CBeebies
Big City Park begins principal photography
13/04/10 01:20
Principal
photography began today, April 12th on
Big City Park, our new CBeebies show
promoting the rediscovery of outdoor fun.
Archie - Online press roundup
13/04/10 01:03
Here are
a selection of sites who ran the launch of Archie :
Muppetwikia
Alaninbelfast
Examiner.com
Worldscreen.com
Ni4kids.com
Clicksmarts.com
Cynopsis.com
NorthernIreland Screen
Muppetwikia
Alaninbelfast
Examiner.com
Worldscreen.com
Ni4kids.com
Clicksmarts.com
Cynopsis.com
NorthernIreland Screen
Archie joins Potto and Hilda in Sesame Tree!
13/04/10 00:38
A bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Muppet will be moving to Sesame Tree, Northern Ireland’s very own version of Sesame Street, when the second series debuts later this year.
Archie, a three and a half year old squirrel with a love of learning, will join friends Hilda and Potto on their adventures as they encourage children to explore the world around them, promoting respect and understanding through educational messages. The trio will answer questions on many topics posed by children and introduce local mini documentaries that showcase the diversity of life in Northern Ireland. Archie is played by local puppeteer, Mike Smith.
Currently being filmed in Northern Ireland, the new Sesame Tree TV series will be accompanied by educational outreach materials and a website.
The new character has been developed by the local Sesame Tree production company Sixteen South Television, and Sesame Workshop, the not-for-profit organisation behind Sesame Street. The series is due to air across the UK on CBeebies later this year.
Archie (short for Archimedes) is a squirrel with a big bushy tail, bright eyes and cool glasses. With a signature phrase of “Sweetily deet!”, he loves to learn new things, especially when it comes to counting and measuring. He is truly delighted to be friends with Potto and Hilda and loves the fact that every day in the Sesame Tree is filled with laughter, singing, learning and lots of silliness. Archie is like an adorable much loved little brother to Potto and Hilda. They encourage him to find ways to be less afraid if he’s frightened of something – or help him to prepare for a new challenge. The three friends are always looking out for each other.
Colin Williams, Executive Producer for Sesame Tree comments, “It’s great to be back filming Sesame Tree for its second series, even more so as we have our new character, Archie, to introduce to the sights and sounds of everyday life in Northern Ireland. Sesame Tree has been developed to support the new NI curriculum so Archie and his friends have an important role to play in educating young children. He is a very welcome addition to the Tree. It is really exciting to see Archie and Hilda out and about on location as part of the documentary filming with local children and families for our new series.”
The Sesame Tree project is funded by the International Fund for Ireland, which promotes integration and reconciliation throughout Northern Ireland and the southern border counties, and also by Northern Ireland Screen. The second series of Sesame Tree will be broadcast on CBeebies in late 2010.
CBeebies - Highlights 2010
13/04/10 00:34
The difference that Sesame Tree has already made...
13/04/10 00:24
In 2006 The American Ireland Fund began a partnership with Sesame Workshop to bring its proven programming promoting respect, tolerance and understanding, to the children of Northern Ireland. Thanks to the lead sponsorship of AIF donors, 26 episodes of Sesame Tree were developed and in 2008 the broadcast began. Today, this historic initiative is moving into an exciting second season.
The Opportunity Studies show that children as young as three years old in Northern Ireland have sectarian beliefs. Protestant and Catholic children have few opportunities to interact and learn about each other’s traditions. The American Ireland Fund identified Sesame Workshop as an ideal partner in addressing the needs of this next generation.
Sesame Workshop has created local co-productions of the show in over 30 countries. The Workshop collaborates with local educators and researchers to develop a curriculum and works with local producers, writers, musicians, actors and puppeteers to create impactful programs. Each program captures the fun and essence of the original program while depicting the unique culture of the country and caters to the educational needs of each audience.
What Difference Has It Made?
Aligned to the revised Northern Ireland Statutory Curriculum, Sesame Tree is now broadcast across the entire U.K.
The website: www.bbc.co.uk/ni/schools/sesametree offers interactive games that promote the development of decision-making skills. Local preschools have received outreach materials to continue the messages of tolerance and understanding to young students. Early follow-up studies conducted by Queen’s University, Belfast are showing that after watching Sesame Tree children are more willing to be inclusive of those from other backgrounds. Their understanding and interest in cultural events different from their own is increasing as well. The findings are encouraging and point to a need for this programming to continue.
From: http://www.irlfunds.org/your_money_at_work/projects_sesame2.asp
Big City Park commissioned by CBeebies
23/12/09 03:12
We’ve just received one of the best Christmas presents ever...
Anyone who has ever worked in television development will know that patience and perseverance are such difficult concepts to come to terms with. We have been developing Big City Park, our outdoors preschool show for almost two years, and it has taken more twists and turns than Silverstone. We teamed up with our wonderful friends at BBC Scotland to develop it as a co-production and for the last six months, we’ve been knee-deep in research, creating a new family of human and puppet characters and clocking up enough airmiles between Belfast and Glasgow to do a round-world trip. CBeebies liked our idea and funded a pilot episode, so we assembled an A-team and brought a brilliant consultant, puppet designer, director, producer, composer and production designer on-board to make our dream a reality.
We shot the pilot over three days in a Belfast park with a lead actress, three puppets and four children.... IN THE RAIN
We’re so tickled pink to have just had Big City Park commissioned by CBeebies. The channel has placed an initial order of 26 x 15 minute shows.
Big City Park is a celebration of the outdoors. It’s set in the park in a big city and encourages children to get outside, to splash, explore and have fun. It also encourages parents and caregivers to loosen the reins and unwrap our children from the cotton wool - and let them discover the freedom of being outdoors.
Big City Park goes into production right away with transmission on CBeebies from 6 August 2010.
CBeebies commissions a new series of Sesame Tree
06/01/10 03:12
We are so truly delighted that CBeebies have commissioned a second season of Sesame Tree! Season One achieved excellent ratings and it’s such an incredible privilege to produce another 20 episodes of this brilliant show with our friends, the people behind Sesame Street, the world’s number one preschool programme.
Broadcast date is provisionally Winter 2010
Lots more press coverage...
20/02/09 22:58
Here is
a roundup of a selection of press articles on
Sesame Tree...
Another World Radio - Interview with Colin
Muppet Central - Sesame Tree on CBeebies
IFTN - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
4ni - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
NI Screen - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
ClickSmarts - Full Press Release - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
RuthEBabes - Sesame Tree Blog
ClickSmarts - Sesame Tree goes Back to School with Outreach materials
Alan in Belfast blog - Gerry Adams and his Cookie Monster watch
Another World Radio - Interview with Colin
News Letter - Paul Currie - Acting the Muppet
Potto and Hilda Cookies!
Muppet Central - Sesame Tree
Diamond Primary School - Singing in Sesame Tree
American Ireland Fund - Hilda Hare and Grover visit the conference
Another World Radio - Interview with Colin
Muppet Central - Sesame Tree on CBeebies
IFTN - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
4ni - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
NI Screen - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
ClickSmarts - Full Press Release - Sesame Tree Wins CINE Golden Eagle
RuthEBabes - Sesame Tree Blog
ClickSmarts - Sesame Tree goes Back to School with Outreach materials
Alan in Belfast blog - Gerry Adams and his Cookie Monster watch
Another World Radio - Interview with Colin
News Letter - Paul Currie - Acting the Muppet
Potto and Hilda Cookies!
Muppet Central - Sesame Tree
Diamond Primary School - Singing in Sesame Tree
American Ireland Fund - Hilda Hare and Grover visit the conference
CBeebies ratings...
14/09/08 03:04
They say that the proof is in the pudding. To be honest, none of us really like pudding, but we do like good programme ratings!
The CBeebies ratings are just in and we're delighted to hear that many, many boys and girls love to watch Sesame Tree!
The programme acheived up to 205,000 viewers which is 70% of the highest rated, long running programme on the channel.
Fantastic!
CBeebies takes Sesame Tree!
14/09/08 03:03
Can it get any
better...?
CBeebies have taken Sesame Tree for broadcast!
It will air daily at 10am and 1pm every weekday throughout August and will be heavily trailed and promoted through on-air presentation.
This is amazing news for us - and for the television production community of Northern Ireland. Sesame Tree was produced for a Northern Irish audience - with local humour, stories and strong accents. To see it being taken by CBeebies, the most revered childrens' channel in Europe is a huge compliment to everyone that was involved in making it such a great production. It's fantastic to hear Northern Irish voices on national childrens' television.
For a producer to have a programme taken by CBeebies is the ultimate goal. We are chuffed.
CBeebies have taken Sesame Tree for broadcast!
It will air daily at 10am and 1pm every weekday throughout August and will be heavily trailed and promoted through on-air presentation.
This is amazing news for us - and for the television production community of Northern Ireland. Sesame Tree was produced for a Northern Irish audience - with local humour, stories and strong accents. To see it being taken by CBeebies, the most revered childrens' channel in Europe is a huge compliment to everyone that was involved in making it such a great production. It's fantastic to hear Northern Irish voices on national childrens' television.
For a producer to have a programme taken by CBeebies is the ultimate goal. We are chuffed.