Sesame Street: Do the Alphabet (1996-2001 VHS)



Here's the opening and closing to the 1996 VHS of Sesame Street: Do the Alphabet.

Release Date
February 6, 1996

Characters

 * Big Bird
 * Baby Bear
 * Honker (cameo)
 * Zoe
 * Betty Lou
 * Goldilocks
 * Gabi
 * Michael
 * Lexine
 * The Kids
 * Sherry Netherland (cameo)

Sketches

 * Ernie
 * Cookie Monster
 * Anything Muppets
 * Billy Joel
 * Elmo
 * Celina
 * The Oinker Sisters
 * Cows
 * Sheep
 * Ducks
 * Dogs
 * Cat
 * Donkey
 * Horse

Songs

 * Do the Alphabet
 * D (Dee Dee Dee)
 * J Friends
 * The Alphabet Song (Sung by Billy Joel)
 * T Dance
 * Boogie Woogie Piggies
 * Alphabet Blues
 * Alphabet Jungle Song

Synopsis
As the title fades, Baby Bear is out looking for Big Bird and asks the viewer if they've seen him. Once Baby Bear finds him in the arbor, he asks Big Bird if he can help him learn the alphabet. Big Bird says he has something called the Big Bird Method of Learning the Alphabet and he can have him going from A to Z in less than a month, but Baby Bear exclaims that he wants to learn it today, because he is upset about Goldilocks.

The others, including Gabi, Michael, Lexine, Zoe and Betty Lou, don't seem to understand, when Baby Bear says that whenever he gets stuck saying the alphabet, Goldilocks jumps right in, finishing for him. Baby Bear says it happens all the time, and demonstrates it by reciting the first three letters, and sure enough, Goldilocks interrupts him, saying the rest of the alphabet. In a panic, Baby Bear begs Big Bird and the others to help him complete the alphabet without any interruptions, right now today.

Big Bird says he can help, but warns that he can't make any promises and before they get started, he'll have to test him for alphabet readiness. He asks Baby Bear to repeat any nonsense saying after him; the following: ooh, aah, ooga-ooga, and ziggy-iggy-zap. Baby Bear says he doesn't get it since this is considered getting ready. Big Bird then shows everyone how they do the alphabet, leading them to sing "Do the Alphabet".

Baby Bear thinks he's ready to say the alphabet by himself. Big Bird doesn't think it's a good idea, but Baby Bear manages to do so anyway, and ends up stuck at C. Big Bird says there's a lot more to the method of learning the alphabet than singing. He calls in a big screen, which he calls the Rectangle (which Gabi and Lexine bring in). He says that if Baby Bear can look at the screen, it'll help him figure out what comes after C.


 * Song: Ernie sings "Dee Dee Dee"

After watching the song, Baby Bear has suddenly figured out that D comes after C. Big Bird then says they're all going to do alphabet exercises, which is another part of the method. Gabi leads the group, who begins by getting on their feet and rolling their heads clockwise, then counterclockwise, and then make a bunch of different letters with their bodies; the following: I, Y, T, X, and H. This makes Baby Bear decide that he's going to say the alphabet again. Once again, Big Bird still doesn't think it's a good idea, but Baby Bear goes on anyway, ending up stuck at F. Big Bird tells him if he can look at the Rectangle, he'll know what comes after F.


 * Live-action: G words

After watching the segment, Baby Bear figures out that G comes after F. Baby Bear is now ready to say the alphabet by himself, but gets stuck at I. Big Bird says that to help him figure out the next letter, everyone will do some actions that begins with the next letter. He sees them Jumping, Jogging, and Jiggling (though Baby Bear thought jiggling meant being silly), all of which begin the letter after I, but Baby Baby still doesn't remember. Big Bird says that the letter is the same sound in jumping, jogging, and jiggling and asks him to look into the Rectangle as he leads everyone to say the "juh" sound.


 * Song: "J Friends"

J is the next letter. "And after that?" Baby Bear asks. Big Bird then tells Baby Bear to put on some glasses and sit at the piano. Baby Bear is confused at why he's doing this. Big Bird says that the next part of the method is that he's going to pretend to be Billy Joel, who sang the Alphabet Song one time, leading to...


 * Celebrity: Billy Joel sings the Alphabet Song with some kids and Anything Muppets.

Baby Bear is now ready to say the alphabet by himself, but once he reaches M, Big Bird says that he didn't do so bad, and has just said the "half-abet". Everyone cheers as balloons and confetti fall from the sky. Big Bird says that Baby Bear has said the first half of the alphabet, so now he has to think of the first letter in the second half.

Baby Bear has just gone up to O, and while he figures out the next letter, Gabi places a bowl of porridge in front of him. Baby Bear thinks he's going on a porridge break, but Big Bird says it's one thing that could help Baby Bear figure out the letter that comes after O. Everyone else brings Pizza, Popcorn, Pretzels, and Poppy seeds. Baby Bear figures out that all the foods begin with the next letter P. As he continues the alphabet, he ends up stuck at S, so once again he looks into the Rectangle for the next letter.


 * Song: Celina, Elmo, and the Kids dance the "T Dance".

T is the next letter. And when Baby Bear asks Big Bird what comes after T, Big Bird says, "Piggies." Baby Bear does a take, thinking that "Piggies" comes after T. This leads to...


 * Song: "Boogie Woogie Piggies"

Baby Bear is now ready to say the alphabet by himself. Everyone crosses their fingers as Baby Bear asks for complete silence. He starts over from the top, but unexpectedly gets stuck at E. His friends beg him to go on, but he instead shouts "I've regressed!" Big Bird comforts him and tells him that he's the leader of the Sesame Street Alphabet Support Group, and lets Baby Bear join. Baby Bear tells Big Bird that before they go, he just has one thing to know: "What comes after E?!"


 * Animation: F - Faces

In Big Bird's nest area, he and the others are organized in the Sesame Street Alphabet Support Group meeting. They talk to Baby Bear, on his first day, about his trouble learning the alphabet. Big Bird tells him that if Baby Bear has something to say, everyone would be glad to listen. Baby Bear walks up to the piano as the lights go out, and he sings "Alphabet Blues", backed up by Zoe and Betty Lou. After the song, Zoe says she needs a little relaxation, which Big Bird claims is another part of the method. Baby Bear ends up falling asleep with a dream...


 * Animation: "Alphabet Jungle"

Baby Bear wakes up from the dream. He explains that he was in a jungle (from the previous segment) and wishes he could remember everything he saw. Betty Lou says that one way of remembering is going backwards through one's mind. Baby Bear tries it and unconsciously says the alphabet in backwards order from Z to A. Big Bird points out that Baby Bear has just said the alphabet... in backwards order, that is. Baby Bear claims that if he can say the alphabet backwards, he can say it forwards, too.

He leaves off to find Goldilocks, but pauses in front of the group to thank them for helping him remember, even though he never actually said the whole alphabet from A to Z. Big Bird and the others follow him around the corner, where he finds Goldilocks. Baby Bear tells her that he can learn the alphabet, and Goldilocks can no longer interrupt, although she says she was just helping. Everyone cheers him on as Baby Bear says the alphabet, while red letters appear on screen. Whenever he pauses while trying to remember a letter from memory, Goldilocks is about to intend to jump in trying to help, when the others stop her, defiantly opposed. When Baby Bear finally reaches Z, everyone goes wild with applauses, and Goldilocks is left surprised. She wonders how Baby Bear mastered it so well. Everyone sings a reprise of "Do the Alphabet" as the credits roll. The video closes when everyone shouts "DO THE ALPHABET!" as the video title from the beginning appears once more.

1996

 * 1) Sesame Street: Learning to Share (1996 VHS) (February 6, 1996)
 * 2) Sesame Street: Imagine That! (1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 3) Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs and Stories (1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 4) Sesame Street: Sing Along (1987-1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 5) Sesame Street: Rock & Roll! (1990-1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 6) Sesame Street: Elmo's Sing-Along Guessing Game (1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 7) Sesame Street: We All Sing Together (1993-1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 8) Sesame Street: A New Baby In My House (1994-1996 VHS) (April 30, 1996)
 * 9) Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie: An All-Star Musical Special (1996 VHS)(April 30, 1996)
 * 10) Sesame Street: Elmocize (1996 VHS) (June 11, 1996)
 * 11) Sesame Street: Slimey's World Games (1996 VHS) (June 11, 1996)
 * 12) Sesame Street: Play-Along Games & Songs (1996 VHS) (June 11, 1996)

1996-1997 VHS

 * 1) Elmo Saves Christmas (1996 VHS) (September 3, 1996)
 * 2) Sesame Street: Get Up and Dance! (1997 VHS) (January 28, 1997)
 * 3) Sesame Street: Telling the Truth (1997 VHS) (January 28, 1997)
 * 4) Sesame Street: Quiet Time (1997 VHS) (April 1, 1997)
 * 5) Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Sillier at the Movies (1997 VHS) (April 1, 1997)
 * 6) Sesame Street: 1-2-3 Count With Me! (1997 VHS) (July 8, 1997)
 * 7) Elmo Says Boo! (1997 VHS) (July 8, 1997)

1997-2000 VHS

 * 1) Sesame Street: William Wegman's Mother Goose (1997 VHS) (September 2, 1997)
 * 2) Elmo Saves Christmas (1997 VHS) (1997 Reprint Version) (September 2, 1997)
 * 3) Sesame Street: Fiesta! (1997/1998 VHS) (December 1, 1997)
 * 4) Sesame Street: Big Bird Gets Lost (1997/1998 VHS) (February 3, 1998)
 * 5) Sesame Street: Elmopalooza! (1998 VHS) (April 14, 1998)
 * 6) Sesame Street: The Alphabet Jungle Game (1998 VHS) (July 7, 1998)
 * 7) Sesame Street: The Great Numbers Game (1998 VHS) (July 7, 1998)
 * 8) Sesame Street: The Best Of Kermit on Sesame Street (1998 VHS) (September 1, 1998)
 * 9) Elmo Saves Christmas (1998 VHS) (September 1, 1998)
 * 10) Elmo Says Boo! (1998 VHS) (September 1, 1998)
 * 11) Sesame Street: Count It Higher! (1988-1999 VHS) (March 9, 1999)
 * 12) Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Songs (1999 VHS) (March 9, 1999)
 * 13) The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland: Sing and Play (1999 VHS) (September 7, 1999)
 * 14) Sesame Street Family Feature Starring Elmo! (1999 VHS) (October 19, 1999)
 * 15) Sesame Street Family Feature Starring Big Bird And Ernie! (1999 VHS) (October 19, 1999)
 * 16) Elmo's World (2000 VHS) (February 1, 2000)
 * 17) Sesame Street: CinderElmo (2000 VHS) (February 29, 2000)
 * 18) Elmo's World: Babies, Dogs & More! (2000 VHS) (May 2, 2000)
 * 19) Sesame Street: Let's Make Music (2000 VHS) (July 18, 2000)