Bringing the Muppets to Moscow

Available for over a year

In the early 1990s, American journalist Natasha Lance Rogoff was covering the collapse of the Soviet Union – until the Muppets came calling, and she was tasked with bringing Sesame Street to Moscow. After decades of communism a new Russia was emerging, but could it embrace a US TV show? Creating Ulitsa Sezam was a daunting challenge for Natasha. She would have to overcome a huge culture clash and, along the way, face mobsters with shark tanks, bankruptcy, and the kidnapping of Elmo. Natasha has written a book called Muppets in Moscow: The unexpected crazy true story of making Sesame Street in Russia. (This episode was first broadcast in 2023) Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Maryam Maruf Ulitsa Sezam archive is courtesy of Sesame Workshop Get in touch: [email protected] or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: Natasha Lance Rogoff with the Russian Muppet, Businka. Credit: Courtesy of Irina Borisova)