| Sesame Street | |||||||
| Oscar runs for mayor | |||||||
| Air date | May 5, 1981 | ||||||
| Season | Season 12 (1980-1981) | ||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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SCENE 1 | Oscar pens a letter regarding the city trash pick-up, as the trash was collected before he had his chance to rummage through and collect anything. He isn't sure who it should be addressed to, when Gordon states that the mayor is the one in charge of the whole city. "Who put him in charge?!" Oscar asks before learning about the election process. He decides right then and there to run for mayor of New York City, and promises a city even dirtier than before. He kicks off his campaign by tossing his crumpled letter on the sidewalk to start the littering process. |
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Cartoon | A song about a rolling O Artists: John and Faith Hubley (First: Episode 0011) |
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Film | Kids go roller-skating in a playground as ragtime music plays. (First: Episode 1234) |
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Cartoon | Speech Balloon: O for Open (First: Episode 0014) |
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Cartoon | A boy and girl have different feelings about Stanley. (First: Episode 0793) |
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Film | Kids narrate a film about where you get ice cream: from the cow, to the factory, to the ice cream shoppe. (First: Episode 0168) |
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SCENE 2 | Telly Monster has been hired as Oscar's campaign manager. On his trash can is a sign reading "Oscar For Mayor. It's Time For A Grouch." Oscar yells at the people passing by to vote for him, but Telly informs him that the average citizen prefers a nice, friendly candidate. Oscar struggles at being pleasant as he practices on the grown-ups, even kissing Linda's baby niece. However, he gets too good at being nice, which turns off a potential Grouch voter (Kathryn Mullen). |
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Cartoon | The Ringmaster introduces seven swimming seals. Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 1312) |
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Muppets | Ernie & Bert — Ernie answers the telephone. Bert overhears the conversation, which involves a baseball game, a rainy day, and a gorilla stealing a bologna sandwich. When Bert asks who just called, Ernie says it was a wrong number. (First: Episode 0305) |
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Cartoon | A woman identifies farm animals by their sounds. (First: Episode 1476) |
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Film | Baby animals nurse. Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0546) |
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SCENE 3 | In Hooper's Store, Oscar asks to have the TV turned on to show off his new campaign ad (paid for by the Vote for Oscar Or Else Committee): "A vote for Oscar is a vote for trash!" |
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Muppets | Two Anything Muppets sing "As I Was Going to St. Ives." (First: Episode 0045) |
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Film | "Seven Song (Song of Seven)" (First: Episode 0011) |
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Muppets | The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Part 1 of 2 The Country Mouse lives peacefully on the farm when his cousin, the City Mouse, comes to visit. The City Mouse is appalled that his cousin lives in a haystack, eats acorns, and listens to birds singing. He invites his cousin to come visit him in the city. (First: Episode 0314) |
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Cartoon | Seven owls Artist: Owe Gustafson |
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Muppets | The City Mouse and the Country Mouse Part 2 of 2 The Country Mouse visits the City Mouse's apartment, and finds that his cousin eats pizza, doesn't mind traffic sounds, and listens to groovy music on his stereo. The Country Mouse is startled when he hears a cat. The City Mouse sighs, "Oh, that's just the cat. That means he's hungry, and he wants to catch us and eat us for dinner." Horrified, the Country Mouse goes back to the country, where he's safe. The City Mouse offers the cat a bite of pizza. (First: Episode 0314) |
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Cartoon | O for orange Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 0673) |
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SCENE 4 | Oscar drives the Sloppy Jalopy down the block, calling for voters on his PA system. Gordon asks the kids what things might be like around the city if Oscar were elected mayor. He then takes a quick poll of who would vote for him; none of the kids raise their hands. |
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Film | Some kids watch a film of a man working in a greenhouse, and try to guess what his job is. (First: Episode 0772) |
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Muppets | Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover and Tanya play the "hug/stop" game. |
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Cartoon | W for witch Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 1182) |
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Film | Stop! (kids dancing) Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0681) |
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Muppets | Muppet & Kid Moment — Kermit asks Alphonso what sign he's holding. |
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Cartoon | The Typewriter: W, Wall (First: Episode 0790) |
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Muppets | A furry, purple creature whooshes to the counter of Hooper's Store and counts 5 apples. He subtracts one, leaving 4. (First: Episode 0400) |
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Cartoon | Stop! (Moving Colored STOP signs in fast-motion) (First: Episode 0776) |
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Muppets | The creature returns to subtract one more apple, leaving 3. (First: Episode 0400) |
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Song | "Me and You," over footage of rhinos in love (First: Episode 0940) |
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Muppets | Again, the creature appears to remove another apple, leaving 2. (First: Episode 0400) |
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Transition | Bridge #2 - Scoring (First: Episode 0291) |
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Muppets | Another apple is subtracted, thus leaving only 1. (First: Episode 0400) |
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Film | Lizards (First: Episode 0047) |
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Muppets | The creature takes away the last apple, leaving 0. (First: Episode 0400) |
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Cartoon | Things that are the same or different are displayed like a slot machine. (version #2) (First: Episode 0335) |
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Muppets | Kermit talks about "same" by showing two identical rectangles. Cookie Monster eats one of them, making them different. (First: Episode 0018) |
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Animation | Sand O/o (First: Episode 0621) |
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SCENE 5 | Oscar holds a campaign rally out in the yard: "Other candidates may promise you what they want. I promise you one thing...nothing!" His Grouch singers lead everyone in his official campaign song, "O is for Oscar." Oscar especially enjoys the mess made by the falling streamers and confetti. |
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Cartoon | Billy Jo Jive and Susie Sunset help Wrong Way Willie find four landmarks for a school assignment. (First: Episode 1233) |
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Film | Otters in the zoo (First: Episode 0487) |
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Cartoon | Various alien creatures perform in an otherworldly music performance conducted by a trumpet-nosed creature. (First: Episode 1181) |
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Muppets | A monster barbershop quartet sings about "Same and Different." |
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Cartoon | La letra O - opera, oeste, orquidea, ojos, ocho, y el orquestra de orangutanes. (First: Episode 0338) |
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SCENE 6 | Oscar calls for more votes in his car, when David makes him realize that if he's elected, his lifestyle is going to change. He'll have to ride in a nice, new limousine, move into a mayoral mansion, and deal with hundreds of constituents every single day. Oscar realizes what he's gotten himself into and calls out for people not to vote for him after all. Telly announces the sponsors. |
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CLOSING SIGNS | Kermit and a girl hold the Sesame Street sign, and Maria holds the CTW sign. |
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes footage, from Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street:
The cast and crew watch a playback after taping a scene.
A look behind Oscar's trash can set as Caroll Spinney performs Oscar, with script pages attached nearby with Oscar's lines.
External links[]
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