regular viewers, even in subjects that were not taught by the show.[23]
Seasons 1 to onwards from Sesame Street were dubbed into Mexican (Latin American) Spanish.
In 1995, Parque Plaza Sésamo, a 12-acre theme park based on the show, was opened in
In 2003, the
Appearances
Television
- 1997; 2017; 2020: "Sesame Street" (with Abelardo Montoya as Big Bird's cousin)
- 2002: "The 76th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (with Abelardo Montoya and Lola) (November 28)
- 2011-13: Sesame Street Road Safety Campaign (with Pancho)
- 2013-17: "¡Despierta América!"; "Dream, Save, Do" (with Bel and Lola)
Events
- 2003: Sesame Workshop's Annual Benefit Gala (June 4)
- 2019: Sesame Street: Road Trip with Abelardo Montoya as Big Bird's cousin as he travels from Mexico to Los Angeles, for material taped for season 50.)
Comic Books
- 2013: "Sesame Street": (Issue #1, with Bodoque)
International broadcasting
Country/Region | Channel |
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Mexico | HBO Max
|
Venezuela | HBO Max
|
Argentina | HBO Max
|
Colombia | HBO Max
|
Ecuador | HBO Max
|
Peru | Red Televisión HBO Max
|
United States | HBO Max
|
Chile | HBO Max
|
El Salvador | Discovery Kids
(Tves) Canal 10 Canal 12
HBO Max
|
Uruguay | HBO Max
|
Guatemala | HBO Max
|
Paraguay | HBO Max
|
Cuba | Discovery Kids
|
Puerto Rico | HBO Max
|
Costa Rica | HBO Max
|
Dominican Republic | Telesistema Canal 11 HBO Max
|
Honduras | HBO Max
|
Panama | HBO Max
|
Nicaragua | HBO Max
|
Bolivia | HBO Max
|
Brazil | TV Ra-Tim-Bum
|
Dubbing
Country | Business dubbing | Language |
---|---|---|
Mexico | CINSA (1972-1983) Sonomex (1983-2003) Art Sound México (2003-2005) AF Dubbing House (2005-2009) Candiani Dubbing Studios (2009–present) |
Spanish |
Venezuela | Etcétera Group (1981-1995) Lipsync Audio Video (1995–present) M&M Studios (2006-2012) | |
Argentina | Media Pro Com (2013–present) | |
Chile | DINT Doblajes Internacionales (2014–present) | |
Panama | PRT Digital (2015–present) | |
Bolivia | Estudio Sonor (2016–present) | |
Brazil | Audio News (2003-2006) Herbert Richers (2007-2014) Centro Comunicaciones (2015-2019) Tempo Filmes (2020-present) |
Portuguese |
Notes
- ^ Formerly known as "Sésamo" from 2016 to 2022.
- ^ a b c Cole et al. p. 148
- ^ a b Knowlton, Linda Goldstein and Linda Hawkins Costigan (producers) (2006). The World According to Sesame Street (documentary). Participant Productions.
- ^ Davis, pp. 209—210
- ^ Cole et al., p. 147
- ^ Gikow, p. 263
- ^ Carvajal, Doreen (12 December 2005). "Sesame Street Goes Global: Let's All Count the Revenue". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
- ^ Cole et al., pp. 169—172
- ^ Gikow, pp. 252—253
- ^ a b c "Meet Sesame Street's Global Cast of Characters: Abelardo - Mexico Plaza Sésamo". Smithsonian.com. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Television in Review: Sesame Street South of the Border". The Nashua Telegraph. Nashua, New Hampshire. UPI. 26 February 1975. p. 25. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
- ^ Gettas, p. 57
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Gettas, p. 58
- ^ a b c d e f g h Gettas, p. 59
- ^ "Abelardo- Mexico Plaza Sésamo". Smithsonian.com. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Gettas, pp. 57—58
- ^ "Univision and Children's Television Workshop Announce National Rollout of 'Plaza Sesamo'". The Free Library (Press release). PR Newswire. 11 December 1995. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Univision and Children's Television Workshop Announce the Introduction of 'Plaza Sesamo' in the United States" (Press release). PR Newswire. 28 March 1995.
- ^ Freeman, Michael (3 April 1995). "Now, Big Bird en Espanol". MediaWeek. 5 (14).
- ^ a b c Cobo-Hanlon, Leila (27 March 1996). "A Green Big Bird? : 'Plaza Sesamo,' the Spanish-language version of 'Sesame Street,' is prospering in the U.S. amid debate over whether the program hurts or helps bilingualism". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- ^ "Production to Begin on Plaza Sésamo Season 15" (Press release). Sesame Workshop. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "Plaza Sésamo kicks off 40th Anniversary with Stakeholders Meeting in Bogotá" (Press release). Sesame Workshop. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ Diaz-Guerrero & Holtzman, p. 632
- ^ Diaz-Guerrero & Holtzman, p. 643
- ^ "Flagship Theme Park Parque Plaza Sesame Opens in Monterrey, Mexico as First of Five 'Sesame Street' Parks Planned in Mexican Venture". The Free Library (Press release). PR Newswire. 8 October 1995. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
- user-generated source]
- ^ "Sesame Workshop's "Plaza Sésamo" Receives "Champion of Health Award" From PAHO" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: Pan American Health Organization. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Latin America: Plaza Sésamo". Sesame Workshop.org. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ "Department of Health and Human Services; Three Federal Agencies Join with Sesame Workshop to Launch National PSA Campaign Stressing Healthy Habits to Prevent H1N1 Flu Infection". Bioterrorism Week. NewsRX. 14 September 2009.
- ^ ""Plaza Sésamo" educa sobre la gripe porcina". People en Español (in Spanish). Time Inc. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
References
- Cole, Charlotte F.; Beth A. Richman; Susan A. McCann Brown (2001). "The World of Sesame Street Research". In Shalom M. Fisch; Rosemarie T. Truglio (eds.). "G" is for Growing: Thirty Years of Research on Children and Sesame Street. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers. ISBN 0-8058-3395-1.
- Diaz-Guerrero, Rogelio; Holtzman, Wayne H. (October 1974). "Learning by Televised "Plaza Sesamo" in Mexico". Journal of Educational Psychology. 66 (5): 632–643. doi:10.1037/h0037480.
- Gettas, Gregory J. (December 1994). "The Globalization of Sesame Street: A Producer's Perspective". Educational Technology Research and Development. 4 (38): 55–63. ISSN 1042-1629.
- Gikow, Louise A. (2009). Sesame Street: A Celebration—Forty Years of Life on the Street. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-1-57912-638-4.
External links
- Plaza Sésamo webpage (in Spanish)
- Parque Plaza Sesamo webpage Archived 2009-02-06 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)