Sesame Street: Learning About Letters (1986-1996 VHS)







Here's the opening and closing to the 1986 and 1996 VHS of Sesame Street: Learning About Letters.

Release Date
September 9, 1986 (original)

February 6, 1996 (re-release)

May 7, 1996 (second re-release)

Characters

 * Big Bird
 * Mr. Snuffleupagus
 * Telly Monster
 * Oscar the Grouch
 * Irvine
 * Elephants
 * Luis
 * Buster the Horse
 * Dentist
 * Henrietta Honker
 * Muppet Boy

Sketches

 * Lena Horne
 * Anything Muppets
 * Cookie Monster
 * Grover
 * Herry Monster
 * Frances Fairy
 * Ernie
 * Bert
 * Kermit the Frog
 * King Peter the Persnickety
 * King Peter's Subjects
 * King Peter's Cook
 * Princess Penelope
 * Porcupine

Synopsis
Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus welcome the viewer and explain that today they're going through the whole alphabet and identifying words that start with each letter, and then afterward Luis will read them a story based on one letter. However, despite the fact that Snuffy is only 4 1/2 years old, he doesn't remember how the alphabet goes, so Big Bird helps him out with a song:


 * Celebrity: Lena Horne and some Anything Muppets sing the Alphabet Song.

After the song, Snuffy suddenly remembers how the alphabet goes, and Big Bird displays the first letter of the alphabet, the letter A. As Snuffy leaves off to find an A word, Telly calls Big Bird for help. He has found some items that begin with every letter of the alphabet, but has trouble with his way of going through the alphabet on his own. Big Bird accepts to be of his assistance, and he shows Telly the letter A. Telly displays some words that start with A - apple and airplane - followed by some B words - banana and a box of balloons - and one C word - cow.


 * Song: "C is for Cookie"

For D, Telly drags in a dentist, who asks if she can speak about flossing. Then for E, Telly knocks on Oscar's trash can, not to see Oscar but his pet elephants.


 * Animation: Frances Fairy

Big Bird and Telly display some F words - frankfurters, fur, and feathers. For G, they see Buster the Horse galloping by.


 * Animation: G for Gorilla

Busters zooms past a letter H - for horse.


 * Animation: Harry the Horse

Oscar presents the letter I for his niece Irvine with an ice cream cone, which Luis finds icky. Next, Telly jumps to a J word - jump.


 * Animation: K for Key


 * Song: Ernie and Bert sing "La La La" with a letter L.

Big Bird shows Henrietta a letter L on a CLOSED sign. He explains that letters can be found everywhere.


 * Film: The alphabet is found in city scenes.


 * Muppets: Kermit draws an M on screen.


 * Song: Cookie and Herry sing "Monster Meal" as they identify foods that start with M.

For N, Henrietta takes a nap in Big Bird's nest.


 * Animation: Oh! Orange

For P and Q, Telly shakes a piggy bank and lets out a sole quarter.


 * Animation: A wizard turns into R words.

Telly displays some S words - spaghetti and socks - followed by some T words - toothbrush and Telly. The letter U prefers to speak about himself.


 * Animation: The Villain in the Panama Hat

With four more letters to go, Big Bird has a waffle, the Dentist has an X-ray of a tooth, Luis has a yo-yo, and Buster is dressed as a zebra.


 * Animation: Madrigal Alphabet

Everyone gathers in the arbor as Luis reads a story of "The King Banishes the Letter P" (storytelling is edited in the video), about words that begin with P. In this, King Peter the Persnickety is fond of the letter P, when suddenly he is pelted by a ping-pong ball and pricked by his pet porcupine, so he makes a proclamation that from now on, everything beginning with P is forbidden in his kingdom, which leads to one of his servants to remove his pen and proclamation, since they begin with P. For dinner, King Peter is about to have his favorite meal, peanut butter and pickle pizza, but that gets removed as well, along with his daughter Princess Penelope and the entire palace. Realizing what he's done, King Peter decides to make up a new announcement that everything beginning with P is welcomed back in his kingdom, much to everyone's joy, and so they rebuild the palace and the people bring piles of presents, thus ending the story.

Big Bird returns to his nest area, when he sees Snuffy with an apple, which begins with A. Just when he is about to move on to B, Big Bird explains they've already finished, making Snuffy sad. Big Bird cheers him up, promising that they'll simply start everything again. He tells the gang his plan and Telly frantically gets everyone organized. Big Bird announces the sponsors from A to Z.

Advertised on

 * 1) Sesame Street: Play-Along Games & Songs (1996 VHS)
 * 2) Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs and Stories (1996 VHS)
 * 3) Sesame Street: Sing Along (1987-1996 VHS)
 * 4) Sesame Street: A New Baby In My House (1994-1996 VHS)
 * 5) Sesame Street: Rock & Roll! (1990-1996 VHS)
 * 6) Sesame Street: Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game (1996 VHS)
 * 7) Sesame Street: We All Sing Together (1996 VHS)
 * 8) Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie: An All-Star Musical Special (1996 VHS)
 * 9) Sesame Street: Do the Alphabet (1996-2001 VHS)
 * 10) Sesame Street: Learning to Share (1996 VHS)
 * 11) Sesame Street: Imagine That! (1996 VHS)
 * 12) Sesame Street: Elmocize (1996 VHS)
 * 13) Sesame Street: Slimey's World Games (1996 VHS)