| Sesame Street | |||||||||
| Oscar advertises his newsstand | |||||||||
| Air date | February 16, 1996 | ||||||||
| Season | Season 27 (1995-1996) | ||||||||
| Written by | Belinda Ward | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
  |
SCENE 1 | Oscar is sitting at his newsstand when Luis, Maria, Gabi, and Rosita pass by on their way to the park. He tries to sell them a newspaper with fish in it or a magazine with chewed gum in it, but they aren't interested. Rosita notices that Oscar looks sad, and Oscar says he's depressed because if he doesn’t get more customers, he'll have to close his newsstand. Even Grouches don't seem to be interested when one passes by just to smell the fish and not buy anything. Rosita decides to forego the park to help Oscar, and everyone else decides to join her. Oscar is worried that soon they’ll have everybody on Sesame Street helping him, which he doesn’t want. The thought makes him even more depressed, so he decides to enjoy the feeling while it lasts. |
 |
Animation | Musicians in a painting learn to cooperate to play music. |
 |
Muppets | Bip Bippadotta leads “Scratch My Back,” a song about two monsters named Jack and Jill who swear that they will always be there to scratch each other’s backs. (First: Episode 2191) |
 |
Cartoon | A man assembles the word LOVE, and a bird pecks the O into the shape of a heart. (new sound effects added) (First: Episode 0768) |
 |
Muppets | Fairy Tales Today: Rapunzel's Bad Hair Day — Prairie Dawn meets Rapunzel in the park and deals with her long hair. |
 |
Song | “Fixin' My Hair” (First: Episode 2734) |
 |
Cartoon | Is snow cold? Yes! (new music and sound effects added) (First: Episode 0822) |
 |
Muppets / Celebrity | Big Bird receives a visit from Marisa Tomei, and is reminded that he is supposed to say the alphabet with her today. Some drama ensues between them, but they say the alphabet anyway, and part on good terms. (new music added) (First: Episode 3224) |
 |
Song | Joe Raposo sings "Peanut Butter." (First: Episode 1966) |
 |
Cartoon | A boy narrates a poem about how he met Eleanor, the monster under his bed. (new sound effects added) Artist: ArtistMike (First: Episode 2773) |
  |
SCENE 2 | To advertise Oscar’s newsstand, Rosita and the Grouchketeers hold up signs, Maria brings buttons, and Luis brings t-shirts. All of the promotional merchandise has a picture of Oscar smiling, which was Rosita’s idea to entice customers, but Oscar reminds her that Grouches don't like to smile. "I don't have a smiley face! Haven't you people ever heard of truth in advertising?!" he complains when two happy customers (Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold) arrive and comment on Oscar’s smiling face. Even though they do buy some newspapers, Oscar tells Rosita to get lost and take her smiley faces with her, but she and the others won’t rest until his smiling face is all over Sesame Street. |
 |
Cartoon | V for Van (live-action/animation hybrid) Artist: Paul Fierlinger (First: Episode 1181) |
 |
Cartoon | Consonant Sound: V, violin Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 1157) |
 |
Cartoon | Violet climbs a vine with V words. (First: Episode 0389) |
 |
Muppets | Rosita and Elmo sing "I Feel So Happy." |
 |
Cartoon | A girl fantasizes what she could do without leaving her room if her nose, ears, legs, and arms got bigger. (First: Episode 3285) |
 |
Cast | Gordon, Big Bird, Celina, Carlo, Gina and Ruthie sing “Goodbye Fly.” (First: Episode 3348) |
 |
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 | Rubber Stamp #16 (First: Episode 2959) |
 |
Muppets | The Martians: Alphanumeric Quickies — The Martians present the number 16. (First: Episode 3387) |
 |
Cartoon | Growing Numbers #16 (First: Episode 2996) |
 |
Muppets | Here Is Your Life: Loaf of Bread — A Loaf of Bread is presented with a vignette of her life. (First: Episode 0709) |
 |
Film | Wegman's Dogs: Little Jack Horner |
 |
SCENE 3 | Rosita comes back with Bob, who has written a jingle to advertise Oscar’s newsstand. Oscar worries it'll be a song about his smiling face, but Bob has really tried to capture the grouchiness of the newsstand in the lyrics. Bob sings it for him, and though Oscar thinks it’s the yuckiest song he’s ever heard, Grouch customers singing the jingle flock in to buy newspapers with fish in them and candy wrappers. Oscar tells Bob and Rosita to get lost, but to keep customers coming they keep singing instead. |
 |
Cartoon | Suzie Kabloozie reads about pirates. |
 |
Cartoon | Two men, one named Virgil Veep, discuss the letter V as they stand atop a capital V. (First: Episode 0110) |
 |
Animation | Ornate Vs spin around as a song about them plays. (First: Episode 2942) |
 |
Cartoon | This is a big letter V poem. (First: Episode 0507) |
 |
Muppets | Grover and Mr. Johnson: Frame Shop (First: Episode 3396) |
 |
Cartoon | The parts of a man’s face move around as they are drawn. (First: Episode 3410) |
  |
Muppets | Ernie and Bert: The Count Sleeps Over Part 1 — When the Count can't sleep, Ernie instructs him to try counting sheep. (First: Episode 0941) |
 |
Cartoon | Monster in the dark (finding a light switch) (First: Episode 0493) |
 |
Muppets | Ernie and Bert: The Count Sleeps Over Part 2 — The Count stayed up counting sheep all night, much to Ernie's dismay. (First: Episode 0941) |
 |
Film | Cooperation: A girl gets a coconut handed down to her from a tree, by people on different-size stilts. (First: Episode 3404) |
 |
SCENE 4 | Business is booming due to the buttons and t-shirts, Bob’s jingle, and the frowny-face buttons that Maria, Luis, Gabi, and Rosita have brought for the Grouches (and non-Grouches). Yet Oscar is still sad because business is good as it makes him happy, and Grouches hate to be happy! As Oscar tries to drive away all the customers (including Grundgetta), Maria shouts the sponsors out over the commotion. The credits follow. |
 |
COMING SOON | Coming soon on Sesame Street: On a hiking trip, Telly realizes he's forgotten to pack a lunch. |
Notes[]
- Grouch performers include Peter Linz, Jerry Nelson, Louise Gold, and Alice Dinnean.
- A copy of True Grouch Magazine from the previous episode can be seen at Oscar's stand.
| Previous episode: | Next episode: |
| Episode 3459 | Episode 3461 |