The project had been under consideration since 2004; in Sesame Workshop's presentation on their international projects, Northern Ireland was listed as a goal, with the intent of 'building the Sesame model for respect and understanding curriculum across the sectarian divide."[4]
In January 2006, The American Ireland Fund provided support to realise the project.[5][6] Additional funding was secured from the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) and the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation.[7] Funding for the second series was provided by IFI and Northern Ireland Screen.
All the characters were developed by Sesame Workshop and Sixteen South, and the Muppets for the series were built by The Jim Henson Company in New York, who worked with exclusively local writers and Muppet Performers. Martin P. Robinson assisted in auditioning and training local performers, who include Lesa Gillespie, Paul Currie, Michael McNulty, Mike Smith, Helen Sloan and Alana Kerr.[8]
The Northern Irish science fiction writer, Ian McDonald, has contributed scripts to the series, along with local writing trio Kieran Doherty, Danny Nash and Ian Nugent. Each of these four writers has written five episodes each, comprising the full twenty episodes of the first series.
The initial series of Sesame Tree comprised twenty seventeen minute programmes, aimed at an audience of children aged 2–5. Following a format similar to that of The Hoobs, it is composed of original puppet segments featuring Muppets created specifically for the series, local mini documentaries depicting a child's eye view of life in Northern Ireland, and classic Muppet segments from the library of Sesame Street.[9]
The common area of the programme is the "Sesame Tree" – a hollow tree where children can ask questions and have them answered;[10] the Sesame Tree is the programme's analogue to the street in the original Sesame Street programme. The residents of the Tree are Potto; Hilda and Archie, a new arrival for the second series.
Potto (performed by Paul Currie and Michael McNulty) – The main character of the series. He is a book loving monsterinventor who likes to "potter" around the devices. Potto is best friends with Hilda the Hare and is the cousin of Telly Monster. His puppet is the same AM Monster design that was used for Humphrey from Sesame Street.[12]
Hilda (performed by Lesa Gillespie) – A seven-year-old Irish Hare who is best friends with Potto.[13]
Claribelle (performed by Helen Sloan (series 1) and Alana Kerr (series 2)) – A bespectacled, red Muppetbird.[12]
Samson and Goliath (performed by Sarah Lyle and Alan Kerr) – A bunch of Bookworms that live amongst Potto's books.[9]
Weatherberries (performed by Sarah Lyle and Michael McNulty) – A bunch of singing fruit.[12] They announce the weather whenever Hilda asks what the weather will be like that day.
Archie (performed by Mike Smith) – A bespectacled red squirrel who loves math. He was introduced in Season 2.
