Watch Today's Special (1982) Online!
Today's Special was a Canadian children's television show produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario from 1981 to 1987. It also ran on Nickelodeon and the Faith and Values Channel/Odyssey as well as many PBS stations throughout the United States. It was set in a department store, based on the flagship location of the now defunct Simpson's in Toronto. Many sequences for it were shot at the Queen Street West and Yonge Street store after hours.
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Episode 1 - Changes
Release Date:The store is undergoing a lot of changes and the designer Madame Melba comes to the store to design all the changes. She has Muffy's place changed: The entrance is no longer just a hole in the wall. It now has a fancy entrance, a flashing sign and an elevator. But She tries to convince Sam to let her make changes in his computer room. Eventually, his computer room is changed to an automatic system and everyone loved the changes.
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Episode 2 - Dreams
Release Date:Jeff woke up thinking that the floor was going to cave in. So everyone goes up to the roof. After he explains what he saw, they realize it was just a dream and since Jeff doesn't sleep much - being a mannequin and all - he doesn't know what dreams are. So they all reveal some dreams they had. Muffy tells about a dream where Jeff and Jodie were ""mouse-catchers"" until Sam came to her rescue; and Jodie tell about a dream where she was Cinderella, Sam and Muffy were the ugly stepsisters, and Jeff was Prince Charming.
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Episode 3 - Lost and Found
Release Date:Muffy's cousin Mort returns to the store for another visit, but Muffy is lost. After searching the store for her they discover she has been captured by Herman T. Horrible, an intruder, who plans on using Muffy in his carnival of weird animals. So everyone tries to rescue her by pretending to be mannequins but they must be careful of his magic gas that makes anyone who breathes it compliant (that's how he caught Muffy). After they rescue her, they give him a taste of his own gas and tie him up until the police arrive.
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Episode 4 - Boxes and Boxes
Release Date:There is a new branch of the store opening up across town and the stockroom manager, Mrs. Pennypacker (Cheryl Wagner) has a list of six mannequins to go there and Jeff is one of them. So They try and show and explain Mrs. P about Jeff's magic hat but she just thinks that Jeff is pretending. Later on, when Mrs. P tries out the hat herself, she eventually is convinced and sends another mannequin in his place.
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Episode 5 - Hospitals
Release Date:Muffy is sick, her throat is sore so Sam takes her to the hospital where Dr. Bennet treats her - even though she has never treated a mouse. She then discovers that she has ""mouse-tonsillitis"" and she must have surgery to get her tonsils out. Jeff, back at the store is worried about her and yells at Mrs. P, unintentionally. But in the end everything turns out all right.
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Episode 6 - Butterflies
Release Date:A monarch butterfly named Hazel visits the store and as everyone learns a bit about butterflies, Muffy learns that Hazel is 2 years old (which is old for a monarch butterfly) and eventually dies. Muffy is very sad, so they bury her on the roof.
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Episode 7 - Sharing
Release Date:Muffy's cousin Mort comes for yet another visit and they are having a good time-sharing. But later a fight breaks out between them and they don't want to speak to each other. So Muffy uses a magic spell to get a new friend who suddenly appears, a mouse named Lucille. But it makes Muffy madder when she becomes friend with Mort. Eventually Muffy and Mort fight over Lucille until she disappears and Muffy and Mort finally make up and agree to share from now on.
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Episode 8 - Storms
Release Date:It's a stormy night and Jeff loves the rain, but he doesn't like thunder, in fact, he's afraid of it. Jodie tells him to snap, clap and chuckle and then he won't be afraid. To make matters worse, there's a leak in the roof and Sam must call Mitch the repairman to fix it before she is short-circuited. When Mitch arrives, Jeff helps him fix the roof and gets over his fear of thunder.
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Episode 9 - Babies
Release Date:Wanda Willoby, a possum form Possom Ridge visits Muffy in the store because her mother is having a new baby and Wanda doesn't feel important. Everyone agrees to let her stay for a while, But she keeps Muffy up all night, She wrecks Muffy's display, and sets off the alarm in Sam's computer room. Eventually they convince her to go back home.
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Episode 10 - The Sea
Release Date:Mrs. Pennypacker is throwing a tea party for everyone, but Sam is excited when he thinks she said ""sea party"". After he learns different, he is disappointed. So Mrs. P suggests that they throw him a real sea party and they do.
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Episode 11 - Vacations
Release Date:Muffy has eaten over 20 boxes of Breakfast Buttons cereal in order to win a vacation by sending an enrty form on the back of the box. She doesn't win the trip, but she does win a truckload of Breakfast Buttons, which she doesn't want. So Jeff, Sam and Jodie decide to give her her vacation in the store by setting up her ""Tropical Island.""
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Episode 12 - Cars
Release Date:Sam has had his old car named Gertrude for so long and it was time to get a new car. But Gertrude is special and he is sad that he has to give it up. So he goes to Smiling Jack's used car dealer to buy a new car. And Muffy over heard Smiling Jack say that Gertrude was going to the junkyard crusher. When Sam tries to get it back, He learns that Jodie bought it back for him.
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Episode 13 - Treasure Hunts
Release Date:Sam brings his treasure chest to the store that contains a treasure hunt map and a gold coin that produces a wonderful surprise when Jeff rubs it. Pirate Pete appears in search for his treasure that is marked on the map. So Jodie, Sam and Muffy are in for a treasure hunt at first light while Jeff gets his own treasure hunt in the store. Everyone learns how to read maps and look for clues as two treasure hunts get underway.
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Episode 14 - Wheels
Release Date:Today's Special is wheels, and Mrs. P has been assigned to count all the wheels in the store. After counting all of them in the stock room, she doesn't realize she is supposed to count all of them. So Jeff, Jodie, Muffy and Sam volunteer to help her but she doesn't think she needs help. Jodie tries to get her to accept help from friends. They eventually succeed in counting all the wheels in the store.
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Episode 15 - Ears
Release Date:Sam seems to have a hearing problem after he misunderstands everyone that talks to him, and Jodie takes him to an ear-specialist. But it turns out that he had cotton in his ears the whole time to help him sleep through the noise outside his house. In all the confusion, though, Muffy gets locked out on the roof.