| Category | Details |
| Episode Number | 0406 (Season 4 Premiere) |
| Air Date | November 13, 1972 |
| Key Debuts | The Count (Muppet), Sam the Robot (Muppet) |
| New Cast Member | Hal Miller as the new Gordon |
| Primary Letter | D |
| Primary Number | 2 |
| Theme | Introductions, Social Commonalities, and Identity |
| Muppet Stars | Big Bird, Ernie, Bert, Cookie Monster, Grover, Snuffy, Oscar |
| Human Cast | Gordon, Susan, Bob, Mr. Hooper, Maria, David, Luis |
| Key Concept | "Everybody Does It" (Common human behaviors) |
| Sponsors | D, 2 |
Street Scenes
The fourth season starts with an alphabetical roll call. The residents of the neighborhood hold up letters to share their names. Cookie Monster breaks it down for Mr. Hooper. He eats a bag of cookies and a plate of cookies. Both surfaces become empty at the same time. This action shows a visual example of mathematical equality. Bob starts a game with Ernie and Bert about breathing and yawning. The group talks about these universal experiences. Bert says he likes watching pigeons on TV more than rubber duckies.
A new character named Count von Count shows up on the street. He starts out counting Ernie's block pyramid. He shuffles the blocks to keep counting. You'll also meet Mr. Snuffleupagus for the first time. He invites the kids to crawl under his big body like a bridge. This interaction encourages physical play and social engagement.
Gordon and Susan come across a robot named Sam. Sam says machines are better than people. He says he never makes a mistake. He then incorrectly identifies his location as Mulberry Street. He won't admit that he made a mistake in the programming. He's out the door, heading to the cement mixer for lunch. This segment is all about understanding the limits of technology. Oscar the Grouch has a hat that covers his face. He uses it to avoid looking at Gordon. Cookie Monster announces the sponsors at the end of the day.
Parent's Guide
Bob's leading a game with Ernie and Bert. They find actions that everyone performs. The group agrees that everyone breathes and sleeps. Things get heated when Ernie says everyone loves a Rubber Duckie. Bert doesn't agree with this. Bert then says everyone loves a television show about pigeons. Ernie says the show is dull. Bob wakes up from a nap and puts an end to the debate. This lesson is all about subjective preference. You learn that everyone's biological needs are pretty much the same. People's interests are all over the place. You can still be friends even if you don't like someone's favorite hobbies.
Gordon and Susan meet Sam the Robot. The machine says robots are better than people. He says he never makes mistakes. Gordon asks Sam where he is. Sam's set on Mulberry Street. There's a bug in his code. He won't admit he's wrong. He takes off to have lunch with a cement mixer. This segment is all about being humble. You learn to trust your own observations. Other people's claims shouldn't always be taken at face value.
The Count first appears on the street. Bert keeps an eye on a pyramid of blocks for Ernie. The Count starts moving the blocks to count them. He takes the whole pyramid apart during his tally. Bert's gotta explain the mess to Ernie. This story shows one-to-one correspondence. You also learn about social boundaries. Sometimes your personal goals can get in the way of what other people are working on. Just remember to ask before touching your friend's stuff.
Oscar shows Gordon a new hat. The hat serves a specific purpose. It covers the face of the Grouch. Oscar's trying not to look at Gordon. This funny scene is all about the need for personal space. You learn that people sometimes need privacy to deal with their emotions.
Mr. Hooper shows Cookie Monster two plates. One plate is for cookies, and the other one is empty. He asks Cookie Monster to make the plates the same. Cookie Monster eats a bag of cookies first. Then he eats every cookie off the full plate. Both plates end up empty and the same. This explores the idea of equality. You come up with a creative way to solve a math problem. There's usually more than one way to get to the same result.
