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Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia - Paperback | Diverse Reads

Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia

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"In this thrilling debut, television producer and filmmaker Rogoff recounts her mission to bring Sesame Street to Russian audiences.... The resulting tale is one of perseverance and creativity that illuminates how even the most disparate cultures and perspectives can find common ground." — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the timing appeared perfect to bring Sesame Street to millions of children living in the former Soviet Union. With the Muppets envisioned as ideal ambassadors of Western values, no one anticipated just how challenging and dangerous this would prove to be.

In Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia, Natasha Lance Rogoff brings this gripping tale to life. Amidst bombings, assassinations, and a military takeover of the production office, Lance Rogoff and the talented Moscow team of artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, and puppeteers remained determined to bring laughter, learning, and a new way of seeing the world to children in Russia, Ukraine and across the former Soviet empire. With a sharp wit and compassion for her colleagues, Lance Rogoff observes how cultural clashes colored nearly every aspect of the production—from the show’s educational framework to writing comedy to the new Russian Muppets themselves—despite the team’s common goal.

Brimming with insight and nuance, Muppets in Moscow skillfully explores the post-Soviet societal tensions that continue to thwart the Russian people’s efforts to create a better future for their country. More than just a story of a children’s show, this book provides a valuable perspective of Russia’s people, their culture, and their complicated relationship with the West that remains relevant even today.

ISBN-13: 9781538187531

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Publication Date: 04-02-2024

Pages: 304

NATASHA LANCE ROGOFF is an award-winning television producer, journalist and filmmaker who has produced and directed news and documentaries for NBC, ABC and PBS. She was the executive producer and director of Sesame Street in Russia (Ulitsa Sezam) and producer of Sesame Street in Mexico (Plaza Sesamo) from 1993-1996. She continues to produce films and television shows, and is an associate at Harvard University in their Art, Film and Visual Studies department.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Author's Note xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction xvii

Part I Dead Bodies and Deals

Chapter 1 Back in the USSR Russia 3

Chapter 2 My Introduction to Sesame Street 6

Chapter 3 Russian Media Isn't the Safest Place Right Now 11

Chapter 4 The Oligarchs and the Muppets 21

Chapter 5 No Gangsters on Sezam Street 32

Chapter 6 We Don't Want Your Moppets 40

Chapter 7 Irina, the Golden Goose 56

Part II Creating the Show

Chapter 8 Is R for Rachmaninoff or Rock 'n' Roll? 71

Chapter 9 Just When You Think It Can't Get Any Worse 83

Chapter 10 Boot Camp with Sergeant Elmo 91

Chapter 11 The Grandmaster in Moscow 112

Chapter 12 Big Bird's Bible 123

Chapter 13 An Angel Descends 130

Chapter 14 B Is for Blacklist 138

Chapter 15 Stealing Elmo 143

Chapter 16 Will Sesame Street Save the Day? 149

Chapter 17 The Scriptwriters and Groucho Marxism 153

Chapter 18 A Rusty Car in Every Neighborhood 169

Chapter 19 Sad Songs from the Mouths of Babes 183

Chapter 20 Elmo Says "Good Night" in Russian 190

Chapter 21 A Forest Sprite Takes Flight 196

Chapter 22 Moppets in Amerika 204

Part III Birthing the Babies

Chapter 23 Ulitsa Sezam's Neighborhood 213

Chapter 24 Will Work for Bananas! 223

Chapter 25 Finish Lines in Quicksand 232

Chapter 26 Birth of an Angel and a Broadcaster 248

Chapter 27 Lighting Up Screens across the Former USSR 254

Epilogue 261

Postscript 265

About the Author 267