| Sesame Street | |||||||||||
| Big Bird counts backwards | |||||||||||
| Air date | March 1, 1985 | ||||||||||
| Season | Season 16 (1984-1985) | ||||||||||
| Written by | Gary Belkin | ||||||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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Insert | Bob and David are waiting for Big Bird to come out of his nest area before they go to see a movie downtown. David doesn't want to miss it, so Big Bird lets them go ahead of him so he can wait for Mr. Snuffleupagus. Snuffy shows up after they leave, and both he and Big Bird rush to the theater. Big Bird and Snuffy arrive at the theater after the movie has started, and sit down behind Bob and David (who remain unaware of Snuffy's actual presence). Big Bird asks David for some popcorn, and Snuffy ends up devouring all of it. Snuffy is worried that the sad part of the movie (which he knows about) will make him cry, so Big Bird asks Bob to hand him a tissue. Snuffy asks Big Bird what time it is, and Big Bird says it's "early." Snuffy remembers that he told his mommy he'd be home early, and rushes back to his cave. Big Bird pleads for him to stay, and then gets into a noisy argument with Bob and David. (First: Episode 1938) |
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Cartoon | Fruta Manzana sings about being happy and healthy. Artist: Don Duga and Irra Verbitsky (First: Episode 1231) |
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Film | Pizza is made. Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0416) |
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Muppets | Biff hangs numbers under Salvador Dada's paintings in an art museum. (First: Episode 0707) |
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Cartoon | "Ten Turtles" Artist: Bud Luckey (First: Episode 0425) |
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Film | Some kids have a bike race by the river. (First: Episode 1419) cut from the Noggin version |
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SCENE 1 | Big Bird goes into Hooper's Store and starts loudly counting backwards from ten to one for David; he then uses the store's phone to call Ernie and do the same. When David asks why, Big Bird explains that he wants to teach everyone how to count like that, as he likes it better than counting forwards because no matter where you start, you always end up back at 1. David realizes this is true and tries counting himself, but he doesn't make it to 1 as Big Bird demonstrates how it's hard to do when you're interrupted. |
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Cartoon | Yo-yo elevator (First: Episode 1971) |
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Muppets | Grover demonstrates heavy and light. First, he picks up a heavy barbell. Then he tries to pick up a light feather, but he can't move it. It turns out that the feather is attached to the top of Big Bird's head. (First: Episode 0406) |
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Cartoon | Three characters try to watch a baseball game over a fence, then cooperate by stacking their blocks. (First: Episode 0478) cut from the Noggin version |
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Muppets | "Street Garden Cooperation" (First: Episode 1956) |
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Cartoon | A girl and elephant show heavy and light. (First: Episode 0785) cut from the Noggin version |
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Song | Joe Raposo asks the musical question, "Which Comes First, the Chicken or the Egg?" (First: Episode 0276) cut from the Noggin version |
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SCENE 2 | Big Bird keeps loudly counting backwards from ten to one for everybody (including an unappreciative Oscar) when Maria tells him it's impossible to try and teach everyone in the world to count backwards. She suggests he ask the people in his neighborhood if they know how to first, but when he stops a group of older kids they show that they already know how to count backwards since they learned it in school. Big Bird now believes that instead of teaching everybody to count, he should tell everyone to go to school to learn. |
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Cartoon | What would happen if I popped this balloon? (First: Episode 1312) |
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Film | Counting 20 boxes Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0510) cut from the Noggin version |
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Muppets | Ernie & Bert — Ernie and Bert explore an Egyptian pyramid. Bert is excited, but Ernie is afraid. They see statues that look like them. Bert decides to explore a tunnel while Ernie looks at the statues, and then the Ernie statue starts tapping and talking to Ernie. But when Ernie calls Bert back to the room, the statue doesn't move. Ernie is scared until the statue starts singing Rubber Duckie with him. Bert doesn't believe Ernie, until he says "Bye-bye, statue," and the statue replies "Bye-bye!" and laughs... just like Ernie. (First: Episode 1621) |
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Film | With their teacher, kids play clapping and dancing games about the rhythm in their names. (First: Episode 1735) |
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Cartoon | A man teaches his dog Rover how to read the word SIT. (First: Episode 0304) |
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SCENE 3 | Oscar reads his book of Mother Grouch nursery rhymes to the Grouchketeers. Gordon listens in and points out how none of the stories actually rhyme. When discussing the Grouch version of "Little Miss Muffet," Gordon becomes slightly irate when Oscar questions him on the logistics, finding that Gordon makes a good Grouch himself. |
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Cartoon | Consonant Sound Limerick: H - Horse (First: Episode 1167) |
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Cast | Maria as Chaplin is out in the cold. (First: Episode 1964) |
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Cartoon | Howard and Harold think of H words (First: Episode 0284) |
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Muppets | Ernie and Bert: Ernie's Disguise Kit — Ernie tries to fool Bert with his many disguises. (First: Episode 1170) |
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Cartoon | Crayon Animation Letter D (First: Episode 1705) |
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Muppets | An Anything Muppet asks another "Is this the D train?" A subway train then arrives, letting out several letter Ds. (First: Episode 1493) |
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Film | D is a very useful letter -- there are animals, jobs, and hobbies that begin with D. (First: Episode 0367) |
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Celebrity | Dizzy Gillespie plays a jazz piece on his trumpet for Bob, Susan, Olivia, David, and the kids. |
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Cartoon | "Daddy Dear" (First: Episode 0367) |
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Insert | Three of These Kids (upside-down girl) (First: Episode 0413) |
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Cartoon | Geometry of Circles #2 "Seven Circles with Designs" (First: Episode 1394) |
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Film | Car assembly (First: Episode 0506) |
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Cartoon | Car stuck on tar (First: Episode 1732) |
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Muppets | Grover tries to ignore three monsters who look big and scary to him. When they notice him carrying a flute, they grab his attention and ask -- in what appears to be a threatening way -- if Grover wants to play. The three monsters pull out a clarinet, an oboe and a bassoon and begin to play, urging Grover to join in. (First: Episode 1412) |
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SCENE 4 | Big Bird now has a megaphone, telling everyone to go to school and learn how to count. Maria tries to convinces him not to as there's other things worth doing in life. She also tells him it's almost nighttime, but Big Bird points out that night school exists and continues shouting through his megaphone. Maria gives up and closes up the Fix-It Shop as Gordon announces the sponsors, and the credits follow. |
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