Coming to CBeebies at the end of this month is the exciting new series for children aged 3-6 years, The Furchester Hotel. Starring Elmo and the Cookie Monster along with the Furchester family and a host of other lovable characters, the series is made in partnership with Sesame Workshop.
Back in May, we visited CBeebies Studios in Salford to find out about more about the show and to watch the filming of an episode of The Furchester Hotel.
The show is set in The Furchester Hotel where a family of close-knit, chaotic monsters welcome their guests and bend over backwards to meet their every need. Mum Funella, dad Fergus and their daughter Phoebe work alongside cousin Elmo, waiter and room service guy the Cookie Monster and the furry bell monster, Isabelle to ensure everything runs smoothly.
But they do run into problems! For example how do you disguise a pony who checks in for a quiet break?
Where is the perfect place to put a very fussy plant? What happens when Super
Rock appears and needs a new super hero cape? How can they stop Cookie Monster
from eating the giant cookie guest Mr. Crumb?
The Furchester family approach every
problem with determination and resolve in order to keep their guests happy and devise a solution for every situation. Even when they think they have exhausted all the
possibilities, their perseverance prevails because their family motto is, “A
Furchester never gives up!”
We were able to watch an unfinished episode that featured some singing vegetables! Freddy loved it and thought the characters were adorable and fun. Then we went to see the show being filmed. Seeing the puppeteers in action in the beautifully crafted sets was really incredible.
The very best part of the day was when the children got to meet the characters! They swept in to the room and chatted, hugged and played with us all. It was magical!
The puppeteers are real artistes who breathe life into the array of fantastic puppets, giving them all a personality and a voice. Hearing the familiar sound of the Cookie Monster and Elmo as they chatted to Kizzy and Freddy left me a little starstruck!!
We had a great day at the CBeebies studios and got a real insight into The Furchester Hotel. I love the message of inclusivity and optimism, the uplifting use of fun-filled music and the colourful characters and elaborate sets. We will definitely be looking out for it when it appears on our screens on September 26th at 5pm.
