Barrio Sésamo
Encyclopedia
Barrio Sésamo was the Spanish
version of the popular U.S. children's program Sesame Street
. The show premièred in 1979. It was formed for locally produced segments alternated with a dubbed version of the American program, in which many characters had Spanish names.
The show originally aired in Spain in the late-70s, as a dubbed version of the American Sesame Street. In December 1978, CTW
began the show and created their own characters—Caponata, an orange, purple and yellow bird with curly pink hair (a full-body Muppet and counterpart to Big Bird), and Perezgil, a green snail with glasses (this character is permanently set on a wall) -- while retaining the American characters (Ernie and Bert, Kermit and Grover, etc.) for inserts. The original show wasn't successful, and so it was cancelled in May 1980.
From 1981 to 1983, a different children's program on Spanish television, La Cometa Blanca, included some sketches from Sesame Street. This program, was directed by Muppet fan Lolo Rico. It also featured some actors which would later appear in Barrio Sésamo, mainly Mari Luz Olier, Alfonso Vallejo and the child-actress Ruth Gabriel (then known as Ruth Abellán).
The Sesame Street sketches were successful with their young audience, that Sesame Street was given another chance for a Spanish TV show in 1983. Only José Riesgo as Julián returned from the first season, with the rest of the cast leaving. Caponata and Perezjil were replaced by two new Muppets. The main character was Espinete
, a large pink hedgehog
that replaced Caponata. Like Caponata, Espinete was a full-body Muppet and was the most important character on the show, played by Chelo Vivares. He became famous for sleeping in pajamas in spite of being "naked" the rest of the day. Some of the friends of Espinete were:
The show finished around August 1986, and was replaced by Los Mundos de Yupi, a similar TV program starred by three extraterrestrial characters.
In 1996, the show returned with more new characters: Bluki (a blue full-body catlike Muppet), Vera (a yellow monster), Bubo (an owl) and Gaspar (a human Muppet). Additional characters that made occasional appearances included a wild monster with red fur and a healthy appetite - portraying a role similar to Cookie Monster's - and a tan Anything Muppet that could be turned into various characters (such as a baby, a girl friend of Vera's, a clumsy man with a moustache, or a pig).
The show's directors were:
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
version of the popular U.S. children's program Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. The show premièred in 1979. It was formed for locally produced segments alternated with a dubbed version of the American program, in which many characters had Spanish names.
The show originally aired in Spain in the late-70s, as a dubbed version of the American Sesame Street. In December 1978, CTW
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...
began the show and created their own characters—Caponata, an orange, purple and yellow bird with curly pink hair (a full-body Muppet and counterpart to Big Bird), and Perezgil, a green snail with glasses (this character is permanently set on a wall) -- while retaining the American characters (Ernie and Bert, Kermit and Grover, etc.) for inserts. The original show wasn't successful, and so it was cancelled in May 1980.
From 1981 to 1983, a different children's program on Spanish television, La Cometa Blanca, included some sketches from Sesame Street. This program, was directed by Muppet fan Lolo Rico. It also featured some actors which would later appear in Barrio Sésamo, mainly Mari Luz Olier, Alfonso Vallejo and the child-actress Ruth Gabriel (then known as Ruth Abellán).
The Sesame Street sketches were successful with their young audience, that Sesame Street was given another chance for a Spanish TV show in 1983. Only José Riesgo as Julián returned from the first season, with the rest of the cast leaving. Caponata and Perezjil were replaced by two new Muppets. The main character was Espinete
Espinete
Espinete is a fictional large pink hedgehog. He was the main character of Barrio Sésamo, the Spanish version of Sesame Street. Espinete appeared on the show from 1983 to 1987...
, a large pink hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
that replaced Caponata. Like Caponata, Espinete was a full-body Muppet and was the most important character on the show, played by Chelo Vivares. He became famous for sleeping in pajamas in spite of being "naked" the rest of the day. Some of the friends of Espinete were:
- Don PimpónDon PimpónDon Pimpón was a friend of Espinete, the main character of Barrio Sésamo, the Spanish version of Sesame Street. He used to travel around the world, bringing presents for everybody when he returned....
(Alfonso Vallejo): Another full-body muppet. This farmer was an undetermined brown being, similar to a Sesame Street monster. - Chema (Juan Sánchez): The baker of Barrio Sésamo.
- Ana (Isabel Castro): The young friend of everybody.
- Don Julián (José Riesgo): The old owner of a mobile news stand.
- Matilde (Mari Luz Olier) and Antonio (José Enrique Camacho): married owners of an horchataHorchataHorchata or orxata is the name of several kinds of traditional beverage, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley, or tigernuts .-Etymology:...
shop - Roberto (Roberto Mayor) and Ruth (Ruth Gabriel, as Ruth Abellán): Matilde and Antonio's children
The show finished around August 1986, and was replaced by Los Mundos de Yupi, a similar TV program starred by three extraterrestrial characters.
In 1996, the show returned with more new characters: Bluki (a blue full-body catlike Muppet), Vera (a yellow monster), Bubo (an owl) and Gaspar (a human Muppet). Additional characters that made occasional appearances included a wild monster with red fur and a healthy appetite - portraying a role similar to Cookie Monster's - and a tan Anything Muppet that could be turned into various characters (such as a baby, a girl friend of Vera's, a clumsy man with a moustache, or a pig).
The show's directors were:
- Enrique Nicanor
- Antonio Torets
- Jose María Vidal (co-director)