Episode 3558

	Sesame Street
	Telly and the rubber ball
Air date	January 1, 1997
Season	Season 28 (1996-1997)
Written by	David Korr
Production	August 26, 1996
Sponsors	P, 17

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Big Bird, Gabi and Miles are planning on going to the park to play catch, but must first let Maria know where they'll be. They see her inside the Fix-It Shop dealing with customers and feel she's too busy to bother at the moment. Gabi instead writes a note about their whereabouts and leaves it on the work bench. They head for the park, unaware that they've left their ball behind.
	Film	A girl writes a letter to her grandmother about going to summer camp. (First: Episode 3270)
	Cartoon	A heart that says "I love you" is drawn. (First: Episode 1971)
	Muppets	Ernie sings "D-U-C-K-I-E." (First: Episode 1957)
	Cartoon	Number creatures 17 (First: Episode 2745)
	Film	Growing Numbers #17 (First: Episode 2975)
	Cartoon	Rap #17 (First: Episode 2488)
	SCENE 2	Maria goes to work on a customer's vacuum cleaner when she spots Gabi's note. Maria compliments her daughter communicating to her through note, but notices she's forgotten the ball. Telly wanders by singing the "Sesame Street Theme," and Maria asks him to deliver the red ball to them since she's busy. As Maria heads to answer the phone, Telly starts to head to the park, but stops and questions himself why he wasn't asked to play catch. He turns sad and decides to tell Maria the favor's off, but sees she's on the phone, so he goes to Mr. Handford to write a note.
	Cartoon	The letters H, E, L and P try to arrange themselves to form the word "Help" while stuck on an island. (First: Episode 1176)
	Muppets / Celebrity	Harry Belafonte sings of about the "Coconut Counting Man," who is actually The Count. (First: Episode 1692)
	Cartoon	Counting to 10 Artist: Keith Haring (First: Episode 3042)
	Film	A Caucasian boy narrates a film of himself hanging out with his African American friend Jamal. (First: Episode 2787)
	Animation	A group of round crayons draws a house, and is hesitant to let a square yellow crayon join, until it draws the sun. They all cooperate to make a rainbow. (First: Episode 3105)
	SCENE 3	Mr. Handford has gotten a pen and paper and starts to write the note, with Telly dictating. While jotting the note, Big Bird, Miles and Gabi approach the Fix-It Shop to retrieve the ball, but are surprised it isn't there. Gabi argues she left the ball on the table in order to write her note. Miles decides to ask Maria about the ball's whereabouts, but she's still busy, so they all choose to wait, which causes Big Bird to pout.
	SCENE 3 cont'd	Mr. Handford reads the finished note, which details how Telly feels ostracized. After Telly signs his name, Mr. Handford comments how sad of a note it is, leading Telly to explain that the friends didn't ask him to play, which is why he's sad. Mr. Handford tells him he wasn't around when they all agreed to play catch, and persuades him to ask them since they're his friends. Telly gleefully accepts Mr. Handford's advice and heads to his friends, but forgets the note he's written. Mr. Handford crumples it up and tosses it in the garbage as a lay-up.
	Song	Joe Raposo sings "Somebody Come and Play." Snow leopards version (First: Episode 2519)
	Cartoon	A girl tries to play catch with her lazy cat, and accidentally breaks the window. She considers blaming the cat, but realizes it's her responsibility to confess. Artist: ArtistMike (First: Episode 3519)
	Animation	“Letter P Menu”
	Film	Alphaquest: P A pack of painted purple penguins practicing a pop song in a pine tree park, and a pink pig with a parachute. (First: Episode 2711)
	Cartoon	Peter Panda, the potter, makes a pyramid, a pear and a pot for his plant. (First: Episode 3537)
	Muppets	"Near and Far" (First: Episode 3493)
	Film	Kids demonstrate near and far with soccer balls. (First: Episode 3538)
	SCENE 4	Maria and the three kids are all questioning where Telly could be, but they head inside the shop to bring the vacuum cleaner in. Big Bird questions the viewer where Telly is.
	SCENE 4 cont'd	Telly returns to Mr. Handford all angry, saying they weren't at the park. Mr. Handford advises him to calm down and quit yelling so they can think what to do. The two think of where Miles, Big Bird and Gabi are, unaware that the group is walking past them outside. Mr. Handford reaches a consensus: Telly goes to the Fix-It Shop to tell Maria, while he asks the Robinsons for any information.
	Cartoon	"Mad Goat Song" Artist: Derek Lamb (First: Episode 0771)
	Film	A girl's grandmother teaches Spanish to her parrot Kuka. (First: Episode 3101)
	Muppets	Big Bird's Video Postcards Big Bird visits a Puerto Rican casita in East Harlem. He tries to find out what people do there, but everyone is too busy raising chickens, planting tomatoes, cooking and planning music to answer. (First: Episode 3018)
	Cartoon	Two girls sing a reggae rendition of the alphabet. (First: Episode 3269)
	Song	"Some Things Are Little, Some Things Are Big" (First: Episode 3537)
	SCENE 5	Telly returns to Hooper's and says Maria's not there, but he discovered a note in the shop's doorway. It's written to him from Maria, which reveals they've gone to the park to search for him. Telly is reluctant to head back there again, but with Mr. Handford's encouragement, he goes there with the ball anyway.
	Animation	Some animals want a boy to share his birthday cake with them, but he keeps changing his "No ______ allowed" sign, until they all offer him a glass of milk. Animator: Gene Barretta
	Song	Everyone has the same feelings, "No Matter What." Kids of all types play with a huge beach ball. (First: Episode 2782)
	Cartoon	P, for peas (First: Episode 3485)
	Film	Two girls sing "My Picky Playmate" as they clap. (First: Episode 3299)
	Cartoon	P is for Puddle (First: Episode 0452)
	Muppets	Phil Harmonic introduces Charmin', who performs an opera about the fax machine. (First: Episode 3249)
	Film	Wegman's dogs: Rub-a-Dub-Dub (First: Episode 3530)
	Cartoon	"The Wasteroon Song" - three water drops complain about people wasting water, calling them "Wasteroons." Artist: ArtistMike (First: Episode 2851)
	SCENE 6	Maria sits in Hooper's Store and explains to Mr. Handford that Telly returned the ball, and admits they'll be playing catch "happily ever after." Both of them announce the sponsors over footage of Telly and the gang playing.
	COMING SOON	Coming soon on Sesame Street: Telly spots a clubhouse he likes, but Betty Lou, Zoe and Rosita tell him to read the sign above the door.