Season 17 (1985-1986)

thumb|300px|Elmo and Kermit give a lesson on "happy" and "sad."
Sesame Street Season 17 aired from November 18, 1985, to May 16, 1986.
==Overview==
For season 17, the topic of adopting a child was introduced. In an almost week-long series Gordon and Susan went through the process of adopting Miles to join their family. Through Miles, lessons on the physical developments of infants and infant care were taught. The concept of sibling rivalry that had previously been explored as early as season 8 was reintroduced, as both Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus had difficult times adjusting to the new baby. Though not featured as prominently as the adoption storyline, lessons utilizing simple songs were done in order to prepare the preschool audience for school music.Truglio and Fisch. G is for Growing. p. 32 Examples include Big Bird's "You Can Be a Birdketeer" recruitment song and Oscar's old teacher Miss Blechman educating the Grouchketeers on how to play a Grouch melody.
In the 14 years of the character's existence, Mr. Snuffleupagus had been considered by many (mostly adults) as Big Bird's "imaginary friend" primarily due to his shyness and inability to stay put. With the awareness of news stories involving pedophilia and child abuse, the Sesame Street writing team felt it was important to have the positive lesson taught of a child being honest and their caregivers believing them, no matter how unbelievable their claim may be at first. With the show's history of Big Bird trying to bring attention to Mr. Snuffleupagus only to be ignored, it was time for a change. For the season premiere, Snuffy is finally seen by almost all of the grown-up cast, with several of them apologizing for how they treated Big Bird's claims before. Episodes during the first week focused on Snuffy learning how to become friends with Maria and Bob, introducing his stuffed toy Mr. Anteloper, and Gordon getting to know Snuffy better as he helps him with his bedtime routines.
==Characters and segments==
Kevin Clash performs Elmo full-time this season, and several of the aspects from his previous characterization (wanting to play a game all the time and chanting "Yes-yes-yes!") are gradually dropped in favor of a more young, naive three-year-old monster who's curious about the world. Jazz musician Hoots the Owl is featured more in street stories having been introduced in one episode the season before. A different musical bird makes his grand entrance in Episode 2134 - opera virtuoso (and slightly egotistical) Placido Flamingo.
Several other new characters include: the boisterous Leo the Party Monster who, as his name implies, is a monster obsessed with partying anywhere at any time; juggling monster Dexter; trickster cats Chip and Dip who love to pester Oscar the Grouch; and Baby Natasha, who speaks in only baby babbles. Reflecting pop culture trends, the recurring segment "Miami Mice" features the snazzy-dressed Tito and J. P. who fight crime while giving each other fashion checks in-between cases, breaks, office work, etc.
==Episodes==
Episodes 2096 - 2225 (130 episodes)
* Episode 2096 -- 17th season premiere; Snuffy Revealed
* Episode 2097 -- Snuffy befriends Maria
* Episode 2098 -- Snuffy plays the harpmonica
* Episode 2099 -- Gordon babysits Snuffy
* Episode 2100 
* Episode 2101 -- Oscar's ice cream stand (repeat)
* Episode 2102 -- Gladys needs a new cowbell (repeat)
* Episode 2103 -- Hooper's has a broken window (repeat)
* Episode 2104 -- Remembering Mr. Hooper's egg cream (repeat)
* Episode 2105 -- Forgetful Maria (repeat)
* Episode 2106 -- Big Bird's toys (repeat)
* Episode 2107 -- Bernie, a piano tuner, tunes Oscar's piano; Olivia dates with Bernie (repeat)
* Episode 2108 -- Telly doesn't get angry (repeat)
* Episode 2109 -- Snuffy plays his flute (repeat)
* Episode 2110 -- Telly’s gravity experiment (repeat)
* Episode 2111 -- Polly Darton visits (repeat)
* Episode 2112 -- Grundgetta enjoys the rain (repeat) 
* Episode 2113 -- Oscar writes a play about trash (repeat)
* Episode 2114 -- Luis' birthday! (repeat)
* Episode 2115 -- Oscar and the butterfly (repeat)
* Episode 2116 -- A noisy day in the library (repeat)
* Episode 2117 -- Teaching a baby Honker the alphabet (repeat)
* Episode 2118 -- Oscar's eclipse party (repeat)
* Episode 2119 -- Grouch diving contest (repeat)
* Episode 2120 -- Gladys jumps over the moon (repeat)
* Episode 2121 -- Piri gets a job at Hooper's
* Episode 2122 -- Adoption of Miles, part 1
* Episode 2123 -- Adoption of Miles, part 2
* Episode 2124 -- Adoption of Miles, part 3
* Episode 2125 -- Adoption of Miles, part 4 - Miles's grandparents visit
* Episode 2126 -- A piano on Sesame Street
* Episode 2127
* Episode 2128 -- Dr. Price invents the square ball
* Episode 2129 -- Forgetful Jones loses his numbers
* Episode 2130 -- Uncle Wally recalls his sailor days
* Episode 2131
* Episode 2132
* Episode 2133
* Episode 2134 -- Telly meets Placido Flamingo
* Episode 2135
* Episode 2136
* Episode 2137
* Episode 2138 -- Grandma Grace surprises David
* Episode 2139
* Episode 2140 -- Oscar writes Grouch poems
* Episode 2141 -- Big Bird pretends the garage stairs are "Mount Garage"
* Episode 2142 -- Jiffy the turtle / Barkley the cow
* Episode 2143 -- David and the potted plant
* Episode 2144 -- Big Bird practices magic
* Episode 2145 -- A day of photographs
* Episode 2146
* Episode 2147 -- Real Grouches
* Episode 2148 -- The Count's suitcases
* Episode 2149
* Episode 2150 -- Big Bird and Snuffy pretend to explore Sesame Street
* Episode 2151 -- Oscar thinks Slimey has run away
* Episode 2152 -- Big Bird loses Radar
* Episode 2153 -- Big Bird and Snuffy's notes
* Episode 2154 -- Upaguses of the World
* Episode 2155 -- Micki's friend Tanya visits
* Episode 2156 -- Playing with Barkley
* Episode 2157
* Episode 2158 -- Dr. Nobel Price invents "entrada"
* Episode 2159 -- Miss Blechman visits Oscar, her favorite student
* Episode 2160
* Episode 2161 -- Big Bird and the mattress
* Episode 2162 -- Introducing Leo the Party Monster
* Episode 2163 -- Ask Oscar about discussions
* Episode 2164 -- Nighttime on Sesame Street
* Episode 2165 -- What does "welcome" mean?
* Episode 2166 -- Gladys presents herself
* Episode 2167
* Episode 2168
* Episode 2169
* Episode 2170
* Episode 2171 -- Sunday dinner
* Episode 2172 -- Snuffy puts on a play about the sun
* Episode 2173 -- A day with books on Sesame Street
* Episode 2174
* Episode 2175
* Episode 2176 -- The Two-Headed Monster Writes a Story
* Episode 2177 -- Piri learns to play guitar
* Episode 2178 -- Luis cleans up Big Bird's nest
* Episode 2179 -- Big Bird wants Bob to hear his song
* Episode 2180 -- Forgetful Jones joins the Birdketeers
* Episode 2181 -- Snuffy wants to be a cabbie / Telly is Oscar's dog
* Episode 2182 -- Telly prepares to visit Granny Monster
* Episode 2183
* Episode 2184 -- Big Bird and Snuffy help at the library
* Episode 2185
* Episode 2186 -- Elmo's rhyming game
* Episode 2187 -- Slimey's movie
* Episode 2188
* Episode 2189
* Episode 2190
* Episode 2191
* Episode 2192 -- The Earthworm's Book of Magic
* Episode 2193
* Episode 2194 -- Gordon and Bob play Birdketeers
* Episode 2195
* Episode 2196 -- Oscar and the Grouchketeers read
* Episode 2197 -- Gordon plays the flute
* Episode 2198
* Episode 2199 -- Elmo wants to play games with people
* Episode 2200 -- Phone books
* Episode 2201 -- A hot day on Sesame Street
* Episode 2202 -- Big Bird's information booth
* Episode 2203 -- Maria and Grundgetta go shoe shopping
* Episode 2204 -- Telly talks about "information"
* Episode 2205 -- Wynton Marsalis visits
* Episode 2206 -- The case of the missing round objects
* Episode 2207 -- Telly loses Cool
* Episode 2208 -- Uncle Wally returns
* Episode 2209
* Episode 2210 -- Elmo does magic
* Episode 2211 -- Rubén Blades visits
* Episode 2212 -- Forgetful's gift for Miles
* Episode 2213 -- Uncle Wally Had a Farm
* Episode 2214 -- Oscar meets Rachel the artist
* Episode 2215
* Episode 2216 -- Big Bird tends to a scarecrow
* Episode 2217 -- Itzhak Perlman visits
* Episode 2218
* Episode 2219 -- Will it sink or will it float?
* Episode 2220 -- Making pig calls
* Episode 2221 -- Important reports from Telly
* Episode 2222 -- Leo hosts a street party
* Episode 2223 -- Oscar's "New School for Grouch Research"
* Episode 2224 -- Elmo and Big Bird play with a sleeping Barkley
* Episode 2225 -- 17th season finale; Big Bird makes a decision
==Cast==
;Cast
:Linda Bove, Northern Calloway, Emilio Delgado, Loretta Long, Sonia Manzano, Bob McGrath, Roscoe Orman, Alaina Reed (Uncredited: Micki Barnett, Eddie Castrodad, Bill McCutcheon, Miles Orman, Loretta Tupper)
;Jim Henson's Muppets
:Caroll Spinney, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, Martin P. Robinson, Kevin Clash, Pam Arciero, Fred Garbo, Bryant Young (Uncredited: Fran Brill, Michael Elizabeth Huston, Noel MacNeal, David Rudman, Richard Termine)
;Guest Stars
:Rubén Blades, Tempestt Bledsoe, Lisa Bonet, Sid Caesar, Bill Cobbs, Tony Danza, Danny DeVito, Phil Donahue, Frances Foster, Teri Garr, Annabelle Gurwitch, Patti LaBelle, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Itzhak Perlman, Keshia Knight Pulliam, The Sweeties, Malcolm-Jamal WarnerThe Ledger: "Sesame Street" begins 17th season - November 19, 1985Ottawa Citizen: Year-old baby joining Sesame Street to help teach family relationshipsJet Magazine: Patti Meets Oscar - April 28, 1986
===Characters===
;Humans
:Gordon, Susan, Maria, Luis, Linda, Bob, David, Uncle Wally, Miles, Mr. Macintosh, Olivia, Piri, Micki, Miss Trump, Willy, Lee, Dorothy
;Muppets
:AM Monsters, Anything Muppets, Barkley, Bert, Biff, Big Bird, Bip Bipadotta, Miss Blechman, Bruno the Trashman, Buster the Horse, Chip and Dip, Clementine, Cookie Monster, Count von Count, Dexter, Dinger, Don Music, Dr. Nobel Price, Elmo, Ernie, Ferlinghetti Donizetti, Forgetful Jones, Gladys the Cow, Grover, Grundgetta, Guy Smiley, Herry Monster, Honkers, Mr. Honker, Hoots the Owl, Irvine, Kermit the Frog, Leo the Party Monster, Mario, Miami Mice, Mommy Snuffleupagus, Baby Natasha, Oscar the Grouch, Placido Flamingo, Prairie Dawn, Readers of the Open Range, The Rockheads, Shelley the Turtle, Simon Soundman, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Slimey, Stella, Sully, Telly Monster, Two-Headed Monster
==Credits==
*Executive Producer: Dulcy Singer
*Producer: Lisa Simon
*Directors: Jon Stone, Lisa Simon, Richard Hunt, Emily Squires
*Head Writer: Norman Stiles
*Writers: Luis Santeiro, Nancy Sans, Sonia Manzano, David Korr, Mark Saltzman, Jeffrey Moss, Gary Belkin, Cathi Rosenberg-Turow, Judy Freudberg, Tony Geiss, Sara Compton, Ray Sipherd, Emily Perl Kingsley, Tom Dunsmuir, Michael McCarthy (uncredited)
*Music Director: Joe Raposo
*Supervising Film Producer: Edith Zornow
*Associate Producer: Arlene Sherman
*Current Muppets by: Caroly Wilcox, with Richard Termine, David Velasquez, Robert Flanagan
*Original Muppets by: Kermit Love, Donald Sahlin
*Music Coordinator: Danny Epstein
*Assistant Music Director: Dave Conner
*Production Supervisor: Frieda Lipp
*Editing Supervisor: Robert J. Emerick
*Associate Directors: Ted May, Niles Goodsite, Robert J. Emerick, Joseph Catalano
*Production Designer: Victor DiNapoli
*Costume Designer: Bill Kellard
*Graphic Artist: Sam McLean
*Set Decorator: Nat Mongioi
*Production Stage Manager: Chet O'Brien
*Stage Manager: Mortimer J. O'Brien
*Curriculum Coordinator: Joseph M. Catalano
*Production Assistants: Diane Mitchell, Thelma Moses, Danette Morganelli, Cheryl Ann Jung, Sonja Beauchamp, Stuart Lowery, Rudy Vallecillo
*Unit Manager: Eleanor McIntosh
*Technical Director: Ralph Mensch
*Lighting Directors: David M. Clark, Dick Weiss
*Sound Effects: Dick Maitland
*Audio: Blake Norton
*Video: Bryan D. Keen
*Cameras: Frank Biondo, Arnold Giordano, Jerry Gruen
*Videotape Editor: Evamarie Keller
*Make-Up: Lee Halls
*Hair Stylist: Karen Specht
*Wardrobe: Grisha Mynova
*Chairman, Board of Advisors: Gerald Lesser, Ph.D.
*Vice President for Research: Keith Mielke, Ph.D.
*Director of Research: Valeria Lovelace, Ph.D.
*Vice Presidents for Production: David D. Connell, Al Hyslop
*Recorded at Reeves Teletape III
==Sources==
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