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Kerning Cultures

Open Sesame

Kerning Cultures

Kerning Cultures Network

Documentary, Society & Culture

4.9529 Ratings

🗓️ 30 September 2018

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1979, Iftah Ya Simsim - the Arabic version of Sesame Street - aired for the first time. Over the next ten years, the show was loved by children across the Arab world, until 1990, when the show was pulled off the air as a result of the Gulf War.

But Ammar Al Sabban, a young boy growing up watching the show in Jeddah, never forgot the impact his favourite characters had on him.

In this episode, a little boy's dream to become his favourite Muppet, and the making of a show that revolutionised children's television.

Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Today, we have something of a nostalgic story.

0:04.5

It's a story about a show that revolutionized children's television and what that meant for the Arab world.

0:12.6

Because remarkable things can happen when people pledge allegiance to something bigger than themselves,

0:25.4

like affect entire generations of kids.

0:32.3

I'm Hibah Fisher, and you're listening to Kearning Cultures, Radio Documentaries from the Middle East.

0:38.0

The world that is predictable. they've seen it happen.

0:40.9

And one story that always kind of captures my imagination.

0:45.0

The street's lost culture.

0:48.0

And you're listening to Kearning cultures.

0:53.7

Our story today starts with Ammar.

0:56.6

My name is Ammar al-Sabban.

0:58.3

Amar Idurus Al-Sabban.

1:00.4

Adirous is my father, obviously.

1:05.1

Well, for me growing up, I didn't really like to go out a lot.

1:09.6

I was always either by myself playing with something.

1:11.6

I didn't have a lot of friends.

1:13.2

I was more of an introvert.

1:16.9

Amar is originally from Mecca, but he grew up in Jeddah.

1:21.7

And he says when he was young, he wasn't really like the other kids.

1:23.9

I mean, all the boys wanted to play soccer.

1:25.1

I didn't want to play soccer.

1:30.3

I was always either by myself playing with something or watching television. A television was a big chunk of my life.

...

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