except the right to be mentioned as authors and the right to deny the use of the muppets for commercial advertising of carbonized drinks and unhealthy products for children, the same rights that Jim Henson kept with all his own characters. The station fired the first creators and banned the characters from appearing in the new season. The person responsible for the Children's Department at the station commissioning the American co-production company, CTW USA, to create and provide new "Spanish" muppets with new names. With that action, Barrio Sésamo was no longer a co-production with Spanish-created characters. La Cometa Blanca (1981-1983) From 1981 to 1983, a different Televisión Española children's program, La Cometa Blanca, included some sketches from Sesame Street. This program was directed by Muppet fan Lolo Rico and featured some actors who would later appear in Barrio Sésamo, mainly Mari Luz Olier, Alfonso Vallejo and the child-actress Ruth Gabriel (then known as Ruth Abellán). Seasons 2-4 (1983-1988) The Sesame Street sketches in La Cometa Blanca were so successful with their young audience that the Spanish-version was given another chance in 1983. Only José Riesgo as Julián returned from the first season. Caponata and Perezgil were replaced by two new Muppets totally designed, this time, and constructed by CTW. The main character was Espinete, a large pink hedgehog that replaced Caponata. Like Caponata, Espinete was a full-body Muppet and was the main character on the show, played by Chelo Vivares. He became famous for sleeping in pajamas in spite of being "naked" the rest of the day. Other characters included: Don Pimpón (Alfonso Vallejo): Another full-body Muppet. This farmer was an undetermined brown being, similar to a Sesame Street monster. Chema (Juan Sánchez): The baker of Barrio Sésamo. Ana (Isabel Castro): The young friend of everybody. Don Julián (José Riesgo): The old owner of a mobile news stand. Matilde (Mari Luz Olier) and Antonio (José Enrique Camacho): married owners of an horchata shop Roberto (Roberto Mayor) and Ruth (Ruth Gabriel, as Ruth Abellán): Matilde and Antonio's children In 1983, one year after the second season started, a new government won the elections in Spain and new officials were appointed as DG of RTVE (José Maria Calviño). The new staff fired those involved in the cancellation of the original series. The creator of the banned first season was called by the station and was appointed as new Head of the