In Search of 1980s Sesame Street episode!

GonzoLeaper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2002
Messages
2,500
Reaction score
225
I can't remember if I've posted this or not before- but I've been thinking about it again lately and so I'm wondering if anyone at all on this message board might remember this. I have been trying to locate more information on a particular Sesame Street episode I remember watching as a child in the 1980s. It's been a while but I still have clear memories of parts of this one particular episode. And if anyone might even just be able to tell me the episode number or fill in some blanks with other memories of this episode or even possibly have a copy of it- I would really appreciate it!

Here's what I can remember. I know I saw it as a young child, so I'm guessing it was from somewhere about 1985 or 1986 or so. I suppose it's possible it may have been a rerun from an earlier season, even from back in the '70s or so- but I'm fairly sure it was a 1980s episode. For one thing, I don't think Mr. Hooper was on the show in this episode.
In any case, I remember it starting out with Telly in the arbor area of Sesame Street. I recall him putting down an orange he had with him on one of those crates while he went off to do something. While Telly was gone, some huge monster came up and stole his orange! (I'm wanting to say the monster may have been along the size of Big Bird or Thig and Thog or someone- but I'm not totally sure.) Telly comes back to find his orange gone and freaks out. He goes to tell Susan, I believe, about the whole thing. And throughout the show, in the Street story, we have various people being victimized by this monster, who is going around stealing things. I think Big Bird may have been one of the victims as well. In fact, I think he was the last victim because I believe it was at this point that the monster was caught in the act by Maria and she confronted the monster about stealing. And she explained that taking things without asking to borrow them first is wrong and it's called stealing. And so the monster readily agrees to ask to borrow things first before taking them- and all us viewers learn the valuable lesson that stealing is wrong and we should be respectful of others' property.
That's about all I can remember of this particular episode and I would be really really grateful if anyone else can shed any more light on it or has any other memories of it. This one memory has kind of been driving me crazy for a while now. :confused::eek: Thanks for any help with this anyone can offer.:smile:
 

GonzoLeaper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2002
Messages
2,500
Reaction score
225
Okay, in looking through Wikipedia, I've found a Sesame Street monster who looks familiar. I'm wanting to say that it was this guy- http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Image:Character.oldmcdoogle.jpg

who was the monster thief in the episode I'm thinking of. (Which may blow a hole in the monster the size of Big Bird theory- but who knows? They may have made a huge size version of this monster or my memory may be off.) In any case, I think that facially this looks like the monster I remember from the episode. So maybe that will help jog someone's memory too.
 

GonzoLeaper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2002
Messages
2,500
Reaction score
225
I don't know that I have been asking over and over again. Besides, asking questions is the best way to find out something! (I learned that on Sesame Street!:wink: ) And if I did ask it earlier, someone may not have ever seen that thread and they may see this one and they may be someone who actually remembers this episode and can help me track it down. So hopefully someone will. I guess you don't remember it, but thanks for looking at it anyway.:smile:
 

sesameguy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
Messages
442
Reaction score
1
I don't recall the episode you described, but it does sound like a more recent (post-2000) Sesame St. episode about "Cookie Hood." In that one, a monster who looked like Cookie Monster was going around stealing cookies, and everyone of course blamed our hero. Eventually Cookie Hood is caught and learns the error of his ways. I suppose it's possible that Cookie Hood could have been the "revisiting" of an old idea from a past show.
 

GonzoLeaper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2002
Messages
2,500
Reaction score
225
Thanks for the info, sesameguy. That is interesting to know- but I specifically recall that this monster was stealing more random things than just cookies- like Telly's orange, for example. And yeah, it does seem that there are certain themes that Sesame Street seems to tackle a lot (including revisited storylines- like Oscar leaving Sesame Street and Bert and Ernie going their separate ways- seems like both of those have been a couple of times throughout the years...)

But I'm pretty positive the episode I saw was definitely sometime in the mid-80s as I do believe Telly still had his Brian Muehl voice at this point.
 

GonzoLeaper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2002
Messages
2,500
Reaction score
225
Vindication!
I FINALLY found this episode! HOORAY!
Thank you SO much to Muppet Wiki for posting information on episode 2206 recently where a gigantic monster named Dexter stole round items for juggling! The episode did indeed have Telly's citrus fruit getting swiped first (apparently it was actually a grapefruit) Big Bird evidently wasn't a victim but he did play a large role in the story in tracking the villain down. Maria appears in the street story too as one of the victims. This is SO great to finally have my memory of this episode confirmed! Now if I can just find video footage!

:wisdom::search::insatiable::batty::super::smile:
 

Blue Frackle

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2015
Messages
2,004
Reaction score
1,547
Vindication!
I FINALLY found this episode! HOORAY!
Thank you SO much to Muppet Wiki for posting information on episode 2206 recently where a gigantic monster named Dexter stole round items for juggling! The episode did indeed have Telly's citrus fruit getting swiped first (apparently it was actually a grapefruit) Big Bird evidently wasn't a victim but he did play a large role in the story in tracking the villain down. Maria appears in the street story too as one of the victims. This is SO great to finally have my memory of this episode confirmed! Now if I can just find video footage!

:wisdom::search::insatiable::batty::super::smile:
There is an incredibly short clip of this episode (scene 5) in the Being Elmo documentary; starts at 45:38... Kevin refers to the character as "Juggles" lol.

I want to see the behind-the-scenes of this character... so Kevin was probably behind the character puppeteering the head and Fred was below juggling... the torso was on a coat rack, lol?

Edit: I'm watching the rest of Being Elmo now, and I like how foggy everyone's memory is who worked on Sesame Street:

(regarding Richard throwing Elmo to Kevin)
Marty: "I was in the room"
Kevin: "I was the only one in the room"
Carol: "Hold my beer; I've been performing Elmo since the early seventies"
🤣 :laugh:
 
Last edited:
Top