Today's Special - Episode Guide

Sam and Jeff are in the Children’s Department reading a copy of the Daily Bugle. Jeff is amazed about how much there is to read in a newspaper. Sam agrees. Sam looks around to the front of the paper, causing his and Jeff’s eyes to meet. Sam chuckles about what happened, and tells Jeff not to let him rush him, because Jodie doesn’t have any more displays to do, and thus he can spend as much time as he needs with the newspaper.

“That’s right, I guess I can,” says Jeff. “Wow, just look at all these stories. You know, I never realized that so many things could happen in just one day.”

Sam agrees. He remarks, “There’s always something happening in the news.” He and Jeff then sing about all of the various things that happen in the news, including a flapjack flipping contest where the wind carried the flapjacks away, a fireman rescuing a cat from a burning building, and a tennis match.

After they finish their song, Jodie comes in, fidgeting with her hands. “Oh, boy,” she says.

“Oh, Jeff, isn’t that Jodie, the famous display artist?” asks Sam, in a joking manner.

“Oh, Sam, stop teasing me,” Jodie says. Turning to Jeff, she asks, “Do I look all right?”

Jeff and Sam both think that Jodie looks fine. Sam then remarks, “For someone who’s about to be interviewed by a newspaper, why, you just look cool as a cucumber.”

Jodie is quick to respond, “Oh, I may look cool as a cucumber, but inside, I feel like a bowl of jelly.” She is nervous about her upcoming interview, and all of the questions that the reporter might ask her about her displays. “I just hope I know all the answers.”

“Don’t be nervous, Jodie!” Jeff says. “I’m glad the Daily Bugle wants to tell people about your displays.” Then, giving her a hug, he tells her, “Well… you’re the best display artist in the whole world.” Jodie appreciates the sentiment.

Sam, meanwhile, asks Jodie if she could mention his name when she talks to the reporter, explaining that he has always wanted to be in the newspaper, himself. He explains that while he may not be famous or important, he has had some interesting adventures in the merchant marine, and that those stories might make some very interesting reading.

“Well, okay, I’ll try,” Jodie says. Then, pretending to hold a notepad and a pen, she says, “Now, do you spell ‘Crenshaw’ with a K or a C?”

“Oh, go on with you, now…” says Sam, as he and Jodie share a laugh.

Muffy arrives, asking, “Did I hear correctly? Can it be true? A reporter is coming to interview you?”

“Yeah, that’s right, Muffy,” Jodie responds. “He should be here any second.”

“Oh, hooray, I can hardly wait. Here’s my chance to set everything straight!” says Muffy. She continues, explaining, “Stories on mice down through the ages have always been bad in newspaper pages. Mice may be little – they’re just like you – but saying we’re bad, that’s simply not true! If people could read the real story on mice, they would soon learn that we’re all very nice! I’ll give that reporter a piece of my mind. If he wants the truth, then that’s what he’ll find!” Muffy then leaves the Children’s Department in a huff.

“I, uh, don’t think that reporter knows what he’s in for!” remarks Jodie.

Sam, meanwhile, excuses himself in order to let the reporter in, not wanting to leave a member of the press waiting.

Next, we see the Mime Lady walking in carrying a heavy bag. When TXL asks the Mime what is in the bag, the Mime indicates that she wants us to guess. She motions as if she is reading a newspaper. TXL surmises that this is something that you read. Is it a book? The Mime shakes her head. She then pulls a copy of the Daily Bugle out of her bag, which leads TXL to understand that the Mime’s bag is full of newspapers. The Mime then indicates that we should wait. The Mime then reaches into her bag, and pulls out a large sandwich, which she begins to eat. TXL surmises that it must be time for lunch.

Back in the Children’s Department, Sam is walking around with the reporter while wearing his old merchant marine uniform and carrying his diary, while regaling the reporter with a story about the time that he was shipwrecked on Bora Bora Island. “Well, that’s very interesting!” the reporter says. Then, seeing Jodie, the reporter quickly turns his attention away from Sam, who is still telling his story.

“You must be Jodie,” the reporter says. “Scoop. Coop Scoop, Daily Bugle.”

“Oh, I’m very pleased to meet you, Coop,” Jodie says. Sam then interrupts them, attempting to continue his story. Jodie asks Coop, “Um, could you excuse us for a second, please?” Coop doesn’t mind, explaining that he will go and look around to get the feel for the place.

“Uh, Sam, I’d like to talk to you,” Jodie says to Sam, in a low voice.

Meanwhile, Coop walks over and talks to Jeff, asking who he is and how he helps Jodie in the store.

Jodie, meanwhile, asks Sam what he is wearing. Sam explains that he’s wearing his old merchant marine uniform, and then repeats it in a loud voice so that Coop can hear him. When Jodie turns him back around to face her, he continues, in a low voice, explaining that he put it on downstairs so that Coop would notice him. Jodie is not appreciative of this, and asks what the book is. Sam explains that it’s his diary, where he wrote about all of his adventures. He then calls Coop over to show him the diary. When Coop asks what it is, Sam begins to tell, in flowery language, all about the stories contained within.

Coop cuts him off, asking him, “It’s a diary, isn’t it?” Sam continues explaining why he believes that his diary is very important, in more flowery language. Coop then explains to him, “Sam, look. I’m a reporter. I write about things that are happening right now. Things that people are interested in, like Jodie’s displays here in the store. Sam, diaries just aren’t news. Sorry. Nothing personal.” He then goes back to interviewing Jeff.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Sam wishes Jodie a good interview before leaving the department, over Jodie’s protests.

“I really hate to see Sam looking unhappy like that,” says Jodie, in an aside. “I think he really was hoping that Coop would write about him in the newspaper.”

Meanwhile, Coop is getting Jeff set up for a photo, explaining to Jodie that a photo of Jeff would go well with the story. He lines up his camera, takes a photo, and then realizes that something isn’t quite right. He positions Jeff’s arms on the counter, steps back and looks again, and says, “I know. It’s your hat.” He then says, as he removes Jeff’s hat and sets it on the counter, “The hat has got to go!”

Jodie sees this, and says, “Oh, no, not Jeff’s magic hat! Coop will find out about it!”

Coop, meanwhile, not realizing that Jeff is now a mannequin, is still talking to Jeff, saying, “Hey, now that’s more like it! Yeah, Jodie’s serious-looking helper! Yeah, that’s the angle I’ve been looking for. Okay, now, hold it, Jeff!” as he takes another photo of Jeff.

Jodie quickly interrupts Coop. “Uh, pictures! Pictures, right? You want pictures! You can get some great pictures downstairs of my window display.”

“Window display?” Coop asks.

“Yeah, why don’t you just wait for me at the elevator.” When Coop protests, she explains, “No, I’ll be right there, really. There’s just something that I have to do.”

With Coop out of the room, Jodie quickly puts Jeff’s hat back on his head and brings him to life. “My hat! He took my hat off! Jodie, he didn’t find out, did he?” Jodie tells him that Coop didn’t find out, and that the magic hat is still a secret. Jeff is relieved. He turns to us and asks, “You won’t tell Coop about my magic hat, will you?” He then explains, “Because if he finds out, he’ll write about it in the newspaper, and someone will read it and come down to the store and buy it and take it home, and I’ll be a mannequin… forever! So, uh, we won’t say anything, will we? Promise? Thanks!”

Meanwhile, Muffy is in her house, writing a letter to the editor. She explains that newspaper stories about mice have never been favorable, and thus she’s writing a letter to express her view. She reads what she has written, which describes that newspapers often give mice unfavorable coverage, which leads people to purchase cats, and that in reality, mice are nice.

In the Computer Room, Sam is telling Penelope what happened when he spoke to Coop Scoop, about how disappointed he was when Coop turned down his idea. When he remarks that he could use some cheering up, TXL offers to tell a story like in the funny pages in the newspaper.

“Poppin’ porpoises, TXL, I didn’t even know you were listening!” Sam exclaims, before accepting TXL’s offer of a story. TXL shows the pictures, while we tell the story, titled “Front Page Picture”. The pictures show a newspaper carrier who, while delivering papers, witnesses a dog chase a cat up a tree, and then rescues the cat from the tree before finishing her route. She is then surprised to later find her picture in the paper for her rescue of the cat.

Back in the Children’s Department, Jeff has just finished reading Sam’s diary. “Wow,” he says. “You know something? I think Coop is wrong about this old diary of Sam’s. Yeah, I think the stories in it are really exciting. Sam did some pretty crazy things when he was in the merchant marine! Poor Sam. He looked so unhappy when Coop said he wasn’t going to write about him in the newspaper. Wish we could do something to make him feel better.”

Muffy arrives, and suggests that they make Sam a gift. Jeff is receptive to the idea, but doesn’t know what kind of gift to give. Muffy then suggests that they make him a hat that they can wear. Jeff thinks that it’s a great idea, because he knows how much Sam likes wearing hats. However, he doesn’t know anything about making hats.

“When it comes to making le chapeau, believe me, Jeff, I’m a pro,” says Muffy.

“Chapeau, now, those are hats, too, aren’t they?” asks Jeff. Muffy nods yes.

Muffy explains how to make a newspaper hat, directing Jeff to take a page of newspaper, fold it in half, fold the corners to meet in the middle, fold up the bottom, front and back, and then open it up to reveal a newspaper hat. After making the hat, Jeff puts the newspaper hat on over his magic hat.

“How does it look?” Jeff asks. “Do you think Sam will like it?”

Afterwards, Jeff and Muffy begin cleaning up the newspapers. Jeff notices an advertisement on the entertainment page about an upcoming concert by Sharon, Lois & Bram.

“Sharon, Lois & Bram, golly, gee, now there’s a show that I’d like to see!” exclaims Muffy.

Next, we see Sharon, Lois & Bram performing “My Dog Rags”, complete with hand motions for the “flip flop, wig wag, zig zag” lines in the song.

Later, Jodie and Coop Scoop are walking through the Children’s Department. Coop says, “Ah, thanks, Jodie. This is going to be a great story once I get it all written up.”

“Oh, you’re very welcome, Coop,” she says. “And thank you for making the interview so easy.” Then, turning to Jeff, she remarks, “Oh, what a great looking hat!”

“Hey, tell me, Jeff,” asks Coop, “do you always wear one hat on top of the other like that? It’s a little weird, don’t you think?”

Jeff explains that the newspaper hat isn’t his regular hat, and that he and Muffy made the newspaper hat for Sam in order to cheer him up. Jodie thinks that was a wonderful thing to do.

But Coop has a question. He asks Jodie, “Who’s this Muffy person?”

Muffy comes up and addresses Coop, saying, “I am Muffy. Now I’ll try not to shout, but I’m one of those pests that you write about. Here’s a letter I’ve written to all you mouse haters. I expect you to print it right now and not later!”

Coop takes the letter, and promises to give it to the editor when he gets back to the paper. Jodie also asks Coop if he would take a look at Sam’s diary before he leaves. Jeff gives the diary a ringing endorsement as well. Coop agrees, but makes no promises. Jeff and Muffy offer to take Coop to the furniture department to read it, and Coop accepts. Jodie, meanwhile, offers to hide Sam’s hat in the meantime so that they can give it to him when they come back.

Then Sam arrives, still upset from his earlier rejection. Jodie tells him that they were just talking about him, to which he replies, “Probably saying how boring I was!”

“That’s no way to talk,” Jodie says. “Listen, even if Coop doesn’t do a story on you for his newspaper, well, you’re still on my front page!” She then sings about how, even if Sam doesn’t do a lot of things that famous people do, she’s still special to him.

Sam is flattered by her song. He realizes that getting his name in the newpaper isn’t everything, but at least it would be something, wishing that Coop would read his stories.

Later, Jodie is working on a project with newspapers, as Jeff comes in, and excitedly tells her that Coop is reading the diary. “What are you doing?” he asks. “What are you cutting up all these newspapers for?” Turns out that Jodie is making her own surprise for Sam. When Jeff expresses concern that it’s another hat, she reassures him that it’s not a hat.

Sam arrives with Muffy, and he announces that he’s going to start looking for a new job, much to everyone’s dismay. He explains that he doesn’t like the idea as much as anyone else, but that being the security guard isn’t getting him anywhere. “I want to do something that will make people say, ‘Sam Crenshaw did that!'” he says.

Jodie reminds Sam of all of the things that he’s done in his life, as documented in his diary. Sam counters that by questioning the value of it all if no one knows about it, and how Coop Scoop wouldn’t even look at it.

Jeff makes an appeal to Sam, asking that he won’t leave. He then presents his and Muffy’s gift to him, putting the newspaper hat on his head.

“You’re in the newspaper,” Muffy says, with a giggle. “Now you can stay! There’s really no reason for going away.”

Sam thanks them, but isn’t swayed. Jodie then presents him with her surprise, which is a front page of the Daily Bugle with a large photograph of Sam in the center, surounded by the words, “We Love You SAM”.

“Well, you said you always wanted to see your name in print!” Jodie tells him.

Sam is speechless, wiping his eye.

Just then, Coop Scoop bursts into the room. “Sam! Sam! You should have told me! Talk about interesting! Especially that part when you were shipwrecked on Bora Bora! Wow! What a story!” He then explains that he spoke with the editor of the Daily Bugle, and they want to print it word for word, exactly as written, and title it “The Diary of Sam Crenshaw”.

Sam likes it, but doesn’t know what to say.

“Just say you’ll let us print it!” says Coop.

Jodie also encourages Sam to stay in the store. Sam agrees to both.

Coop just has one last thing to do: he wants to get a picture to run with the story. Sam agrees, but only if Jeff, Jodie, and Muffy are in the picture with him. Everyone gets together, Coop tells them all to “Say cheese!” and he gets the photo.

Quizzes:

Here is a picture of Muffy using her typewriter to write a letter to the newsletter. Why is she writing the letter? Is it because she doesn’t have a telephone, because she wants to tell the newspaper that mice are nice, or because she’s afraid of cats? (She is writing to say that mice are nice.)
Four newspapers. One of the newspapers contains a mistake. What is it? (One newspaper has the photo printed upside down.

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