When Natasha Lance Rogoff arrived in Russia in 1993, she was faced with a particular challenge. This wasn’t her first trip to the former USSR. She had produced documentaries on rock music and youth culture, Perestroika, Russian nationalism and the capitalist transition, to name a few. But now her job was to adapt the American children’s program Sesame Street for a Russian audience. And to do so when chaos swirled all around her: crime, assassination, political and economic instability, and uncertainty. But how to reach Russian children? How to translate some of Sesame Street’s beloved characters, themes, and methods into Ulitsa Sezam? Especially since the USSR had a long, recognized tradition of children’s programming? The Eurasian Knot sat down with Natasha Lance Rogoff to learn about her experience told in her memoir, Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia.
Guest:
Natasha Lance Rogoff is an award-winning television producer, filmmaker, and journalist 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 the producer of Sesame Street in Mexico (Plaza Sesamo) from 1993-1996. She is also the author of the bestselling book, Muppets In Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia published by Rowman & Littlefield.
If you order Muppets in Moscow directly from the publisher, you can get 30% off with the promo code RLFANDF30.
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