Rua Sésamo (TV series)

Production

RTP had previously broadcast a package of Sesame Street episodes in the 1976/77 season under the name Abre-te Sésamo. Planning for Rua Sésamo began in 1987 between RTP and Children's Television Workshop, with Maria Emilia Brederode serving as pedagogical director. An RTP team went to New York City to select animation, puppet, and live-action segments from the American version, a process that took two years. The series became one of the most expensive productions RTP had made, with the first season alone costing the equivalent of €2 million.

The street set, created by Moniz Ribeiro, was a faithful adaptation of the original. Muppet sketches from the original series were dubbed into Portuguese, while street-scene Muppets were made exclusively for the Portuguese version. Several minutes of original animation were commissioned. Segments were filmed in mainland Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Africa, and Macao.

The series was also broadcast on state television in Portuguese-speaking African countries to promote the Portuguese language and development. After the series ended, RTP replicated the formula with entirely Portuguese productions: Jardim da Celeste (1997–2000) and Ilha das Cores (2007–2009).

Characters

Muppets included Poupas, equivalent to Big Bird but recolored orange, portrayed by Luís Velez, who used a television screen inside the costume for vision. Ferrão, equivalent to Oscar, was recolored brown and lived in a barrel instead of a trash can; some Oscar sketches from the original series were used. Egas and Becas corresponded to Bert and Ernie, and Monstro das Bolachas to Cookie Monster. An original cat Muppet, Tita, was created in the second season to add a female element.

Carlos Luz was a Muppet based on television presenter Carlos Cruz and voiced by him. Human characters included Guiomar, played by Alexandra Lencastre, who disliked her character's name but became popular; and Gil, played by Pedro Wilson, a character with African background created as a positive role model.

In the final season, André (played by Vítor Norte) moved away and Gil left for medical tasks in Africa. New characters included António (played by Ricardo Monteiro), another African-descendant character, and Ana (played by Rita Loureiro) replacing Guiomar. Dubbing of American-produced shorts was changed and done at Somnorte in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Did You Know?

• The episode was broadcast twice a day, in the morning and late afternoon, with morning repeats later adding subtitles.