The World According to Sesame Street
By Teresa Talerico,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Serious adult docu about Muppets in developing nations.
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The World According to Sesame Street
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What's the Story?
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SESAME STREET follows Sesame Street producers as they adapt the children's' series for broadcast in Bangladesh, Kosovo, and South Africa. The team must carefully adapt the show for kids who struggle with problems like hunger, violence, and illness on a daily basis. Along the way, they encounter challenges that range from political red tape to rioting and civil unrest. Their brainstorming sessions with local educators convince them that the program can make a difference in children's lives. Producers and their local teams work to make the show as culturally relevant as possible to each audience. In poverty-stricken Bangladesh many kids leave school as young as 5 to go to work. So the show is designed not only to educate kids, but also to address the class and gender equity issues prevalent in Bangladesh. In Kosovo, where Albanians and Serbs live in segregated communities, the Kosovo team wants to promote values of acceptance, tolerance, and peace. Locals also remind the producers that the program should include warnings about hand grenades, which kids often find while playing. In AIDS-ridden South Africa, the team develops an HIV-positive Muppet named Kami. Although Kami initially raises ire among some American conservatives, she's immediately embraced by South African children.
Is It Any Good?
Although it's a bit sluggish in the last half hour, the film is still a captivating look at a much-loved American phenomenon and its global outreach. It's intriguing to watch producers and their local teams work to make Sesame Street relevant to kids across many different cultures and facing different, serious issues, like AIDS and the after-effects of war.
The DVD extras of The World According to Sesame Street include a history of the show, which first aired in the United States in 1969 and is now seen in more than 120 countries. The show's originator, Joan Ganz Cooney, is interviewed and likens her producers to missionaries spreading a message of learning and tolerance with these international co-productions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the countries featured in The World According to Sesame Street differ from the United States. What makes their cultures unique?
How do you think Sesame Street producers decide what to change when they export the show to other nations? How can something as simple as a TV show help the kids in those countries?
How does The World According to Sesame Street promote curiosity and empathy? What about compassion and integrity? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 24, 2006
- On DVD or streaming: October 24, 2006
- Cast: Edward G. Christie, Terrence Howard
- Directors: Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Linda Hawkins Costigan
- Inclusion Information: Black actors
- Studio: Sony Wonder
- Genre: Documentary
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Curiosity, Empathy, Integrity
- Run time: 107 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 20, 2023
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