| Sesame Street | |||||||||
| Slimey to the Moon: Slimey lands on the moon | |||||||||
| Air date | March 13, 1998 | ||||||||
| Season | Season 29 (1997-1998) | ||||||||
| Written by | Emily Perl Kingsley | ||||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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COLD OPEN | A small crowd (including Luis, Maria, Ernie, a Honker, Gabi, Miles, Gordon, and Mr. Handford) has gathered in Hooper's Store and are waiting for the news to come on. Big Bird joins them and explains that today is the day that Slimey is going to land on the Moon! Sesame Street News begins to air, anchored by Kermit the Frog for special television coverage of the moon landing. He's on his way to Sesame Street to cover this important and historic moment... right after the following important and historic opening theme song. |
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SCENE 1 | A news center has been constructed in front of the subway station around the corner, where the folks from Hooper's are now convened, joined by various other excited Sesame Street residents (including Bert, Bob, Susan, Gina, Celina, Carlo, Linda, Ruthie, Lexine, Tarah, Elmo, Rosita, Humphrey, a lamb, Telly, Grundgetta, and Zoe). Oscar is stationed at the WASA control center stationed in front of his newsstand when Kermit begins his live broadcast. Kermit introduces each of the worms on the Wiggleprise crew, as a still of each one is shown; needless to say, hometown favorite Slimey gets a lot of cheers and applause. |
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SCENE 1 cont'd |
Kermit interviews Oscar, who shows off his worm journal to recount the events leading up to Slimey's current position, seen in several still images and flashbacks. Highlights include the tests Slimey had to take and how Snuffy helped propel the rocket into orbit with a powerful sneeze. Meanwhile, the WASA technicians are closely monitoring the astronauts' progress, led by Professor Albert Einslime, and Kermit has it on good authority that the worms are almost at the moon! He tells the audience to stay tuned... |
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Cartoon | A strange poem with L words. (First: Episode 3715) |
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Film | Alphaboy: L Alphaboy leaps into lots of lovely leaves and becomes lazy. (First: Episode 3580) |
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Cartoon | "L Look Around Song" Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 1483) |
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Muppets | Baby Bear and Papa Bear visit the Museum of Modern Art, and observe a Piet Mondrian painting full of rectangles, squares and colors. Baby Bear is reminded of the rectangles and squares that are all around us. (First: Episode 3569) |
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Film | The floating kids form a square (First: Episode 3132) |
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Muppets | Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover and Patrick, "moon buddies," pretend to go to the moon. They see some aliens eating moon pizza, and some astronauts. (First: Episode 3701) |
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Cartoon | Cab Callowmouse demonstrates here and there in song. (First: Episode 3711) |
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SCENE 2 | As the Wiggleprise approaches the moon, Kermit begrudgingly introduces special correspondent Robert MacNeil who will be covering the actual landing. MacNeil first offers a recap explaining exactly what the path of the ship has been so far, using a magnetic diagram to illustrate its position between the Earth and the moon. A farmer (Joey Mazzarino), previously seen during the launch, returns to Sesame Street to add that his chicken is on that spaceship as well, but nobody believes him. |
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SCENE 2 cont'd |
Everyone watches in amazement as the spaceship gets closer and closer to the moon. MacNeil introduces a news reel of scenes recorded earlier in the day of worms and people around the world celebrating this important (and historic) occasion, including shots from France, Russia, Italy, and Times Square. |
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SCENE 2 cont'd |
Finally, the monitor cuts to a live feed from the lunar surface, and MacNeil announces that the Wiggleprise has landed and the worms are on the moon! Everyone on Sesame Street goes wild with celebration for the big moment, and Oscar is relieved that Slimey made it to the moon safely. Everyone then watches breathlessly as the door to the craft opens, and one of the worm astronauts pokes their head out... it's Slimey, who slowly crawls out and becomes the first worm on the moon! A tearful Oscar translates what he says: "This is one small wiggle for a worm; one giant wriggle for wormkind." |
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SCENE 2 cont'd |
The other worms (but no chicken so far) start to crawl out, while everyone chants Slimey's name. MacNeil says they'll be right back. |
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Cartoon | Suzie Kabloozie and Feff appear to float around in outer space, but at the end of the sketch, it is revealed that they are just pretending to be astronauts. Artist: Mo Willems (First: Episode 3701) |
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Muppets | Cookie Monster sings "If Moon Was Cookie." (underscore added to intro) (First: Episode 1789) |
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Cartoon | Noodles & Nedd: Noodles tries to get Nedd to feed him while Nedd is fixated on looking at the stars through his telescope. (First: Episode 3701) |
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Film | Wegman's dogs bake bread. |
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Cartoon | Kids and animals alternate in passing letters over themselves, in an alphabet song. Artist: Karen Aqua |
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Cartoon | Dr. Annie Eyeball looks at air. Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 2592) |
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Muppets | Prairie Dawn, Scientist Prairie Dawn demonstrates how air moves things, with some leaves, a feather, and her lunch bag - all of which the wind blows away, along with Prairie. "Who's working the wind machine?" (First: Episode 3625) |
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Cartoon | Letter L Animals' Limerick |
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Muppets / Celebrity | Samuel Ramey performs "L Is for Low." (First: Episode 3337) |
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Film | L is for look, legs, light, lemonade, and ladybug. (First: Episode 3427) |
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Film | Amelia pretends she's an astronaut. (First: Episode 2918) |
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SCENE 3 | As the news coverage continues, the worms can be seen on the surface of the moon; MacNeil adds that they can jump a whole lot higher on the moon than they can on Earth. Everyone begins to murmur to each other when suddenly, the farmer catches a glimpse of his chicken (who apparently doesn't need a spacesuit) bouncing along with the other worms! However, the audience is looking away and by the time he gets their attention the chicken is nowhere to be seen. |
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SCENE 3 cont'd |
Oscar interprets for Professor Einslime, who explains that now the worms will collect dirt samples and rocks to take home with them. The worm scientists on Earth will study the moon dirt, analyze it, and finally, play in it. |
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SCENE 3 cont'd |
As a permanent reminder that they were there, the worms plant a WASA flag next to the United States flag for others who go to the moon in the future. Just then, Oscar notices a large, round object beyond the horizon that Gordon identifies as the Earth. The audience remarks that it looks beautiful and magnificent; Tarah is astounded. "That's us?" she asks Big Bird. "Amazing!" The worm astronauts give their worm wriggle salute to everyone on Earth, and all the Sesame Street residents salute back by wiggling their finger. |
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SCENE 3 cont'd |
Robert hands the coverage back to Kermit, who perks up since he can conduct the most important part of the mission: the return home. He throws to a break before being interrupted by the farmer calling for his chicken. |
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Cartoon | A pig sings "There Are Chickens in the Trees" until a rooster tells him that chickens don't live in trees. Artist: Jeff Hale (First: Episode 1394) |
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Film | Kids observe different types of bugs and flowers. (First: Episode 3696) |
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Cartoon | Flash Gizmo, Space Cadet Here and there (First: Episode 3697) |
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Muppets | "Home to Me" (First: Episode 2093) |
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Film | A Hawaiian girl and her family get ready to have a little party, or paina iki. (First: Episode 3139) |
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Animation | Masked March #15 (First: Episode 3375) |
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Film | Kid mural painting #15 (First: Episode 3649) |
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Animation | 15 in space |
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Song | "When You Grow Up" (First: Episode 2912) |
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Animation | Today's Secret Drawing is an astronaut. (First: Episode 0193) |
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SCENE 4 | Kermit reports that the worms are now back inside the Wiggleprise and getting ready to return home. The Count returns to conduct the countdown process as he did during liftoff. |
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SCENE 4 cont'd |
After two attempts, the ship again doesn't seem to have enough power to lift their weight off the surface. Everyone begins to worry and Oscar panics that Slimey might be stuck in space forever. All of a sudden, they hear an odd sniffling noise and a large sneeze is emitted from the spaceship, along with a few feathers coming from the exhaust pipes. Whatever it was, it gives the ship enough power to clear the moon! |
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SCENE 4 cont'd |
Everyone cheers and celebrates a successful mission as Kermit notes that what he heard sounded something like a chicken sneezing. Despite the farmer's insistence that it came from his chicken, Kermit signs off for Sesame Street News, announcing the sponsors and wishing the worms a safe trip home that will take many, many days. |
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Still | The end credits follow, followed by the NASA still. |
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COMING SOON | Coming Soon on Sesame Street: Frazzle sleeps over at Big Bird's nest, and sings a garbled lullaby with Big Bird and Gordon. |
Alterations[]
| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
INTRO | In the 1999 rerun, the season 30–32 intro sequence is used in place of the season 29 opening. |
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Muppets / Celebrity | Denyce Graves tucks Elmo into bed and sings him an Operatic Lullaby. (First: Episode 3697) This segment replaced "If Moon Was Cookie" in the 1999 rerun. |
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Film | Kid jungle explorers spot a wild letter L. (First: Episode 3483) This segment replaced "L is for Low" in the 1999 rerun. |
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Song | Lillian sings "Face Facts." (First: Episode 2760) This segment replaced the film about paina iki in the 1999 rerun. |
Notes[]
- This episode was among a select group of Season 29 episodes that were rerun during the last few weeks of 1999, shortly before Season 31 began airing the following January. This particular episode aired on November 29, December 20, and December 30.
- Crowd extras include relatives of cast and crew: Aram Delgado (Emilio Delgado's son), Kelly Vogel (Matt Vogel's wife), and Lexine Bondoc's mother Leila and brother Ryan.
Gallery[]
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