Northern Ireland Set for Local Sesame Street Adaptation

BELFAST/NEW YORK, May 2: Sesame
Workshop is on the hunt for a production company in Northern Ireland to develop
a local edition of Sesame Street that is
slated to air on BBC Northern Ireland by the end of this year.

The locally developed show of
20, 15-minute episodes will feature two new Northern Ireland Muppets, along
with established favorites from the U.S. edition like Elmo and Grover. The
series will present stories and characters keyed to the Foundation Stage of the
new Northern Ireland school curriculum. Local education and child development
experts will work with Sesame Workshop specialists to devise the series’
curriculum, which will include critical thinking and problem solving as well as
respect and understanding. It will feature locally produced live action films
that will be shot in urban and rural areas throughout Northern Ireland. Funding
for the series is provided by the American Ireland Fund and the Northern
Ireland Fund for Reconciliation.

“Given the positive and
wide-ranging developments that have taken place over the recent years, it’s a
tremendously exciting time to be working in Northern Ireland,” said Gary E.
Knell, the president and CEO of Sesame Workshop. “It’s crucial to develop
children’s self-esteem, love of learning, openness and curiosity about others
to better prepare them for a brighter future. We are proud and privileged, with
our production partners from Northern Ireland, to have the opportunity to
contribute to these objectives.”