Meet Sesame Street's Global Cast of Characters
Over the course of the 40 years that the program has been on the air, Sesame Street has spawned versions in countries around the world
- By Abby Callard
- Smithsonian.com, November 06, 2009
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(Sesame Workshop)
Chamki- India Galli Galli Sim Sim
The international co-productions undertake issues specific to that country or region. India’s Galli Galli Sim Sim focuses on boosting the literacy rate of girls in the country, which lags behind the boys. (UNICEF estimated the male youth literacy rate at 87, and the female rate at 77 in 2006-2007.) To do so they created an adventurous female muppet, five-year-old Chamki, to serve as a role model. Chamki solves problems during a segment where she is known as “Detective Chamki” and wears a generic blue and white school uniform to avoid assigning her a specific cultural ethnicity. Because of India’s diverse ethnic groups, it’s important that girls can identify with her regardless of their personal background.
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Comments (7)
How old are big bird , Ernie , cookie monster, & Elmo ! When was the show 1st aired ! Year! Was it 1953-1956 -or 1958! Thank you!!
Posted by Estella Butler on October 4,2012 | 05:25 PM
hi can you tell me who the green guy with the orange nose an orange hair, an wareing a ball cap
Posted by george miller on February 7,2012 | 05:58 PM
I applaud the longevity and quality of Sesame Street and its multi-cultural offspring. Far from being a "time waster," Sesame Street has grown with the times to address many issues important to young minds. Children are complex individuals but are able to identify with the broader personalities of the Muppet cast, including Big Bird's naiveté and Cookie Monster's obsessive nature. The global cast only enriches the positive elements that have been part of the show since the very beginning.
Posted by Eric Sweetman on May 19,2010 | 08:30 PM
I've always been a huge fan of Abelardo when I was a kid. I've always been a fan of Sesame Street and I'm really happy to know more now about their global cast.
Sarah Hashim
Posted by Sarah Hashim on May 3,2010 | 08:39 PM
I just met a... girl? who looks just like Abelardo!
Posted by Rochi on November 27,2009 | 09:54 PM
Are Zeliboba's eyebrows on loan from Leonid Brezhnev?
Posted by kel on November 10,2009 | 10:44 PM
On November 10th, less than a week after Big Bird's birthday (November 4), the Sesame Street 40th anniversary season will begin. Why we're wasting valuable time on the birthday of a large yellow puppet is beyond me, but it was given the royal treatment, and Big Bird's Birthday was featured by a caricature of the big yellow avian/humanoid on the front page of Google. It was indeed a Sesame Street Anniversary, as the show has been on the air for 40 years. Generations were raised on it, and rearing their own with the show, with that big goofy bird and his imaginary friend. Ironically, he has not begun to gray at all. Well, congrats for Big Bird's Birthday, and evidently the show still gets ratings good enough for money now every year to keep going.
http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/11/04/big-birds-birthday-marks-sesame-street-anniversary/
Posted by Stephanie D on November 10,2009 | 04:35 AM