Play with Me Sesame
Play with Me Sesame | |
---|---|
Genre | Children's television series |
Opening theme | "Play with Me Sesame" |
Ending theme | "Play with Me Sesame (instrumental)" |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 104 |
Production | |
Production location | Kaufman Astoria Studios |
Running time | 24 minutes |
Production companies | Sesame Workshop Noggin Original |
Original release | |
Network | Noggin (2002-2007) |
Release | April 1, 2002 September 2, 2007 | –
Play with Me Sesame is a children's television series, and a spin-off of Sesame Street. It featured Sesame Street Muppets, including Bert and Ernie, Grover, and Prairie Dawn. From April 1, 2002 until September 2, 2007, the show was aired on Noggin, which was rebranded as Nick Jr. on September 28, 2009. The show aired reruns on Sprout until 2016. The series was produced by Sesame Workshop and Nick Digital.
Segments
Play with Me Sesame features many different segments, such as:
At the Show
- Ernie Says: A game similar to "Simon Says," except the title is different. Ernie almost always manages to annoy Bert in this segment. For example, one time he asked Bert to help him hold an enormous piece of cheese, which he said was an "important part of the game." To Bert's anger, he says that "you can stop playing Ernie Says." He later points out that he just wants to have a snack, as he gets hungry after playing Ernie Says. Another example is Ernie pretending to fall asleep and wake up. Bert thinks he is sleeping, but he wakes up. Unlike Simon Says, where one cannot do something Simon does not say to do, every phrase in Ernie Says begins with "Ernie says...".
- Ernie's Interactive Games: Beginning in Season 3, Ernie can play games with Bert and the kids.
- Prairie Dawn's Art Class: A segment where Prairie Dawn showcases drawings made by kids.
- Prairie Dawn's Music Class: Beginning in Season 3, Prairie Dawn would trade her art segment for one oriented around music.
- Kit and Domby's Art Class: A segment aired on Play with Me Sesame UK, where Kit and Domby showcase art that has been sent in.
- Sesame Computer: The gang play games on the computer from their website at Noggin.com, such as "Oatmeal Art," "Pigeon Patterns," "Perfect Pair," and "Ducks in a Row".
Classic Muppet segments were put into the show as well.
Finale
- Move and Groove with Grover: The child dances along to a video. Grover often interrupts to point out some things and to tell the child more. Other times, he sings basic songs such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or "A Very Simple Dance".
- Grover's Musical Segment: Beginning in Season 3, Grover invites the children to sing, dance and play along with your favorite Sesame Street Muppets.
- End Segment: A short and final game of Ernie Says is played. The first statement is usually "Ernie says, say goodbye..." The special circumstance in which the characters say goodbye ties into the theme. For example, Ernie says to say goodbye while wiping windshield wipers in the car-themed episode.
Cast
Muppet performers
- Fran Brill as Prairie Dawn and Zoe (Season 2)
- Steve Whitmire as Ernie (Seasons 1 and 3)
- John Tartaglia as Ernie (Season 2)
- Eric Jacobson as Bert and Grover
- David Rudman as Cookie Monster, Ernestine, and Chicago the Lion (Season 2)
- Martin P. Robinson as Slimey the Worm (Season 2)
Additional performers
- Pam Arciero
- Lisa Buckley
- Tyler Bunch (Season 3)
- Tim Lagasse (Season 3)
- Jim Martin
- Carmen Osbahr
- Matt Vogel
- Jim Henson (Classic Muppet segments)
- Frank Oz (Classic Muppet segments)
- Jerry Nelson (Classic Muppet segments)
- Kevin Clash (Classic Muppet segments)
- Caroll Spinney (Classic Muppet segments)
- Richard Hunt (Classic Muppet segments)
- Joey Mazzarino (Classic Muppet segments)
International
Play with Me Sesame UK
In the United Kingdom, Play with Me Sesame aired on Playhouse Disney UK. It showcased old and new Muppet (and sometimes film) clips from Sesame Street, with new linked segments, that featured Bert, Ernie, Grover, and Prairie Dawn. The show also included cameos by Zoe, Cookie Monster, and Ernie's niece Ernestine. The show also featured two British Muppets, Kit and Domby,[1] who live in a castle on top of a hill. They spent most of their time in the castle kitchen, bedroom and living room, which were very similar to Bert and Ernie sketches. Kit had an English accent, whilst Domby had a Scottish accent. They sometimes visited schools and playgroups, to sing or talk with the children.
Ireland
In Ireland, the show aired on TG4, dubbed in Irish, as Tar ag Spraoi Sesame during the Cúla 4 children's programming block. Sesame Workshop worked with production company Telegael to adapt the American footage. In the development phase, the title was initially announced in July 2007 as Sraid Sesame (literally "Sesame Street").[2] The series' voice director, Padraic O Neachtain, said they "had to find voices that were as close as possible to the originals and the most likely candidates.... would be sent for approval to the Children’s Workshop in the United States where a final decision would be made."[3] The series' adaptation coincided with the pre-production of Sesame Tree, a Sesame Street co-production for Northern Ireland.
Merchandise
The series' episodes were released onto DVD in fall 2007 by Genius Entertainment.[4]
References
- ^ Cole, Charlotte F. (March 22, 2016). The Sesame Effect: The Global Impact of the Longest Street in the World. Routledge. p. 48. ISBN 1138806919.
- ^ Donegal News "Donegal actor tipped to become 'Elmo' in Sesame Street" 7/20/07
- ^ O'Connor, John. "An Sraid Sesame." Munster Express. July 20, 2007
- ^ https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/31188/play-with-me-sesame-playtime-with-grover/
External links
- Sesame Street
- 2000s American television series
- 2002 American television series debuts
- 2007 American television series endings
- Fiction about monsters
- Television series by Sesame Workshop
- Television programs featuring puppetry
- American television programs featuring anthropomorphic characters
- Treehouse TV shows
- Nick Jr. shows
- Preschool education television series
- American television spin-offs