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.