Ulitsa Sezam (Russian: Улица Сезам) is the Russian production of the children's television program Sesame Street. The show was first released in 1996 and went off the air in 2010.
History
In 1993 Sesame Workshop recruited Natasha Lance Rogoff to produce Ulitsa Sezam. It was funded by Russian advertising agency VideoArt and the U.S. Agency for International Development. A total of 279 Russians were recruited to help develop and produce the series, and the show's budget totaled US$6 million. Production began in 1994.
The initial creation of this series proved difficult with a myriad of complications like cultural clashes with prospective native talent, many of whom were resistant to emulating the American style of puppetry created by Jim Henson. Instead, they proposed native puppetry material that the producers like Rogoff could not accept as they were too violent, frightening, or went against the educational curriculum of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW).
Another problem involved different approaches to script writing. Some of the first scripts produced by the Russian team included "lecturing, tough-talking adults," which CTW pushed back on. Other scripts tended towards fantasy or the idea of leaving the country. Cultural content included traditional Russian dances, instruments, and foods.
- Katya's mother, a physician He slightly resembles a hound in some aspects (long muzzle, floppy ears and a keen sense of smell), and always wears a long fuzzy cloak that looks somewhat like a regal mantle decorated with leaves and fluffy catkins.
- Businka (Бусинка), "bead", is a bright pink monster who finds joy in everything.
Episodes
The first season consisted of 52 half-hour episodes, which were broadcast over the show's first two years on air.
Legacy
In 2022 the original producer, Natasha Lance Rogoff, released a non-fiction book, Muppets in Moscow, detailing the show's production.
References
ru:Улица Сезам