Big Bird's Birthday Celebration

Big Bird's Birthday Celebration, or Eat My Cake, was a 1991 television special based on the children's television show Sesame Street. In the special Big Bird celebrates his sixth birthday. The program was aired by PBS as part of a pledge drive.


Plot

In the early morning, Mr. Snuffleupagus comes over to Big Bird's nest, wakes him up, and asks him if he's the first to wish him "Happy Birthday." Big Bird assures him he's the first and then Snuffy takes him out to Hooper's Store where everybody is waiting. Through the song "Big Bird's Beautiful Birthday Bash," everybody explains to Big Bird what a birthday is and how people mark the occasion (even through asking Big Bird what his birthday would be if it were his favorite color or favorite thing).

As soon as the sun is up, Maria and Susan stay to set up the birthday party outside Hooper's Store while Big Bird and everybody else head on down to the Roller Skating Rink for the morning. Before Big Bird leaves, he notices Snuffy staying behind and asks him why. Snuffy at first explains that he would rather stay and help Maria and Susan set up the party rather than go rollerskating, but Big Bird eventually catches on to the idea that Snuffy is afraid of rollerskating, to which Snuffy does confess that he is afraid of. Despite this, Big Bird insists to Snuffy that he come down anyway because he can teach his friend how to skate, reminding him that that's what friends are for. With this sudden enthusiasm, Snuffy agrees to accompany Big Bird while Big Bird agrees to find roller-skates in Snuffy's foot size.

At the Wollman Rink in Central Park, the Sesame Street gang is soon having a great time (complete with Big Bird leading the Birdkateers in formation and Forgetful Jones briefly skating the opposite direction of the other skaters), but Big Bird soon notices that Snuffy is staying behind in the stands. Snuffy tells Big Bird that he's still afraid of skating (revealing that it's the falling down part that makes him feel uncomfortable) and witnessing his sister Alice (he adds Alice doesn't mind falling because she's closer to the ground than he is) and other skaters fall doesn't help him change his mind.

Meanwhile, Luis and Bob are helping Telly skate, but Telly wonders where Oscar the grouch is. Luis has doubts that Oscar would come to Big Bird's birthday party, but Oscar comes anyway with Bruno The Trashman and explains he's only come to the skating party for the falling down part. Bruno then takes Oscar out skating on the rink and while Oscar tries to encourage Bruno to fall or knock into the other skaters, Bruno instead shows off his amazing skating talents, which Oscar views as cheating. As soon as Bruno has finished his skating routine, Luis and Bob congratulate him and Oscar pops out of his can feeling dizzy from Bruno's skating show, but admits his time on the skating rink wasn't all for naught.

Later on, Big Bird is a little upset to see that Snuffy is still not willing to come out onto the rink, even when Snuffy only sets one foot out and back in again. Snuffy does admit that he's missing out on the fun, but he's still afraid of falling over if he does skate. After showing off a skating move, but now completely understanding how his friend feels, Big Bird explains to Snuffy that practicing rollerskating is like taking your first step. Through the song "Put one foot in front of the other," Big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street gang give Snuffy enough encouragement to go out and give it a try. His self-esteem now entirely built up, Snuffy finally goes out onto the rink and skates around, but falls over after one lap. Nevertheless, despite the fall, Snuffy proudly declares that he was able to roller-skate and he enjoyed it as everybody begins to help him up.

Back on Sesame Street, Maria and Susan take out the big birthday cake, leave it on a table, and then go home to fetch more chairs for the party guests. In their absence, Cookie Monster (not at the skating rink for reasons unknown) comes up in one of his hungry moods, sniffs, and spies the cake, but upon seeing the writing on the cake ("Happy Birthday, Big Bird"), he realizes he can't eat the cake and ruin Big Bird's birthday. To take his mind off eating the cake, he resorts to eating something else, starting with a chair and a table and even going so far as to eat the Sesame Street lamppost and sign and the mailbox.

Soon, Cookie has either eaten some of the things entirely along Sesame Street (including the tire swing) or taken bites out of other things (the doors surrounding Big Bird's Nest, the crates around Oscar's Trashcan, the front steps and Gordon and Susan's window of 123 Sesame Street, more tables and chairs, and the party decorations). Even after finishing off some newspapers, Cookie still wants to eat the cake, but with nothing else left to eat, he has no choice but to give into his temptations to eat the cake. Just as Cookie is about to lunge onto the cake, Maria and Susan, returning from fetching more chairs, suddenly stop him and are aghast at the damage Cookie has done to Sesame Street, but Cookie vouches that he has not eaten the cake and orders them to take it away as he still has the temptations to eat it. Quickly understanding his earlier actions, Maria and Susan quickly move the cake just as Cookie tries to pounce on it (Cookie even congratulates the ladies for their cooperation).

At lunchtime, Big Bird and everybody else returns to Sesame Street and are also shocked at what Cookie did to Sesame Street while they were away and fear that the cake was eaten too, but Maria and Susan assure everybody that the cake is safe. Gina then comes out of Hooper's Store to present the birthday cake, topped with 548 candles (put there by Count Von Count, despite Gina reminding him that six would've been enough for Big Bird's age). Soon after everybody sings "Happy Birthday To You," Big Bird makes a wish and blows out the candles. When asked what he wished for, Big Bird reveals that his wish was to blow out all the candles in one go, which everybody finds pointless but still came true anyway. The first minute of the closing credits plays as Gina cuts the cake and begins serving pieces to everybody.

Straight after the cast credits, Maria asks where Cookie Monster has gone since he hasn't received a piece of the cake yet. At the mention of this, Cookie pops up and the moment Gina serves him a piece of the cake, he immediately devours it. Satisfied that the wait was well worth it, Cookie declares he is ready for dessert. As Gina announces the sponsors (the Letter I and the Number 4), she holds up each sponsor and Cookie, declaring them to be dessert, eats them up too. As soon as Gina signs off the special by announcing Sesame Street being produced by the Children's Television Workshop, Cookie announces he's still hungry and wants to know what's next to eat, and the camera pans to the "Happy Birthday Big Bird" sign. The rest of the credits are then played over the cast skating at the skating rink, this time with Snuffy taking part.

Muppet cast

Guest stars

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