Editing Iftah Ya Simsim (section)

{{Short description|Arabic television series}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox television
| image              = Iftah Ya Simsim.png
| caption            =
| creator            = 
| developer          = 
| starring           = 
| narrated           = 
| opentheme          = "Iftah Ya Simsim Theme Song"
| endtheme           = various closing themes
| country            = Kuwait <br /> United Arab Emirates <br /> Iraq <br /> Morocco <br /> Saudi Arabia
| language           = Arabic
| num_episodes       = 390
| list_episodes      = 
| executive_producer = 
| runtime            = 28 minutes (original series) <br />30 minutes / 15 minutes (revival series)
| company            = '''Original series:'''<br/>[[Children's Television Workshop]]<br/>'''Revival series:'''<br/>Bidya Media<br/>Mubdala<br/>[[Sesame Workshop]]
| network            = [[Broadcast syndication|Syndication]]<br/>[[Spacetoon]]
| first_aired        = {{Start date|1979|09|14|df=y}}
| last_aired         = {{End date|1989|06|23|df=y}}
| first_aired2       = {{Start date|2015|09|01|df=y}}
| last_aired2        = {{End date|2019|09|05|df=y}} 
}}

'''''Iftah Ya Simsim''''' ({{langx|ar|افتح يا سمسم}}; meaning "[[Open Sesame (phrase)|Open Sesame]]") is the first [[Sesame Street international co-productions|international co-production]] of the American children's television series ''[[Sesame Street]]'' created in the [[Arabian world|Arab world]].  It premiered in [[Kuwait]] and [[Morocco]] on September 14, 1979,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Al Doshi |first=Bandar |title=افتح يا سمسم بعامه الـ50.. تعرف على بداية أنجح البرامج |url=https://www.alarabiya.net/culture-and-art/2019/11/07/%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8050-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D8%B1%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AC |website=Al Arabiya}}</ref> and was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries, running until June 23, 1989, due to the outbreak of the [[Gulf War|first Gulf War]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barone |first=Joshua |title=Arabic 'Sesame Street' Returns for First Time Since Gulf War |date=September 2015 |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/01/arabic-sesame-street-returns-for-first-time-since-gulf-war/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=After 25-Year Hiatus, First Arabic-Language 'Sesame Street' Opens Again |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/09/06/437821382/after-25-year-hiatus-first-arabic-language-sesame-street-opens-again |website=NPR}}</ref> The program continued to be well-known decades after it went off the air.<ref>{{Cite web |title=«افتح يا سمسم» برنامج جمع الخليجيين حول شاشة التلفزيون |url=https://www.aleqt.com/2012/12/25/article_719676.html |website=aleqt.com|date=December 25, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=أحمد الصالح.. يتذكر شخصية «العم عبدالله» في «افتح يا سمسم» ويترحم على الزمن الجميل |url=https://www.alriyadh.com/512597 |website=Al Riyadh}}</ref>

A few months after its premiere, ''Iftah Ya Simsim'' became one of the most popular and successful programs for children in many Arab states.  Critics called it "one of the most successful pan-Arab collaborations of educators, creators, writers and artists from the Middle East".<ref name="national"/> The show inspired many studies, which demonstrated that children benefited from watching it. 
In 2010, efforts began to revive the show for a new generation of young viewers in the Arab world.  In late 2013, fifteen writers and producers from Bidaya Media attended training about its educational methodology and production techniques from the staff of the American show in New York.  ''Iftah Ya Simsim'' was in pre-production in March 2014, and the first phase of auditions took place in April 2014. The new series debuted on September 1, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kidscreen.com/2015/09/02/arabic-language-sesame-street-returns-after-25-year-hiatus/|title= Arabic-language Sesame Street returns after 25-year hiatus|website=KidScreen|last=Dickson|first=Jeremy|date=2 September 2015|access-date=8 October 2020}}</ref>

The reboot is a collaboration between the [[Abu Dhabi Education Council]], [[Two Four 54|Twofour54]], Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States and Bidaya Media.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thenational.ae/uae/iftah-ya-simsim-launches-after-25-year-hiatus|title=Iftah Ya Simsim launches after 25-year hiatus|work=The National|date=September 1, 2015|access-date=March 10, 2017|first=Thamer|last=Al Subaihi}}</ref>