Sesame Tree

thumb|300px|Oscar visited in 2010.
Sesame Tree is the Sesame Street television co-production for Northern Ireland. Belfast-based production company Sixteen South produced the series in association with Sesame Workshop. The show stars Potto, a furry, inventive monster-type who lives in a tree with his friend Hilda, the Irish hare. The first series consisted of twenty fifteen-minute episodes, and debuted over BBC Two Northern Ireland on April 5, 2008.
The second series of twenty episodes began airing on November 22, 2010, and introduced a new character -- Archie, a maths-loving squirrel. Oscar the Grouch made a special appearance in one episode.
==History==
The project has been under consideration since 2004; in Sesame Workshop's presentations on their international projects, Northern Ireland was listed as a goal, with the intent of "building Sesame model for respect and understanding curriculum across sectarian divides."2004 Sesame Workshop Powerpoint presentation
The project remained merely a goal for lack of funding. However, in early 2006, it was announced that the American Ireland Fund announced their donation of one million dollars to realize the project.O' Driscoll, Sean. "'Sesame Street' project to promote tolerance in North." The Irish Times. January 28, 2006. Additional sponsors include the Northern Ireland Fund for ReconciliationO'Mahony, Catherine. "The North Gets Its Own Sesame Street." The Sunday Business Post. May 05, 2007
Sesame Workshop president Gary Knell spoke optimistically about the project:
Though initially untitled, as the project developed, a decision was made to use a large hollow tree instead of a street as the setting, and Sesame Tree was finalized as the title in September 2007.Sesame Workshop press release. September 20, 2007.
Sesame Tree was selected for a CINE Golden Eagle Award in 2008.CINE Golden Eagle Award Recipients 2008. Fall, 2008.
For Sesame Street's 45th celebration in 2014, an exhibition was organized in which most characters of the show where displayed in the New York Public Library.
==Characters and Content==
The program features several new Muppet characters, developed by the Sixteen South production crew, designed by Ed Christie and built by the Jim Henson Company in New York, and performed by local puppeteers. Martin P. Robinson assisted in auditioning and training local performers.Belfast Telegraph "Ulster on way to Sesame Street" by Emily Moulton 10/10/07
The series focuses on Potto, a furry, inventive monster-type who lives in a tree with his friend Hilda, the Irish hare. The supporting characters include the eccentric bird Claribelle; the Bookworms who live among Potto's books; and the three Weatherberries, a group of Muppet fruit who hang from a vine inside the tree.Residents of Sesame Tree Revealed. October 2007 For the second season, the cast was joined by Archie, a curious three and a half year old squirrel who loves to learn.
The episodes also include clips from the American Sesame Street and live action film inserts from in and around Northern Ireland. The segments are presented through Potto's computer; he consults "Monster Earth" for live action and animated clips and "Monster Babble" to catch up with the American Muppet characters (where Muppet inserts are presented as "video chats").
Executive producer Colin Williams of Sixteen South expressed the hope that "Through the fun interaction of the muppets in studio, Sesame Street archive clips and live action films, local children will enjoy learning about themselves and others."
Several of the resources that are used by the character Hilda are created or used heavily by housemate Potto including the Pottoscope, the Patent-Pending Pottophone and said housemate's collection of books.
==Puppeteers==
*Paul Currie as Potto
*Lesa Gillespie as Hilda
*Mike Smith as Archie
*Helen Sloan as Weatherberry (series 1)
*Michael McNulty as Potto's arm, Weatherberry
*Alana Kerr as Claribelle, Weatherberry
*Sarah Lyle as Maisie Weatherberry and Samson Bookworm (series 2)
*Sarah Boyd Wilson as Goliath Bookworm (series 2)
==Episodes==
===Series 1===
* Episode 101: The Bookworms Move House
* Episode 102: Food for Thought
* Episode 103: Booga Granny Hare!
* Episode 104: The Share Necessities
* Episode 105: Big Hare Day
* Episode 106: Finders Keepers
* Episode 107: A Present for Claribelle
* Episode 108: CSI Sesame Tree
* Episode 109: Beezer Broccoli Birthday Cake
* Episode 110: Arty Party
* Episode 111: Turn and Turn About
* Episode 112: Practice Makes Perfect
* Episode 113: Potto's Really Rockin' Pocket Shoes
* Episode 114: One Wee Minute
* Episode 115: Hilda's Two Birthdays
* Episode 116: Same Difference
* Episode 117: Potto's Perfect Picnic
* Episode 118: Sad Hare Blues
* Episode 119: The Goldfish Tree
* Episode 120: A Very Special Visitor
===Series 2===
* Episode 201: Hilda's Beezer Buddies
* Episode 202: Best of Furry Friends
* Episode 203: Let's Have a Party
* Episode 204: Run Potto Run
* Episode 205: Out of Time
* Episode 206: Super Squirrel's Super Glasses
* Episode 207: Potto's Heard of Cows
* Episode 208: Potto's Movie Mania
* Episode 209: Squirrel's Day
* Episode 210: It's Not Me It's You
* Episode 211: Potto's Never Ending Story
* Episode 212: Pizza Perfection
* Episode 213: Scaredy Squirrel
* Episode 214: Treemendous
* Episode 215: The Trying Game
* Episode 216: Promises, Promises
* Episode 217: Squirrel School
* Episode 218: The Big Sleepover
* Episode 219: Yes We Can
* Episode 220: Potto's Big Day Out
==See also==
*Tar ag Spraoi Sesame, dubbed package for Ireland
==Sources==
==External links==
*Official site
*BBC video preview
*Latest Sesame Tree news
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Category:International Sesame Street Shows