Sesame Street | |||||||||
Snuffy learns how to be a duck | |||||||||
Air date | March 12, 1993 | ||||||||
Season | Season 24 (1992-1993) | ||||||||
Written by | Tony Geiss | ||||||||
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Picture | Segment | Description |
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COLD OPEN | Snuffy is about to introduce today's sponsors, but when he says "Hi," that triggers an alarm that signals yet another one of Sonny Friendly's travelling game shows! This one is called "Duck for a Day," and since Snuffy said the secret word ("Hi"), he has to answer a question: what letters and number will be seen on Sesame Street today? Gina warns him that he probably won't win anything because Sonny's prizes are usually bad, but Snuffy doesn't care and already knows the answer, so he wins! The prize this time is that he gets to spend the whole day pretending to be a duck. Some kids bring over a duck suit big enough for a Snuffleupagus, and Sonny tells him that if he can be convincing enough as a duck later in the day, he'll win an even bigger prize. | |
SCENE 1 | Snuffy is finally dressed as a duck, and hopes that he'll win today's prize. He tries quacking and jumping up and down, but only gets ridiculed by two passersby (Peter Linz and Fran Brill). He becomes embarrassed and asks Gina to take the costume off, but she believes he can learn to be a duck. So does Big Bird, who introduces Snuffy to his duck friend Duffy. Big Bird says Duffy can teach him how to be a duck, and Big Bird will help translate what he says. | |
Cartoon | Two ducks look the same height when they're in the bathtub, but one duck (Joe Flynn) is short and the other is tall. (First: Episode 0303) | |
Song | "Body Dance" (MC Lyte) (First: Episode 2816) | |
Muppets | Sesame Street News Flash: First Day of Monster School — Cookie Monster is afraid of kindergarten. (First: Episode 1628) | |
Cartoon | L for lion (First: Episode 2586) | |
Celebrity | Basketball player Isiah Thomas shows a girl that it takes practice to play the game, but she makes a basket on her first try. (First: Episode 2933) | |
Song | "Counting Birthday Candles" (First: Episode 3065) | |
Muppets | Ernie & Bert — Ernie comes up with a way for him to remember to put his basketball away before he goes to sleep: he remembers with his mind, which is in his head; his head is round, and so is the basketball. His plan works the first time, but not when Bert wants to go to sleep. (First: Episode 0134) | |
Cartoon | Hortense beats one drum. Artist: Michael Sporn (First: Episode 2570) | |
Film | A girl narrates a segment about her friend, Billy, who swims with dolphins. (First: Episode 3012) | |
Muppets | Jimmy is upset about moving to a new house, but Hoots the Owl shows up and sings "Things Are Always Changing". (First: Episode 2937) | |
Cartoon | The Typewriter: N for Nose (First: Episode 0763) | |
SCENE 2 | "Duck school" is now in session and Duffy teaches Snuffy and some kids how to walk like a duck. Snuffy tries it himself, but causes the ground to quake when he jumps like a frog instead. Big Bird shows him that ducks waddle side to side, and Snuffy finally gets it. However, Gracie, the little duckling friend of Duffy and Big Bird, blows a raspberry, indicating that Snuffy needs to get better at quacking. | |
Cartoon | Jack-in-the-Box School (First: Episode 0284) | |
Muppets | The Two-Headed Monster follows the arrows. (First: Episode 1627) | |
Cartoon | A lizard sings about how she likes to be "Above it All" as well as below. Artist: Sally Cruikshank (First: Episode 2559) | |
Film | The Count (in voiceover) counts five children standing behind a park bench. (First: Episode 2931) | |
Muppets | Grover sings "Over, Under, Around and Through." (First: Episode 0258) | |
Cartoon | "L" for "Large" and "l" for "little" (First: Episode 1455) | |
SCENE 3 | Duffy attempts to teach Snuffy how to quack. Big Bird points out that he's just saying "quack" instead of attempting to make the sound, and encourages him to keep trying (stating that "Nome wasn't built in a day"). Snuffy tries saying a sentence with more "wak-wak" sounds (mimicking the cadence of "the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain") and with practice, starts to sound exactly like a duck. ("By George, I've got it!") He becomes so good at quacking that Gracie even mistakes him for her mama and snuggles up to him. | |
Cartoon | It's a whale Artist: Ishu Patel (First: Episode 1684) | |
Muppets / Celebrity | Prairie Dawn and Tyne Daly sing about "Same and Different." (First: Episode 2769) | |
Cartoon | Two hippie kids wonder how to make their droopy plant grow. (First: Episode 1484) | |
Film | Wegman: Fay shows on the bench and under the bench. (First: Episode 2653) | |
Cartoon | "L Look Around Song" Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 1483) | |
SCENE 4 | Snuffy continues his quacking and waddling while trying to tell Gracie that he's not her mommy. Gracie instead keeps following him around Sesame Street, even when he takes refuge in Big Bird's nest area. He asks Gracie to leave him alone so he can practice for Sonny's game, and she agrees to do so. "That's the thing about baby ducks - sometimes they listen!" Big Bird says. | |
Cartoon | Fluffy recalls being a homeless dog, getting taken in to the dog pound, and meeting his new pal Petey. Artist: ArtistMike (First: Episode 2981) | |
Muppets | All types of wild animals that lay eggs sing "Let's Lay an Egg." (First: Episode 3060) | |
Cartoon | Kids count one duck in the pond. | |
Film | A blind class goes on a field trip to the park, using their other senses to experience their surroundings. The teacher sings "If You're Happy and You Know It". (First: Episode 2566) | |
Cartoon | What if an anteater had the features of a giraffe? Artist: Cliff Roberts (First: Episode 0422) | |
SCENE 5 | Big Bird, Snuffy, and Gina wait for Sonny to arrive, noticing that it's almost time to say goodbye. As it turns out, "goodbye" is another secret word! Sonny pops up and, with the help of a duck-o-meter machine, makes sure that Snuffy can flawlessly portray a duck. Snuffy does his thing, and at first the duck-o-meter goes to 8. He gets one more chance, and it goes even higher than 10 and explodes when the audience applauds after seeing Snuffy's quacking has attracted little Gracie! | |
SCENE 5 cont'd |
Snuffy wins the grand prize: the chance to be "Wolf for a Week!" Snuffy can't accept that prize as he has to go to Snufflegarden, so Sonny instead gives him the "Sonny Friendly Travelling Game Show" board game. Sonny signs off, Snuffy and Gracie announce the sponsors, and the credits follow. |
Notes[]
- Martin P. Robinson voices Sonny's game show announcer.
- The two Anything Muppets that tease Snuffy at the beginning of the episode also appear in the "Hace Frio!" song.
- In the last scene, Snuffy says "Say goodbye, Gracie," a reference to George Burns' signature signoff on his radio and television series with Gracie Allen.
- The original script differs in several ways compared to the final episode:[1]
- Telly Monster was originally intended to be the "Duck for a Day" participant rather than Snuffy.
- During the first scene, two penguins chastise the faux-duck for their inability to properly portray the fowl.
- The adult duck was named Freddy instead of Duffy. Gracie was also originally named Celia.
- Freddy's lesson in walking like a duck is presented as a "duckrobics" class, with aerobic disco music playing throughout the session.
- After the voice lesson, Telly excitedly demonstrates to Gina how he's mastered the art of being a duck.
- While being followed by Gracie, Telly takes shelter in Hooper's Store. Although Gracie follows him in, she doesn't get the hint yet.
- A cut scene involved the language-translation song, "Hello-Quack-Quack."
- In the final scene, the secret word is "home," which is uttered by Telly as he (and the others) get impatient waiting for Sonny to return. When he wins, Telly is initially offered the chance to be "Moose for a Month," as some Anything Muppet stagehands bring out a moose head.
Sources[]
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