I could have sworn...

[ISNorden]

Somehow, I dimly recall a 70s episode being "brought to you today by the entire alphabet"--with no numbers mentioned at all, and no specific letters flashed onscreen. Back when the late, great CTW forums existed, someone said they recalled "no episode NOT sponsored by a number"; I might be crazy to think there was an exception to the rule, but wondered if anyone here saw a similar ending way back when.

 

[MuppetDude]

The "Learning About Letters" video was sponsored by the entire alphabet.

 

[ISNorden]

The "Learning About Letters" video was sponsored by the entire alphabet.

Unfortunately, I don't own a VCR or DVD player; I've seen Letters only in bits and pieces online (mostly through YouTube). Besides, the episode I remember seeing as a kid aired when videotapes were rare outside TV studios...

 

[BooberFraggless]

I do not remember an episode where the show was sponsored by the entire Alphabet, but I do however remember an episode from the 1989-1990 Season, (which was reran in the 1991-1992 Season) with Elmo and Uncle Wally and the show was brought to you by the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10. So it is possible and I do believe that there very well could have been an episode sponsored by the entire Alphabet, but I'm sure there was a number also.

 

[ISNorden]

I do not remember an episode where the show was sponsored by the entire Alphabet, but I do however remember an episode from the 1989-1990 Season, (which was reran in the 1991-1992 Season) with Elmo and Uncle Wally and the show was brought to you by the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10.

Holy smoke, is that ten-number episode mentioned in any online episode guides? (Most episodes between the mid-70s and early 90s followed the "two letters, one number" rule.) I'd like to see more details, since I missed that one myself; do you remember the storyline or specific clips appearing?

So it is possible and I do believe that there very well could have been an episode sponsored by the entire Alphabet, but I'm sure there was a number also.

If such an episode really aired, it was probably during the very early seasons (before the two-letter maximum became a rule). I seem to recall that the plot for that day also involved the whole alphabet; I vaguely remember adult humans on the street acting out words for the children. (Q for Queen had a couple of characters putting an imaginary crown on Maria; Y for You had Bob point at the children--"you, and you, and you.")

 

[MuppetDude]

I do not remember an episode where the show was sponsored by the entire Alphabet, but I do however remember an episode from the 1989-1990 Season, (which was reran in the 1991-1992 Season) with Elmo and Uncle Wally and the show was brought to you by the numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 and 10. So it is possible and I do believe that there very well could have been an episode sponsored by the entire Alphabet, but I'm sure there was a number also.

The "Elmo in Numberland" episodes (one was the original, the other was a remake) were sponsored by all 10 numbers as well. I think there was a whole episode that concentrated on the alphabet, led by Elmo and Luis (one thing I remember was "M" for monsters, and four monsters (on all sides of the screen, including Frazzle) popped up. It also had the "Delightful Letter 'D'" film/cartoon, and the Boston "T" Party News Flash.

 

[The Count]

A few more...

1 The episode sponsored by all ten numbers from 1 to 10 was indeed the original version of Elmo In Numberland. That was a great one, which sadly got butchered in subsequent airings.
2 There was an episode featuring the entire alphabet, actually there are three of them I can remember...
a. The first one is the one with the Alphabet Cast Introduction as I've dubbed it for the Muppet List, since I don't have the episode number.
This was the episode with Muppet and human cast members introducing themselves by name, with one for each letter.
Grover was there to state Y is for You.
And Big Bird at the end saying that though noone named with the letter Z lived on Sesame Street, it brought us to the end of the alphabet.
This episode, from discussions here, I think is from at least the first ten seasons worth.
b. There was one where Uncle Wally was doing a sort of softshoe routine throughout the entire SS set from the corner at the Fix-It Shop to the other corner past Big Bird's nesting area. As he danced, he pointed to different parts of the street, and an effect would trigger showing a different lowercase letter.
c. There was from 1992-1995 I believe where Elmo and Telly were on a sort of scavenger hunt, looking for one thing that started with each letter, bringing it back to Luis and María at the Fix-It Shop.
This one I only remember partially, at least the introduction of a Mary & Little Lamb who spoke with a Scottish accent not seen again till recently in Episode 4093. This the character I've denoted as Mary Scot & Her Little Lamb on the list.

Hope this helps and have a good day.

 

[ISNorden]

A few more...

1 The episode sponsored by all ten numbers from 1 to 10 was indeed the original version of Elmo In Numberland. That was a great one, which sadly got butchered in subsequent airings.

Awww...is that one listed in the episode guide on the Muppet Wiki? I've been hunting for a link since last night.

2 There was an episode featuring the entire alphabet, actually there are three of them I can remember...
a. The first one is the one with the Alphabet Cast Introduction as I've dubbed it for the Muppet List, since I don't have the episode number.
This was the episode with Muppet and human cast members introducing themselves by name, with one for each letter.
Grover was there to state Y is for You.
And Big Bird at the end saying that though noone named with the letter Z lived on Sesame Street, it brought us to the end of the alphabet.

Darn, the Zizzy Zoomers should've made a surprise cameo on that episode (since Zoe hadn't been created yet). Maybe that was the one which also declared the entire alphabet as a sponsor; I need to confirm that somehow.

b. There was one where Uncle Wally was doing a sort of softshoe routine throughout the entire SS set from the corner at the Fix-It Shop to the other corner past Big Bird's nesting area. As he danced, he pointed to different parts of the street, and an effect would trigger showing a different lowercase letter.

Never saw that one, unfortunately; it sounds like one I would have enjoyed.

c. There was from 1992-1995 I believe where Elmo and Telly were on a sort of scavenger hunt, looking for one thing that started with each letter, bringing it back to Luis and María at the Fix-It Shop.
This one I only remember partially, at least the introduction of a Mary & Little Lamb who spoke with a Scottish accent not seen again till recently in Episode 4093. This the character I've denoted as Mary Scot & Her Little Lamb on the list.

Let me guess, the Lamb and Mary got added to their list in alphabetical order? *LOL* I remember Grungetta supplying a container of goo for the G-word item, and Maria writing Elmo and Telly a note for the N-word item. (It even ended with "Now you have something that starts with the letter N". Rosita volunteered as the R-word entry on their list, and began singing to fulfill the S-word requirement.

Hope this helps and have a good day.

The scavenger-hunt episode was very well done, even though it used the whole alphabet as only a plot device (not a sponsor). Giving the nursery-rhyme Mary a Scottish nationality was a particularly clever, subtle joke; it would certainly explain the pet lamb, at least to adult viewers.

 

[The Count]

Yeah...
1 Don't know if it's listed on Muppet Wicki or not, I tend not to go there due to my own prejudices and what I learned last semester in a course on Cybernetic Law about Wickapedia in general.
2 Sounds like you remember more about the scavenger hunt episode than I do... So I can't rully say if they were added to Elmo and Telly's list in subsequent order.
3 The Zizzy Zoomers couldn't have appeared, cause the way they work is by being moved rully fast across a black screen. This Alphabet Cast Introduction was done as a panoramic walk through the entire SS set...
And that's kind of what I wanted to recreate with the Muppet and SS figures, but alas, the SS figures are for not at least for now.

BTW: The Alphabet Cast Introduction included:
Akelstan (Human kid)
Bob.
Cookie Monster.
David.
Ernie.
Farley (the classic green pointy-headed AM kid).
Gordon.
Mr. Hooper.
Ingrid (Human kid).
Jake (Human kid).
Kermit The Frog.
Luis.
María.
Nancy (Human kid).
Oscar The Grouch.
Prairie Dawn.
Queenie (Human kid).
Roosevelt Franklin.
Susan.
Trey (Human kid).
Ursula (Human kid).
Vanessa (Human kid).
Willy the Hot Dog Man.
Xavier (AM kid).
Grover: Y is for You.
Big Bird: And though noone lives on Sesame Street whose name starts with the letter Z, it makes our alphabet complete.
This is from discussions here on the boards, never seen the episode myself.

 

[MuppetDude]

Believe me, Muppet Wiki could use you; your long list can help boost the Muppet Character list a lot! Try talking to Danny Horn about it; he's helped me with it a few times.