Learning About Numbers

Learning About Numbers is a 1986 Sesame Street video compilation, originally released under the "My Sesame Street Home Video" series.

Big Bird is the host of a new talk show, Big Bird's Numbers Show (a parody of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson). Count von Count is his announcer, and he is scheduled to count the Honkers' honks. Unfortunately, he leaves early for another job as an elevator operator, but Big Bird manages to get him to come back. His guests include Chip and Dip.

Segments[]

Image	Segment	Description
	FRAME 1	The Count introduces Big Bird's Number Show and his guests tonight. Big Bird arrives on "stage" and opens with a joke about the cold weather, discovering he's missing one of his mittens.
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — Grover and John-John count a penny. (First: Episode 0438)
	Cartoon	A guru counts to twenty. Producer: Ken Snyder; Music: Billy Taylor (First: Episode 0276)
	FRAME 2	Big Bird has found his mitten and retells his joke. He then presents his first, fiddle-playing guest.
	Cartoon	Donnie Budd sings a two-step for pairs of animals. Artist: Bud Luckey (First: Episode 0342)
	FRAME 3	Big Bird brings out his next guests - Chip and Dip. Speaking only in meows, they promote a new film they produced starring their friends. Big Bird plays the clip they brought...
	Song	"Doll House" (First: Episode 0131)
	FRAME 4	Big Bird reads a fan letter that complains about the show's lack of roller coasters and chickens. Big Bird appeases the request.
	Film	Number Three Ball Film: A red ball follows a rollercoaster-like track through checkpoints (each, a set of three) that are counted in voiceover. At the end, the ball turns into a cherry which is devoured by a girl. (First: Episode 0744)
	Cartoon	"Three Waltzing Chickens" Artist: Bruce Cayard (First: Episode 1183)
	Muppets	Big Bird sings "I Just Adore Four" with The Happy Squares. (First: Episode 0734) New intro by The Count, applause and brief moan by the Orange Gold Square when Big Bird grabs him at the end added
	Cartoon	Donnie Budd counts four lions. (First: Episode 0300)
	FRAME 5	A Honker alerts Big Bird that The Count has gone home, even though he is needed later to count honks. Big Bird looks through the phone book for his home number.
	Muppets	The Count hires Ernie to answer his phone so that he won't be bothered with calls while he is counting. However, when the phone rings, the Count wants to count the rings, and won't let Ernie pick up the phone until it's too late. "I told you it wouldn't be easy," the Count explains. (First: Episode 0539) Ending cut
	FRAME 6	Big Bird gets through and speaks to Ernie. He puts The Count on, who says he is unable to come; he has a new job as an elevator operator!
	Muppets	Count Von Count works as an elevator operator, with Kermit the Frog as his customer. (First: Episode 1970)
	FRAME 7	Big Bird lures him back with the promise of being able to count higher than the elevator can provide. The Count leaves Big Bird with a final message about soccer socks...
	Cartoon	"Six Soccer Socks" Artist: Paul Fierlinger (First: Episode 1670)
	Muppets	The Count counts seven flowers, and then explains that he loves to count flowers because then he gets to count sneezes. (First: Episode 0433)
	Animation	The King of Eight (First: Episode 0225)
	Cartoon	"Martian Beauty" has nine hairs, nine bows, nine eyes, nine nostrils, nine arms, and nine toes. Artist: Bud Luckey (First: Episode 0316)
	Muppets	Muppet & Kid Moment — John-John wants to count backwards. Grover tells him to count backwards from 10, but John-John has a little trouble. (First: Episode 0547)
	FRAME 8	Big Bird is told by the Honker that The Count is back. Big Bird then introduces them.
	Muppets	The Count finds three Honkers and counts 20 of their honks. They then want him to honk his nose, but he ends up hurting it. (First: Episode 1569)
	FRAME 9	Big Bird thanks his guests and signs off as the Count counts all the "thank you's" he tells everybody.

Releases[]

International releases[]

Booklet[]

Scans of the activity book from the original VHS release.

Notes[]

CountHonkers-LAN — Photo shot for the original VHS release.

While other videos released as part of the My Sesame Street Home Video line had their titles featured over a plain black background, this video's title appears over a space background, immediately segueing into the "Big Bird's Number Show" opening.

As The Count announces the guests during the opening, clips are shown of Ernie and Grover that don't appear in the video. Also, Kermit the Frog is not mentioned as one of the guests.

The music used throughout the number show would later be reused for "Sesame Street Tonight" in Episode 2938.

Cast[]

Starring Caroll Spinney as Big Bird
Jim Henson's Muppets:
- Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash

Credits[]

Writers: Norman Stiles
- Tony Geiss, Sonia Manzano (archive material)
Directed by Jon Stone

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