Episode 0276

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Sesame Street
Plot	Season 3 premiere: New cast members are introduced; Big Bird meets Mr. Snuffleupagus.
Air date	November 8, 1971
Season	Season 3 (1971-1972)
Sponsors	M, 2
Syndication	Sesame Street Unpaved
DVD	Old School: Volume 1

The third season introduced six new human cast members -- Maria, Luis, David, Tom, Rafael and Molly. This episode also introduced a new Muppet, Mr. Snuffleupagus. The original Snuffleupagus puppet looks very strange to modern viewers. His eyes are yellow, and point in different directions, giving him a spooky appearance. Still, his relationship with Big Bird, as established in this episode, remains absolutely consistent to this day.

Picture	Segment	Description
	SCENE 1	Mr. Hooper and Tom serve sodas to Ernie and Bert. Ernie doesn't know how to drink with a straw, so the others encourage him. Ernie gets so good at drinking with a straw that he drinks Bert's soda, too.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Gordon plays basketball with the kids -- but first, he has to count them, to see how many are playing.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Rafael shows the kids how to count in Spanish, by counting a deck of cards. Susan walks by, and says she'll be back to talk with Rafael later.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	David asks Oscar if he can borrow some string. Oscar gives him the string, then tells him to get lost.
	SCENE1 cont'd	Molly delivers a letter to Bob and tells him that it's an invitation to a party. Bob thinks that Molly's been reading his mail, but Molly explains that she wrote the letter.
	SCENE 1 cont'd	Big Bird has a letter M, and Maria tells him that that's the first letter in her name.
	Cartoon	A man invites an M to dinner. The M is very appreciative, and makes "Mmmmmm" sounds. It eats all of the food at the table, and winds up eating the screen! This segment was cut from the Noggin version.
	Muppets	Herbert Birdsfoot wants to demonstrate the letter M. Grover enters, making "Mmmmm" noises, so Herbert uses Grover to help him tell a story using M words. When the story is over, Herbert discovers that Grover's mouth is stuck together after eating peanut butter.
	SCENE 2	Molly has the letter M. She explains that it's the first letter in Molly, Mailbox and Melvin.
	Cartoon	Melvin the Moving Man has magnificent muscles.
	SCENE 3	Luis and Cookie Monster talk about the letter M.
	Cartoon	Two lines intersect at the middle of the screen and have an argument; they cooperate by making a cross. This segment was cut from the Noggin version.
	Cartoon	M is for Moo This segment was cut from the Noggin version.
	Muppets	Ernie and Bert: Ernie thinks that he isn't special. Bert tells Ernie to feel his nose -- "That's an Ernie nose!" -- and then feel his hair, and wiggle his fingers. Bert says that nobody else is just like Ernie. Encouraged, Ernie tells the audience to do the same.
	SCENE 4	Susan and Rafael count to 2 in English and Spanish.
	Film	"Doll House" The Noggin version has a very small edit towards the end. (EKA: Episode 0131)
	SCENE 5	David, Gordon and Mr. Hooper are surprised to see Oscar walking around in his trash can.
	Cartoon	A man demonstrates "up" and "down".
	Muppets	Waiter Grover: Grover brings Mr. Johnson a bowl of alphabet soup. Mr. Johnson complains that some of the letters are missing, and makes Grover run back and forth to the kitchen to bring the missing letters. When all the letters are there, Johnson complains that the soup is cold, and makes Grover take it back. This is the first Waiter Grover sketch.
	Cartoon	A guru counts to 20. (English version)
	Cartoon	A guru counts to 20. (Spanish version)
	Cast	Mr. Hooper, Bob and Brian help Susan set the table. Now that's what I call cooperation.
	Song	A song about the four seasons
	SCENE 6	Big Bird is trying to water some flowers, and wishes that he had a sprinkling can. Then he finds a large, brown shaggy creature behind him, who introduces himself as a Mr. Snuffleupagus. The Snuffleupagus says that he's feeling sad, so Big Bird offers to cheer him up by helping to water the flowers. The Snuffleupagus waters the flowers by spraying water out of his snuffle. Big Bird is impressed: "Gosh, that's fantastic! Boy, you're really wonderful, Mr. Snuffleupagus!"
	SCENE 6 cont'd	Big Bird runs to tell his friends about his amazing new friend. Gordon, Susan, David and Rafael are skeptical that the creature Big Bird describes really exists. They follow, but Big Bird is disappointed to find that the Snuffleupagus has left. He says that maybe the Snuffleupagus went home to see his mommy. The adults tell Big Bird that maybe the creature was just in his imagination. They walk away, laughing. Frustrated, Big Bird appeals to the audience: "You saw him! You believe me, dontcha? Huh?"
	Film	Gibbons make screeching noises.
	Muppets	Western: Four Anything Muppet cowboys put up a Wanted poster for "the Great Cookie Thief", who's been stealing cookies from all the bakeries in these here parts. Cookie Monster is standing in front of the poster, and the others suspect that he's the Great Cookie Thief -- he has the same googly eyes, the same blue fur, and the same Western hat. They confront Cookie Monster, but he denies the charge: "Not have same mustache!" He shouts, "Look over there!" -- and while they're distracted, he draws a mustache on the poster. They apologize -- but then Cookie Monster takes off his hat, and cookies fall out. The Great Cookie Thief makes his escape. This sketch was adapted in storybook form in the 1977 book The Great Cookie Thief.
	SCENE 7	Susan and Kermit play "One of These Things". Kermit says that the frog doesn't belong, "because the three birds are kind of oogy and feathered-looking, but the frog -- the frog here -- is lovely and handsome, and a beautiful thing to behold."
	Song	Joe Raposo asks the musical question, "Which Comes First, the Chicken or the Egg?"
	Muppets	Bob sings "The People in Your Neighborhood" with teachers and a newsdealer.
	Muppets	Ernie and Bert: Ernie can't sleep, so Bert tells him to count sheep. Ernie tries to count sheep, but it's dull -- so he starts counting fire engines. The noise from the imaginary fire engine wakes Bert up. Bert says that Ernie's waking up the whole neighborhood, and tells him to count something quieter. Ernie counts balloons -- but the balloon gets bigger and bigger, finally bursting with a huge explosion that wakes Bert up again.
	SCENE 8	Tom and three kids observe different-sized brushes. This segment was cut from the Noggin version.
	Song	Joe Raposo sings "Whale Brushing Teeth", with a film of a trainer brushing a whale's teeth.
	Transition	Glass smashes.
	Muppets	Kermit's Lectures: Grover helps Kermit demonstrate "long" and "short" by picking up a short ladder. Then Kermit says he'll help Grover bring in a long ladder, but Grover says he'll get it alone. He carries the long ladder past Kermit, who's amazed that Grover can get it all by himself. When the other end of the ladder passes by, Grover is holding that end too.
	SCENE 9	Big Bird is thrilled when Mr. Snuffleupagus comes back: "You know, the others didn't think that you were really here. But I believe that you're here!" They wave good-bye as Gordon announces the sponsors.

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