Episode 3873

	Sesame Street
	Ernie becomes a Birdketeer
Air date	February 2, 2000
Season	Season 31 (2000)
Written by	Luis Santeiro
Production	November 11, 1999
Sponsors	L, 1

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Ernie and Rubber Duckie observe Big Bird leading the Birdketeers through a cheer at Big Bird's nest, thinking it looks like fun. Big Bird notices Ernie watching, and decides to ask him if he'd like to become a Birdketeer. Ernie says he would, but mentions how he doesn't have feathers, so Big Bird and the Birdketeers retrieve some spare feathers and a hat, and dress Ernie up.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Big Bird steps away from the zoomed-in camera to reveal Ernie now clad in a Birdketeer's uniform. Rubbie Duckie squeaks to Ernie, and Ernie tells Big Bird that Rubber Duckie wants to become a Birdketeer, too. Big Bird doesn't see why not, because ducks are also birds. Ernie points out that Rubber Duckie has feathers, but lacks a costume, so they give Rubber Duckie its own miniature-sized costume. Ernie thinks they'll have a lot of fun being Birdketeers.
	Cartoon	A story/song about a duckling who wants to join the others playing at the water's edge. (First: Episode 2852)
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — Samantha shows Grover how to play "Duck Duck Goose." (First: Episode 3561)
	Muppets	Zoe, in her Zoemobile, introduces the letter of the day. (First: Episode 3819)
	Animation	L / l (space paint) (First: Episode 3216)
	Film	L is for look, legs, light, lemonade, and ladybug. (First: Episode 3427)
	Cartoon	Letter L Animals' Limerick Artist: Lisa Crafts (First: Episode 3740)
	SCENE 2	Big Bird leads the group through the "Birdketeer Tweeting Alphabet," where everyone goes "tweet" after each letter. Shortly after they start, Rubber Duckie intervenes - Ernie asks if Rubber Duckie can make a squeak instead of a "tweet." They start again from the beginning, and recite the alphabet all the way through. Ernie comments how much Rubber Duckie loves being a Birdketeer, which Big Bird finds slightly weird.
	Film	The letters of the alphabet are found in signs all over the city. (new soundtrack) (First: Episode 3652)
	Muppets / Celebrity	Erykah Badu introduces herself to Elmo, Baby Bear, Zoe and Rosita, who are hesitant to join her at first, but they end up singing "We're All Friends." (First: Episode 3712)
	Film	Ducks swim and fly. Music: Chopin's Valse Op. 64, no. 2 (First: Episode 2510)
	SCENE 3	Now, Big Bird leads everyone into the "Bird Dance," a favorite for birds all over. After they practice the routine, Rubber Duckie starts squeaking again - Ernie says that Rubber Duckie has come up with an idea for the dance. Big Bird claims they don't need any new ideas, but Ernie claims Rubber Duckie's idea is a dance that ducks like, and states that ducks are birds as well. Before Big Bird can discuss anything, Ernie leads the Birdketeers into a musical dance, "The Quack." After the song, Big Bird asks if they can return to their bird-related activities, but Rubber Duckie starts having more duck-related ideas, which Big Bird reluctantly rolls along with.
	Cartoon	Noodles & Nedd Nedd shows Noodles how to do a particular dance. Artist: John R. Dilworth (First: Episode 3851)
	Film	The letter L dances at the beach. (First: Episode 3573)
	Cartoon	A strange poem with L words. (First: Episode 3715)
	Muppets	Elmo sings about the "Planets, Moon and Stars." (First: Episode 3782)
	Film	What sound does a duck make? (First: Episode 3298)
	SCENE 4	Next, Big Bird and the kids do their "Birdketeer Cheer." Immediately after Big Bird starts, Rubber Duckie squeaks once again - he wants to do the "Duckie Cheer." Ernie states again how ducks are birds, which Big Bird now starts to find annoying, as they start doing the cheer. When they finish, Rubber Duckie requests to do it once more faster, and everyone does it again. Big Bird, now having had enough of Ernie and Rubber Duckie leading the group, tries to regain control, but Rubber Duckie now decides the meeting should be a Duck-keteer meeting. Ernie assures everyone (including Big Bird) will have fun, and runs to get costumes.
	Film	Joe Raposo sings "Dressed Up." (First: Episode 0302)
	Cartoon	Hortense beats one drum. Artist: Michael Sporn (First: Episode 2570)
	Muppets	Zoe introduces a sketch with Cookie Monster. (First: Episode 3842)
	Muppets	Monsterpiece Theater: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest — A winged number 1 flies over a cuckoo's nest. (First: Episode 2674)
	Song	A voiceover sings about "Big Bigger Biggest" using clocks, ducks and saxophones to illustrate the concept. (First: Episode 3731)
	SCENE 5	Everyone sans Big Bird now wears Duck-keteer uniforms (Birdketeer outfits with duck hats), and Rubber Duckie compliments how "ducky" they look. Big Bird remains unsure of the duck-related ideas, when Ernie tells him to put his duck hat on for the "Waddle-Waddle-Quack-Quack" game. Big Bird refuses to put on the hat, and watches in vain as the Birdketeers follow Ernie's directions. He then leads the group into doing the game while walking around Sesame Street. Big Bird doesn't want to be a duck, and yells for them to come back as they leave.
	Animation	"Step right up and find my voice!" A girl plays a carnival game in which she pushes buttons to identify which sound each animal makes. (First: Episode 3736)
	Song	"See Like a Bird" (Seagull) (First: Episode 3681)
	Muppets	The Two-Headed Monster acts out different feelings. (First: Episode 1982)
	Cartoon	A cartoon man is irritated to find that he has a succession of animal noses. (First: Episode 0769)
	SCENE 6	Luis encounters an upset Big Bird sitting in the yard, and asks what's bothering him. The Duck-keteers pass by them, with Ernie telling Big Bird to come join, and how much Rubber Duckie misses him. Big Bird unwillingly declines, as he's heard enough quacking from them. Luis asks Big Bird to talk about why he's upset, and Big Bird explains how Ernie and Rubber Duckie changed his Birdketeer meeting. Luis says he'll have to talk to Ernie about his problem. Big Bird tries to get Ernie's attention, but the Duck-keteers keep quacking on. "It's really hard to get a duck to listen to you," says Big Bird to the viewer.
	Cartoon	Kids count one duck in the pond. (First: Episode 3095)
	Song	"We're Talking 'Bout the Number One" (First: Episode 3154)
	Cartoon	Number Guy sings "How Many Birds Can Fit on This Wire?" One bird provides the answer. (First: Episode 3338)
	SCENE 7	Big Bird follows Ernie to the front of 123 Sesame Street to talk to him. He explains how he feels about the changes from his Birdketeer meeting. Ernie expresses his feelings as well, mentioning how he sometimes makes Bert angry, but they remain friends. Ernie talks to Rubber Duckie, who, despite being disappointed that Big Bird doesn't want to do duck-related things, says everyone can do what Big Bird wants to now. Big Bird instantly comes up with an idea: the "Tweet-Tweet-Peck-Peck-Quack-Quack-Waddle-Waddle." He leads everyone in the game, while Luis gazes from the nearby table.
	Muppets	Elmo's World: Drawing (First: Episode 3859)
	SCENE 8	Big Bird announces the sponsors while everyone plays the game. Rubber Duckie comes up with a new idea: becoming Kangaroo-keteers! Big Bird walks off uninterested.