Season 8 (1976-1977)

Sesame Street Season 8 aired from November 29, 1976, to May 27, 1977.
==Overview==
Season 8 introduces several new curriculum topics, including those focused on female roles. Dulcy Singer says, "the changes are being made in response to criticism of not enough women in the cast and showing women in stereotyped roles."Star-News: Female roles on Sesame Street To remedy this, Sesame Street includes three female performers who now have credited recurring roles, all of whom had previously made guest appearances the year prior. After a tryout of two songs with the kids for late season 7, actress Alaina Reed is hired as Olivia, a professional photographer and the younger sister of Gordon. Linda Bove also joins the regular cast as Linda; this season it's established that she is an actress, further emphasizing the season's focus on expanding female roles. Buffy Sainte-Marie makes a return as Buffy, though this time she brings her new baby Cody and husband Sheldon in tow.
With these three performers the show helps teach several new lessons, including those on countering gender-based stereotypes.Truglio and Fisch. G is for Growing. p. 32 With Olivia, scenes include confrontations with her brother Gordon in which he questions where she is going late at night and assuming her photography equipment is too heavy for her to handle; Olivia counters this response by explaining in song how "Little Sister Is a Big Girl Now." In one episode Linda is determined to find an acting job, citing how difficult it can be for a deaf person such as herself; later in Episode 1049, she is hired to portray the title role in a production about Joan of Arc. With the expansion of Buffy Sainte-Marie's real-life marriage and starting of a family, a series of episodes explore sibling rivalry with Big Bird standing in for the surrogate older brother as he resents all the attention baby Cody is getting. Eventually he understands how babies need attention and grows to like Cody. Through Big Bird and other scenarios, the viewer learns more about parenting such as one show in which Buffy breastfeeds Cody.
Health practices are explored briefly during season 8 before becoming a curriculum-focus next season. Lessons include the Count showing the kids how to properly brush their teeth (as well as counting them), Ernie performing a pretend check-up on his buddy Bert, and Oscar the Grouch buying fruits and vegetables, unaware of the health benefits and focusing instead on how they would appeal more to a Grouch. Pre-reading is also covered with an emphasis on street signs, coinciding with the release of the album Signs!
==Characters and segments==
Several of the cast members' lives are explored further during season 8. Maria considers her different career options in one episode where she joins Susan to see what it's like to be a traveling nurse; Susan as well takes up photography as a hobby. Mr. Hooper continues to study for his GED and succeeds in getting his diploma. The previously unexplored bachelor life of Bob is hinted at in Episode 0966 where his apartment is seen for the first time, eventually becoming the setting for many future music lessons. More significantly though is his growing relationship with Linda, with the two becoming a loving couple by the end of the season.
Muppets introduced this year include The Countess, a love interest for the Count who shares his passion for enumeration, Oscar's brother Ernest (demonstrating the thornier aspects of sibling rivalry), and back-up singers Crumbs Unlimited helping to give the show a taste of disco music. A series of pinball animations focusing on numbers make their debut this season (though originally produced the year prior), and brief filmed segments by Marc Brugnoni emphasize sight words as demonstrated in the real world.
==Episodes==
Episodes 0926 - 1055 (130 episodes)
* Episode 0926 -- 8th season premiere, Mr. Hooper celebrates the 25th anniversary of his store
* Episode 0927 -- Oscar takes guitar lessons
* Episode 0928 -- Luis and Herry cooperate to put up a flyer
* Episode 0929 -- Mr. Hooper leaves the store for five minutes
* Episode 0930 -- Linda's birthday
* Episode 0931 -- Everybody tries to cool off
* Episode 0932 -- Big Bird explains to Mr. Hooper what happened to a bucket of water
* Episode 0933
* Episode 0934 -- Gordon tries to guess what Susan has bought
* Episode 0935 -- Luis and Maria demonstrate musical instruments from Puerto Rico and Mexico
* Episode 0936 -- Cookie Monster needs a chisel and hammer to cut a concrete cookie; Grover’s balloon
* Episode 0937 -- A macaw bird asks Big Bird to sit on his egg
* Episode 0938 -- Mr. Snuffleupagus has a drink before bedtime
* Episode 0939 -- Luis describes the sounds of tools in the Fix-It Shop
* Episode 0940 -- Big Bird tries to surprise people
* Episode 0941 -- Oscar learns some Grouch phrases in Spanish
* Episode 0942 -- Susan and Gordon have bad days; Biff and Sully knock over a tree
* Episode 0943 -- The adults petition for a new tree to be placed on Sesame Street
* Episode 0944 -- Gordon and his car
* Episode 0945 -- Cookie Monster needs one more cookie for his cookie collection
* Episode 0946 -- Maria, David, and Big Bird go to City Island
* Episode 0947 -- Oscar, Big Bird and Snuffy deal with the winter weather
* Episode 0948 -- David breaks the window
* Episode 0949 -- Mr. Hooper greets his customer in Spanish
* Episode 0950 -- Olivia resents Gordon looking after her
* Episode 0951 -- Big Bird tries to figure out why Luis left a sign reading "Open"
* Episode 0952 -- Gordon misses three buses because he took time to help his friends
* Episode 0953 -- Count von Count falls in love with a Countess who loves to count
* Episode 0954 -- Ernest Grouch visits
* Episode 0955 -- The Count counts all the suggestions he gives to Maria about resting
* Episode 0956 -- Big Bird has to move away
* Episode 0957 -- Oscar welcomes Olivia to Sesame Street
* Episode 0958 -- Luis, Grover and the kids play Musical Chairs
* Episode 0959 -- The gang goes camping
* Episode 0960 -- Big Bird wants Luis to fix his broken toy truck
* Episode 0961 -- Judy Collins tries to rehearse
* Episode 0962 -- David and Herry Monster try to figure out how to get a package to Herry's cousin
* Episode 0963 -- Big Bird learns what makes people mad
* Episode 0964 -- Oscar's good mood
* Episode 0965 -- Mrs. Sharp helps out at Hooper's Store
* Episode 0966 -- Big and little / Ray Barretto visits
* Episode 0967 -- Jar of beans / Oscar's birthday
* Episode 0968 -- Bob, Oscar and the kids play a "freeze" game
* Episode 0969 -- Oscar’s can is missing
* Episode 0970 -- Linda looks for a job
* Episode 0971 -- Oscar shows a home movie
* Episode 0972 -- David's grandmother, Grace, visits Sesame Street
* Episode 0973 -- Olivia talks about being grown up
* Episode 0974 -- The Count loses his thunder
* Episode 0975
* Episode 0976 -- Big Bird imagines that he's living one hundred years ago / Oscar the Grouch charges a nickel for an argument (repeat)
* Episode 0977 -- Big Bird presents "The Number Four Show" (repeat)
* Episode 0978 -- Oscar puts up a "PELIGRO" sign (repeat)
* Episode 0979 -- Oscar tries to have peace and quiet (repeat)
* Episode 0980 -- Maria borrows a cup of sugar from Oscar's kitchen (repeat) 
* Episode 0981 -- David tries to learn Spanish (repeat) 
* Episode 0982 -- Big Bird takes care of a baby bird (repeat)
* Episode 0983 -- Oscar is expecting a group of Grouches from Cincinnati (repeat)
* Episode 0984 -- Bad Barney blackmails Big Bird (repeat) 
* Episode 0985 -- Uses for a pencil (repeat) 
* Episode 0986 -- Oscar pretends to be a pirate (repeat) 
* Episode 0987 -- Sam the Machine plays a game with Oscar (repeat) 
* Episode 0988 -- Mr. Snuffleupagus loses every game that he plays with Big Bird (repeat) 
* Episode 0989 -- Oscar helps David talk about the letter N (repeat) 
* Episode 0990 -- Big Bird tries to be older (repeat)
* Episode 0991 -- Big Bird presents a rhyming show (repeat)
* Episode 0992 -- Oscar calls the Grouch Market (repeat) 
* Episode 0993 -- Oscar invites Bob into his trash can (repeat)
* Episode 0994 -- Mr. Snuffleupagus practices feelings (repeat) 
* Episode 0995 -- Big Bird's cousin Herman visits Sesame Street (repeat)
* Episode 0996 -- Oscar is grouchy at the bus stop
* Episode 0997 -- Oscar's crabapple tree
* Episode 0998 -- Mr. Snuffleupagus ruins Big Bird's painting
* Episode 0999 -- Oscar writes a beautiful nature poem; Mr. Hooper learns Spanish
* Episode 1000 -- Bob finds a puppy
* Episode 1001 -- Big Bird and Baxter Bird swap nests
* Episode 1002 -- Big Bird helps Gordon cure his headache
* Episode 1003 -- The Amazing Mumford uses magic to help Maria with her chores
* Episode 1004 -- Cookie Monster goes on a "one cookie a day" diet
* Episode 1005
* Episode 1006 -- Mr. Hooper nearly sells his store
* Episode 1007 -- The Count counts leaves
* Episode 1008 
* Episode 1009 -- Biff and Sully fix the newsstand
* Episode 1010 -- Buffy and Sheldon are expecting a baby
* Episode 1011 -- Cookie Monster imagines cookies
* Episode 1012 -- Gordon invites Mr. Hooper to a party
* Episode 1013 -- Everybody imagines that there's a carnival on Sesame Street
* Episode 1014 -- Gordon and Susan wake up too early
* Episode 1015 -- Mr. Snuffleupagus tries to ride on a gigantic skateboard
* Episode 1016 -- Linda's friend Timi visits the Street
* Episode 1017 -- Big Bird counts for the Count
* Episode 1018
* Episode 1019 -- Herry Monster stops all the noise on Sesame Street
* Episode 1020 -- Luis sings about things he likes and dislikes
* Episode 1021 -- Cody is born; Big Bird thinks he's going to have a baby
* Episode 1022 -- Oscar writes a maple syrup jingle
* Episode 1023 
* Episode 1024 -- Linda uses sign language to sing with Bob
* Episode 1025 -- Mr. Hooper graduates
* Episode 1026 -- Oscar's bowling alley
* Episode 1027 -- Buffy returns
* Episode 1028 -- Big Bird arranges a dinner party for Buffy and Mr. Snuffleupagus
* Episode 1029 
* Episode 1030 -- Big Bird wants to play with Buffy
* Episode 1031 -- Bob realizes Linda can't hear his song
* Episode 1032 -- Gifts for Buffy's baby
* Episode 1033 -- Oscar buys some healthy food; Herry's niece
* Episode 1034 -- Buffy helps Oscar get Slimey to take a nap
* Episode 1035 -- Big Bird meets Cody and Sheldon
* Episode 1036 -- Poco Loco makes Big Bird angry
* Episode 1037 -- Big Bird feels jealous of Buffy's new baby Cody
* Episode 1038 -- Fred the Wonder Horse explains body parts
* Episode 1039 -- The Amazing Mumford makes things go up and down
* Episode 1040 -- Big Bird decides to become grouchy
* Episode 1041 -- Oscar's grouch club
* Episode 1042 -- Big Bird and Poco Loco talk about short and tall
* Episode 1043 -- Big Bird and Sheldon draw pictures together
* Episode 1044 -- A visit from the President
* Episode 1045 -- The Count's Countdown; Buffy and Sheldon say goodbye to Sesame Street
* Episode 1046 -- Rodeo Rosie and Grover pretend that they're riding a horse
* Episode 1047 -- Mr. Hooper tries to exercise
* Episode 1048 -- Life without Ernie
* Episode 1049 -- Linda stars in Joan of Arc
* Episode 1050 -- David's grandmother visits
* Episode 1051 -- Judy Collins sings duets
* Episode 1052 -- Big Bird's Amateur Show
* Episode 1053 -- Big Bird wears costumes to pose for pictures
* Episode 1054 -- Linda's dad visits
* Episode 1055 -- 8th season finale; M Loves O
==Notes==
* Starting this season, and continuing through season 32, the episode number is displayed on-screen during the beginning of the theme song, also introduced later in the previous season. Likewise, this was also the last season where the episode number was displayed as a flat graphic (midway through the season, the episode numbers began to have black shadows or borders depending on the episode).
==Cast==
;Cast
:Linda Bove, Northern Calloway, Emilio Delgado, Will Lee, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Alaina Reed, Buffy Sainte-Marie
;Jim Henson's Muppets
: Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Peter Friedman, Caroly Wilcox (Uncredited: Fran Brill, Jane Henson)
;Guest Stars
:Ray Barretto, Richie Havens, Edgar Kendricks, Anne Revere, Paul Simon, Judy Collins, Clarice TaylorStar-News: Female roles on Sesame Street, Michael Christensen and Paul Binder
===Characters===
;Humans
:David, Luis, Mr. Hooper, Susan, Maria, Bob, Gordon, Olivia, Buffy, Linda, Mr. Macintosh, Willy
;Muppets
:The Amazing Mumford, Anything Muppets, Bert, Biff, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, The Countess, Ernest the Grouch, Ernie, Farley, Fred the Wonder Horse, Gladys the Cow, Grover, Guy Smiley, Harvey Kneeslapper, Herry Monster, Mr. Johnson, Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch, Poco Loco, Rodeo Rosie, Sam the Robot, Sherlock Hemlock, Simon Soundman, Slimey, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Sully, Winnie Wiggins
==Credits==
thumb|300px|credit crawl
*Executive Producer: Jon Stone
*Producer: Dulcy Singer
*Director: Robert Myhrum, Bob Schwarz, Jon Stonehttps://www.retrojunk.com/content/child/credits/page/4528/sesame-street#/content/child/credits/7120/show
*Writers: Judy Freudberg, Ray Sipherd, Emily Perl Kingsley, Joseph A. Bailey, David Korr, Tony Geiss
*Music Director: Sam Pottle
*Muppets made by: Donald Sahlin, Kermit Love, Caroly Wilcox
*Supervising Film Producer: Edith Zornow
*Associate Producer: Lisa Simon
*Director of Operations: Ronald L. Weaver
*Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
*Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
*Post Production Supervisor: Ozzie Alfonso
*Associate Director: Emily Squires
*Assistant to the Producer: Amy Hutchings
*Production Assistants: Joseph Catalano, Selvin Evans, Peggy Fulton, Brenda Huggins, Diane Mitchell, Thelma Moses
*Art Director: Alan J. Compton
*Production Stage Manager: Chet O'Brien
*Stage Manager: Jimmy Baylor
*Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
*Costume Designer: Domingo Rodriguez
*Graphic Artist: Gerri Brioso
*Senior Scenic Artist: Victor DiNapoli
*Film Editor: Mike Breddan
*Technical Advisor: Walt Rauffer
*Unit Manager: Glenda Jones
*Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
*Lighting Director: George Riesenberger
*Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
*Audio: Jay Judell
*Video: Rolf Wahl
*Videotape Editors: John Hutchison, Vincent Sims, Jack Langan
*Make-Up: Mickey Scott
*Hair Stylist: Mickey Lawrence
*Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
*Curriculum Coordinator: Robert Emerick
*Vice President of Research: Edward L. Palmer, Ph.D.
*Associate Director of Research: Lewis Bernstein
*Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald Lesser, Ph.D.
*Vice President for Production: David D. Connell
*Recorded at Reeves Teletape 81 St. Studio
==Sources==
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