| Sesame Street | |||||||
| Maria can't speak | |||||||
| Air date | January 11, 1972 | ||||||
| Season | Season 3 (1971-1972) | ||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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SCENE 1 | David greets the viewer, then notices Maria on the stoop. She pantomimes that she has lost her voice because she's got a cold, that she has gone to see a doctor, and that the doctor told her not to talk for a while. David thinks she should have no problem of communicating, and to prove it he takes her to Big Bird, who is sweeping up his nest. Maria attempts to communicate the same things to Big Bird, but he's only able to interpret part of it and confuses the rest. |
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Cartoon | Speech Balloon: W for water (First: Episode 0062) |
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Muppets | Kermit Lecture: W Part 1 — Kermit talks about the letter W, but Cookie Monster keeps eating pieces off of it. (First: Episode 0001) |
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Cartoon | W - wallpaper (First: Episode 0291) |
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Muppets | Kermit Lecture: W Part 2 — The W starts to walk as Kermit talks about it. (First: Episode 0001) |
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Transition | Bridge #4 – 4 Corner Bridge B (First: Episode 0282) |
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SCENE 2 | Maria attempts to buy something at Hooper's Store, but has a little difficulty in trying to communicate to Mr. Hooper that she wants to buy a lemon. |
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Film | George the Farmer demonstrates beginning and end. (First: Episode 0265) |
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Muppets | Betty Lou teaches the meaning of "beginning", "middle", and "end", and introduces two of her friends: Beginning and End. The duo tell a story, but it lacks something in between the beginning and end parts. Beginning and End recruit their pal Middle to fill out the rest of the story. Middle, however, cannot stop telling the exciting part of the story, and the three friends begin a quarrel, forcing Betty Lou to declare the end of the lecture. (First: Episode 0138) |
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Cartoon | E Imagination Artists: The Hubleys (First: Episode 0001) |
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SCENE 3 | David asks Ronald and Chris if he should plant a tree in a small space among flowers or in a big space among flowers. They decide that since every living thing needs room to grow, they will plant the tree in the big space. |
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Insert | Scanimate Films #10 (First: Episode 0134) |
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Cast | Gordon notices two groups of potato sacks with the wrong numbers matted above them: the group of two has the number 3, and the group of 3 has the number 2. He and Bob cooperate to carry one sack from one group to the other. (First: Episode 0178) |
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Cartoon | Jazz #10 (First: Episode 0193) |
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Transition | Bridge #5 – 4 Corner Bridge C (First: Episode 0282) |
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SCENE 4 | Maria pantomimes to Antonio that she is giving him a screwdriver to return to his father; Antonio translates her motions in Spanish. Farley witnesses all of this, and though he doesn't understand Spanish, he was still able to figure out what Maria was trying to communicate. |
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Cartoon | Drawing a kite that turns into a fish (w/ child voiceover). (Shown in Spanish, then English) (First: Episode 0222) Spanish:(First: Episode 0277) |
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Muppets | The Busby Twins want to buy a toy rocket. |
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Transition | Bridge #6 – 4 Corner Bridge D (First: Episode 0282) |
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SCENE 5 | Mr. Hooper shows Chris and another kid pictures of a beaver, a horse, an elephant, and a bird. He takes out pictures of an axe, a bicycle, a hose, and an airplane. He places each one next to an animal picture, and asks them what each animal has in common with one of the tools. |
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Film | Body Parts vs. Heavy Equipment: Three boys (including Brian Henson) pretend to be steam shovels, playing in the dirt. This segues into footage of real construction vehicles. A parallel is drawn between the machinery and how the boys' arms and mouths work. (First: Episode 0003) |
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Muppets | Ernie and Bert: Who Took Bert's Cookies — Bert accuses Ernie of stealing his cookies, but they soon discover that the culprit is Cookie Monster... dressed as Ernie. (First: Episode 0158) |
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SCENE 6 | Big Bird agrees to help Mr. Hooper at the store, and goes to get a rag to dust the tables and chairs in the arbor. As Mr. Hooper sweeps the outside of the store, Mr. Snuffleupagus arrives and Big Bird hurriedly tries to get Mr. Hooper over to the store to meet Snuffy. He first misses him by looking at the back door, but as they make their way inside to the front door, Snuffy moves along to the back door and doesn't see anybody. Once Big Bird and Mr. Hooper check the other door again, the Snuffleupagus has wandered off. |
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Cartoon | "Wanda the Witch" Animation by Tee Collins (First: Episode 0001) |
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Cartoon | W - wallpaper (repeat) |
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SCENE 7 | David claims to the kids that he recently swam to the bottom of the ocean; he met a squid and a whale named Moby. Two of the favorite creatures that he visited were the crab and lobster. |
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Film | Sesame Street Animal Films: A lobster and a crab. Music: Joe Raposo |
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Muppets | Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover and Loren count to twenty. (First: Episode 0290) |
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Insert | Scanimate Films #10 (repeat) |
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SCENE 8 | Oscar observes Maria drop a paper bag. Because her arms are full of other packages, she can't bend over to pick up the bag; because she can't speak, she can't ask anyone to pick up the bag for her. Oscar doesn't help matters by grouchily ordering David to pick up the bag. Maria kindly shows David that she is helpless and would appreciate it if he would help her; of course, he does. As they leave, Oscar comments, "Boy, people who aren't Grouches are really strange!" |
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Cast | Gordon and Bob assemble a W. (First: Episode 0005) |
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Cartoon | Speech Balloon: W for water (repeat) |
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Muppets | Herbert Birdsfoot recites a poem with OP words, counting on Grover to hop whenever he says "hop" — repeatedly, until Grover faints. (First: Episode 0150) |
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SCENE 9 | Mr. Hooper, displaying a sign with all letters of the alphabet, asks the viewer where the letter Z belongs. Does it belong at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the alphabet? |
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Cartoon | E Imagination (repeat) |
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Muppets | Ernie and Bert: Ernie Puts Toys Into Groups — Bert tells Ernie to put away his toys, and Ernie devises a system of arranging toys. (First: Episode 0281) |
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Cartoon | Jazz #10 (Spanish) |
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SCENE 10 | Still unable to talk, Maria indicates to David that it’s time to say goodbye. Oscar grouchily announces the sponsors, while Big Bird sweetly adds the part about CTW. |
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CLOSING SIGNS | Big Bird and Mr. Hooper hold the Sesame Street sign, and Maria and Antonio hold the Children's Television Workshop sign. |
Notes[]
- This episode exhibits Sonia Manzano's pantomime skills, which would later be worked into other situations such as portraying Charlie Chaplin and segments with Linda.
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