Plaza Sésamo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plaza Sésamo
Genre	Children's television series Educational
Created by	Joan Ganz Cooney Lloyd Morrisett Muppet characters by Jim Henson
Based on	Sesame Street
Country of origin	Mexico
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company(s)	Children's Television Workshop (1972-2000) Sesame Workshop (2000-present) Televisa (1970's–2013) RCN Televisión (2013–2016)
Release
Original network	El Canal de las Estrellas (1970's–2003, Mexico) Canal 5 (1970's–1980's, 2000's–2016, Mexico) Syndication (1970's–present, Latin America and Puerto Rico) HBO Latino (2016-2020, Latin America) Azteca 7 (2020-present, Mexico)
Picture format	NTSC (1972–2013) HDTV 1080i (2013–present)
Original release	October 6, 1972 (1972-10-06) – present

Plaza Sésamo (which means English: Sesame Plaza) is a very popular children's TV show. It's one of the first international versions of the famous American show Sesame Street.

The first season of Plaza Sésamo started in Mexico in 1972. It was different from just dubbing the American show. Half of Plaza Sésamo was new material, made by Mexican writers and performers. The other half was adapted from the American show.

This show was created to help teach young children. Experts in TV and education worked together to set goals for the show. They wanted to teach kids about solving problems, thinking clearly, and understanding different cultures. They also focused on health, safety, and feeling good about yourself. Plaza Sésamo reached millions of children across Latin America.

How Plaza Sésamo Started

A few months after Sesame Street first aired in the US in 1969, people from other countries wanted their own versions. The Children's Television Workshop (CTW), which made Sesame Street, helped them.

Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the creators of Sesame Street, was surprised. She thought the show was very American. But it turned out that the Muppet characters were loved all over the world! Mike Dann helped the CTW make agreements with other countries. These agreements led to "co-productions," where countries made their own versions of the show.

By 2006, there were 20 active co-productions of Sesame Street. In 2000, it was estimated that over 120 million children watched these international versions. This shows how much impact Sesame Street and its international friends like Plaza Sésamo had on kids worldwide.

Making the Show: Plaza Sésamo Production

Plaza Sésamo first aired in Mexico on the Televisa network in 1972. It was one of the first "true co-productions." This means it wasn't just a dubbed version of Sesame Street. Instead, it was created specifically for children in Latin America.

Mexican producers and researchers held meetings to decide what the show should teach. They focused on important skills like problem-solving and understanding different people. They also wanted to teach about community, family life, healthy eating, and safety. The show aimed to help 25 million children in 34 countries.

The show's set looked like a typical neighborhood square, or "plaza," found in Latin America. It had mountains in the background, houses, and a central fountain. New music was created by Latin American artists.

New Characters and Stories

Plaza Sésamo created its own special Muppet characters.

• Abelardo: A giant parrot, like Big Bird from the American show. He was played by a puppeteer inside the costume.
• Paco: A grumpy green parrot, similar to Oscar the Grouch. Abelardo and Paco were both played by Justo Martinez.
• Beto and Enrique: These characters were based on Bert and Ernie. They became very popular in Mexico. In 1975, they even helped promote a vaccination campaign!

About half of each episode was new material made in Mexico. This included animation, live-action films, and scenes with human actors and Muppets. The other half was adapted from the American show. Everything was approved by a Mexican team to make sure it fit the local culture and teaching goals.

Later Seasons and New Ideas

The third season of Plaza Sésamo was filmed in 1983. It focused on teaching kids and their families about basic hygiene. This was very important for health in the region.

This season also introduced characters that showed different kinds of families and jobs. For example, there was a traditional family with a mechanic dad and a nurse mom. There was also a modern family with a veterinarian wife and a music teacher husband who worked from home. These characters helped teach kids about different life choices and sharing responsibilities.

In 1995, a fourth season was made. It introduced new monster characters named Lola and Pancho. This season had a new set designed by a famous Mexican architect. It also focused on new topics like health, safety, and cooperation.

This fourth season was special because it aired in the United States! This was the first time a foreign co-production of Sesame Street was shown in the U.S. It helped Spanish-speaking families in the U.S. and showed that Spanish was an important language there.

In 2012, Plaza Sésamo celebrated its 40th anniversary. In 2013, the 15th season premiered. For the first time, parts of the show were filmed in Colombia. This season focused on math, reading, diversity, and health. In 2016, the show changed its name to simply Sésamo. New episodes continue to be produced and shown today.

Plaza Sésamo Impact

Plaza Sésamo was incredibly popular from the start. Its first season was the highest-rated TV show ever in Mexico at the time. Later seasons also had very high ratings, similar to popular soap operas!

Studies showed that watching Plaza Sésamo really helped kids learn. Children who watched the show regularly did better on tests about general knowledge, letters, and numbers. They even improved in areas the show didn't directly teach.

Theme Park and Health Campaigns

In 1995, a 12-acre theme park called Parque Plaza Sésamo opened in Monterrey, Mexico. It was the first theme park of its kind in Mexico! The park had water rides, live shows, and educational activities. It featured characters from both Plaza Sésamo and the American Sesame Street. In 2022, the park changed its name to Parque Fiesta Aventuras.

Plaza Sésamo characters also helped with important health campaigns.

• In 2003, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Sesame Workshop worked together on a vaccination program. It reached over 147 million people!
• In 2007, characters from Plaza Sésamo appeared on milk containers in Mexico. They shared positive messages about healthy eating and exercise. Studies showed this helped families make healthier choices.
• In 2009, Sesame Workshop received an award for its health efforts.
• During a flu outbreak in Mexico, Plaza Sésamo Muppets appeared with celebrities in public service announcements to teach about flu prevention.

Where to See Plaza Sésamo

Plaza Sésamo has been shown in many countries and on many TV channels.

Television Appearances

• 1997, 2017, 2020: Sesame Street (Abelardo Montoya appeared as Big Bird's cousin)
• 2002: The 76th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (with Abelardo Montoya and Lola)
• 2011-2013: Sesame Street Road Safety Campaign (with Pancho)
• 2013-2017: ¡Despierta América!; Dream, Save, Do (with Bel and Lola)

Events

• 2003: Sesame Workshop's Annual Benefit Gala
• 2019: Sesame Street: Road Trip (Abelardo Montoya traveled from Mexico to Los Angeles for the 50th season of Sesame Street)

Comic Books

• 2013: Sesame Street: (Issue #1, with Bodoque)

International Channels

Country/Region	Channel
Mexico	Las Estrellas Canal 5 Azteca 7 Discovery Kids HBO Max
Venezuela	Venevisión Televen TVes Discovery Kids HBO Max
Argentina	Discovery Kids Telefé Televisión Pública Argentina El Nueve HBO Max
Colombia	Señal Colombia Teleantioquia Canal Uno Telepacífico Telecaribe Discovery Kids HBO Max
Ecuador	Ecuavisa Discovery Kids HBO Max
Peru	Red Televisión TV Peru Discovery Kids HBO Max
United States	Univision Discovery Kids PBS Kids (Western and Southern United States) UniMás Sprout on Demand V-Me HBO Max
Chile	Chilevisión Mega Telecanal La Red Discovery Kids HBO Max
El Salvador	Discovery Kids (Tves) Canal 10 Canal 12 HBO Max
Uruguay	Channel 4, Uruguay Discovery Kids HBO Max
Guatemala	Televisiete Trecevisión Discovery Kids HBO Max
Paraguay	Telefuturo SNT Paravisión LaTele Red Guaraní Discovery Kids HBO Max
Cuba	Cubavisión Discovery Kids
Puerto Rico	Telemundo Discovery Kids PBS Kids HBO Max
Costa Rica	Teletica Repretel Discovery Kids HBO Max
Dominican Republic	Telesistema Canal 11 Discovery Kids HBO Max
Honduras	Canal 5 El Líder Discovery Kids HBO Max
Panama	RPC TV Canal 4 Discovery Kids HBO Max
Nicaragua	Canal 9 Telenica Canal 8 Discovery Kids HBO Max
Bolivia	Bolivisión Discovery Kids HBO Max
Brazil	TV Cultura Rede Globo TV Ra-Tim-Bum

Dubbing Companies

Country	Business dubbing	Language
Mexico	CINSA (1972-1983) Sonomex (1983-2003) Art Sound México (2003-2005) AF Dubbing House (2005-2009) Candiani Dubbing Studios (2009–present)	Spanish
Venezuela	Etcétera Group (1981-1995) Lipsync Audio Video (1995–present) M&M Studios (2006-2012)
Argentina	Media Pro Com (2013–present)
Chile	DINT Doblajes Internacionales (2014–present)
Panama	PRT Digital (2015–present)
Bolivia	Estudio Sonor (2016–present)
Brazil	Audio News (2003-2006) Herbert Richers (2007-2014) Centro Comunicaciones (2015-2019) Tempo Filmes (2020-present)	Portuguese

Images for kids

• 

  Sesame Street co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney in 1985. She was surprised that other countries wanted their own versions of the American show.

• 

  A plaza, the setting for Plaza Sésamo, in Mérida.

• 

  The front gate to Parque Plaza Sesamo.

See also

In Spanish: Plaza Sésamo (serie de televisión) para niños