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The view from Sesame Street is no less than worldwide. With traditional funding sources diminishing, Children's Television Workshop executives are turning to strategic partnerships to fill the gap. Such efforts have sparked--. international co-productions, ag cable channel, a new preschool series and two innovative shows for kids and adults to share.
The 'Big Bag` theory
Big Bag is CTW's first preschool series since Sesame Street hit the airwaves 27 years ago. A collaborative effort, Big Bag debuted June 2 as a weekly hourlong series, airing exclusively on the Cartoon Network. "We were ready to do a low-tech, audience-involvement, story-based show," says CTW's Marjorie Kalins, senior vice president, programing and production. "Along the way we were pushed by Cartoon Network. That specific impetus started us thinking about cartoons; it tilted us to story animations."
"Conventional wisdom," says CTW President David V.B. Britt, "is that kids are zombies in front of the TV, but they don't want to be. The reality is that TV is highly interactive. We want them to stand up, make noise and play along."
Viewers tempted to make the inevitable comparison with Sesame Street will quickly...