Episode 3810

	Sesame Street
	The Best Friends Pageant
Air date	January 8, 1999
Season	Season 30 (1998-1999)
Written by	Annie Evans
Directed by	Ted May
Production	November 5 & 6, 1998
Sponsors	U, 17
Syndication	123 Sesame Street; PBS Sprout

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	The camera pans across Sesame Street, where many friends are playing and working together. Big Bird welcomes the viewer and is approached by Snuffy for a game of tag. Big Bird offers to be "it," an act Snuffy appreciates. They start singing a song about being best friends, joined by other pairs of friends (Miles and Gabi, Telly and Baby Bear, Gordon and Susan, and a Dinger and Honker).
	SCENE 1 cont'd	As Big Bird and Snuffy play tag down the street past the Fix-It Shop (causing a mini-earthquake), Prairie Dawn gets inspired by all the friends around her and Maria and decides to make a show about them.
	Cartoon	The word "LOVE" in various situations. (First: Episode 3569) cut from the Noggin version
	Muppets	Muppet and Kid Moments: Grover and Karlena talk about the word "love" on a sign. (First: Episode 2392)
	SCENE 2	Telly and Baby Bear read a poster Prairie has made on the bulletin board, asking for any best friends to be in her pageant. When she asks what they'd like to do in the show, they disagree over what kind of act they'll do: Telly wants to include a pogo stick, and Baby Bear would rather paint a picture. They then begin to argue which is better and storm off; Prairie realizes making her pageant won't be as easy as she thought.
	Song	"My Friend U" (First: Episode 3705) cut from the Noggin version
	Muppets	The Martians: Alphanumeric Quickies — The Martians present the letter U. (First: Episode 3387)
	Cartoon	U knocks on the door of P's apartment. When she answers the door, they go UP. Artist: ArtistMike (First: Episode 3658)
	SCENE 3	Prairie approaches Miles and Gabi, who'd like to be in her show. They recall a time when they ran a lemonade stand together, but start arguing over who made their lemonade too sweet. Oscar appears, adoring the sounds of fighting, and Prairie again finds herself one pair short.
	Cartoon	"Four Friends" - a reggae song about a group of animals who wash a car together. (re-recorded version) Artist: Michael Sporn (First: Episode 2242) Prairie appears over the end of the cartoon, calling out to the animals to be in her show.
	Muppets	Ernie and Bert: "That's What Friends Are For": Ernie sings to Bert about friends being tolerant of each other's differences, while Bert just wants to sleep. (First: Episode 1814)
	SCENE 4	Prairie laments her woes to Maria, stating all the friends are arguing, even the Honker and Dinger (though she can't understand about what) and Big Bird and Snuffy, who argue over who's "it." Maria tells her that as the director, she should get them to cooperate.
	Cartoon	Noodles & Nedd make the bed. Artist: John R. Dilworth (First: Episode 3697)
	Film	A karate team punches out the alphabet. (First: Episode 3421) cut from the Noggin version
	SCENE 5	Prairie tries to tell the arguing friends to cooperate, but they're too caught up in their feuds to listen. Having had enough, Prairie fumes that the pageant and show are cancelled - much to Oscar's delight.
	Animation	Seventeen derby hats drop onto a balloon head. (First: Episode 2820) cut from the Noggin version
	Film	Kid mural painting #17 (First: Episode 3639) cut from the Noggin version
	Animation	Ornate 17s swing by. (First: Episode 3319) cut from the Noggin version
	SCENE 6	Oscar tells the friends to keep arguing, so as to keep Prairie's pageant cancelled. They all get upset; they never wanted the show to get cancelled and feel bad about how they've hurt Prairie. They all decide to compromise and get along. Telly thanks a disappointed Oscar for being such a good friend before he helps look for Prairie.
	Song	"Dressed Up" (remake) (First: Episode 3399)
	Muppets	Ernie's Show and Tell Ernie's friend Alexa surprises him with a bag of jewels.
	SCENE 7	The friends all find Prairie telling her problems to Maria and show her that they're cooperating now. They beg her to put her show back on, so Prairie un-cancels her pageant and rushes them all to rehearsal - the show's in five minutes!
	Cartoon	A boy needs a letter U to complete the word UP. (new sound effects added) (First: Episode 0416)
	Celebrity	Melissa Etheridge sings "Like the Way U Does." (First: Episode 3529) cut from the Noggin version
	Film	The letter U dances at the beach. (First: Episode 3529) cut from the Noggin version
	Animation	Amelia likes to pretend she can fly. (First: Episode 2902)
	SCENE 8	A small group (including Gordon, Susan, Maria, Alan, Linda, Alice, and several kids) has gathered in the yard and Prairie's show gets underway. Baby Bear paints Telly as he bounces on his pogo stick (until they collide), Miles and Gabi make lemonade, Big Bird and Snuffy take turns during tag, and the Honker and Dinger resolve an indiscernible conflict. Everyone cheers and throws flowers for the best friends, and Prairie calls it her favorite pageant.
	Muppets	Elmo's World: Jackets (First: Episode 3806)
	SCENE 9	Prairie announces the sponsors while the ground shakes from Big Bird and Snuffy's game of tag. The credits follow.