Picture Segment Description

SCENE 1 Elmo's Rangers visit Maria at the Fix-It Shop and provide her with an Apple and a Basketball. Elmo tells Maria that he and the Rangers are going to bring her an item that starts with every letter of the alphabet, saying it's a good way to learn it. A and B are now covered and they go off to get more.

SCENE 1 cont'd Count von Count appears, looking for Elmo to add something to his alphabet collection. He provides Maria with a Coconut, then a second, and third...

Cartoon A bully says the alphabet to a mild-mannered gardener, who hits him in the face with a pie at the end.
(First: Episode 0279)

Muppets "Street Garden Cooperation"
(First: Episode 1956)

Animation Sand A/a
(First: Episode 0628)

Film Animal camouflage with kid voiceovers.
Music: Joe Raposo
(First: Episode 0366)

SCENE 2 A Duck now hangs around Maria, also sent by Elmo.

SCENE 2 cont'd Biff has also gotten orders from Elmo and pushes Oscar's trash can over to the shop, which contains several Elephants.

Film Kids climb in and out of a tire.
Music: Joe Raposo
(First: Episode 0450)

Cartoon Growing Numbers #14

Cast Gordon hosts "The Crossing Zone," in which a boy named Jonathan has to find a way to cross the street. Susan helps him across.
(First: Episode 2729)

Cartoon A kid names his own body parts.
(First: Episode 0809)

Insert Some girls do a clap and cheer for the number 14.
(First: Episode 2811)

Film A film insert about washing elephants at the Bronx Zoo. The song "Splish Splash" is used in part of the segment.
(First: Episode 1934)

Cartoon A for apricot, alligator, acrobat, accordion, artist, airplane.
(First: Episode 1586)

Muppets / Cast Bob sings "The People in Your Neighborhood" with a dentist and a bus driver. (remake)
(First: Episode 2146)

Cartoon Listening to sounds can tell you about danger.
(First: Episode 1741)

SCENE 3 Maria notices she hasn't gotten any further alphabet items from Elmo in a short while. She reiterates the items she's already received, when Wolfgang the Seal appears and (sadly) provides her with a Fish.

SCENE 3 cont'd Grundgetta then arrives. Maria assumes she's the next part of the collection since "Grundgetta" and "Grouch" begin with G. Instead, Grundgetta produces a pot of gross, gurgling Goo.

SCENE 3 cont'd A Honker startles Maria, indicating that he's the next part of her growing collection.

SCENE 3 cont'd Biff supervises the arrival of Maria's next gift - a large Igloo (complete with snowfall). Maria decides to forgo the work she has to do and wonders what item will be next.

Film A boy talks about living in Alaska and about racing sled dogs.
(First: Episode 2388)

Muppets Ernie and Bert: Just Like Bert — Bert has gone to visit his brother Bart, so Ernie pretends that Bert is still there using a drawing and a pillow.
(First: Episode 2472)

Video Four break-dancers dance.
(First: Episode 2607)

SCENE 4 Luis arrives and sees all the things Maria has accrued today from Elmo's Rangers et al. A Jazzman (Jerry Nelson) then comes by with his trumpet, playing some smooth Jazz for the collection.

SCENE 4 cont'd Telly Monster quickly rushes in and hands Luis a Kite.

SCENE 4 cont'd Mary, of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" fame, arrives to loan her Lamb while she does some shopping. The lamb has difficulty staying put, wishing to follow his owner as usual.

SCENE 4 cont'd Mary then informs them of the next letter and its corresponding addition to the collection - many Monsters!

Cartoon I thought a thought ... about circles.
Artist: Cliff Roberts
(First: Episode 0247)

Song Jerry Nelson sings "Don't Waste Water."
(First: Episode 2804)

Muppets / Celebrity Tony Danza and Big Bird play tennis without a ball, and count twenty hits, while Kevin Clash announces.
(First: Episode 2170)

Cartoon A shepherd plays hide-and-seek with his sheep.
Artist: Michael Sporn
(First: Episode 2109)

SCENE 5 Inside the shop, Elmo tells Maria and Luis that he and his team are having trouble finding something that starts with N. Luis writes a Note, which Maria reads to them. As they pile out to add it to the collection outside, Luis hopes they can finally get some work done now.

SCENE 5 cont'd Suddenly, there's a knock at the door and Maria quickly guesses it's going to pertain to the alphabet collection. Hoots is at the door and they assume he's the next entry - O for Owl. They tell him to wait outside with the other alphabet items until the entire alphabet is finished. A baffled Hoots doesn't understand what's going on; he merely wanted to play a section of a new music piece he's working on for the Old Octopus Octet.

Animation A girl plays in, on and under a sculpture.
(First: Episode 2898)

Muppets Polly Darton and Benny Rabbit sing "14 Carrot Love."
(First: Episode 2811)

Animation Teeny Little Super Guy recalls how he learned about the meaning of DANGER.
Artist: Paul Fierlinger
(First: Episode 1971)

Cartoon Dot Bridge #1
(First: Episode 0001)

SCENE 6 The alphabet collection is getting pretty chaotic, when Peter Piper (Peter Linz) arrives with some Pickled Peppers.

SCENE 6 cont'd Next, the duck quacks madly to convey that his Quack is the next addition to the collection.

SCENE 6 cont'd The alphabet continues as Rosita arrives and starts Singing.

Animation A big paper clip and a small paper clip can hold papers together, and so can a small staple, with the help of its "mommy."

Muppets Sesame Street News Flash: The Boston T Party — Kermit witnesses colonials dumping Ts in the ocean.
(First: Episode 2348)

Film The letter T is a very useful letter.
(First: Episode 0402)

SCENE 7 With Elmo's Rangers and the alphabet participants gathered, Maria and Luis decide to help finish the alphabet by giving Elmo some things. First, they present a girl doing a Tap routine...

SCENE 7 cont'd ... followed by Linda with an Umbrella...

SCENE 7 cont'd ... Gordon with a Vase....

SCENE 7 cont'd ... and Little Miss Muffet (Alison Mork), who contributes her leftover Whey to the cause. ("Take it a-whey!")

SCENE 7 cont'd Barkley fetches his own X-ray...

SCENE 7 cont'd ...then Gina brings a container of Yogurt.

SCENE 7 cont'd Finally, Telly returns at the last second with one final contribution - a Zucchini! With the alphabet collection complete, Elmo now declares he and his Rangers will create a new collection of things ranging from 1 to 40. Gordon announces the sponsors, and the credits follow.