Sesame Tree

Sesame Tree is the upcoming Sesame Street television co-production for Northern Ireland. Belfast-based production company Sixteen South is producing the series in association with Sesame Workshop, set to air over BBC Northern Ireland in spring 2008.

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 acorss sectarian divide."

The project remained as just 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. Additional sponsors include the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation

Sesame Workshop president Gary Knell spoke optimistically about the project: "Given the positive and wide-ranging developments that have taken place over the recent years, it’s a tremendously exciting time to be working in Northern Ireland. It’s crucial to develop children’s self-esteem, love of learning, openness and natural curiosity about others to better prepare them for a brighter future. We are proud and privileged, with our production partners from Northern Ireland, to have the opportunity to contribute to these objectives."

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.

The fifteen minute program will feature two new Muppet characters, developed by the Sixteen South production crew, built by the Jim Henson Company in New York, and performed by local puppeteers. Marty Robinson will assist in auditioning and training local performers who include Lesa Gillespie, Paul Currie, Michael McNulty, Mike Smith and Helen Sloan.

The 20 planned episodes of Sesame Tree will also include clips from the American Sesame Street and live action film inserts, show in and around Northern Ireland.

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."

The production also coincides with a dubbed package of Play With Me Sesame, dubbed in Gaeilge (Irish), to air in Ireland.