Sisimpur
Sisimpur (Bengali: সিসিমপুর) is the Bangladeshi version of the children's television series Sesame Street. The show aims to make learning enjoyable for children.[1]
Local production designers localized the backdrop for the show by building a set featuring a rural street with a banyan tree and tea and sweet shops.[2][3]
The first season of the series featured 26 episodes, and a second roster of 36 episodes was in production as of 9 February 2001.[4] A third season went into production April 2007 while production of the fifth season is underway.[5] The series airs four times a week on Bangladesh Television (BTV). The program airs on BTV at 9:05 am on Friday, with repeats on Saturday at 2:15 pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 5:05 pm.[6] Sisimpur started airing on children’s channel Duronto TV on July 14, 2019.[7]
USAID has committed US$7 million in funding over the first three years. It is Bangladesh's first children's educational program and was expected to be seen by 4 million children in its first two years.
The creation of Sisimpur was described in detail in the 2005 documentary The World According to Sesame Street.
Characters
- Halum is the Bengal tiger. Halum was designed by Ed Christie and built by Rollie Krewson.
- Ikri Mikri is the small blue monster. Ikri Mikri was designed by Ed Christie and built by Ann Marie Holdgruen.
- Shiku is a small jackal. Shiku was designed by Ed Christie and built by Victoria Ellis.
- Tuktuki is the female Muppet. Tuktuki was designed by Ed Christie and built by Ann Marie Holdgruen.
The show has no full-body puppet character and, thus, no equivalent to Big Bird.
Human characters
- Lal Mia: postman; the actor later died, and the character died within the show, a la Mr. Hooper.
- Mukul Moira: university graduate and entrepreneur (played by Chanchal Chowdhury).
- Sumona Moira: local school teacher.
- Guni Moira: sweet shop owner (played by Syed Dulal)
- Asha Moira: Guni's wife and the local librarian.
- Polash Moira: Guni and Asha's son.
- Bahadur: a nursery owner (played by Shahadat Hossain).
References
- "Sisimpur returns with season 12 on Duronto TV". Dhaka Tribune. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- "Independent Lens . THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SESAME STREET . On the Set". PBS. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- Lepore, Jill (4 May 2020). "How We Got to Sesame Street". The New Yorker. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
- USAID Bangladesh in Focus: USAID Introduces Sesame Street Television Program in Bangladesh Archived 2006-06-19 at the Wayback Machine
- Bangladeshi Sesame Street Producing 5th Season
- "[TV Watch :Sisimpur on BTV]", The New Nation (Bangladesh), June 14, 2008.
- "Sisimpur to air on Duranata TV". New Age. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2020.