Sesamstraße

History

The German version of Sesame Street, Sesamstraße, first aired on January 8, 1973, after a few original, undubbed episodes had been tested starting in August 1972. For its first 250 episodes, spanning three seasons, the show simply dubbed the American episodes into German in Hamburg. Only the opening and closing songs were changed, with new lyrics by Volker Ludwig and music by Ingfried Hoffmann. The title of the German theme song translates roughly to "this, this and that (who, how, what – why, why and why – those who don't ask stay dumb!)."

In Bavaria, Bayerischer Rundfunk thought the original set was too rough for children and created its own show, Das feuerrote Spielmobil. In 1975, variety programs like Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten promoted Sesamstraße by filming special footage on the U.S. set. From 1976 to 1977, the street scenes were removed, partly because parents protested against the character Oscar the Grouch. A new framing story about a boy named Bumfidel and his mother replaced them, making the show’s title confusing.

In 1977, a German street set was built at Studio Hamburg. On January 2, 1978, a new version debuted with Samson the bear (1978–2009, and again from 2013) and Tiffy the bird (1978–2005) replacing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

Kermit Love built the early puppets, but Sesame Workshop now makes them. Each half-hour episode paired the new puppets with one male and one female human host. The original American sketches were dubbed and remained central, though some were cut to remove English words.

Characters

Sesamstraße’s main character is Samson, a large brown bear who took over from Big Bird. Like his predecessor, Samson is a full-body muppet, and he has a particular fondness for dancing the mambo. In 1978, Samson and a pink bird-monster named Tiffy replaced Big Bird, known in Germany as Bibo. The show also features Feli Filu, a blue monster who works as a reporter and has interviewed notable Germans, including former president Horst Köhler.

Other characters introduced over the years include Uli von Bödefeld, also called Herr von Bödefeld, who appeared from 1978 to 1988; Finchen the snail, who debuted in the 1980s and was originally male but later became female; Rumpel the Grouch, a German cousin of Oscar the Grouch, who arrived in 1989; and Buh the owl, also from 1989. More recent additions include Feli Filu, the horse Pferd and the sheep Wolle, who form a comic duo, along with several grouches like Grouchella and an Übergrouch, plus some Anything Muppets.

Rumpel lives in a rain barrel and has a pet caterpillar named Gustav; he hates rain when others enjoy it but loves it when they complain. Little Bird has made occasional cameo appearances. Bert and Ernie remain hugely popular, and their German voices have changed multiple times over the decades. Leonie Löwenherz, a female lion, had a very brief run after a fire destroyed her set and puppets; she later starred in her own ARD show, also called Leonie Löwenherz, alongside two lion brothers and human characters.

Samson, the brown bear, appeared from 1978 to 2009 and again from 2013 onward. His cousin Simson, who looks just like him but often wears a hat or tie, appeared on and off between 1989 and 2000. Tiffy was on the show from 1978 to 2004. Finchen the snail has appeared on and off since 1978, and regularly from 1989.

Rumpel was a regular from 1989 to 2009. Buh appeared from 1989 to 2000. Feli Filu was on the show from 2000 to 2007. Pferd and Wolle have both been part of the cast since 2000.