Sesame Street | |||||||
Oscar's "New School for Grouch Research" | |||||||
Air date | May 14, 1986 | ||||||
Season | Season 17 (1985-1986) | ||||||
Written by | Cathi Rosenberg-Turow | ||||||
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Picture | Segment | Description |
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SCENE 1 | A cheerful young lady named Amelia Adams (Teri Garr) applies to attend Oscar's New School for Grouch Research. Oscar (dressed in a tattered cap and mortarboard) doesn't believe that she's fit for such a school, but Amelia is persistent as she's gone to just about every other kind of school. Oscar gives Amelia her first lesson - to cut out her excessive use of the phrase, "Goody!" Fellow students Luther O'Possum and Essie Silverman arrive late and are just as nice as Amelia, further irritating Oscar. He gives them high marks on their tardiness, though - Grouches should always be late. | |
Cartoon | Violin and piano music plays over two inchworms who form an uppercase and lower case letter T. (no Gordon voiceover) | |
Muppets | Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover, Kimberly, and Kermit demonstrate first and last. (First: Episode 1388) | |
Song | Joe Raposo sings "Everybody Sleeps." (First: Episode 0406) | |
Cartoon | A poem about changing seasons. (First: Episode 0962) | |
Muppets | A series of trailers for school-related dramas are shown on WCTW's "School in the Afternoon" block. | |
Cartoon | A flea sets up camp on a dog. Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 1004) | |
SCENE 2 | Oscar calls his school to session, and asks his students what a Grouch would say if a neighbor stopped by their trash can. None of them get it right as they naturally would use pleasantries such as inviting them in for pie or come up with excuses. Oscar demonstrates the correct answer: you'd yell, "GET LOST!" Amelia, Essie, and Luther hightail it, and Oscar gets the feeling this is gonna be a long day... | |
Muppets | Grover climbs a tree and finds a bird's nest with some eggs in it. The eggs hatch, and the baby birds think Grover is their mommy. When the real mother bird arrives, she mistakes Grover for one of her babies. She gives them all a flying lesson, but Grover promptly falls to the ground. (First: Episode 0570) | |
Cartoon | A little boy asks his big brother questions about what happens at school. Artist: John Korty (First: Episode 1877) | |
Film | 1-20 Ice Skaters(Maria voiceover) Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0451) | |
Animation | Draw a line from the dog to the bowl and underline the hen. (First: Episode 2178) | |
Muppets | Ernie & Bert — On a boring day, Ernie suggests some ideas to Bert, but then Bert has an exciting idea of his own. He shows off his bottlecap collection to Ernie, who remembers that he found a Figgy Fizz bottle cap -- the very one that Bert needed to complete his collection. (First: Episode 0240) | |
Cartoon | Footprints move over to the tune of "Here Are Some Things". (First: Episode 0505) | |
SCENE 3 | As Amelia discusses starting a sorority with the others, Oscar begins the next class in showing how to make broccoli with sardines and hot fudge. Luther and Essie earn high marks as they interrupt Amelia when giving answers to what the recipe needs, and Amelia has the "honor" of mixing the ingredients together. Essie and Luther already feel grouchy when they're allowed to dig into the final product, but Amelia is starting to feel sad instead. | |
Cartoon | A man finds and eats five apples, counting the number left after each one. (First: Episode 1578) | |
Song | "School Song" (First: Episode 0986) | |
Muppets / Cast | Professor David lectures his class on trees. He says they are only good for looking at and leaning against, but they mention other uses for them. (First: Episode 1584) | |
Cartoon | T is for Trash and Ticket Artist: Cliff Roberts (First: Episode 0020) | |
Muppets | Guy Smiley hosts "Beat the Time". In order to win a cookie, Cookie Monster has to bring in three things that rhyme with the word "rain" before the hand goes around the clock. They turn out to be an old man's "cane", a "chain" (to which Frazzle is attached), and finally a "train" which destroys the set. (First: Episode 0446) | |
Animation | First leaf, last leaf (First: Episode 0794) | |
SCENE 4 | Oscar teaches his students the proper way to say the Grouch word "Blecch." Luther and Essie seem to have a good handle on it (and are even starting to look grouchier), but Amelia struggles as her delivery is too milquetoast. Worried that she might be cut from the class, Oscar suggests she just come back to the lesson later. A relieved Amelia gives Oscar a big hug and kiss, prompting him to remark, "Blecch!" | |
Cartoon | A little girl sings "There Is Only One Me." (First: Episode 1942) | |
Muppets | "Daddy Helps with the Dishes" - three families sing about how they help each other doing chores, cooking and homework. | |
Cartoon | Three turtles present the letter T. (First: Episode 1666) | |
Film / Animation | Oranges are peeled and sliced in stop-motion, and some kids eat them. (First: Episode 1802) | |
Muppets | Kermit the Frog counts six happy little Twiddlebugs, and when he is finished, the Twiddlebugs have a party. (First: Episode 0280) | |
Cartoon | Vaudeville duo Herman Happy and Stanley Sad sing a song about how they live up to their names. (First: Episode 0772) | |
SCENE 5 | Oscar gives the New School for Grouch Research students their final lesson: how to throw a Grouch party. Luther has brought torn paper cups, Essie has some dented hats and party horns, and Amelia prepares a three-course gourmet Grouch meal. Oscar chastises Amelia's attempt, and instructs the students that the operative word is "throw." | |
Cartoon | M for Mail (First: Episode 0013) | |
Muppets | A group of female Anything Muppets sing about the many things "Women Can Be." (First: Episode 0773) | |
Film | Peacock Music: Joe Raposo (First: Episode 0278) | |
Insert | The Alphabet Dancers form the letter T. (First: Episode 0454) | |
Cartoon | A boy has fun with his wood plank. (First: Episode 1503) | |
Muppets | The dark-bearded half of the Two-Headed Monster wakes up to argue with itself over whether to go to the zoo or the playground. The two both end up taking naps instead. (First: Episode 1475) | |
Song | Olivia sings "The Riddle." (First: Episode 1721) | |
Cartoon | When a bird pops a balloon, the balls represent Sad and Happy. (First: Episode 2102) | |
SCENE 6 | A sappy version of "Pomp and Circumstance" plays as Oscar presides over graduation at the New School for Grouch Research. Luther and Essie accept the ceremonial prizes (a jar of mud and a rag), but Amelia doesn't make the cut. When Oscar calls her the worst student he's ever had, she defiantly explains how proud she is for having tried hard. She even declares herself Oscar's best student for her dedication, to Luther and Essie's cheers.
She then says she's leaving to start her own "alternative" school: Amelia's New School for How to Try Hard! She takes Luther, Essie, and the tending Grouchketeers with her, leaving Oscar dumbfounded. Amelia announces the sponsors, throwing in an extra "Goody!" at Oscar for good measure. |
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