Vila Sésamo

History

Vila Sésamo was the Brazilian adaptation of the American children's program Sesame Street. It first aired in Brazil between 1972 and 1977 and was well received by critics. The show returned in October 2007 as a branded programming block on TV Cultura, a São Paulo broadcaster, in partnership with Sesame Workshop. In October 2019, it appeared briefly on SBT during a Children's Day sketch, and dubbing resumed on SKY Brasil in June 2020.

The original run began in 1972 on TV Cultura and TV Globo. At that time, the show closely followed the American format, with most content dubbed and thematic charts presented in a repetitive sequence. Original Brazilian puppet characters included Garibaldo, a seven-foot blue bird similar to Big Bird, and Gugu, a hairy green and yellow Grouch.

They shared the street with human characters Gabriela, Juca, Ana Maria, and Seu Almeida. Because color television had not yet arrived in Brazil, the show aired in black and white. It was the first international version of Sesame Street.

In 1973, the second phase began. Vila Sésamo became fully nationalized with new actors, music, and scripts.

Two new Muppet characters were introduced: Funga Funga, a giant red elephant, and Zé Das Latas, a robot. TV Cultura stopped funding the project in 1974, leaving TV Globo to take over. Globo built a larger set, included more children, and made the show even more Brazilian, with help from José Bonifácio Coutinho Nogueira, a former TV Cultura staffer.

The final phase started in 1975 and ended in 1977. More characters and actors were added.

All puppets were designed locally, with no involvement from the Muppet Workshop. The only original Sesame Street segments kept were those featuring Bert and Ernie. Despite its success, the series was canceled due to high production costs.

Characters

Garibaldo (Laerte Morrone) was a giant, shy blue bird and the series' equivalent to Big Bird. Gugu was a green Muppet monster with a blue nose and orange cheeks, similar to Oscar the Grouch; the name Gugu is sometimes used for Oscar the Grouch in select Portuguese dubs of Sesame Street and in the 2007 revival. Beto and Ênio were Bert and Ernie's names in the Portuguese-dubbed version. Juca (Armando Bógus) was a toy maker who taught children about his craft.

Ana Maria (Sônia Braga) was a teacher and Juca's cousin. Gabriela (Aracy Balabanian) was Juca's wife. Funga-funga was a red Muppet elephant who did not like how others looked at him; he could have been an equivalent to Mr. Snuffleupagus but was not written to be an imaginary character, and Mr. Snuffleupagus is referred to as Funga-Funga in the 2007 revival and other Portuguese dubbed projects. In the later version, Garibaldo (Fernando Gomes) became the American Big Bird himself using the name Garibaldo as his Portuguese translated name, making Vila Sésamo the second International Co-Production of Sesame Street after Zhima Jie to have a direct localized version of Big Bird rather than a separate equivalent; Big Bird appears as a host on local segments with Bel.

Bel (Magda Crudelli) was an imaginative, outgoing, pink three-year-old monster and Big Bird's best friend in the 2007 series. Beto and Ênio (Marcelo Torreão) are mentioned a few times by Garibaldo and Bel but only appear in segments of the American version. Elmo (Alexandre Moreno) is the ultra-popular red monster from the original American skits at Bel's same age, appearing only in American segments. Come-Come (Luiz Carlos Persy) is Cookie Monster's Portuguese-dubbed name, appearing only in American segments.

Grover (Mauro Ramos) is the cute furry blue monster friend from domestic Sesame Street segments, appearing only in American segments. Sivan (Neusa de Souza) is a little girl in a wheelchair from Rechov Sumsum, the Israeli co-production of Sesame Street and Shalom Sesame. Bel (Thais Carvalho) is an imaginative, outgoing, pink/purple three-year-old monster.

Did You Know?

• In 1973, the show became entirely nationalized with new cast, music, scripts, and original Muppets like Funga Funga (a giant red elephant) and Zé Das Latas (a robot).
• On October 5, 2019, Garibaldo, Come Come, Elmo, and Abby Cadabby filmed a hidden camera prank at SBT's park for Programa Silvio Santos, with 17 kids and a farm set built for the occasion.
• The original series was released on DVD in 2003, eighteen years after it went off the air.