Do the Tango!

Do the Tango! is a test recording for Season 53 of Sesame Street. The specific episode it was recorded for is unknown, but it is speculated that it was done for the Furry Friends Forever special. The recording is infamous for showing depictions of animal abuse and neglect. 
On August 18th, 2023, a user uploaded it to YouTube, but because of the grotesque imagery, it was later deleted. The footage can't be found on the Wayback Machine, but someone managed to save the recording before its deletion, and reuploaded it, explaining that the recording was found at a Californian film festival back in 2022. The test recording, along with some storyboards for the special were the only things found on the hard drive. 
=== YouTube Description ===
A month ago, I found this recording for what I think is the upcoming Furry Friends Forever special. I didn't know much about it except that it was called "Do the Tango!". To my surprise, I found that it had a bunch of storyboards for something. I don't know what it is, but if I can find out what they're intended for, I'll keep you updated. However, the recording has depictions of animal abuse and neglect. If you're a parent of a child, don't let them watch this recording. It could ruin their childhoods.
=== Reuploaded Description ===
This is a reupload of the "Do The Tango!" test recording. This was reuploaded because YouTube decided to take down the original video. I feel like the animal abuse and neglect depictions were the cause. YouTube is pretty picky when it comes to their content and the COPPA regulations. They take down anything they deem inappropriate, even if it's not. Anyways, if you're a parent, don't let your children watch the recording.
== Synopsis ==
The episode begins with a title card that looks like the Sesame Street sign saying "Do the Tango!". The recording opens with Elmo walking around and saying hello to his friends as he passes by. As Elmo walks by Oscar's trash can, the camera pans to the trash can, with Oscar trying to get a heavy cardboard box out. After Oscar finally manages to get the box out of his can, he proceeds to put it down gently and checks what's inside.
The scene cuts to a bird's-eye view of the box, and a dog is seen inside. Oscar speaks, exclaiming "Animals aren't trash. Who threw this dog out?". Oscar examines the box and sees some writing on it, but he shrugs it off, thinking it was smudged. Oscar then drops down into his trash can.
The camera pans to Elmo again, who is walking back the way he came, heading to Hooper's Store. As he hears barking, he looks to the right and sees the dog over by Oscar's trash can. The dog was malnourished and neglected. Elmo's took the dog out of the box and he brought it with him to his father. The scene cuts to Elmo with the dog in his bedroom. Louie comes in to check on Elmo and sees the dog with Elmo. Louie says "Son, where did you find that dog?". Elmo looks back to see his father and says "Elmo found her in a box by Oscar's trash can." Louie looked at the dog more closely and saw how malnourished she was. "It looks like she hasn't eaten in days. And she doesn't have a collar." Louie says after examining the dog.
Elmo speaks up, asking his father "Can Elmo keep her?". Louie's expression changes to one of sadness as he tells Elmo "We can't keep her if she has an owner. You said that you found her by Oscar's trash can, right? Let's go ask him." The scene cuts to Louie carrying the dog and Elmo knocking on Oscar's trash can. "Oscar, are you home?" Elmo asks Oscar if he's home a few times before Oscar pops out of his trash can, looking grumpy. Oscar shouts "What? Can't you see I'm busy giving Slimey his mud bath?!" Elmo recoils for a moment, then asks Oscar "Do you know who this dog belonged to?".
Oscar thinks for a moment before he remembers something. Oscar says "Pass me that box for a second. I was getting it out because I didn't want the dog to endure the stench in here. I saw some smudges on it, but now that I'm just thinking about it, I'm beginning to think those smudges were actually handwriting."
Elmo passes the empty box to Oscar. Oscar takes the box and examines the front closely. Oscar shrugs and says "The box just says free dog on it. No name, so we don't know who her owner is." The scene cuts to Tango's face and goes to a flashback of her past. Tango was neglected and physically abused before her owner put her in a box and threw it into Oscar's trash can. 
The flashback ends and goes back to Louie, Elmo, Oscar and Tango again. Oscar speaks up, saying "I was getting ready to go to bed when it happened. I finished reading Slimey his favorite story, and as I was going to bed, this big box comes down and almost hits me on the head. I didn't hear the dog bark until morning, so when I did, I brought the box out of my trash can with the dog inside so she wouldn't be stuck in someplace as smelly as my trash can."
The scene cuts to the second flashback and the camera pans over Sesame Street at night, then zooming to Oscar's trash can. A black humanoid figure with a box in their hands opened the lid on Oscar's trash can and dropped the box in. After hearing a thud, the figure hastily made their way away from the trash can as they heard Oscar complaining about the box nearly hitting his head. Oscar went up to see who threw the box in.
The scene cuts to a view of Sesame Street from Oscar's perspective inside his can. After seeing nobody around, he drops back into his trash can, muttering to himself. The flashback ends and cuts to Oscar shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I want to help her find a home, but we can't find her owner. I'm guessing she was abandoned. Elmo, you talk with your father about possibly keeping the d- Er, Tango, was it? Yeah, you talk with him about possibly keeping Tango." Oscar speaks.
The scene cuts to Elmo in his bedroom with Louie and Tango. "Elmo thinks we should keep her, Daddy. Elmo doesn't think she has a home to go back to." Elmo says, looking at Tango sympathetically. "A dog is a lot of responsibility, son, and some breeds require more responsibility." Louie explains. Elmo nods in agreement with Louie's explanation. "Elmo agrees with you, Daddy, and Elmo promises to take care of her." Elmo exclaims. Louie nods. "Alright, son. I'll help you take care of her as well. We'll both help with taking care of her." Louie says. Elmo nods at Louie, smiling. "Thanks, Daddy. Elmo thinks Tango will be happy here." Elmo says.
The recording cuts to black with a pure-white version of the 2018 Sesame Workshop logo and bold text below reading "PROPERTY OF SESAME WORKSHOP. DO NOT SHARE."
== Reception ==
The recording has mixed reception from its test audience. Some criticized it for the depictions of animal abuse and neglect while others praised it for its showing of how neglect and abuse of animals can impact their health and took it as Sesame Street's many attempts at tackling serious topics.
Those who watched the test recording on YouTube with their kids criticized the uploader for allegedly making the descriptions sound like an overreaction, since despite the recording's depictions of animal abuse, many found it to be light-hearted at certain points in the recording, like the ending. Sesame Workshop has also provided their opinions on the recording and their reason for making it.
=== Sesame Workshop's Opinion ===
We made "Do the Tango!" as a test recording before we went through with releasing the Furry Friends Forever special. None of the contents were final, as the special was still in the drafting state at the time this recording was made. We didn't intend to scare anyone with the depictions of animal abuse. They weren't going to be part of the special, they were part of the recording to determine how the test audience reacted, and they didn't react well to it, so we didn't include them in the finished special.
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