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Sesame Street
Big Bird goes to school
Air date November 24, 1980
(season premiere)
Season Season 12 (1980-1981)
Written by Tony Geiss
Production October 17, 1980
Sponsors E, F, 8
Syndication Sesame Street Unpaved
Releases Old School: Volume 3

1446

StreetScenes
Picture Segment Description
1446a

1446a1
SCENE 1 Big Bird sits at Hooper's Store coloring as Mr. Hooper and Maria wish Kathy a good day at school. Big Bird feels a bit left out that he's not old enough to go to school like the other kids, but Kathy says it's visitors' day and he can come along. This is too much of a surprise for Big Bird, who begins flip-flopping on whether to go as he talks it over with Mr. Hooper and Maria. The two help him get ready by quickly filling a school bag with supplies and an apple for the teacher, and Maria walks him over to the bus stop where Kathy and her mother are waiting. Big Bird asks Maria to wait at the bus stop when he comes back before following Kathy onto the bus.
1446b
Song "School Song"
(First: Episode 0986)
1446c
Muppets Anything Muppets (including Farley) shout "E!"
(First: Episode 0408)
Eaticecream
Cartoon E Imagination
Artists: The Hubleys
(First: Episode 0001)
Singolivialinda
Cast Olivia sings "Sing" while Linda signs.
(First: Episode 1330)
CamelsEating
Film A film of camels eating.
Music: Joe Raposo
(First: Episode 0388)
cut from the Noggin version
1836e
Muppets The Two-Headed Monster says RUN!
1446d
Cartoon Speech Balloon: E for egg
A cow hatches a chick, which says "Moo."
(First: Episode 0002)
1446e
Film Exploring on the ocean rocks
(First: Episode 1414)
1446f
Cartoon The Typewriter: E-Ear
(First: Episode 0807)
1446g

1446h
SCENE 2 Big Bird arrives at school, though the teacher Mrs. Merkel is a little startled to see such a large creature in her classroom. She shows him to his desk and Big Bird tries to figure out whether he should sit on, in, or under it. Mrs. Merkel gives him a stool and recommends he sit next to it instead, and Big Bird is impressed with her intelligence: "You're probably as smart as the teacher!"
BallGoesUp
Song "The Ball Goes Up, The Ball Goes Down"
(First: Episode 0773)
2341o
Muppets A shark sings about his "Perfectly Pearl-White Teeth."
1446i
SCENE 3 Mrs. Merkel quizzes the students on insects, but Big Bird tries to answer her questions by yelling. Mrs. Merkel informs him that it's easier if he were to raise his hand (or wing, in this case) and wait to be called on. She does so when Big Bird gives it a try, though Big Bird doesn't know the answer to her question and is practicing his wing-raising technique.
1446j
Cartoon Eight legs on an octopus
Owe Gustafson
cut from the DVD version
Erniepaints
Muppets Ernie & BertErnie and Bert decide to use both Bert's canvas and Ernie's paints to paint a picture of something. Bert wants to paint a bowl of oatmeal, but Ernie wants to paint a purple monster. Finally, they decide to paint a purple monster eating a bowl of oatmeal.
1708o
Cartoon A moving truck takes the number 8.
1446k
SCENE 4 Mrs. Merkel has the class count, but Big Bird is disappointed when he can only get to ten while the rest of the students can reach twenty. Mrs. Merkel reassures him that he should be proud to count to ten at his age, and wonders where he learned it. Big Bird proudly answers: "On Sesame Street! Do you wanna hear my alphabet?"
2096g
Film Blocks form a ramp and a tunnel.
Tellyitzhak
Celebrity Telly Monster and Itzhak Perlman play Beethoven together -- Telly on the tuba, and Perlman on the violin.
1446l
Film Wild geese (to madrigal music)
(First: Episode 0935)
1446m
SCENE 5 Kathy teaches Big Bird about recess, and how to use the drinking fountain. He then wants to use the restroom, but is confused that if there is a boys' room and a girls' room, where can the birds' room be?
1446n
Muppets Game Show: Mystery Mix-up Game
(First: Episode 0834)
1446-Gordon
Film / Cast Gordon rides his bike around the city.
(First: Episode 0927)
cut from the Noggin version
1037h
Cartoon F - finished
(First: Episode 0128)
1446o
SCENE 6 Mrs. Merkel asks Big Bird to read the list of letters above the blackboard. Naturally, Big Bird gets it confused and sings "ABC-DEF-GHI." Everybody else sets him straight as to what the alphabet really is, and Big Bird is amazed that it's spelled the same way as his mixed-up word.
(The first season soundtrack is used for Big Bird's song, and the voice is noticeably different when compared to Caroll Spinney's modern performance of the bird.)
1446p
Cartoon F stands for flower, forest, fox, frog and fantastic.
(First: Episode 1102)
1446ForgetfulJones
Muppets Forgetful Jones and Buster the Horse brush each other's teeth.
1706l
Cartoon Toothpaste March
Artist: Ray Favata
Bigbird-whatsyourname

1446r
SCENE 7 Worried about how to introduce himself to the other children, Big Bird sings "What's Your Name" as he rehearses with a garbage can. He gives it a try with the real kids, who invite him to play jacks.
Wearaseatbelt
Cartoon A father explains to his son why it is important to wear a seat belt when riding in a car.
Artist: Cliff Roberts
cut from the Noggin version
Painter8
Film Mad Painter #8
(First: Episode 0326)
1446s
SCENE 8 School is over and it's time for Big Bird to go home. Mrs. Merkel finds him trying to take "his" desk and explains that it will be waiting for him when he begins to go to school regularly.
1736w
Film A saxophone is made in a factory, while a solo saxophone underscores the process.
1446t
Cartoon Olga the lonesome robot
1446u
SCENE 9 Big Bird arrives home from school and tells Maria about his day, even giving her an abstract project he made in woodworking. They continue their discussion as Mr. Hooper announces the sponsors.
Barkley1446

1446v
CLOSING SIGNS Barkley is seen with the Sesame Street sign, while Deena holds the CTW sign.

Alterations[]

Picture Segment Description
2356-32
Cartoon The Ringmaster #8
(First: Episode 1291)
On the DVD version of this episode, the eight octopus legs segment is cut and replaced with this one.

Guest cast[]

  • Cecilia Guerra as Kathy[1]
  • The Kids: Julia Labaton, Katie Rosin, David Patent, Nicholas Hughes, Johnna MacArthur, Tony Joe, Alice Giusti, Mitchell Levitz, Ricci Niles, Peter Joye, Vivian Lavitan

Notes[]

  • This is the first season premiere to not be sponsored by the number 2.

Sources[]

  1. Script identification.


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