| Sesame Street | |||||||||
| Oscar's phone system / Elmo imitates his friends | |||||||||
| Air date | April 13, 1989 | ||||||||
| Season | Season 20 (1988-1989) | ||||||||
| Written by | Judy Freudberg | ||||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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SCENE 1 | Gordon exits 123 Sesame Street to find a beat-up phone booth just outside, complete with a couple of localized telephone poles and Ernestine the Telephone Operator seated at a switchboard. She explains that Oscar has set up the system, and to talk to him one must pay her a quarter and she'll phone him. Gordon becomes furious but calls Oscar anyway, who tells him the system is to make sure people won't bother him and hangs up. Not only does Gordon lose his quarter, but the cranky Ernestine refuses to take a message and goes on her break. |
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Cartoon | A man laughs out loud as an alligator uses the telephone to call his wife - then he eats the phone booth. (First: Episode 1113) |
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Song | Gina and Maria sing The Word is "No". (First: Episode 2548) |
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SCENE 2 | Ernestine demonstrates to Alice how to use the telephone using Snuffy's giant toy phone. Snuffy isn't sure Alice got the message, but she did learn how to imitate Ernestine's snorting laugh. |
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Cartoon | A pencil tries to write the word DANCE. (First: Episode 1966) |
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Film | A boy takes dance lessons at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. (First: Episode 1716) |
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Muppets | At night, Ernie sings "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon." (First: Episode 1910) |
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SCENE 3 | Oscar feels a little lonely; his phone system's worked too well and nobody has bothered him in a long time. He asks Ernestine to scram for fun, but she gets upset and quits instead. When trying to get Gordon to call becomes too complicated, he abandons the system all together. |
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Cartoon | A cowboy sings about "Feelings That Are Real." (First: Episode 0954) |
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Muppets / Celebrity | Cab Calloway sings "Jumpin' Jive" when the Two-Headed Monster can't decide whether to jump or jive. (First: Episode 1575) |
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Cartoon | Two boys peek into a fire house, and write HAT, HOSE and HOOK on the window using their breath. Two dogs come by and wonder what a HAT HOSE HOOK is, but their question is answered when the fire truck leaves the station. Artist: Paul Fierlinger (First: Episode 1204) |
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Muppets | Elmo enjoys being Super Grover's friend and thinks they're the same. Grover tries to prove they're different. (First: Episode 2343) |
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Song | Joe Raposo sings "I'm an Aardvark." Re-filmed version (First: Episode 2520) |
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SCENE 4 | After imitating Super Grover earlier, Elmo tells Luis at the Fix-It Shop that he's now pretending to be the Count (complete with cape, monocle, bowtie, and sash). Luis and the real Count von Count count the ways the two are similar and different. Elmo goes off to find someone to be the same as. |
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Film | In an Alaskan village, a doctor makes a regular visit to a clinic. (First: Episode 2390) |
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Cartoon | O for orange Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 0673) |
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Muppets | Director Kermit is filming Oklahoma with Forgetful Jones as the star. Forgetful is supposed to enter sing "Oklahoma!" but sings "Aklahoma!", "Eeklahoma!", and "Iklahoma!" instead. When he finally gets it right, the production assistant says it's time for lunch. (First: Episode 2544) |
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SCENE 5 | Elmo now pretends to be the Amazing Mumford, who claims there's more to being the same than just wearing the same outfit. Mumford attempts to demonstrate by magically making Elmo's costume disappear... but only makes his own clothes disappear. Elmo offers his smaller outfit to Mumford, who leaves embarrassed. Elmo realizes he and Mumford aren't the same, but is still determined to find a match. |
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Cartoon | "Pinball Number Count" (#12) Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 0985) |
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Muppets | The American Revolution: The National Bird — The founding fathers argue over which bird should be chosen as the national bird. (First: Episode 2332) |
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Cartoon | Jim Thurman sings "Calcutta Joe." Animation by Buzzco Associates, Inc. (First: Episode 2492) |
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SCENE 6 | Elmo now tries to be the same as Herry Monster, but can't lift a brick pile the same way (or even at all). Elmo realizes there's no one like himself. Luis is happy to hear that, but Elmo knew it all along; he was only playing a game. He starts playing a new game - riding Luis like a horse. |
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Cartoon | ADVENTURE! A man and woman escape a boulder, a crocodile, and other obstacles. (First: Episode 2080) |
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Film | A film insert about washing elephants at the Bronx Zoo. The song "Splish Splash" is used in part of the segment. (First: Episode 1934) |
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SCENE 7 | Elmo's piggyback ride has finished, and he hopes one day he can be a little like Luis when he's older. Elmo then announces the sponsors (which appear in his mouth). |
Sources[]
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