| Sesame Street | |||||||
| Ruthie stays in Oscar's trash can | |||||||
| Air date | February 24, 1998 | ||||||
| Season | Season 29 (1997-1998) | ||||||
| Written by | Mo Willems | ||||||
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| Picture | Segment | Description |
|---|---|---|
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COLD OPEN | Ruthie closes up Finders Keepers and tells the viewer today's her day off, and that she bets whatever she'll be doing will be exciting. |
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SCENE 1 | Oscar has to visit his mother since she's feeling "too happy," but can't get a replacement Grouch to take his place. Ruthie doesn't understand why there needs to be a Grouch to replace him, and Oscar explains that without a Grouch, Sesame Street could turn friendlier than ever. Since Ruthie has the day off, she offers to take his place. He is reluctant but has no other choice, so he begins to pack. |
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Song | A salute to M-O-M. (First: Episode 3564) |
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Cartoon | How they say "good night" in Haiti and in India. (First: Episode 1824) |
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Muppets | When Frazzle is scared of going to the dentist, his mother tries to comfort him by telling him what a good time he will have. In the end, the dentist turns out to be scared of Frazzle. (First: Episode 3519) |
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Song | "Write Your Name" (First: Episode 3274) |
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Cartoon | 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. Artist: Gene Barretta (First: Episode 3560) |
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SCENE 2 | Oscar has made all his preparations and leaves Ruthie a "SCRAM" sign to remind her what to say to people who bother her. However, he must teach her the proper way of saying it as she reads it too politely. With some practice, she's able to master saying "scram" like a Grouch, so much so that she tells Oscar to scram and leave to see his mother already. |
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Cartoon | Suzie Kabloozie and her cat Feff pretend to be each other. Artist: Mo Willems |
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Muppets | Cookie Monster sings "What is Friend?" (First: Episode 2840) |
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Animation | Sand K/k (First: Episode 0645) |
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Film | Girls dance and chant about K. (First: Episode 3012) |
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Cartoon | K for kick (football players) (First: Episode 0463) |
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Muppets / Celebrity | Big Bird introduces ballet dancers Jock Soto and Lourdes Lopez, as they demonstrate up and down. (First: Episode 3622) |
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Animation | Two frogs demonstrate up and down. (First: Episode 3225) |
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Film | A girl narrates a segment about her friend, Billy, who swims with dolphins. (First: Episode 3012) |
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Cartoon | "From Your Head" Artist: Sally Cruikshank (First: Episode 3474) |
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SCENE 3 | Telly strolls over to Oscar's trash can hoping he'll want to play today. He's surprised to find Ruthie inside, who fills him in on what's going on. He thinks she's too "pretty and nice" to be like Oscar and has a hard time believing her as a Grouch and leaves, feeling too freaked out by the situation. |
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Animation | "Bears Opposites Song" (First: Episode 3655) |
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Cast | Elmo, Big Bird and Gordon star in a commercial for the Alphabet (as if it were a bank). (First: Episode 2972) |
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Film | Footage of kids playing professions, alternating with footage of analogous real-life jobs. (First: Episode 2811) |
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Animation | Seventeen derby hats drop onto a balloon head. (First: Episode 2820) |
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Animation | Ornate 17s swing by. (First: Episode 3319) |
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Cartoon | Rap #17 (First: Episode 2488) |
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Muppets | "Fat Cat" (First: Episode 0536) |
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Cartoon | Alice Kadeezenberry has a hard time figuring out how to get around a mud puddle without getting dirty. Artist: Paul Fierlinger |
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SCENE 4 | Ruthie tells two kids to scram, but they find her unbelievable too and walk away. Telly comes back with Dear Crabby, a famous Grouch journalist, to help make Ruthie grouchier. Crabby tells her to muss up her hair and get some dirt on her face. She has little time to help her out after, so she gives Ruthie a copy of her book: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Grouches, But Were Afraid To Ask Because Grouches Don't Like to Answer Questions, which will give her all the help she needs. Ruthie begins to read and Telly notices she's getting grouchier. |
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Animation | "Animal Books" Artist: Steve Segal (First: Episode 3396) |
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Film | A visual representation of the nursery rhyme "Pat-a-Cake" with Wegman's dogs. (First: Episode 3467) |
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Muppets | Ernie and Bert: Cups and Saucers — Ernie stacks cups and saucers in order to count them, making Bert quite nervous. (First: Episode 0586) |
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Film | Kids narrate footage of toddlers learning to walk. (First: Episode 3025) |
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Cartoon | A baby bird tries and tries again to fly from its nest. (new music and sound effects added) Artist: Don Duga and Irra Verbitsky (First: Episode 1510) |
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SCENE 5 | As Ruthie continues to read, Maria comes by to question why Ruthie's in Oscar's can; she is promptly told to beat it. Telly is amazed at how closely she's beginning to sound like Oscar, despite being insulted. |
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Cartoon | Actor demonstrates anger towards casting director - literally! (First: Episode 2061) |
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Song | 14 Karat Soul sings about what's "Down Below the Street." (First: Episode 2556) |
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Insert | "Professor Television" (Bill Irwin) tries to demonstrate near and far, with help from Maria's voice. (First: Episode 3617) |
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Cartoon | A girl notices some footprints near and far to her. They belong to a giant purple bird. Artist: Fred Garbers (First: Episode 3134) |
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Muppets | Grover applies to be a lifeguard, demonstrating to the employer that he has what it takes. He soon learns that there's only one thing he needs: swimming lessons. (First: Episode 1951) |
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Film | The letter K dances at the beach. (First: Episode 3554) |
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Cartoon | A lowercase "k" kisses everything. (First: Episode 0131) |
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Animation | "k" for king, kiss and key (First: Episode 3084) |
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Cartoon | A pig sings "Pig's Love Song." (new sound effects added) (First: Episode 0407) |
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SCENE 6 | Ruthie finishes telling "Music-Puss" to beat it when Oscar arrives back from his mother's - one sight of him made her snap out of her cheerful mood. He is amazed at Ruthie's progress and offers her a night-shift position. Ruthie declines, saying that as much fun as it was being a Grouch, being nice is just who she is. She and Oscar engage in a grouchy argument, while Telly announces the sponsors and Slimey's progress to the moon. |
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COMING SOON | Coming soon on Sesame Street: As part of a pageant, Elmo sings about being a strawberry ice cream cone. |
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