Open Sesame
Kerning Cultures
Kerning Cultures Network
4.9 • 529 Ratings
🗓️ 10 September 2020
⏱️ 43 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.
This week, a little boy's dream to become his favourite Muppet, and the making of a show that revolutionised children's television.
This episode originally aired in September 2018.
Kerning Cultures is a Kerning Cultures Network production. Support this podcast on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, Hibah here, and this is Kearning Cultures. The school year is just about a start up again. |
| 0:06.5 | I'll be it a bit differently this time around with COVID, but nonetheless, with schools back in session, |
| 0:12.0 | what we're going to play for you today is fitting. It's one of our favorite episodes from the |
| 0:17.1 | Kernan Cultures Vault. If you've already heard this story, I hope you'll enjoy a walk-down |
| 0:22.0 | memory lane. If you're new, like one of the new listeners after that Radio Lab episode, |
| 0:27.1 | what's up, guys? Welcome. Here's an oldie but goody from us. Today, it's Open Sesame, |
| 0:33.7 | originally broadcast in September 2018. Here we go. |
| 0:43.1 | Today, we have something of a nostalgic story. |
| 0:48.2 | It's a story about a show that revolutionized children's television and what that meant for the Arab world. |
| 0:51.9 | Because remarkable things can happen |
| 0:54.6 | when people pledge allegiance to something bigger than themselves, |
| 1:00.1 | like affect entire generations of kids. |
| 1:05.6 | I'm Hibba Fisher, and you're listening to Kearney Cultures, |
| 1:09.4 | radio documentaries from the Middle East. |
| 1:15.5 | And one story that always kind of captures my imagination. |
| 1:20.9 | The street's lost culture. |
| 1:25.4 | And you're listening to Kearning cultures. |
| 1:30.7 | Our story today starts with Ammar. |
| 1:33.5 | My name is Ammar al-Sabban. |
| 1:36.5 | Amar Idrus al-Sabban. |
| 1:38.1 | Adrus is my father, obviously. |
| 1:40.7 | Well, for me, growing up, I didn't really like to go out a lot. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kerning Cultures Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Kerning Cultures Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.