What has words, but isn't a book; encourages kids to eat healthy and exercise, but isn't a doctor; and invites you to celebrate its 35th anniversary this April? It's PLAZA SESAMO!
This season, the Muppets from "the Plaza" are back for a fresh new season filled with new stories and formats in 65 new episodes focused on literacy and math, diversity, the environment, health and safety. The new season, co-produced by Televisa and nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop, premieres April 21 on Televisa and June 9 on Discovery Kids Latin America.
The celebration kicked off this morning at Televisa's San Angel studio with a special message from Margarita Zavala, wife of the President of the Republic of Mexico, "For 35 years, PLAZA SESAMO has addressed early childhood, and transformed and adapted to new generations and technologies with much success," said Zavala. "I congratulate Sesame Workshop for investing in education and enjoyment for Mexican boys and girls."
Beyond Mexico, in the spirit of Latin American diversity, the 35th anniversary of PLAZA SESAMO brings Pancho and Lola on their first international journey to Colombia as they search for exotic fruits while also learning how to keep their hearts and bodies healthy. These unique new segments will be supplemented with live action films and animations produced in Colombia and highlighting the healthy heart curriculum driven by Sesame Workshop's partnership with the World Heart Federation.
In addition, new episodes will feature live action films from Bolivia and Paraguay featuring young children taking part in daily or cultural activities such as Polka dancing and making bread to celebrate Day of the Dead. These will join PLAZA SESAMO's growing library of live actions that already includes films from Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico and Venezuela.
"It is a privilege to work with Sesame Workshop to produce PLAZA SESAMO, a show respected and treasured across the Americas for its unique capacity to reach children with important educational messages through the power of captivating characters like Abelardo, Lola and Pancho," said Javier Williams, Executive Producer, Televisa. "I am continually impressed by the puppeteers' talent and the production team's commitment. They see their work as a mission to help educate every child in Latin America, they are incredibly proud to be a part of this and it is so rewarding to work with such a determined team."
"After 35 incredible years of fur, feathers and fun, it is an honor to continue reaching new generations with dedicated, creative partners like Televisa and Discovery Kids who exemplify our mission to enrich the lives of children throughout the Americas," said Ginger Brown, Executive Producer, Sesame Workshop. "We strive to keep PLAZA SESAMO modern, vibrant and relevant, and look forward to continuing to serve children in Mexico and throughout the region with innovative content to help them learn and grow.
At the start of each new episode, Pancho, Lola or Abelardo will present a fun and interactive riddle or word of the day. In addition, a segment entitled "Otra Vez en Ingles" will present children with a scene in Spanish, and then immediately repeat the scene in English as a means to introduce children to English vocabulary words.
Other new segments may invite viewers to help Abelardo find the number "4" to finish building his clock or count eggs with Pancho to make sure he has enough for his healthy and delicious breakfast recipe. Viewers will have the opportunity to travel with Lola as she crosses the street safely to meet a man who has balloons, as well as a more ambitious journey through her own heart to find out how it works.
Even more, the beloved Muppets of PLAZA SESAMO will still find time to learn important lessons about the environment such as how to take care of the ocean, the anatomy of a plant and how to separate recyclables from trash.
While there are several novel elements in PLAZA SESAMO's new season, viewers will continue to be delighted by traditional favorites including "Lola Aventuras," Telenovela formats featuring special celebrity guest stars, and classic songs now sung by famous artists like Benny Ibarra and RBD.
The PLAZA SESAMO series is broadcast in Mexico on Televisa Canal 5 and on Discovery Kids in every major territory throughout Latin America. In addition, children and their caregivers can now visit www.plazasesamo.com to learn more about their favorite characters, for PLAZA SESAMO-themed games and coloring sheets, as well as tips and articles on healthy nutrition and other healthy habits.
PLAZA SESAMO's new season is made possible by nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop, Mexico's largest terrestrial producer and broadcaster Televisa, leading pan-regional Latin American pay-TV children's network Discovery Kids, U.S. broadcaster TeleFutura and new post-production partner Promofilm. The new Colombia content is made possible by a three-year partnership between Sesame Workshop and The World Heart Federation with generous support from philanthropists Julio Mario and Beatriz Santo Domingo.
