Sesame Tree Finds Home on BBC Two, CBeebies

LONDON, July 23: Sesame
Tree, Northern Ireland’s version
of Sesame Street, began airing
this week in the U.K. on BBC Two and will premiere on CBeebies on August 4.

Sesame Tree, shown on BBC Two Northern Ireland, is now airing
daily at 7:45 a.m. on BBC Two and will begin airing daily on CBeebies at 10:20
a.m. starting next month. It is also available at bbc.co.uk/iplayer.

The locally produced Sesame
Tree features characters specially
created and developed for audiences in Northern Ireland and acted out by local
performers. Each episode highlights the Muppets Potto and Hilda as they go out
on adventures filled with laughter and learning. The duo answer questions posed
by children and introduce local live-action films that showcase the diversity
of Northern Ireland.

Sesame Tree was co-produced by Belfast-based production
company Sixteen South, which is part of the Inferno Group, and Sesame Workshop,
the non-profit organization behind Sesame Street.

Peter Johnston, the
controller for BBC Northern Ireland, said: “This is a very exciting new
opportunity for U.K. viewers to see Sesame Tree programs over the summer holidays. Broadcasting
the programs on CBeebies will enable children around the U.K. to share in the
experience of children from all around Northern Ireland. Sesame Tree is a very entertaining and engaging series for
children linking in to the Northern Ireland curriculum, and supported by the Sesame
Tree website.”

Gary E. Knell, the president and CEO of Sesame Workshop, said: “Sesame Tree has been a fantastic project to work on and we are
so proud that the series has been selected for CBeebies. The images we share
and the stories we tell have the potential to extend far beyond the television
screen to become a valuable resource for children growing up today throughout
the entire U.K.”

—By Jackie Stewart