''Out to Lunch'' is a prime-time

television special A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of en ...

that was broadcast on December 10, 1974, on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

, from 9 to 10pm ET. It mixed the ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...

'' Muppets and the cast of ''

The Electric Company ''The Electric Company'' is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now known as Sesame Workshop). It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. ...

'' along with guest stars

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. Gould's breakthrough role was in the film ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The ...

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress and singer, who starred as the title character in the sitcom ''I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965–1970). Her other roles included Roslyn Pierce opposite Elvis Presley in ...

and

Carol Burnett Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American comedian, actress, singer and writer. Burnett has played dramatic and comedic roles on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Carol Burnett, nu ...

. This is the first and one of the few ''Sesame Street''-related productions directly produced by

The Jim Henson Company The Jim Henson Company, Inc., formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (commonly referred to as Henson), is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is kn ...

, then-named Henson Associates (the others being the 1989 television special '' Sesame Street… 20 Years & Still Counting'' and the 1999 feature film ''

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland ''The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland'' (or simply ''Elmo in Grouchland'') is a 1999 American musical adventure comedy film directed by Gary Halvorson (in his feature directorial debut) from a screenplay written by Mitchell Kriegman and Joe ...

''). A member of the ''Electric Company'' cast,

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from t ...

, received an

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

nomination in 1975 for her participation in the show in the category of ''Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in Variety or Music''.

Plot

In the program,

ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...

anchor

Bill Beutel William Charles Beutel (December 12, 1930 – March 18, 2006) was an American television reporter, journalist, and anchor. He was best known for working over four decades with the American Broadcasting Company, spending much of that time anchorin ...

and his stage manager wrapped up a newscast and left the studio to take a lunch break. After they leave, the Muppets and the cast of ''The Electric Company'' take over the studio to fill an hour of programming on ABC while the studio staff is on break.

Cast

Luis Ávalos Luis Ávalos (September 2, 1946 – January 22, 2014) was a Cuban character actor. He made numerous film and television appearances, most notably in the 1971–1977 children's television show ''The Electric Company''. Early years After being bor ...

- Casino owner *

- Himself * Jim Boyd - Stage manager and gambler *

- Herself *

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and narrator. In a career spanning six decades, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a Tony ...

- Croupier *

Judy Graubart Esther Judith Graubart (born October 5, 1943, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for being a regular cast member of ''The Electric Company'', the pioneering children's show from the 1970s produced by th ...

- Herself *

- Divorced husband *

Skip Hinnant Joseph Howard "Skip" Hinnant (born March 12, 1940) is an American actor, comedian, and singer, best known for his work in children’s television and musical theater. Hinnant’s career spans voice acting, stage performances, and singing, beginni ...

- Himself and spectator *

- Herself, divorced wife, and spectator *

Gary Owens Gary Owens (born Gary Bernard Altman; May 10, 1934 – February 12, 2015) was an American disc jockey, voice actor, announcer and radio personality. His polished baritone speaking voice generally offered deadpan recitations of total nonsense, wh ...

- Announcer *

Hattie Winston Hattie Winston (born March 3, 1945) is an American film, television and Broadway actress. She is known for her roles as Margaret Wyborn on '' Becker'', Lucy Carmichael in '' Rugrats'', '' The Rugrats Movie'', and the spin off series '' All Gro ...

- Herself

Muppet performers

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating ''Fraggle Rock'' ( ...

- Kermit the Frog, Ernie, and Guy Smiley * Richard Hunt - Various *

Jerry Nelson Jerry Nelson (July 10, 1934 – August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Known for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ''The M ...

- Herry Monster, Count von Count, and Anything Muppet Dog *

Frank Oz Frank Richard Oznowicz (born May 25, 1944), known professionally as Frank Oz, is an American puppeteer, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for his involvement with Jim Henson and George Lucas through ''The Muppets'', ''Sesame Street'', and '' ...

- Bert, Cookie Monster, and Grover *

Caroll Spinney Caroll Edwin Spinney (December 26, 1933 – December 8, 2019) was an American puppeteer, cartoonist, author, artist and speaker, most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on ''Sesame Street'' from its inception in 1969 until 2018. ...

- Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird

References

External links

* Sesame Street features The Electric Company (TV series) 1970s American television specials ABC News American Broadcasting Company television specials 1974 television specials Television series about television {{US-child-tv-prog-stub