PLAZA SÉSAMO KICKS-OFF 10TH MILESTONE SEASON, LAUNCHING “HABITOS SALUDABLES PARA TODA LA VIDA”
Original Live Action Films Highlight Rich Cultural Diversity of Latin America.
New York, NY, and Mexico City, MEXICO, September 27, 2006
They are furry and fun, and now they’re getting fit! Abelardo, Pancho, Lola and friends, are kicking off Plaza Sésamo’s 10th season focusing on Healthy Habits and the rich diversity of Latin America. The new season debuted September 25, 2006 on Televisa, and will premiere November 20, 2006 on Discovery Kids. Sixty-five new episodes feature celebrities like singer Aleks Syntek, news commentators Adela Micha and Loret de Mola, sports commentators Toño de Valdés and Enrique Burak, Olympian diver Fernando Platas, and Paralympic medalist Aaron Gordián, among many more, encouraging children and their families to lead a safe and balanced lifestyle through exercise and healthy eating habits.
The inclusion of health content on Plaza Sésamo is part of “Healthy Habits for Life” or “Habitos Saludables para Toda La Vida,” nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop’s multi-media initiative to encourage young children and their caregivers to learn simple, fun ways to take care of their bodies. In a musical segment called “Ricas Frutas,” Aleks Syntek leads Plancho, Lola and Abelardo in a cheerful chorus highlighting the benefits of eating fruit. Comedian Arath de la Torre stars in “Los Monstruos Tambien Lloran: Domingo Perfecto,” a soap opera spoof in which de la Torre discovers he is out of nutritious breakfast food and must be rescued by an urgent and healthy delivery from his Muppet friends! In “Un Pico Muy Limpio,” actress and talk show host Andrea Legarreta plays a friendly dentist who helps Abelardo laugh away his fear of having his teeth cleaned, and explains why oral hygiene is important.
In addition to supporting a healthy lifestyle, season 10 of Plaza Sésamo continues to help children in Mexico and Latin America prepare for school by presenting the cognitive fundamentals about letters and numbers, and also encouraging them to appreciate diversity. As a result of a partnership between Sesame Workshop and nongovernmental organization The World Heart Fedeartion, Plaza Sésamo will feature original live action films by Colombian producers. Photographs taken by children between the ages of 5 and 9 from throughout Colombia served as the inspiration for these films which include a visit from a rural doctor, planting a vegetable garden, enjoying breakfast in a diverse variety of locations throughout Colombia, shopping in an open market, and dancing in a festival, each through the eyes of a different child. Additional locally produced live action films will present cultural content from Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela. These segments are part of an effort to showcase the rich culture of Latin America, as well as enhance Plaza Sésamo’s effort to reflect the lives of children throughout the region.
To further encourage diversity, as well as appreciation for language, Plaza Sésamo residents will welcome a new family from Argentina to their neighborhood, and enjoy learning that although they come from different places and use different words to communicate, they still have much in common, including enthusiasm for soccer and meeting new people.
Recent studies indicate that after almost 35 years in the Mexican and Latin American market, Plaza Sésamo continues to make a positive impact with families today. Over 94% of Moms in Mexico interviewed agree that Plaza Sésamo is educational and trustworthy. In fact, of the 72% of the Moms in Mexico who watched Plaza Sésamo as a child, 98% of them want to share that experience with their child today.1 In addition, a study conducted with Mexican preschoolers in 2005 indicated that over 90% of children who watch Plaza Sésamo accurately remember the content of the segments and 83% said they like the show “a lot.”2
Plaza Sésamo’s 10th season is made possible by partners nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop, leading pan-regional Latin American pay-TV children’s network Discovery Kids, Mexico’s largest terrestrial producer and broadcaster Televisa, U.S. broadcaster TeleFutura, and HIP Entertainment. The launch of Healthy Habits for Life in Mexico is supported by Kir from Qualtia Alimentos Operaciones, Tetrapak, and Merrill-Lynch. The three year partnership between Sesame Workshop and the World Heart Federation to develop health content for Colombian live-action films within Plaza Sésamo is made possible through the generosity of philanthropists Julio Mario and Beatrice Santo Domingo.
Contact
Martha Montemayor
(52 55) 5575 1833 in Mexico
mmontemayor@ccconsultores.com.mx
1Source: Gemark Research, Plaza Sésamo Market Research Study, Sept 2005.
2Source: Plaza Sésamo Formative Research, Aug 2005
