Seasame Workshop may produce a country-specific version of the popular children’s program “Sesame Street” for Colombia, focusing on cultural diversity, newspaper El Tiempo reported on Monday.
The show would be recorded so the voices of the muppets, the famous puppets that appear in Sesame Street, will represent children from all over the country.
Representatives from the company have met with counterparts in Colombia to discern the viability and potential success of the program, which would be produced in conjuction with Señal Colombia.
The children’s program is currently on it’s 41st season in the United States and is shown in 140 countries. Brazil and Mexico were the first to have their own country-specific versions, which began production in 1972. There is currently a Latin American version that is broadcast in Colombia, which lasts 22 mintues (versus the 60 minutes in the U.S.) and features the characters of Pancho, Lola and Abelardo.
The most famous American muppet is the character of Elmo, who currently represents the “Heatlhy Heart” campaign in Colombia, which seeks to teach healthy habits.
The mission of the program is “to promote values in the formation of a child” and other country-specific versions have used the program to send specific messages to children in that part of the world.
“When the world experienced the H1N1 pandemic and the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, we made 30-second messages for children to take into account simple recommendations on the danger posed by drinking contaminated water or being near affected buildings and power lines,” said executive producer Lorenzo Dunoyer.
Specific programs are also produced for Israel, Palestine and Jordan focusing on conflict resolution and free will. The Colombian version will also likely focus on social issues.