First Time Ever, Sesame Street Muppets Transform Into CGI
New Animated Series Leads Slate of Sesame Shows in Development, Available at MIPCOM in October.
Everybody’s favorite fairy-in-training, Abby Cadabby, is getting a new look – a 3D animated look – in her new series Abby’s Flying Fairy School. The characters for the 9-minute CGI-animation series were designed by Peter De Séve, character designer for Ice Age. Each segment is created to foster preschoolers’ critical thinking skills to solve problems. Abby Cadabby, along with an eclectic gang of new friends - fairies, trolls and a part gerbil part unicorn called Niblet - attend Fairy School with Ms. Sparklenose. Abby and her friends use rhyme, reason, and cooperation – plus a helping hand (or wand) from viewers at home to solve problems. The series is just one of four new shows in development that the producers of Sesame Street will be introducing at MIPCOM, a media trade show in Cannes, France, October 5-9.
Classic Sesame characters will also be taking a journey to some new unexpected places!
- MUNCHIN’ IMPOSSIBLE (children)
In an effort to save the cookies of the world from Cookie Monster’s voracious appetite, “The Man,” a gingerbread cookie who heads up the CIA (“Cookie Intelligence Agency”) sends the blue monster out on location to discover healthy alternatives. This puppet series, with live action films from fields and orchards around the world, encourages children to find out more about their favorite healthy foods and where they come from. Follow Cookie Monster, decked out as a secret agent with a black suit and tie, as he visits strawberry patch, corn field and rice paddy. Will THIS be the healthy food that can lure “Agent Cookie” away from cookies? (26 x 5 minutes)
- ELMO’S BACKYARD (children)
This adventure series has Elmo exploring his own backyard and finding wonderful things like a spider web, a worm in the vegetable patch or a frozen bird bath. Viewers the world over will be able to participate by sending in photos, drawings and videos of their backyards. Capitalizing on children's innate curiosity, the show introduces children to scientific processes as they learn through exploration and discovery with their favorite furry red monster. Through science education, children learn to ask questions, make observations, form predictions, draw conclusions, and share information. Children build a stronger vocabulary and develop a richer understanding and awareness of the world around them as they become true scientific thinkers. (26 x 5 minutes)
- 3-2-1 LET’S GO (working title) (children)
Abby Cadabby is spreading her fairy wings and flying over to 3-2-1 Let’s Go, an original half-hour preschool block. 3-2-1 Let’s Go will feature segments from beloved children’s shows Play With Me Sesame and Global Grover and introduce children to Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures, Sesame Workshop’s first all claymation series consisting of adventures experienced by Bert and Ernie. Each episode of 3-2-1 Let’s Go will be hosted by Abby Cadabby who will invite the audience to play, cheer on her friends between segments and say goodbye when the block is over. (52 x 30 minutes)
“Like its successful predecessors Elmo’s World, Global Grover, and Play With Me Sesame, this new and robust slate of programming continues the 40-year tradition of taking the best of Sesame—the humor, the colorful characters, and the zaniness—and creating different formats that meet the needs of the next generation of viewers,” said Miranda Barry, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President, Creative. “We, like people the world over, are incredibly interestedin encouraging children to believe in themselves, eat healthier, care for our environment, and discover the fun of learning. These four new shows are a positive reflection of that.”
Proof of concepts for each of the series, along with development materials for additional episodes, will be available for potential buyers and co-producers to screen at MIPCOM.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. As the single largest informal educator of young children, local Sesame Street programs produced in countries as diverse as South Africa, Bangladesh and India are making a difference in over 120 nations. Using proprietary research to create engaging and enriching content, Sesame Workshop produces programs such as Dragon Tales and Pinky Dinky Doo. In addition, multimedia needs-driven initiatives providefamilies tools for addressing such issues as children’s health, military deployment and emergency preparedness. As a nonprofit, product proceeds and philanthropic donations support Sesame Workshop’s educational research and creative content for children around the world. Learn more at www.sesamestreet.org.
Contact
