conuly

We've got Takalani Sesame in South Africa, with eleven (!) different languages. They have a character with HIV, a vegetarian... something, Elmo (of course, but they call him Neno), and a worm, among other things.

Zhima Jie (I can't reproduce the Chinese characters) has an actual Big Bird cousin! Their Elmo (Little Plum) is a girl. Very creative.

Alam Simsim is the Egyptian Sesame Street. They don't seem to have an Elmo. Their Big Bird equivilant isn't a bird at all, just a big green thing. *sighs*

Germany's Sesamstrasse is kinda cool. They have a snail! And an Oscar the Grouch (Rumpel, they call him).

Jordan, Israel, and Palestine have linked Sesame Streets, so I'll list them together. Hikayat Simsim (Jordan) only lists two characters. This is probably due to laziness rather than an actual dearth of muppets. Palestine's Sesame Street is also called Hikayat Simsim. Apparently, Hikayat is "stories" instead of "street". Useful information. It also only lists two characters, except the girl here goes "I can, I can" instead of "I know, I know". (Incidentally, can and know in English are related words.) Suppury Sumsum was another lazy, two character one. Bah. I'll search google later for more information.

Plaza Sesamo is a staple of bored American Spanish students - it's educational, isn't it? They have a Big Bird (birthday in four days!) but no Elmo. Yay! (I hate Elmo, with a passion.) They also have a (silent) Snufflupagus. Yay again (he's my favorite).

Sesamstraat, in the Netherlands, is another show with a Big Bird! And they have a mouse. Or maybe it's a rat. Any of my rodent-loving friends care to take a look?

Last one I found, Ulitsa Sezam is Russian. Now, I know other countries have their own Sesame Streets, so I'm not sure why PBS doesn't list all of them. Probably more laziness. Anyway, Ulitsa Sezam doesn't have any characters I recognize from my childhood. At least, none that they list. Sorry.

I'll get back to you later when I find more information. Djusk' a!