Plaza Sesamo - Mexico

Plaza Sésamo uses mass media to entertain children while seeking to educate them. It is produced in Mexico with most of the content specifically tailored to Latin America conditions. Organisers researched the audience to be addressed before the programming was developed. A strong curriculum is at the centre of every episode, with attractive animated characters designed to increase engagement on the part of young viewers. For instance, Pancho Contreras (Pancho) is a furry blue character with yellow eyes and big brown eyebrows who enjoys being different, who knows how to read and write, and who has a strong sense of self-esteem. The emphasis of the programming featuring Pancho and other characters is knowledge, skills, and dialogue.

The television programme is 30 minutes long and runs 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year. In 2005, the first of 3 new seasons of Plaza Sésamoaired on Televisa, Discovery Kids Latin America, Univision Puerto Rico, and TeleFutura in the United States. In addition, Sesame Workshop plans to distribute show-related merchandise throughout the Latin American marketplace and the United States Hispanic Latino marketplace. Regional live action films, produced by local producers from throughout Latin America, will highlight the rich cultural diversity of the region. In addition, 10 new 60-minute Plaza Sésamo home video titles, including one about playing fútbol with Elmo, Lola and the entire Plaza Sésamo team and another focused on the variety of holidays celebrated across Latin America, will be produced along with seasons 9, 10 and 11 in conjunction with the current and upcoming new seasons.

Early Childhood Development, Education, Health.