#293 - Natasha Lance Rogoff on MUPPETS IN MOSCOW

Award-winning television producer and documentary filmmaker Natasha Lance Rogoff chats with Trey Elling about MUPPETS IN MOSCOW: THE UNEXPECTED CRAZY TRUE STORY OF MAKING SESAME STREET IN RUSSIA. Topics include: Why Sesame Street asked her to bring the show to Russia (2:00) Starting with getting past Russia's gatekeepers (8:29) Finally finding Russian financing (14:42) The difficulty of convincing Russians to diversify the show's music (17:07) The Russian production team not understanding America's racism (23:59) Russia's culture and values worth exposing to its children with Sesame Street (30:11) Important details for the Russian Sesame Street neighborhood (39:05) The sadness involved with casting Russian child actors (43:41) Creating the Russia-specific Muppet puppets (47:27) Finally getting to the television premiere in October 1996 (52:26) The lasting legacy of Russian Sesame Street (54:41)