Summary

This special presentation of "Sesame Street" celebrates the twenty-fifth anniversary of this series of educational children's programs, which teaches numbers and the alphabet, along with social and cultural concepts, to pre-schoolers. Set on the fanciful urban block of Sesame Street, the series features Jim Henson's live-action Muppets, animation, short films, and a cast of adults and children. As the show opens, Barbara Walters of "25/25" explains that a real estate tycoon named Ronald Grump (Joe Pesci) plans to demolish Sesame Street and replace it with expensive stores and a luxury high-rise apartment building, which will leave the neighborhood residents without homes. The friendly people of Sesame Street inform Grump of the many wonderful events in the neighborhood over the years to change his mind. But their plan fails and the residents must find another way to keep their homes. Little do they know that an unlikely creature, Oscar the Grouch, may be their best ally: while he may not specialize in helping others, he does love his garbage can. Also, Kathie Lee Kathie, a famous reporter (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), covers the story; a snobby couple (Charles Grodin and Susan Sarandon) visit Sesame Street to see the location where the new high-rise will be built; the Spirit of Hope (Rosie O'Donnell) offers her services to the citizens of Sesame Street; a strong man (John Goodman) attempts to teach Tully how to be tough; and Kathie Lee Gifford and Regis Philbin speak with Kathie Lee Kathie about the crisis on Sesame Street. The program includes a variety of clips featuring many famous performers, covering such topics as happiness, counting, learning the alphabet, new dances, trash, overcoming one's fears, doing things for the first time, eating healthy foods, names, and confidence. Songs include the following: "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "It's Not Easy Being Green," "I Love Trash," "Rubber Duckie," "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon," and others. At the end of the program, the residents of Sesame Street perform "Sing a Song" and "Our Favorite Street." Includes commercials and promos.