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Sesame Tree

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}

{{Infobox television

| image = Sesame Tree Logo.svg

| genre = Educational

| runtime = 15 minutes

| creator =

| producer =

| starring =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| theme_music_composer = Duke Special

| company = Sixteen South
Sesame Workshop
BBC Northern Ireland

| country = United Kingdom
United States

| language = English

| network = BBC Two
CBeebies

| first_aired = {{start date|2008|4|5|df=y}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2011|1|28|df=y}}

| num_seasons = 2

| num_episodes = 40

}}

Sesame Tree is an adaptation of the American children's television series, Sesame Street, which was made entirely in Northern Ireland. The series was produced by Belfast based production company, Sixteen South and Sesame Workshop. The first episode aired on BBC Two in Northern Ireland on 5 April 2008, with the first series subsequently airing nationwide on CBeebies in August 2008.{{cite episode| title = The Bookworms Move House| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b009s906| access-date = 1 January 2012| series = Sesame Tree| network = BBC| station = BBC Two/CBeebies| location = Belfast| airdate = 5 April 2008| series-no = 1| number = 1}}{{cite web| title=Episodes from Sesame Tree broadcast in 2008| publisher=BBC| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wg1my/episodes/2008| access-date=1 January 2012}}

A second series was launched in November 2010, and broadcast on CBeebies and BBC Two from 22 November 2010.{{cite episode| title = Hilda's Beezer Buddies| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wbylx| access-date = 1 January 2012| series = Sesame Tree| network = BBC| station = CBeebies| location = Belfast| airdate = 22 November 2010| series-no = 2| number = 1}}

Production

The project had been under consideration since 2004; in Sesame Workshop's presentation on their international projects, Northern Ireland was listed as a goal, with the intent of 'building the Sesame model for respect and understanding curriculum across the sectarian divide."[http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/pdfs/sesame_workshop_pd_19032004.ppt 2004 Sesame Workshop powerpoint presentation]

In January 2006, The American Ireland Fund provided support to realise the project.[http://www.irlfunds.org/your_money_at_work/projects_sesame.asp The American Ireland Fund – Sesame Tree]O' Driscoll, Sean. "[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2006/0128/1137626810356.html 'Sesame Street' project to promote tolerance in North]." The Irish Times. 28 January 2006. Additional funding was secured from the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation.O'Mahony, Catherine. "[http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/05/06/story23355.asp The North Gets Its Own Sesame Street] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017154801/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2007/05/06/story23355.asp |date=17 October 2007 }}." The Sunday Business Post. 5 May 2007 Funding for the second series was provided by IFI and Northern Ireland Screen.

All the characters were developed by Sesame Workshop and Sixteen South, and the Muppets for the series were built by The Jim Henson Company in New York, who worked with exclusively local writers and Muppet Performers. Martin P. Robinson assisted in auditioning and training local performers, who include Lesa Gillespie, Paul Currie, Michael McNulty, Mike Smith, Helen Sloan and Alana Kerr.[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/news/article3045392.ece Belfast Telegraph "Ulster on way to Sesame Street" by Emily Moulton 10/10/07]

The Northern Irish science fiction writer, Ian McDonald, has contributed scripts to the series, along with local writing trio Kieran Doherty, Danny Nash and Ian Nugent. Each of these four writers has written five episodes each, comprising the full twenty episodes of the first series.

Format

The initial series of Sesame Tree comprised twenty seventeen minute programmes, aimed at an audience of children aged 2–5. Following a format similar to that of The Hoobs, it is composed of original puppet segments featuring Muppets created specifically for the series, local mini documentaries depicting a child's eye view of life in Northern Ireland, and classic Muppet segments from the library of Sesame Street.{{Cite web |last=McCrum |first=Andrew |date=2017-01-12 |title=Sesame Tree Series One |url=https://northernirelandscreen.co.uk/production-catalogue/sesame-tree-series-one/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=Northern Ireland Screen |language=en}}

The common area of the programme is the "Sesame Tree" – a hollow tree where children can ask questions and have them answered;[http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/inside_press.php?contentId=18660313 Sesame Workshop press release] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127014904/http://www.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/inside_press.php?contentId=18660313 |date=27 November 2007 }}. 20 September 2007 the Sesame Tree is the programme's analogue to the street in the original Sesame Street programme. The residents of the Tree are Potto; Hilda and Archie, a new arrival for the second series.

The production also coincides with Tar ag Spraoi Sesame, an Irish dubbed package of Play with Me Sesame, airing on TG4 in Ireland. The title and background music for the programme was composed by artist of Northern Ireland, Duke Special.

{{cite press release|title = Muppets arrive in Belfast as part of new children's television series, Sesame Tree, debuting on BBC Northern Ireland television this month|publisher = Sesame Workshop|date = 11 March 2008|location = Belfast and New York City|url = http://www.sesameworkshop.org/newsandevents/pressrelease/sesame_tree_debut|access-date = 2 January 2012|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110913053942/http://www.sesameworkshop.org/newsandevents/pressrelease/sesame_tree_debut|archive-date = 13 September 2011}}

Characters

  • Potto (performed by Paul Currie and [https://m.imdb.com/name/nm5396445/ Michael McNulty]) – The main character of the series. He is a book loving monster inventor who likes to "potter" around the devices. Potto is best friends with Hilda the Hare and is the cousin of Telly Monster. His puppet is the same AM Monster design that was used for Humphrey from Sesame Street.{{Cite news |last=Moulton |first=Emily |date=4 July 2008 |title=Meet the Muppets who speak Norn Iron |language=en-GB |work=Belfast Telegraph |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/news/meet-the-muppets-who-speak-norn-iron-28067023.html |access-date=2023-01-12 |issn=0307-1235}}
  • Hilda (performed by Lesa Gillespie) – A seven-year-old Irish Hare who is best friends with Potto.{{Cite web |date=6 November 2009 |title=Meet Sesame Street's Global Cast of Characters |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/meet-sesame-streets-global-cast-of-characters-148607164/ |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}
  • Claribelle (performed by Helen Sloan (series 1) and Alana Kerr (series 2)) – A bespectacled, red Muppet bird.
  • Samson and Goliath (performed by Sarah Lyle and Alan Kerr) – A bunch of Bookworms that live amongst Potto's books.
  • Weatherberries (performed by Sarah Lyle and Michael McNulty) – A bunch of singing fruit. They announce the weather whenever Hilda asks what the weather will be like that day.
  • Archie (performed by Mike Smith) – A bespectacled red squirrel who loves maths. He was introduced in Season 2.

Episodes

=Series 1=

  1. The Bookworms Move House
  2. Food for Thought
  3. Booga Granny Hare!
  4. The Share Necessities
  5. Big Hare Day
  6. Finders Keepers
  7. A Present for Claribelle
  8. CSI Sesame Tree
  9. Beezer Broccoli Birthday Cake
  10. Arty Party
  11. Turn and Turn About
  12. Practice Makes Perfect
  13. Potto's Really Rockin' Pocket Shoes
  14. One Wee Minute
  15. Hilda's Two Birthdays
  16. Same Difference
  17. Potto's Perfect Picnic
  18. Sad Hare Blues
  19. The Goldfish Tree
  20. A Very Special Visitor

=Series 2=

  1. Hilda's Beezer Buddies
  2. Best of Furry Friends
  3. Let's Have a Party
  4. Run Potto Run
  5. Out of Tune
  6. Super Squirrel's Super Glasses
  7. Potto's Heard of Cows
  8. Potto's Movie Mania (Elmgrove Primary School)
  9. Squirrel's Day
  10. It's Not Me It's You
  11. Potto's Never Ending Story
  12. Pizza Perfection
  13. Scaredy Squirrel
  14. Treemendous
  15. The Trying Game
  16. Promises, Promises
  17. Squirrel School
  18. The Big Sleepover
  19. Yes We Can
  20. Potto's Big Day Out

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{BBC programme}}
  • [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/schools/sesame/ BBC Northern Ireland: Sesame Tree schools]
  • [http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Tree Sesame Tree] at Muppet Wiki

{{Sesame Street international}}

Category:Sesame Street international co-productions

Category:BBC Northern Ireland television shows

Category:2008 British television series debuts

Category:2011 British television series endings

Category:2008 Irish television series debuts

Category:2011 Irish television series endings

Category:2000s British children's television series

Category:2010s British children's television series

Category:2000s television series from Northern Ireland

Category:2010s television series from Northern Ireland

Category:2000s preschool education television series

Category:2010s preschool education television series

Category:British television shows featuring puppetry

Category:Television series by Sesame Workshop

Category:CBeebies

Category:British television series based on American television series