Sesame Tree
A Northern Irish Sesame Street adaptation for young children.
Sesame Tree is a Northern Irish adaptation of Sesame Street, produced by Sixteen South and Sesame Workshop. It first aired on BBC Two in Northern Ireland on 5 April 2008, and later nationwide on CBeebies in August 2008. A second series launched on CBeebies and BBC Two from 22 November 2010. The series was made entirely in Northern Ireland, with all characters developed by Sesame Workshop and Sixteen South, and Muppets built by The Jim Henson Company in New York. Local writers and performers were used exclusively, with Martin P. Robinson assisting in auditioning and training them.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Educational
- Runtime
- 15 minutes
- Theme music
- Duke Special
- Company
- Sixteen South
- Sesame Workshop
- BBC Northern Ireland
- Country
- United Kingdom; United States
- Language
- English
- Network
- BBC Two; CBeebies
- First aired
- 5 April 2008
Facts from the source article.
Production
The project had been under consideration since 2004, with Sesame Workshop listing Northern Ireland as a goal for building a respect and understanding curriculum across the sectarian divide. In January 2006, The American Ireland Fund provided support, with additional funding from the International Fund for Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation. The second series was funded by the International Fund for Ireland and Northern Ireland Screen. Characters were developed by Sesame Workshop and Sixteen South; Muppets were built by The Jim Henson Company in New York. Martin P. Robinson assisted in auditioning and training local performers, including Lesa Gillespie, Paul Currie, Michael McNulty, Mike Smith, Helen Sloan and Alana Kerr. Scripts for the first series were contributed by Ian McDonald and the local writing trio of Kieran Doherty, Danny Nash and Ian Nugent, each writing five episodes.
Format
The initial series comprised twenty seventeen-minute programmes aimed at children aged 2–5. The format follows that of The Hoobs, combining original puppet segments with local mini documentaries showing a child's view of life in Northern Ireland, and classic Muppet segments from Sesame Street. The common area is the Sesame Tree, a hollow tree where children ask questions and receive answers, analogous to the street in the original programme. Residents include Potto, Hilda, and Archie (new in the second series). The production coincided with Tar ag Spraoi Sesame, an Irish dubbed package of Play with Me Sesame on TG4. The title and background music were composed by Northern Irish artist Duke Special.
Characters
Potto, a monster inventor who loves books and tinkering with gadgets, is the main character. He is best friends with Hilda the Hare and is Telly Monster's cousin. Hilda is a seven-year-old Irish Hare. Claribelle is a red Muppet bird who wears glasses. Among Potto's books live Samson and Goliath, a group of bookworms. The Weatherberries are singing fruit that predict the day's weather when Hilda asks. Archie, a bespectacled red squirrel who enjoys maths, joined the show in its second season.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes of Sesame Tree are there?
Sesame Tree has 40 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did Sesame Tree end?
Sesame Tree last aired on 28 January 2011.
More in Television Series by Sesame Workshop
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