| Plaza Sésamo | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's Television Series |
| Created by | Based on Sesame Street, created by Joan Ganz Cooney |
| Starring | (see article) |
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| No. of episodes | 1105 (65 episodes per season) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 minutes (without ads) 30 minutes (with ads) (actual length may vary in the US) |
| Production company(s) | Sesame Workshop Televisa Hip TV Inc. (seasons 9-11) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Canal de las Estrellas (1972–1973, 1983–1985) Canal 5 (1995–present) Univision (1995–2001) TeleFutura (2006–2009) |
| Original run | November 1972 – present |
Plaza Sésamo is an educational children's television series for preschoolers, which is the Spanish-language adaptation for Latin America of Sesame Street. Both programs are pioneers of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment.
The program was first broadcast in 1972. Originally co-produced by the Children Television Workshop (CTW) and several Latin-American TV stations, later was produced mainly in Mexico by CTW and Mexican television network Televisa.
Currently it is produced jointly by Sesame Workshop and Televisa. Hip TV Inc., a division of Los Angeles-based Hip Entertainment Group, were production supervisors for seasons 9, 10, and 11.
Plaza Sésamo can be seen in Mexico on Televisa's Canal 5 network. In Latin America on the satellite/cable channel Discovery Kids. In the United States, it can be seen on V-me and TeleFutura (and had previously aired on TeleFutura's parent network Univision), as well as selected PBS stations. Plaza Sésamo is also available On Demand on PBS Kids Sprout's on-demand channel.
Season 9 launched 2005, and seasons 10 and 11 debuted in 2006 and 2008. New seasons of the show are produced intermittently.
The show shares a lot of sketch footage with Sesame Street, dubbed in Spanish, but there is also a great deal of unique footage in the show, especially sketches featuring the live actors.
It is estimated that Plaza Sesamo reaches 84 percent of Spanish-speaking households in the United States. Within Mexico, 72% of mothers watched the series as a child, and 98% of them want to expose their children to the series.[1]
It is one of the longest running children's series in Mexico, although its broadcasting has not been continuous. Note that there is also another Spanish-language version of this series known as Barrio Sésamo in Spain that went on the air on three disjointed runs in 1979–1980, 1983–1987, and 1996–2000.[2]
Contents |
Plaza Sésamo has a cast of human and muppet characters. The human cast changes continuously from season to season. Muppet characters unique to Plaza Sésamo include:[3]
The series debuted in November 1972. The cast consisted of Panamanian, Argentinian, and mostly Mexican performers and featured "neutral Spanish." The curriculum for this season was to teach whole "sight words" that children can learn through repetition and memorization. The show also taught children about hygiene and the importance of cleanliness.
Characters included:
Abelardo and Paco were redesigned during the interlude from season 1 to season 2.
The series was re-vamped in the early 80's. The improved series got rid of the early Muppets and replaced them with new characters like:
The Bodoque character was substituted by Lola and Pancho:
New cast members were also added, some of which continue to appear to this day, including Don Boni and La Abuela. It was also during this period that the new Anything Muppet-type characters, the Multimuppet and Multimonstruo were added, allowing many new recurring characters.
During the planning for new episodes of the show in 2003, the researchers of Latin America felt the set could use a re-vamping. They felt the set should be something all kids in Latin America could relate to. So, the set designers created a set based on a mercado, small marketplaces that are plentiful in Latin America. The new set also used bright vivid colors like typical mercados and bright lights to reflect the bright, Mexican sun. The set debuted in season 9 in 2005.
Season 9 also brought new recurring segments used at the program's start or end. "Lola Aventuras" was introduced as a way to encourage children to be active and productive. Other sketches include "Hazlo Tu Mismo" and "Los Monstruos También Lloran", which spoofs soap operas with celebrity guests. As well, a new opening theme was produced, featuring the main Muppet charcaters (as well as Elmo and Grover) in an animated environment, discovering the letters that spell "Plaza Sesamo", produced by ToTuMa-Studios in Argentina.
In 2006, season 10 of the show debuted. The season focused on healthy habits, featuring various plots about food and exercise. Many episodes also ended with a special message from a celebrity and one of the Muppet characters about exercise, eating healthy and other health-related tips. Introduced this season was a family from Argentina that moved to the plaza. However, they debuted late in the season and did not appear after the season.
In 2008, the series celebrated its 35th anniversary. Season 11 debuted that year in March. During this season, several changes were made, including new actors to play La Abuela and Daniela. As well, a new Lavender Multimuppet as added to the cast. Abby Cadabby also was added to the show, appearing at the start of some episodes in three-part sketches where she performs a magic trick with an ordinary object. Two new recurring segments debuted also: A brief segment that is shown shortly after the first scene where one of the main Muppet characters introduces the letter of the day, and "Pancho Visión", a daily segment in which Pancho Contreas presents a film about his friends all over the world.
Season 12 of the show debuted in October 2009 with the main curriculum of ecology. A new actor for Manuel appears.
The mercado was again revamped in season 13 (which debuted in late September 2010), and new Muppet character Gaby was added. In 2011, the show introduced a new, 14th season. The new season features Elmo as a new character on the plaza.
Additionally, characters from the English-language Sesame Street are featured in dubbed segments:
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 130 | 1972-1973 |
| 2 | 145 | 1973-1974 |
| 3 | 130 | 1983-1984 |
| 4 | 130 | 1995-1996 |
| 5 | 65 | 1998 |
| 6 | 65 | 1999 |
| 7 | 65 | 2000 |
| 8 | 65 | 2001 |
| 9 | 65 | 2004–2005 |
| 10 | 65 | 2005–2006 |
| 11 | 65 | 2008 |
| 12 | 65 | 2009 |
| 13 | 65 | 2010 |
| 14 | 63 (aired) | 2011 |
A theme park named Parque Plaza Sésamo, based on the television series, opened in Monterrey.[4] The park is open year round and offers summer educational camps for children ages 5 to 15. Park venues can be rented for special events.
| DVD name | Year |
|---|---|
| Contar! | 2008 |
| Lola Aventuras | 2007 |
| Vamos a comer | 2007 |
| Bienvenida la Primavera | 2007 |
| Copa Sésamo | 2006 |
| Vamos a Cantar | 2005 |
| Me gusta ser Yo | 2005 |
| El Alfabeto de Lola | 2005 |
| A dormir | 1999 |
| Suma y Resta con Montoya | 1993 |
| Plaza Sesamo Canta | 1993 |
| El Alfabeto de Montoya | 1993 |
| Vamos a Imaginar | 1993 |
| Cuenta Con Nosotros | 1993 |
| De Campamento Con Montoya | 1993 |
| Viaja Con Nosotros | 1993 |
| Mirame | 1993 |