| Sesame Street | |||||||
| P. T. Bunkum looks for an act | |||||||
| Air date | December 1, 1980 | ||||||
| Season | Season 12 (1980-1981) | ||||||
| Written by | Ray Sipherd | ||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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SCENE 1 | Big Bird asks Maria, Luis, Gordon and Olivia to hold some random items as he fetches others. Maria figures out that all the items are circus-related. Big Bird explains that P. T. Bunkum, of the Bunkum and Ballyhoo Circus, is in town. |
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SCENE 1 cont'd | Sure enough, Bunkum arrives and tells them he's looking for a new and unique act to include in his circus. Everyone immediately wants to join, but he makes them form a line and starts auditioning. |
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Animation | A roof finds its way to the top of a house. (First: Episode 0505) |
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Muppets | Biff sings "This Is My J." (First: Episode 1169) |
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Cartoon | The 'J' Train Voice: Daws Butler (First: Episode 1169) |
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Film | Spinning Bus Stop sign (First: Episode 0931) |
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Muppets | On a boring day, two hipsters sing "Meet Me at the Bus Stop" and decide to do so. |
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Cartoon | Bus Stop (First: Episode 1396) |
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SCENE 2 | Big Bird shows Bunkum his wild animal act - Simba the kitten, who they pretend is a large, ferocious animal. However, Simba refuses to jump through a hoop and jump over a book. He can roar ferociously, though. |
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Cartoon | The Ringmaster introduces seven swimming seals. Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 1312) |
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Film | Ten hats on a hatrack (First: Episode 0439) |
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Film | "Seven Song (Song of Seven)" (First: Episode 0011) |
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Muppets | On a rainy day, Ernie watches TV, when Bert suggests he do something else, like write a story. Thus, Ernie sets everything out on the table, including pencils, paper, a pencil sharpener, and a wastebasket (which somehow ended up on Bert's head). Ernie is now ready to write a story, but instead, he leaves everything set out for when he gets an idea. (First: Episode 1293) |
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Cartoon | A girl talks about preparing to play with her new sled. Artist: Jim Simon (First: Episode 0413) |
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SCENE 3 | Luis practices juggling for Bunkum's circus, though he manages to drop all his bags when he juggles more than two. Bunkum catches part of his act and considers it for his circus; he already has people who can juggle, but no one who can't. |
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Cartoon | A song tells the story of Max, who loves to chop down trees. One tree turns out to be a magic genie, who turns Max into a tree. Max soon grows respect for trees and once returned human, vows to never chop one down again. (First: Episode 0572) |
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Film | A gymnast demonstrates around. (First: Episode 0517) |
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Muppets | The Magic Painting Lady shows off her magic painting of a doorway which will help show "through". Three Anything Muppets in the painting come through the doorway. When it comes time for Grover's turn, he ends up breaking through the painting. (First: Episode 0580) |
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Cartoon | A wizard walks through a door. A boy in pajamas tries to imitate him without success. (First: Episode 1042) |
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Film | Kids ride horses. Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0541) |
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Cartoon | Billy Jo Jive and Susie solve the wig robbery. (First: Episode 1186) |
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Celebrity | Ray Charles sings his own version of "The Alphabet Song." (First: Episode 1060) |
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Cartoon | A disobedient jacket, illustrating words that begin with the letter J, annoys an off-screen narrator, which reveals two kids named Jenny and Jeff inside of it. (First: Episode 0527) |
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Muppets | An Anything Muppet man visits the bus station's lost and found, having lost his friend Harvey. He describes Harvey to the clerk - he has two eyes, a nose, two teeth, two horns, and is covered in blue fur. The clerk turns the man away, finding his request ridiculous...until a monster who fits that description comes by looking for his friend. (First: Episode 1308) |
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Cartoon | 'j' minuscula (First: Episode 0475) |
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Film | "Stop and Go" — film footage plays forward, freezes, and runs backward on command. (First: Episode 0047) |
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SCENE 4 | Bunkum and Gordon come by Oscar's trash can, where Oscar shows off his pet flea, Fernando, who does his over, around and through trick that none of them can see. They don't believe there's even a flea there, so Oscar sics Fernando on them and he climbs all over their bodies. |
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Film | Old Time Movies: Anne Meara observes wondering if the dashing hero will go over or under. (First: Episode 0517) |
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Cartoon | An alien comes across a pair of tree trunks; one with multi-colored leaves, the other without. He finds and grows leaves to mount on the other tree, then strings a hammock between the two. |
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Muppets | Sesame Street News Flash: Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe — Kermit looks for the Old Woman who Lives in a Shoe. (First: Episode 1050) |
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Cartoon | A boy and a dog fight over a letter "I". (First: Episode 0143) |
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SCENE 5 | P. T. Bunkum introduces everyone on the street, as they sing about their imaginary circus ("If We Had a Circus"). |
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Cartoon | A Gary Owens-voiced man attempts to discuss the letter I, but is jeered by an offscreen voice. The man uses him as an example of the word "impolite". (First: Episode 0032) |
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Film | A kindergarten class takes a field trip to the fire station. (First: Episode 1217) |
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Cast | Jasper Johnson (David) performs his famous "J" Walk for a roaring crowd. (First: Episode 0761) |
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Cartoon | Consonant Sound: J, jaguar (First: Episode 1144) |
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Muppets | Ernie wakes up and tells Bert it's time to get up, but notices that Bert isn't in his bed. He slowly ponders what happened to his best friend, coming to the conclusion that maybe some Martians took him away in their spaceship. As it turns out, Bert just got up early to fix some oatmeal. Ernie is relieved... until a real spaceship lands and the Martians enter the room. (First: Episode 1208) |
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Film | Footage of birds swimming, including flamingos, swans and ducks. (First: Episode 0981) |
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Cartoon | Batman apprehends a criminal thanks to knowing about around, up and through. (First: Episode 0096) |
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SCENE 6 | Bunkum is sad to report that nobody's acts are unique enough to make it into his circus. Big Bird goes to tell his bird friends in the park about his day, riding off on his unicycle...an act perfect for Bunkum's circus! He yells for Big Bird to return, while Luis announces the sponsors. |
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CLOSING SIGNS | Kermit and a girl hold the Sesame Street sign, and Maria holds the CTW sign. |
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