In 1974 there was a pilot called Sesamplein. It was immediatly a hit.
There were Ruud Jans and Nicole Barbiers who walked through a neigbourhood of Amsterdam with two little girls.
At that time there lived no muppets in the street, only Adele Bloemendaal, Mr Brouwer (Alexander Pola), Saskia van Schaik and kids from the Almereschool Amsterdam.
Mr Brouwer (right above) Had a shop where he sold letters.

In 1978 they started with Sesamstraat with Sien Diels(from Belgium)and her husband Piet Hendriks (who later on in the show changed into a grandpa).
At the left you see Sien with a real early Pino and Piet.
He was the knowall from the street and always punctual. He had his own workshop where Tommie and Pino could make odd little jobs. Later on there came more actors who still live there.

Piet died 6 april 2000 from a fatal heart attack.... He was 81 years old.
He also played in; `Ja zuster, nee zuster� (engineer) `Het schaap met de vijf poten� (Huipie van Duivenbode) and `Zeg �ns AAA�.
Before Frank there lived an other boy in the street who always read stories and played music for the kids.
His name was Gerard Kuster (here with banjo). He was brought in the show in 1982 to get a connection with real kids on the program. He would visit schools and interacted with them. This until 1984. He lived in the street until 1987...
Troel came living in the street in 1977. But after only one season she had to leave because the character  was too feminine. She was performed  by Marijke Boon. A Dutch Singer/ musician.
The street started out with Sien, Piet and Annet van Heusden. She played a kindergarden teacher. This was to intergrate real kids in the show.
Due to fall through, they deside to stop this character.  And so Annet left the street.
In 1978 appeared Magda (Mieke Verstraete) in the show. She played Piet�s sister and played the first grandma.
Also she was the only person who acted under a different name then her own.
In 1982 she left Sesamstraat.

After that she played a part in `Prettig geregeld� (aunt Trees). There are also a lot of records/ cd�s with stories she read for childeren. Mieke died 17 december 1990 at the age of 79.
In 1980 the producer wanted to give it another trie for getting real childeren into the show.
A daycare centre on the show (like Gina�s) should be the solution. Joyce Clements came to the street to play the part as nany. Also Rudy Kuhn, for a stand in when Joyce couldn�t.

A man in this kind of job was kind of revolutionary. He also came in the show to present a Surinam part in the show.
After the daycare center failed, Joyce left, but Rudy stayed until 1985.
He read stories and started with most favorite sesame story from the Netherlands.... Dikkie Dik (a orange kat).

Now he is into story telling performances from the spiritual tradition of India.
When Piet moved in 1984, Lex Goudsmit moved into Sesamstraat. He was a sweet great grandpa for us all and stayed until he died 10 december 1999 (at 86). We miss him a lot.

He was a great operasinger and actor. Who was always jolly and advised the muppets when they  where in trouble.
Between 1984 and 1987, Esther Prins came living in the street.
She played the big sister from Pino, Tommie and Ieniemienie. When she moved to the U.S.A. she had to stop with the show.
Joekie Broedelet ( then 84) was Sesamestreet oldest member. She played Paula�s mother. She could do everything without shame.   She was a self-willed, naughty granny. Because het character took to much energie for her age, she had to stop after two years.

She played in the Dutch movies; `Grijpstra en De Gier (Miesje Verboom), `Maria� (with Maria Callas) and in the t.v. shows; `Swiebertje� (Frieda Zilverschoon), `Medisch Centrum West�.
She died 3 July 1996 at the age of 92...

Her son is the familiar Dutch poet Remco Campert.
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